Tai Chi Notes #2 -- horse parting mane

I cracked and -- gasp -- spend money on something.  We went to Barnes and Noble and I had money in pocket from Christmas.

It's a DVD/book set called Anatomy of Fitness: Tai Chi.   The set has two closer to complete routines to do, but before moving on to the first of those, the books explains some of the footwork to master.

I have no problem with working on the fundamentals, but I want something to play with as well.  So I present horse parting mane, with a you tube video that gives some good tips as to what to focus on:


My morning wake up (starting today) is: work on starting position in tai chi, do some warm up stretches from there, then some work wild horse parting the mane, and then my squats and push ups for my greasing the groove.

When I return back to the school year, I will have the benefit of full length mirrors (my room used to be an acting room).  I will be able to work on move after move, experimenting with variations and getting pretty good feedback on whether I look like the exemplars.

What I'll Work on in 2015

If you've been reading this blog, it is should be pretty clear what I'll be playing with in 2015, but what will I be working on?

Looking over my bucket list (or list of stuff to do before I am 40) I have the following break-down:

Goals I'd be Disappointed to not Achieve in 2015:

Get body fat below 12%
Do 100 push-ups in one go
Do 200 squats in one go

Goals I can make progress in (and perhaps achieve with luck on my side):

Pay off the house
Coach a individual state champion
Help 100,000 people manage time better
Help 100,000 people to learn techniques to live sustainably (ie permaculture)
Have 10,000 people use software I've written
Make a mobile ap (can help me achieve the previous goal) 

The common thread to all these goals is they can be achieved without me spending money.   I'm trying to stay on a spending fast as much as possible until the house is paid off.

All the rest of the goals probably require the outlay of some money, though I can be intelligent about how much I end up spending (frugal rather than cheap).  I can work on them some other year.

Not on the bucket list is my studies of Tai Chi and Go (Wei Qi).  I guess this will be a year of Eastern disciplines.   I can see Tai Chi becoming a daily, and perhaps lifelong, practice, whereas with Go I have the the more pedestrian desires and no time frames at all.

Tai Chi Notes #1

Source: long you tube video.

• Keep head and eyes up. 
• Don't look down, it changes your balance
• Keep knee perpendicular to ankle, not leaned forward to foot line, or even further.
• Be mindful of shoulders and keep loose and downward
• Shoulders and waist move as a unit
• Knees and toes point in the same direction

Okay, that's already 5 things to be looking for.  My teaching style for others is to teach only a few things and then give feedback on them.  It is only with the fundamentals pushed down the level of automatic that more complex things can be looked at.  

So these are the first criteria of what to look at for my first moves.

Tai Chi Videos

First, a link with some super simple moves explained.

A much bigger video, with first philosophy and then good technical instruction:

Russel's Praise of Idleness

Just read for the first time Bertrand Russel's In Praise of Idleness.  I recommend it for anyone who hasn't shaken the notion that they must be productive at all times to justify their existence.

Which may seem like an odd statement from someone who has a goal to help 100,000 people to manage their time better, but is actually completely consistent.

I know a few tricks to help squeeze more out of the time you are already spending working, but that is to free up leisure time.  It is in this leisure time that reflection occurs, and priorities get reevaluated, even in miraculously short amounts of time.  When I first started experimenting with the pomodoro method, I found that during my 5 minute break period, I would often realize that I was either going about my work the wrong way or working on the wrong thing.  If you stay locked in too long you're actually a much less effective worker, let alone less effective at the work of living a good life.

Pull Up Bar Installed

My home gym is complete.  I look forward to one day being able to maintain my arm strength with the simple economy of pull-ups.  One day I will switch my greasing the groove to pull-ups and attempt a 25 pull-up challenge.  One day.

I've been lifting weights for months and have more than tripled how much I can do a bicep curl with, so how many pull ups can I do?  Zero.  At least zero "true" pull ups.

This fact doesn't bother me.  It's another thing I can begin working on. The process is what is important.  Progress is what is enjoyable.

To begin the process, I can do a set of five "jumping" chin ups (not pull ups), focusing on the negative.  Also, when I cross by the closet, where the pull up bar is placed, I hang in pull up position, trying to develop some grip and work on the shoulder muscles it will take to do pull ups in the future.

I'm at zero pull ups and counting.

The Christmas Haul

My two favorite presents of the year are a door-frame-mounted pull up bar (thus completing my home gym) and a harmonica.

I had once wanted to take up the harmonica when I was younger, but I hadn't thought much of it in years.  But the idea seems appealing.  Though I don't listen to it much, the blues do speak to me on a spiritual level and who wouldn't like to be able to play "Dixie" for their redneck relatives (and wanna be redneck relatives -- no matter how sad it is that such a person exists).

The pursuit of harmonica skills might displace my study of Go, which is quite all right.  Studying the technical skills of the game is a fine pass-time, but hasn't so far deepened my understanding of the game as a spiritual metaphor.  Which makes sense, because nature is the better sensei , of course, and the weather still has not closed off my enjoyment spending time with my truest Teacher.

Also, I got some Christmas money.  I am going to earmark that money for the garden, whether buying seeds or wood mulch for the pathways.  And I will pay the proceeds of the garden forward.

The Right Balance

I don't believe work/life balance is the key balance to look track.  I think work should be minimized as much as possible and then after that is accomplished, a focus should be given to living the best life possible.

And to live that best possible life you have to balance action and rest (either actual sleep, or even slow, unstrained meditative thinking).  Now, that action can be what we call productive work, and actually so can that kind of thinking.  But it really doesn't have to be.

Also, balancing works in rhythms and cycles, so that certain times of day are better than others. And really, again, this is about enjoyment.  This is a completely side conversation as to whether someone wants their entire life co-opted by their employer (which just seems bad to me).


Physical
Action -- chores, strength training
Rest --  qigong/tai chi, napping

Gardening
Action -- digging, pruning, moving heavy debris, mowing
Rest --  planting seeds, gentle weeding in a loose bed, strolling about on a nice day, snacking by whim

Mental
Action -- e-mails, lesson planing, writing a quick blog post, working on a skill for a goal nerd goal
Rest -- thinking in silence, writing in cursive in a notebook, reading a good book slowly and pausing to think

Games to Play with Others
Action -- Backgammon, Yahtzee, Poker
Rest -- Go with the right handicap

Solitare games
Action --, Russian Backgammon Solitaire,  Open Face Chinese Poker Solitare (though I often play it when I can't sleep, so maybe it is in between "action" and "rest").
Rest -- Working through Go Joseki

Why I Write

Purpose 1. To Share What is Important

One of my biggest motivations to write is to make some pieces to help others gain some mastery over life -- even better, mastery over skills that help them be in the service of the situations the world presents.  And I believe those skills should be freely given, as a gift.

I believe all of this is tied to spirituality, or at least wisdom.  Either these terms are in practice the same thing or most people need spirituality to move along the path of wisdom.

I have moved down a path, going from early retirement (Extreme) and Mark Boyle's Moneyless Manifesto, to Daniel Suelo, and then through Suelo, I was introduced to Peace Pilgrim.  Each step along the way, I see more clearly the need for spirit, and how money really is its antithesis.

That wording about "service of the situation" comes from the writings of Peace Pilgrim:

Q: How can I begin to really live life?A: I began to really live life when I began to look at every situation and think about how I could be of service in that situation. I learned that I should not be pushy about helping, but just willing. Often I could give a helping hand - or perhaps a loving smile or a word of cheer. I learned it is through giving that we receive the worthwhile things of life.

I can find no truer words for dealing with the day to day of life.  Peace Pilgrim also shows me why my most important writings, the best gifts I can give, must remain free:

Q: Why don't you accept money? Because I talk about spiritual truth, and spiritual truth should never be sold - those who sell it injure themselves spiritually. . . Those who attempt to buy spiritual truth are trying to get it before they are ready. In this wonderfully well-ordered universe, when they are ready, it will be given.

Maybe I do prefer the term "wisdom."  If you are seen loving wisdom enough, perhaps you can be seen as a philosopher.  

So I'll re-write that passage, changing it for my message: 

Q:Why do you think all wisdom writing should be free?  Because I talk of wisdom and the good life, and these things should never be sold -- those who sell them injure their own wisdom and ability to live the good life. . . Those who attempt to buy the wise, good life are trying to get it before they are ready.  In this wonderfully well-ordered universe, when they are ready, it will be given they will notice it was already around them.

The good life is around us, and is always available for the right price: free.  When you have it, pay it forward.

Purpose 2. To Record My Life

I also write to leave a legacy of who I was.  The process of writing my memoirs starts now, as does a more accurate job of journaling.   My memories will be preserved better for having them written, as I have seen through the example of my wife's discipline of writing a sentence a day in a journal. If I can make one treasure for a family member, then it worth many hours of time (and even a few dollars of money for paper). 

Also, by giving shape to my memories, writing is an activity that will add more life to my years, which is probably more important than our cultural obsession with adding years to life, quality be damned.

3. To Have a Craft

I believe that life is best when we can get into some kind of flow, much like the concept of Zen in the art of _____.   (And I do recommend Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing) 

Writing, especially on paper, is one of the very best activities I have discovered for leaving myself open and responsive to the world.  Other things I have tried to make my main hobby have left me obsessed and withdrawn.  Writing connects me to others.  

And better yet that connect is a my best self, born out of more than one draft.

Some Free Go Literature

The American Go Association has a nice page for people learning the game.  I am going to start with River Mountain Go: Volume 1 and at the same time look at problems in Improve Fast in Go as more of a stretch read, so I gather from looking at it.  

Process those both, though, and play a lot, and it looks like I should be a 20 kyu (if that label has any robust meaning).

I'm not sure I can keep ego and notions of progress out of my conception of the game of Go, and mythology around the game notwithstanding, I'm not sure many others have succeeded either.  But I like the game.  I think its beauty stems from its elegance, and I think it is a lovely martial art of the mind.

Also, my thinking on ego has turned away from the thought of its elimination to thinking about its balance with the outside world.

Sage Quote on Teaching Sagely

From chapter two of Tao Te Ching, translated Priya Hemenway:

The Sage is occupied with the unspoken, and acts without effort. Teaching without verbosity.  Producing without possessing,  Creating without regard to result.  Claiming nothing.  The Sage has nothing to lose

I would change "without effort" to without straining effort -- with a vision from martial arts of the master just standing there while a student attacks until in one lightening quick instant, there is one move and the student is flipped . . . the master still standing there, unaffected.  

Also, the "claiming nothing," and "without possessing," in this passage, also through the lens of another translation I saw emphasizes a non-material strain to being a true sage. 

That combination of voluntary simplicity and teaching without ego has been a powerful one for thousands of years.  

I only wish to live up to the tradition.

Defending 9X9 Go

I have read that 9X9 Go teaches a new comer bad habits, and should be avoided because it you will have unlearn so much.

I counter that with the following: 9X9 Go is really fun. The games don't take too long, and it easier to hold in my mind the flow of the game, thus even at my level of having 30 games in, I can now look back and usually figure out what move I make the big mistake that cost me winning at my handicap.

I see 9X9 Go more as more like playing scales on a piano.  I have deepened an understanding of "life and death" problems and other aspects of shape. I know that if I play hundreds of games my ability to read would only improve.

For now, Go is one of my favorite free hobbies.  If I still like it after the house is paid off, I might spend money on a library of good Go books.  It is from that reading that I would expect to learn the right habits and really develop the craft.

I have to convince myself over and over again that I am not trying to progress in Go at maximum speed.  With that in mind, why should I care if 9X9 is teaching me bad habits, if I it is the most fun way to play for right now? 

And so I'll play on a 9X9 board as long as it is fun.

The Daoist Elephant in the Room

For several months, a good deal of my freely chosen reading keeps back to the concept of the Dao.

If my goal was to achieve all of my goals as quickly as possible, through a series of super-amazing anyone-can-do-but-I'm-so-special-so-you-should-give-me-money-life-hacks, then Daoism would be a huge distraction.  But I call this blog "the good life: becoming a goal nerd."  Not only would I emphasize that I am seeking the good the life, but I would also point out that is says becoming a goal nerd, not that I am, and not certainly not "hear the proclamations of the the one, the only goal nerd."

I kept seeing the Dao come up in everything I was reading, from Daniel Suelo and talk of spirituality and moneylessness, the book Trying not to Try, which I  borrowed from the library because it was on display, and most recently, a remarkable book I have recently read called the Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin.

Daoism ties together several threads that have been going on in my mind since before my students were born, a phrase I have taken to use with my students -- when try -- both for the dramatic effect it causes for them, but also to remind myself of the chasm between myself and them.  I plan on doing much reflective writing on all of these threads, but they include gardening and my love for uncontrolled "margins" of a garden, the need for alone time to clear my head, breathing and meditation, the balancing of goals that seem to have contradictory aspects, a calm state of mind and peak human performance.

If you want a basic primer of Daoist thought, sure Wikipedia works, but I found a decent page dedicated to Lao Tzu's original.  And there is Fingers Pointing Towards the Moon, which is written in terse writing by a Brit who went by the pen name Wei Wu Wei (which translates to action through non-action, and is the central paradox addressed in the book Trying not to Try, and a paradox worth spending much time reflecting upon.)

As I was trying to clarify my terms, and see how much my understanding of daoism is an idiosyncratic reading, I came by this quote from from Encyclopedia Britannica online about the Dao:

Human beings, whose society and culture are marked by artifice and constraint, can hope only to attune themselves to its mysterious transformations but receive no special favour. 

A good life, including the pursuit of goals, needs to take into account this fact.

Eating as Routine

Eating gives a certain structure to a day . . . breakfast, lunch, dinner.  You get to think about it, talk about it.  When you are home, you get to look in at the fridge or pantries when you get up, giving you an excuse to get up as well.

I'm home for the holiday break and I am very starkly aware of the void this creates.

I think that the need to fill the void is one of the greatest impediments to a radical redesign of a lifestyle. We have a lot of scripts about what to do when, enough to fill up a life.  And I think it is the second greatest power of those scripts power is their ability to fill the void.  (Their greatest power comes in the comfort of conformity).  

Having to fill the void is a good problem to have, but that doesn't mean it isn't a problem.  And if you do not handle it well, you will be back to bad habits.

For today, it's playing Go on a 9X9 board.  Tomorrow, chores around the house, and, weather permitting, garden work.  After that, who knows?

Perhaps this Need not be Gibberish

I was reading a discussion of just how much play on a 9X9 Go board is appropriate for a beginner and I came across this: 

Malweth: I learned how to play solely on the 19x19 board - I believe that my first 9x9 game was after I'd broken 20k, and I'm positive that my first 13x13 game was when I was SDK (and versus a ~25k child).There are important things to learn at the 25k level, and as important as life and death is, the opening is IMHO more critical. Basic shape life and death problems take a close second. Look at it this way, the most important part of the game is the fuseki (joseki aside, of course, for the 25 kyu).The progression, as I see it, is:1) Learn the rules 2) Learn the big points and why they are big (start with the 3-4 shimari, then the kakari) 3) Simultaneously with #2, learn the basic nakade.9x9 is good for time purposes - it does teach good tactics, but should be used in conjunction with 19x19. I personally don't find much value in 13x13. I think it is better to play half a 19x19 game than to complete a 13x13 game, not even discussing that playing quickly (15-20 min absolute per side) is perfectly fine for weaker players. 

I might play around with these suggestions, but first I have to learn what "shimari," "kakari," and "nakade" in fact are.  

Vocabulary is always important in learning a new endevour.  

Joseki (Go Strategy)

While I like Go for the big-picture strategy which evokes potent metaphorical understandings of spirituality in practice, and I like to think of one day hooking up with a community of people who play the game for the right reasons, losing all the time to the Fuego is not my favorite experience.

For that reason, I am watching some strategy videos on Youtube.  (In a year and half or so, after the house is paid off, and my spending moratorium is ended, I might even buy Go books  . . . shocking, I know).

The current beginner fundamental for me is Joseki.




Update: just internalizing this concept alone helped me to move up a handicap on the 9X9 board against Fuego.

Go Progress

Through game 15 of losing 50 games as fast as I can.  I actually won a game on a 15X15 board.  I only need a nine stone handicap.  (Let it never be said I was an over-night success at Go).

I enjoyed this lecture on mid-game shapes, from the Sunday Go Lessons Channel:

Go as Meditation in Action

I have been saved the trouble of needing to write further pieces on the philosophical implications of Go by one I have read today.  (This is not to say I wont use Go to express insights into other areas; I have already begun one such piece in my notebook.  Also, if I will write about my Go studies, if nothing else so I can have them scrap-booked for me somewhere.)

Though the piece tries to make the most important implication of Go is an answer to nihilism,  But I don't see that argument as unique to Go.  It is basically that rules make parameters on the chaos of reality, giving us a framework for interaction.  Without that framework we are left in a nihilistic situation:

 When two people confront each other across a Go board, they could do virtually anything—throw the stones at each other, carve their initials in the board, etc. Why play Go? The broader question is, why do anything at all?

To answer that we need to know what kind of beings we are: impermanent and interconnected.  And the stones in Go serve the purpose of showing representing this truth:

 A stone’s real significance lies in its potentiality for interaction with other stones. It can surround territory or disrupt the ability of stones of the other color to do so, and even capture those stones . . .  the significance of any stone or group of stones is subject to the possibility of radical change. A stone or group of stones that is important at one point can become dispensable as a result of later developments . . .  The significance of the vulnerability of the stones accustoms the players to the reality of impermanence, and again this is found to be not a dreadful situation, but one that greatly enriches the experience of playing.

 We are impermanent beings who can only cobble together temporary, contextual truths (much harder to have Truths).  So why not play a game that mirrors that reality?  Throw in some aspects of harmony and interconnections, and adjust the handicaps of the game so that you are only winning 50-60% of the time, and you have an enjoyable game that becomes more of an enjoyable art.

The article is worth the read (and reread).

Basics Things to Think About in Backgammon

Here is one, and two, cheat-sheet style articles of things to think about in backgammon.  And while I'm gathering links, it might be fun to look back at some historically important matches.  Also good is a review of Chris Bray's Seminar: To Slot or Not to Slot?

I feel like studying Backgammon again.  At my current skill level, backgammon is still the most fun in terms of game-play.  Games move quickly, and each individual game takes a short amount of time.  

Go, on the other hand, is a spiritual exercise for me.  But then again, so is my work.  And so is gardening.  And even, with the right frame of mind, the chores around the house. So after a day of holding myself together to be a radiant in my good work, it is nice to have this game for its excitement.

I have taken to something quite odd, but really fun for me.  I set up a Backgammon board beside my computer, so I can play through the moves on it while playing the computer.  I had first thought of doing this with Go, when I one day get a board, but I realized the same principal could transfer.  One of the big reasons I bother my wife to play Backgammon so much with me is because it is an excuse to use real pieces.  I just love the click, click of the game.  And now I can have that as much as I want. Just in time for Winter Break.  

Procrastination Chronicles #8: Cleaning the Front of the House

On the path to greatness, there will be 100 overcomings.

I will chronicle my attempts to overcome procrastination.  My technique is to start small, really small.

==================

The path to a clean front of the house starts with a single twig.

From there and a quick break all things are possible.

If Left Red-in-the-Face-Embarrassed

. . . it is probably time to take a break.

It's amazing how naturally I go from playing a game, thinking a lot about it, taking those images in my mind's eye and projecting it into my future, imagining playing it having as a significant meaning to my life, learning about the social scene (and social status) of the game, thinking of how I will one day be great, thinking how that means I must be making rapid progress, and being deeply embarrassed  when I suffer the kind of set-back a newbie must come to accept.

I wrote that this all happened naturally, and I love nature, so I love this too . . . right?  No, this pattern may be natural, but it in unbalanced.  This is not the a path that a well-adjusted or centered person will follow for long.

It is natural for any individual, or even a group, to get unbalanced.  But the whole will push back to that part. And when the whole gently pushes back, we can tense up, and redouble our efforts . . . or we can breath, get some perspective, and (re)locate a balance.

All of this came from playing Go.  I thought I was ready to move down another handicap against Fuego.  I thought I understood the concepts to win at the next level down.  I did not.

And that should be okay.  And it is if you play the game for its own merits, instead of following the path outlined above.  I want Go to a game in which I cultivate a different growth than ego-measuring (never will your ego be less than when you are constantly seeking to validate it).  To do that, I should only play it when I am in a mood to do that kind of cultivation.

There is the advice to "lose 50 games as quickly as you can."  And I like that advice.  But, for it to be a real vehicle for harmony in my life -- a stop-gap when I can not get it from natural surroundings bursting with life -- then I need to balance the seeking of 50 games with other values.  To be balanced, I must balance the game-of-balance with clearing my head enough to have an attitude open to balance.

This Humble Student Learns to Accept Hokeyness

I accept that Go will be part of my life.  I accept that Backgammon will be part of my life.  I also, at the age of thirty, accept that I will not an elite player at either.  I will not be world renowned.

Okay, I accept that about Go more than Backgammon.  The only reason is that I first learned Backgammon as a youngster and so there all sorts of buried dreams of playing big games and rolling 6-6 to pull off a miracle upset.

I have been playing Go for only a short time, and have not yet even lost my first 50 games.  But I love the game as an exercise in harmony.

I see myself playing Go as a form of mediation, of relaxation.  I will "advance" when I advance.  I will stall when I stall.  I will neglect to play when I neglect to play.  This last point is especially important in gardening season.  Why use Go as metaphor for the harmonies of nature, when I can just experience them directly?  But rainy days, as well as those that are cold and hot will call for games.

As I want to be as humble as I can in relation to Go.  And not to be arrogant about humility, but I do have a lot of practice being humble, much more than a 10 year old gloating over beating his mother at Backgammon.

As a testament to my humility toward this game, I have watched some videos, really built for beginners.  If I had followed my normal mode of operation, I would have played a few games and starting thinking of "disruptive strategies" that will allow me to have my own style and compete with the big-boys.  Ah, youth,

I learned a lot from the following videos and will probably refer to them as I move up in beating Fuego, the free Go engine I am playing with on my computer.  All of the videos had a common feature that in the past I was have gagged on: they are all a bit hokey.  But somehow, in my more humble, open state, I found myself smiling at them, even if it would not be my style to say. All the videos are on a 9 by 9 board. I plan on getting at least 25 of games in on a 9 by 9, before switching to something a bit bigger.

The first video is a near-total novice playing a more experienced player in a game that just divides the board up:




The second video gives a little more open game from the same players:


The third video is someone beating a computer at different level of stone handicap. Helpful in facing my current Go opponent.

A Game of Harmony (another free hobby)

I have been writing harmonies, and how games can be a step to achieving them.

When I think about harmonies, I almost invariably pictures moves from the game of Go.  I probably should picture something about the give-and-take conversation with myself and nature in a garden, but that is no one moment, but a relationship, and I sense it and should write more about it one day.  Go, on the other hand, gives me a picture of harmony.  In the moves I see some truths: you cannot eradicate your opponent, only out-influence.  To attack in an impossible position can only cause damage to yourself.  Unbalanced aggression can easily be used against you.

I see all this in the game, and I'm not even any good at it.  And perhaps getting good would turn too many aspects of the game into something mechanical.  Go is a great game for the meditative practice of harmony.  I plan to have no plans with it, and instead only play as much as I enjoy.

You can play it for free thanks to GNU; I have been playing against Fuego. 

A Mantra

I am a teacher,

I teach nobility, I teach walking the Path (dao . . . ?)
I am a writer, I am a forager, I am a gardener.
I am a forager, I am a gardener.

This is a mantra to prevent me from just visualizing the movement of pieces.  This obsession would consume my life.  It would be fun, but it must stay in balance.  Game, meta-game, harmony.

I want to visualize a move in backgammon, in Othello  (you get to flip so many pieces), in Go.  I want to slap down a card and quickly move it into place.  This could use up all of my mental space.

So . . .

Visualize pulling up a radish, cutting pine, pulling chickweed, etc.  Picture a pen moving as a good wording comes out.  Those are the noble arts I pursue.

Plant a polyculture, find a way to reflect on the reflective life, to build a better version of myself.

Game, Meta-Game, Harmonies

When I decided to make the game Diplomacy a key part of my speech/communications class it occurred to me that I am completely fascinated by games.  Perhaps easily obsessed is more true.  Or, perhaps I can be generous and say that games give a home.

The rules of a game create limit on the chaos of reality.  I know this leads us right to what Taleb calls the ludic fallacy, but I don't see the path of games leading directly to such mistaken reasoning.  Or maybe it is a trade-off: a game creates an environment that can be rich enough to occupy the human mind for a lifetime in a situation safety, fun, and perhaps friendship.   The price for this the conditioning that makes it seem that all of life can also be a game.

 I have also pointed out that games are can be free: you are producing your own amusement for free (or cheap) rather than consuming entertainment (for maximum price).  Even this has a trade-off, however.  Games are so addictive that becomes hard to do other important things.

For these reasons you must move beyond the level of the game to the meta-game.  That most people do not make this step is not he fault of the game.  A game is as good of a path as any.

The write up about Diplomacy in the classroom shows an example of a game going to the next level:

In this game, Italy, France, Turkey, and Russia had a four-way unbreakable alliance. Their ultimate goal was share supply centers in a game-end tie, refusing to backstab each other for a victory and thus force me to award the piddling of extra-credit I was offering to the winner to all four of them. Essentially, they were using Diplomacy to metagame their class grades, and good for them! THIS was the kind of thing I was hoping would click for some of these kids -- and all of them said as much in their essays.

And though these moments are rare, if there is no game, then there is no meta-game.

One thing I like about turning my speech class into a game is it means, in conjunction with my debate classes, I am now playing games for the majority of the day.   And debate at Norman North is the ultimate quite the meta-game.  We are created an environment where students count on each other and invest in training the next wave of North debaters.  Having the meta-game of nurturing more and more talent then makes us better at the games, but does not eliminate the games, nor the need for them.

The next level up (and even rarer than the meta-game) is an understanding of the essential harmonies. the real pace and rhythms of life,  You see through the illusions of the day to day.  It is the dao, the spirit.  It is right effort without striving.  But even then, when you are well-adjusted and content, games are still fun.  They become as worthy of a use of your time as any.

I love to the give the gift of gifts (the meta-gift for the meta-game of debate), but I also love to give the gift of games.

And I love to play games.

But only as part of a well-balanced life.

Three Times as Much as Average . . . Or More?

I must admit this one is a odd thought, but why not share? . . .

I have in my mind the notion that I am trying to get 3 times as much done as the average person.  Why 3 times? I really can't say.  Perhaps twice as much seemed too easy.

Anyway, I think it is accurate enough, though I think a case can be made for getting 4 times as much done, or maybe 12 times, or maybe 15, 30, 60 . . . some multiple of 3. Here is the strategy:

First,  learn the productivity tricks, especially defeating procrastination, at least *bad* procrastination.  (See Paul Graham on the possibility of good procrastination).  For the tricks of the trade, I especially recommend the Getting Things Done framework to increase efficiency.  Also really good is a lecture by the late Randy Pausch. Productivity tricks can get you to doing 3 times as much.

Second,  win the money game.  I argued that winning the money game allows you to pursue goals 4 times harder.  but it takes time to win the money game, so you have to make an investment away from other areas of productivity, thus maybe we shouldn't multiply by four.  Still, though, I think you can multiple the 3 times as much from the first step and get up to 9 times as much done, or more over the course of a lifetime.

Third, work on good projects.  This idea is well-illustrated in an article by Aaron Swartz. This is the difference between efficiency and effectiveness.  You can be efficient at doing something not worthwhile, or -- much, much worse -- efficient at doing something wrong or downright evil.  I also think that good projects, at least in terms of building a lifetime list of accomplishments -- like my bucket list -- should have a certain "wow" (or, "man, that's badass") factor.  Work on cool things.

Fourth, (the step I need to focus on more in the upcoming years) work in good groups.  I'll define a "good" group: one that has lots of cooperate and gifts.  Also, at least for me, one that minimizes wasted time.  If you have to, create this good group.  Train people to be part of it. . . And don't forget to recruit to make this group.

And bonus.  Not quite making this list, but potentially very powerful, is computer programming.  I like programming, at least conceptually, because it is like a super-power.  But it can certainly fall into the trap of efficiently working on the wrong thing.  Still the Getting Things Done framework works because it allows us to externalize the thoughts we need systematized.  A computer program can be an extreme version of this.  You can be creative, because that is what you are good at, and then outsource the computation.

No to Diet Sodas

Yesterday I stayed under 1,300 calories, but it was really in Twinkie Diet Fashion . . . After eating some oatmeal I brought from home, I had someone make a food run that included a McChicken Sandwhich, some fries and a diet soda.  And my problem was with the diet soda.

Later night I woke up feeling really odd . . . sorta bloated, but sorta hungry.

Fast food is the type of food that makes us hunger, and that is one of its biggest problems.  When I eat a lot of salt, I feel dried out, so I hunger more. . .

But soda, and especially diet soda, is worse for me.  My current diet works for me because it makes hunger go away.  But this incident illustrates that soda cannot really be a part of that.

Free Hobby: Playing Diplomacy

In one of those rare brain-storms that changes everything I decided to use the board game Diplomacy in my speech class.  

The game looks like a military game, like Risk, but really, it's much more about communication.  As Wikipedia says:

Diplomacy differs from the majority of war games in several ways:

• Players do not take turns sequentially; instead all players secretly write down their moves after a negotiation period, then all moves are revealed and put into effect simultaneously.

• Social interaction and interpersonal skills make up an essential part of the game's play.

• The rules that simulate combat are strategic, abstract, and simple—not tactical, realistic, or complex—as this is a diplomatic simulation game, not a military one.

• Combat resolution contains no random elements — no dice are rolled, no cards are drawn.

• Each military unit has the same strength.

All of this forces kids to communicate.  I'm also pretty sure it will give a rich enough environment that students can do additional writing and speaking assignments on their, you know, experiences, even though they are in-game experiences.  The idea just clicked into my head . . . and it felt good.

I've been so pleased with myself that I've been thinking about the game a lot, and decided it'd be fun to play myself a bit.

So this is another possible free hobby: playing Diplomacy online.  The website I am using is webDiplomacy.net.

I can say this much: the game is better in person.  And that's neat because I'm using the greatest advantage a school offers: bringing young people together.  This is also, of course, a school's greatest weakness. But that is a good principal of permaculture: turn weaknesses into strengths.

Turn:
"Oh man, my speech class has so many kids."

Into
"Oh boy, oh wow, my class has so many kids . . .this game is going to be something so much greater than I was ever able to play."

And it is really that kind of longing to have what I am creating for the kids that is making want to this, just to capture a little bit of it.

And that makes me feel really good as a teacher.

Nested Time Box Games

My default time management system is the pomodoro method.  This is because my normal blend of work is quite a bit of mental tasks to do with some routine physical things.

But like all good procrastinators, at some point routine tasks of all sorts pile up.  At this point I turn to the idea of a nested time-box, something I found on the All Japanese All-the-Time (AJATT) blog (which is now just a big advertisement . . . oh well, I still felt obligated to cite where I got the idea).

I made one additional tweak to the nested time box, and that is to make it a formal game.  The rules are simple: 1.) write down my tasks, 2.) estimate how long those tasks should take 3.) set my longer timer (30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour) and 4.) use another timer to see if I can make my time goals for the tasks.  I have a video on the process:






I only bust out this routine when I am buried by a lot of little things, but when I do, I get amazing results, and have good fun while doing it.

Learn about other systems with a timer.

Ad Free Blog

It's always nice to see I'm not the only one who sees advertising as seriously messed up.

Fitting Pieces Together

To make it so I can do squats and push ups every day, I now have an alternating pattern going on my sets:

Day A: current reps of Squats + 1/2  current reps of push ups
Day B: 1/2 reps of squats + current reps of push ups
Then repeat.

I plan to keep this going 5 days a week and then rest on the weekend.  The theory behind greasing the groove is that you are getting a lot of practice in, which trains the nervous system to be more efficient in doing a specific motion and/or lift.  So, I should stay in practice.  If I'm not doing that, then I am going through a hyper-trophy protocol, and doing a bad job of even that.

This also fits together quite nicely, because I can do this every hour.  So I can work my time-boxing this way: I can do creative (ie sit on my butt) work for 25 minutes, then do something physical (like cleaning something, or a garden chore) then do 25 more minutes of creative/butt work, and do my grease the groove discipline.

I get in the exercise and chores I need to do and feel refreshed for creative work.

Now . . . No Lunch

My progression to eating minimalism continues . . .

I wrote about how I moved from a small lunch to just oil. Well now, I don't even take the oil at noon. Just like the last step in my progression, this one happened because of my forgetfulness -- I just neglected to eat lunch one day and noticed I was neither hungry, nor did I feel a headache.

So the next day I sat out to not eat lunch, but I made the mistake of drinking tea at lunch.  I now know to not drink tea on an empty stomach because the tannic acid can hurt.  But after that misstep, I have been able to go a week not eating lunch, and now have a daily 19-20 hour fast.  My dinner can now be up to 1,200 calories, and this allows me to eat like a fairly normal person for that meal.

I have no idea if this would work for someone else, but I don't feel hungry this way, and in fact feel less cranky (until about 3:30).  I am losing weight and do not have to pack anything for lunch.  Heck, I should unplug my fridge at school.  

Procrastination Chronicles #7: Programming Via Poker

On the path to greatness, there will be 100 overcomings.

I will chronicle my attempts to overcome procrastination.  My technique is to start small, really small.

==================

I really have been negligent toward developing my programming skills.  And to be honest, it's emotional.  Programming, once you get past the basics, gives me a panic of feeling overwhelmed.  I can solve problems via code, I can "think like a computer," but the pure range of 3rd party software and documentations gets me.  Especially the documentations.  Nothing makes you feel stupid quicker than trying to code with something that has bad documentation.

It's not really the amount of 3rd party stuff that is the problem, it is the suspicion that you are always using the wrong stuff.  That you're some obsolete idiot.  Not helping things, is the fact that there are certainly flame wars where people are more than happy to confirm these thoughts.  This has lead me to a paralysis where I can't work on anything.  And that is not going to help me get any closer to making a piece of software that 10,000 people use.

The answer is still the same to all other places where I procrastinate: start small, and keep working every day toward small things. Also, I should just make it fun.

During the summer, I was playing a lot of poker.  Though, I like backgammon better, it is safe to say that any game with randomness is an interest of mine.  So, projects with poker are the kinds of projects I can code with easily and then make things that I could gain some enjoyment out of.  I can work on graphics and displays.  I can make algorithms to analyze hands.  I can do projects like closed Chinese Poker and give myself some fake opponent to play more low-ball poker with.

Doing poker-related projects gives me a real purpose when I am coding and that is far more motivated than anything that reeks of meaningless exercise.

Now that I am done with debate tournaments for a bit, I can start on these poker projects.  A few think slices at a time, and probably by the time tournament season rolls around, I can at least have a new toy or two for my own enjoyment, and possibly some further skills (or a series of projects that I could use to gain skills in other programming languages) that help me toward my big 10,000 people goal.

Nackgammon November

I did not do "no shave November," but I did try out "Nackgammon November" where the matches I played on against GNU backgammon were the variant called Nackgammon.  

The problem with declaring "Nackgammon November" was that I was only able to play in a flurry for a week, and then I got locked into debate tournament mode.  Thus, I declare that December will also be a time of Nackgammon.  I find that the variant makes it so that the big mistakes I make are more interesting,  The mistakes exercise different themes than those that come up in a normal game, and thus I think when I return to playing regular backgammon I'll have a better "feel" for some of those positions.

Another step in the future might to be use the idea of a World-Class player who guys by "Stick, "   where the the opening positions change radically.  

Stick writes of his variant (Stick-gammon?), "play this at home for a while yourself and then when you return to regular backgammon the game will seem so much easier. It's like growing up playing snooker and then coming to the US and playing bar pool. (or even regular pool to a degree)"

So the current, tentative plan: my play budget will go to Nackgammon for Decemember, and then in January and February, I'll play regular backgammon, and at some point in the future, I'll try out Stick's variant.

The Moore Hat Trick

The last three weeks my life has been speech and debate tournaments.  The result: three straight sweepstakes wins, something that hasn't happened in over half a decade for Norman North.

We won the contests at the 3 high schools in Moore: Westmoore, Southmoore, and Moore High School.

It's fun to have a profession where I get to collect some trophies from time to time.

Backgammon Video with Good Commentary

This will be good to go back and study.

I think summer and winter are good times to study backgammon because both extremes of weather make me somewhat shut in.

But beautiful days . . . I am sure my mental (let alone spiritual) health is best served heeding their call, and going out.

Still, I forsee some long, cold nights with a warm, almost scalding hot, liquid and the study of some backgammon positions.

First, Use a Timer to Get More out of Your Time

We all know that there are many things we can invest our time in to make life better in the long run.  That's not the problem!

The real problem is that you can be so jammed up that you don't have the time to work on those things.  You have to get past the short run to get to the long-run.  Here are three techniques to look into that using a timer (or timers) to make it so you can get more out of your time:

• (10+2)*5  This one is a good one to use as a "starter" system, or if you have severe ADD. 
• Nested Time Boxing I like this when I am overloaded with tiny things to do. Those pesky "mosquito tasks."  I get out a sheet of paper and turn it into a game
• The Pomodoro Technique In my opinion, the best way to do creative work that has a deadline.  

If someone was just overloaded (which is what people are by default in the modern world), my first piece of advice would be to follow one of these links, and use one of these systems to get some stuff done.  They'll get more done in the same time devoted to work. . . and perhaps just as importantly, they'll work in some fun into their work as well, which can help to stay motivated.

The next step is to NOT, I repeat do NOT add any more of the same type of the work.  Do the same work you've been doing in less time and then use the extra time to invest in exercise, planning, learning other productivity tricks, or other useful skills.

So this is step one for making your life better: pick a timer technique to deal with the problem of not having the time to learn how to save time. 

After that, who knows what is the limit?

200 Air Squats in a Day

I was able to work in 8 sets of 25 squats, each set spaced over an hour apart.

So today turned out to be the first day of 200 squats.  I'm now sore enough as to take tomorrow off.  I plan to try sets of 30 or 40 Thursday, but life may certainly get in the way again. 

Still, I am on my way. 

Air Squat Progress

For a little over a month I have been working toward my 200 squats goal using greasing the groove.  I must admit I have been negligent from time to time; I think I have even missed an entire week at one point (maybe more?)

Still, I am up to reps of 20, and even have played with a few reps of 40 yesterday.  

When I started a month ago, doing even 5 squats left my knees feeling creaky, and I was worried I would never be able to reach the squat goal.  I have no doubt that on Monday, I can comfortably get in 200 reps for the day (probably 8 sets of 25 reps).  On Tuesday, if everything feels fine, I'll probably 10 in the morning to warm up, followed by 5 more sets (spaced at least an hour apart) of 50, for a daily total 260.  

After that I'll keep playing around with escalating the amount of reps in a set until I can do 200 in a row.  I'm pretty sure it will be the next bucket list item I can cross off.

Balancing Health with a Busy Month

So far, I have organized my diet and workout changes by month.

In July, I used the slow carb diet.  I began lifting weights on my cheat day to build muscle mass in the hope of increasing my metabolism.  I lost 10 pounds this way.

In August, I experimented with Alternate Day Calorie Restriction for about two weeks.  I coupled this with a Sunday free-day where I lifted weights and spiked up my calories. Two weeks in, I then decided I didn't like that, so I switched to just eating 1,200 calories a 6 days a week, but continued to have a free-day where I lifted weights.

In September I took a month off my weight lifting program, which is Escalating Density Training, and instead worked on strength training, using Greasing the Groove.  The first weekend, I messed up my diet, but other than that I stuck to 1,200 calories a day 6-days a week, with Sunday being a little bit looser.

In October, I was back to some lifting, but I didn't see much in terms of gains.  I have two theories on this: 1.) I might have already cashed in my "beginner gains" or 2.) I would have to increase the calories I eat a whole lot more, or overfeed on more days, to support further hypertrophy.  Since I'm still trying to lose fat, either of these theories are enough for me to ease off the throttle on my Sunday workouts and not over-feed on Monday.

This November is going to a crazy month for me.  I have 3 debate tournaments that go back-to-back-to-back.  A debate tournament is a 72 hour work-week for me:  I am running practices for my kids every day, and then the tournaments themselves are a fantastic 20 hour test of mental endurance.

This is a potentially stressful time and it might call for yummy junk food to get me through these times.

We'll see how much the damage ends up being.  

My First Backgammon

After the joy of getting a Royal Flush and then getting a Royal Flush in every suit I thought that it would be neat to get a backgammon (which is winning a game of backgammon with your opponent still having pieces on your "inner board.")  It's rare . . . not Royal Flush rare, but rare.

Well, just playing around with GNU backgammon as a free hobby gave me a backgammon:

With my double at the end, I was able to pull all the pieces off for a backgammon.

Update:  I have since had a "live action" backgammon against a student.  He is one my favorite all time students, but not very experienced with backgammon.  I always root for him to win against me, but I'll still take the backgammon.

Procrastination Chronicles #6: Cleaning out the Car

On the path to greatness, there will be 100 overcomings.

I will chronicle my attempts to overcome procrastination.  My technique is to start small, really small.

==================

Today I will talk about another task that has been sitting there for months, actually closer to a year.

On my to-do list I only had "clean 4 items out of car," because I have discovered with dishes that 4 is the tipping point for which I can get myself to comply 100% of the time.

Still, I felt a little drowsy today even after taking a walk.

First, I let myself play a game of backgammon.  That was a few minutes.  But then I went over to my to-do list.  I sighed when I saw the item about cleaning 4 items, but then I could feel a huge smile come onto my face as I realized I could listen to a song as I did the work (which it now seems is my way of handling all of my crap work).

I pulled the recycling bin to one side, the trash can to the other, and I just cleared the entire car out.  I ended up feeling so great about it, I ended up doing some of my mowing, making tomorrow easier.

Heck, I felt sooo great about it, that I played a game of backgammon, and then wrote this post.

20 Pounds Down

And probably 15-20 more to go.

It's wild to think I messed up enough to weigh 200 pounds.  It's also slightly sobering to think I've taken this long to get to a weight a few pounds more than I used to freak out and start diets.  

Oh well, measurable progress often makes us happy.  And I still am smiling that I lost those 20 pounds.  As odd as my current diet may seem -- and I think everyone who I have explained it to in person thinks its crazy -- I think it is a sustainable way to go.  I'm going to keep on this path for a few weeks, and then in November I plan a short detour, which I will explain in due time.

The Current Diet

One day I forgot to bring my lunch to school, so I just took 2 spoons of oil, instead of 1.

The result?  I still didn't feel hungry until around 3:30 or so.  I have experimented with this super-micro lunch for a week since, and I am here to say it works just fine.  

I don't eat breakfast.  The only lunch I have is 2 spoonfuls of extra-light olive oil (200 calories) and then I eat a 3:30 snack and a dinner, both adding up to no more than 1,000 calories.  So, 1,200 calories a day, 5 days a week, and then have my free-day on Sunday after lifting, and a slightly elevated calorie day on Monday.

My favorite part of this diet may very well be its convenience.  There are fewer dishes, and less clean-up.  Also, lunch less than 30 seconds and I can then use the rest of lunch to rest, read, reflect, or do work (but only in a pinch).

Another important benefit is that my energy levels feel more consistent throughout the day.  They are lower than my normal, but that is pretty much a good thing for me.  Let me explain:  a few weeks ago, when I had my debate tournament and was eating carbs like a crazy binge monster, and I really spun out of control.  It was like when I was a kid, with what almost certainly an un-diagnosed case of hyper-activity.   Not a good way to be a leader.   And I truly regret not being able to exude a calm, confidence.

In a similar vein, I have discovered that when I drink coffee when I am in this fasting phase, I also am liable to go bezerk.  This is either if I have an exciting idea or something to rant about.   Either way, I want control over my impulses.  So . .. I've quit coffee.  I drink one cup of tea at lunch.  Once I use my tea bags, I might just quit that as well.

I plan on propagating more mint in my garden, so that in a year or so I can produce my own year-round supply of mint tea from my own garden (and there is always pine needles to forage for pine tea).

Procrastination Chronicles #5: War and Peace

On the path to greatness, there will be 100 overcomings.

I will chronicle my attempts to overcome procrastination.  My technique is to start small, really small.

==================

The human mind hates assigned tasks, even they are assigned for perfectly good reasons.  Even if they are assigned by yourself for perfectly good reasons.

I absolutely agree with Nassim Taleb that

Procrastination is the soul rebelling against entrapment.

Somehow I managed to turn reading one of the finest books in human literature, War and Peace, into a chore, and so I put it off for nearly whole summer, only picking it up again in late August.  The way I got around this block was a rather odd one, and not at all by design . . .

It started with Heinlein's book Starship Troopers.  I hadn't been reading much of anything lately besides blogs.  But I started trying to go to bed at a more normal time, and so I started a habit of not looking at computer screens after 9:00.  One night, I had insomnia, but I knew going online or playing a game on the computer would make the situation worse, so I went to my book shelve, and grabbed Heinlein's book.

Reading it activated some interest in matters military and the sweep of force in history.  It was all tied together in an idle moment, when I flipped through War and Peace and came to Book 14.  It had one of those long reflections on history that I had heard about, mostly by literary people bemoaning them taking away from the novel.  But I found myself enthralled by it..  I see just from that how the book can be said to "capture the Russian soul."  Furthermore, the passage is far removed from what came off on my first reading as tedious elitism in Book 1.

There are two types of people: those who have read War and Peace and those who haven't.  I now have the motivation to be someone who will.

Procrastination Chronicles #4: Mowing the Lawn

On the path to greatness, there will be 100 overcomings.

I will chronicle my attempts to overcome procrastination.  My technique is to start small, really small.

==================

One way to beat procrastination is to make it like a song, or a page-turning novel.  If you play a song, you don't want to just cut it off at any point.  You want to hear that last note, and if the musician holds that note, you don't skip the track when the last note starts; you wait it out.  Like-wise, a great novelist will often leave you with every chapter with some kind of cliff-hanger.

A partially started task can be the same way.  I wanted to start mowing, but all I put on my to-do list was "mow one strip on the side of the house."  So, I mowed that strip and then made myself go back into the house, and cross that item off the list.  Before I did that, I already "cheated" and mowed an extra strip.

The result?  I wasn't going to leave one (or, rather two) strips mowed.  I needed to finish that pattern out.  It went from a task I was putting off to one I felt compelled to finish.

More on Modified Navy Showers

I have been sticking with modified navy showers for months now.  I do not know how well the practice will hold up in winter, though.

I really like taking most of my showers this way, particularly when I have productive work to do.  For one, it's quicker, so I can get back to work.  For another, by being cold water, I am given a jolt that puts me in a better mental work space for about two hours.

To my subjective experience, it has about the same effect as 30 minute walk in terms of getting me ready for more work, but it is at least 25 minutes quicker (with the set up, clean up, getting dresses, etc.  The actual shower is almost certainly less than 1 minute 30 seconds).

In fact, often I actively seek out a modified navy shower when I am starting to feel a little sluggish.

Free Hobby: Backgammon

After my incredibly epic Royal Flush challenge, and the subsequent break from poker, the game has lost a bit of its luster. Enter backgammon back into my life, particularly the amazing, awe-inspiring, free-ware GNUBackgammon.

If nothing else, playing a lot of backgammon helps me to achieve my life goals because it costs nothing. I'm all about improved quality of life for free. But more than that, GNU backgammon is like a having a world-class player teaching you the ins and outs of a game that seems simple on the surface but hides a vast complexity. Also, it's a very clear teaching device. One of the truly most enjoyable experiences in my life was getting back into programming using python's GUI – IDLE. I was able to make lots of quick, safe mistakes and they were all clearly, logically pointed out. It was an ideal learning environment (yes, IDLE was ideal).  I'm in this experience because I love to learn, and be able to see my progress in clear-cut systems.  (This is why I now know I can enjoy free times, and will even one day enjoy retirement -- though I may always call it self-employment).

Furthermore, GNU backgammon is a classy opponent who plays quickly and never complains either about my stupidity or my good luck. In poker, on the other hand, I am often bored after folding a huge portion of my hands and left waiting for people to play.   Also I deal with some ill-will and "verbal" abuse (typed abuse?) from time to time.

Beginning Toward Squat Goal: Grease the Groove

I'm hungry to achieve my goals.  So the next one I am going to tackle is the 200 squat challenge.  I'm a long way away, but that's okay -- because now I've started.

My technique is "greasing the groove" which is about getting a lot of "practice" in an exercise instead of training to failure (or near failure) to try to get the muscle to grow.  Instead of working out hard and then needing to take several days off to heal,  I can do the exercise a lot, well below fatigue, and do this day after day, maybe even 5 days in a row, and take the weekend off.  And that's great, because it fits into my schedule and requires no equipment.

Here's an explanation of why greasing the groove works:



.
This is just a completely different way of looking at working out.  In fact, it's not working out; it's practice.  You practice the skill of strength.  Today, I did 6 sets of 5. A very light beginning, sure, but I am already slightly sore, so I will take a day off before tackling more greasing the groove.

Procrastination Chronicles #3: Dealing with a Bunch of Crap

On the path to greatness, there will be 100 overcomings.

I will chronicle my attempts to overcome procrastination.  My technique is to start small, really small.

==================

The cat-box got out of control.  So . .. I had a lot of crap to deal with.  (Ha ha.  I kill me.)

Anyway, it still holds true that once started, a task is 95% finished, but starting here was more problematic than usual. . .  It had become a gross problem, okay? Okay!?!

So I was procrastinating even the tiniest step of starting.  So . . . I got some music, and started playing it.  Common sense, sure, but the key is to make it a systematic go-to step every time.

I am reminded of this "Big Think" video on procrastination.



I want to elaborate some here.  You shouldn't reward yourself after you do something.  If you do that, you risk destroying any motivation to do it at all.  This has been demonstrated in psychological literature, which is summarized in Alfie Kohn's book Punished by Rewards.  Instead, use something you enjoy to help you get started.  That way you can associate the beginning of the task with something you enjoy.  I call this "pre-warding" myself.

The difference is subtle, but important.  So instead of rewarding yourself, I'd say the mind hack is to associate good beginnings with things you like already.  You can probably make it even better by only giving yourself that thing you like (such as a certain song) when you are trying to use it as a momentum builder.  However, that might require more self-discipline and thus fail.  Experiment.

Update: I now pretty much only listen to music as a "momentum builder," or maybe "starter fluid,." if you will.  But that fits into a life that alternates between weeks of putting a lot of hours and now giving myself quite a bit of quiet reflection time, and long-hand writing as my main hobby.  I'm not judging if this mix doesn't work for others.  Experiment.

Spin-Off Goal: One-Hand Push Up

Today is the first Sunday in 3 months that I have not done weight training.  Next week, I begin just focusing one one-set for maintaining strength.  I'll do that for 3 weeks, and then get back to my favorite protocol: Escalating Density Training.

As part of that I want to move through the convict conditioning chest exercises with the ultimate goal of doing some one-hand push ups.  

I don't intend on this becoming my regular chest exercise, but want the novelty of showing off from time to time, even if it is just for myself.  

After hitting the one-hand push up challenge, I'll probably just circle back and do uneven push-ups as my default (and free) chest exercise:

Closing the Royal Flush Saga

I took to the path of playing the solitaire game Poker Squares (Shuffle variant) and it was everything I thought it could be.

After getting a Royal Flush in hearts, I got one in spades, one in spades again, and then I finally got a Royal Flush in diamonds, making it so that I have had a Royal Flush in all four suits.

The only thing that was left was getting a Royal Flush with real cards.  So after playing for a few hands of Poker Solitaire every night for a while, I am happy to say that clubs are my lucky suit:

In fact the total hand that I was able to make was a thing of beauty: 

Each row and column makes a hand that scores points.  This is very rare and lucky in Poker Squares.  The score for all of this, by my reckoning, is 277 points,  a higher score than I have ever scored on the ap. 

100 Push Ups in a Day

On my bucket list I wrote that I wanted to do 100 push ups in a day.

What I meant when I wrote that was to have something like a single workout where I did 100 push ups, maybe something like 5 sets of 20.

Nonetheless, a goal is a goal, so I decided to try to get 100 push ups here in the last day of August.  After all, I am going to take 1 week off weight training after today, and then 3 weeks of just doing some strength training/maintenance, rather than working toward hypertrophy (muscle growth).

100 push ups in a day is probably not that impressive, but it was actually a challenge for me; in fact, a few weeks ago I failed in an attempt.  I made three adjustments to make this attempt work: 1.) I waited an hour between sets, instead of the 30 minutes I tried last time 2.) I made a conscious effort to stretch more 3.) many of my sessions included a warm up set.

Here's the the workouts I did to get to 100 push ups today.

workout 1:   4 push ups.  Then 12.
workout 2:  14 push ups.  Then 8.
workout 3: 12 push ups.
workout 4: 12  push ups.
workout 5: 12  push ups.
workout 6: 4 push ups.  Then 10.
workout 7: 10  push ups.
workout 8: 2 push ups.

Could I have done more on workout 8?  Almost certainly.  But I am going to spend a month resting so my body doesn't suffer from over-training.

It just feels good to get something else crossed off the bucket list.

Two Lessons at the End of a Mini-Retirement

So far in my teaching career, I have thought of every summer as a "mini-retirement."

This summer I learned it is possible for me to rest too much and feel adrift.  This all changed when I made my bucket list, and decided to instead treat it as a 9-10 year plan.

I have realized that when I am mini-retired, or even fully retired, I will be happiness if I mind these two lessons:


1.) I should at least one purposeful thing to do every week.

 I have discovered that I much prefer to look at productivity in terms of a week than any day.  From now on, I will be keeping a list first of weekly goals.  During a work week, I will then make a to-do list every day.  It's the only way I can keep track of everything that I have to do.

But next summer, I know some days will be days with a to-do list and some days will be resting and playing games. But somewhere in every week, I will be happiest if I am making real progress on something amazing.

2.) Measurable goals are my best friend.

If you can measure it, you can make progress in it.  If you make progress in it, it will become fun, even addictively fun.

It feels great to be able to say I am 15 pounds lighter than I was at my maximum.  Also, I have doubled the weight I can lift on virtually every major lift.  That's fun.

My spin off goal from getting my royal flush is to get a million play chips on PokerStars under my current account.  Well, I am now 1/10th of the way there:

(It says I have over 100,000 chips)

For the purposes of fun, it doesn't matter how mechanical the goal is.  For example, the way I have crossed the 100,000 chip mark is by playing a bunch of hands of Zoom poker, but as tightly and uncreatively as possible.  As long as you are "improving your score," the process is fun, at least compared to doing nothing all day.

And, when self-employed, I can always take a break whenever it gets dull.

If I Knew Then. . .

There is an easier way to get a Royal Flush than the path I took.   It's by playing Poker Squares, which is a solitaire game.  Chinese Poker might give you the advantage of 13 cards to make your Royal Flush, but Poker Squares gives you 25 cards.

Still, having played a decent amount recently, I don't think you can guarantee a Royal Flush in one afternoon of play.  But, if you are on a short schedule for achieving a Royal Flush, I recommend Poker Squares. 

Unlike Chinese Poker, I was able to find an online location to play Poker Squares.  There are trade-offs here, though.  The online version is  faster shuffle and scores automatically, which can save time.  Playing on own, with cards, however, allows you to play the "shuffle' or "switch-a-roo" variant, thus allowing you to shift the position of the cards, which is a huge advantage.  If you have a droid phone, there is an app with the shuffle version.

I was able to get my second Royal Flush (this one in hearts) on the online game:

With Royal flushes in clubs and hearts under my belt, I don't see why I shouldn't try to get Royal Flushes in all 4 suits.

Procrastination Chronicles #2: E-mail.

On the path to greatness, there will be 100 overcomings.

I will chronicle my attempts to overcome procrastination.  My technique is to start small, really small.

==================

I recently answered an e-mail that I let sit unanswered for over a month.  I file efficiently organize my e-mails, and so I had this e-mail front and centered and starred every time I opened my e-mail.  It seemed important enough to leave is that spot each time I finished working with my e-mail, too.

In my head, I kept thinking of the apology for how long it took to reply.  My excuse was that it was the summer, but that is no real excuse.

How did I answer the e-mail finally?  Simple.  I made the first sentence one item on a to-do list.  Then I made working on the whole thing for 25 minutes another item.  And, of course, it didn't take anywhere near 25 minutes.

It also helps to have other things to work on, though. There is a time for laser focus and basically strapping yourself down to finish something, but this didn't feel like it.  I would write a bit and then do some push-ups, or work on some dishes.  This let me clear my head, deal with nervousness, and have my sub-conscious mind churn out each next little bit.

And the e-mail got done, leaving me wondering why that was so difficult.

ADCR Doesn't Work for Me

I have been doing alternate day calorie restriction, and while I have been losing weight still, I just can't keep doing it, at least not the way I have been.  What I refuse to do is quietly re-gain the weight.  I must find something that works and allows me to keep losing.

I have noticed that lunch goes fine with the ADCR diet.  I can satisfy hunger pangs with a really low calorie meal.  It's dinner that gives me the problem.  After a super-light dinner I find myself with very low energy in the evening and then an inability to think about anything other than food.  With the school year in swing, I need those productive hours.

It all came to a head when my wife noticed I could barely focus on what she was saying.  She said, really insisted, I needed to eat.  So, I broke my rules and ate a sandwich.  I hate breaking rules, but I think system needs to be changed, at least for me.

One diet that has worked for me is restricting my calories  to under 1,200 a day 6-days a week and then having Sunday as a "free day."  I lost 12.5 pounds in 3 months that way.  I lost at a quicker rate with the Slow Carb diet, but it just doesn't fit my life right now.

Also I observed that the calorie restriction diet went fine for the most part, but created extreme cravings in my 4th month.  That is something I will have to watch out for later on.

So here's what I've been doing for about a week:

I am eating really light lunches, very similar to those I had when I was trying ADCR, which, with skipping breakfast, would mean I would go 24 hour periods (dinner to dinner) on something like 200-300 calories. The extra hundred calories will be consumed at 4:00 pm in the form of extra light tasting olive oil, as proscribe by the Shangri-La Diet.  This leaves me up to 900 calories to eat at dinner.  All I have to do is not go insane, and I can meet that.  I let myself eat any type of food, and I often opt for something light and supplement it with a cheese sandwich with mustard on it.

Here are my morning weigh-ins since I hit the milestone of breaking 190 pounds:

8/3    189.2  (Sunday free day!)
8/4    191.9
8/5    194.1
8/6    189.2
8/7    190.1  (gave up on ADRC)
8/8    189.2
8/9    192
8/10  190.6   (Sunday free day!)
8/11  193.3
8/12  191.8
8/13  190.1
8/14  188.2
8/15  187.4
8/16  187.2

So, this every day restricted calorie diet seems to be a solid way to go.  I made the point to my wife that the Slow Carb diet and ADRC might have trained my body to start using fat more, and I know for a fact that ADRC helped me to develop the patience to deal with mild hunger, so I am in no way writing this post to disparage those diets.  They just weren't systems I could use during the long-haul of a school year.