Lemur wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 4:25 pm
3.) Current hobbies?
I don't really think in terms of hobbies. Maybe it's a matter of semantics, but in this regard, I concur with the excellent
article you [Lemur] had shared on page 9 of your journal. These days, I am reading/listening, learning, habit forming/breaking, moving (running, swimming), self-growing...
One thing that is currently missing and that I definitely wish to reintegrate at some point as part of an ERE/producer lifestyle is
art/creative projects. This crucial aspect will just have to wait, though. I've got some more strengthening/development/liberation to do. I need to prioritize and avoid spreading myself too thin.
Focus project: running
My current focus project (a type of "ultralearning" project, if you will) revolves around
running/moving, from a holistic point of view, and as such encompasses a range of subjects/activities.
In my youth, I often said: "I trust my feet/legs (we don't have a separate word in Greek!) more than anything". Twenty years later, an Achilles tendon rupture and surgery in 2019 was a wake up call. Mobility can't be taken for granted. That led me to review my priorities and transition to minimalist footwear and barefoot (or barefoot-style) running.
I am currently running (mostly barefoot or in running sandals) and doing mobilizations and general exercises almost every day. In the past, when I had a lot of work, I used to skip this. Not anymore.
My focus project deals with extensive reading on the subject (running, but also body function, natural movement, sleeping, breathing, nutrition, the whole health and fitness dimension), in parallel with physical practice and movement. This also stacks well with my efforts to keep a balanced relationship with technology (see below). I target taking full ownership of my physical well-being and maybe building up to a competence level that would allow me to be an instructor/coach for others.
Running (and walking) is being wholly integrated, hence not a hobby. Need to go to the super market or local fresh market (talat, as they call it here)? I will run up to there or go there before or after a session. It is my weight loss/fitness program, my alone time, a time for self-care, thinking, meditating, connecting with nature (or simply being outside), and reading/listening (in the form of audiobooks, books/texts read via TTS, podcasts, etc.). It is also my natural shoe building (when running unshod), and preferred way of locomotion. It is crazy how homeotelic towards my well-being running is. As my physical ability improves, so does my desire to go places (literally and metaphorically) and the range of possibilities expands (I will discuss this more when talking about my three month trip back to Europe by end of June).
I have already transitioned from desk-bound to working in a standing position or from the floor. Although I had started tackling this prior to my travel, I've loved to discover the floor sitting culture here in Thailand. People can assume a sitting meditation stance or deep squat like it is the most natural thing. I had tight hips/psoas and restricted knees (soccer injuries didn't help) when I came here. Gradually working towards the lotus position. Still a long way to go, but it is getting better. This has helped incorporating more floor sitting. Plus, we are mostly sleeping on the floor now, usually with no pillow, and feeling all the better for it! This leads naturally towards a "furniture-free" living, and simplified requirements means more mobility and living quarters options!
Nutrition
After several attempts, mostly failed because of work-related stress eating and the convenience of working from home (I was already skipping breakfast, but lunch and snacking proved a lot harder to beat), I have taken up OMAD as my everyday diet ("diet" actually comes from the Greek and originally meant "way of life"). It's been six weeks or so, think it will stick! OMAD works great for me. It has decreased my cravings, energy swings, brain fog, mindless snacking and caloric intake (it is hard to overeat in one meal). It frees time and energy (I tend to be lethargic after lunch, and preparing/consuming an additional meal takes time too, plus, as a freelancer, I don't get paid for lunch breaks). As intermittent fasting, It is good for health. Pretty neat if you ask me.
I cook plant-based food at home, but tend to have more mixed dishes when eating out (in food courts, etc.) or buying already cooked food from local markets and street vendors. From now on, we have committed with my DGF to stay
plant-based as much as we can. I had done so as an experiment for six months back in Europe, but doing so in Thailand makes for a unique experience, as it involves incorporating new ingredients and dishes!
Hydration
Water (some times with chia or basil seeds, or a pinch of salt before exercising), some tea/infusion (like ginger or grilled buckwheat) or home made kombucha are the main drinks. No alcohol, no coffee, no sodas or energy drinks. Nothing to change here, but more to learn on hydration and physical activity.
Other projects:
Travel
Since I am in a completely new country/region and culture, there is also exploring and experiencing, discovering new places, ingredients/dishes, etc. Traveling and engaging with a different culture has been quite enriching from a personal development perspective. Long/Slow travel allows for a non touristy approach that suits me best. Being in relationship with a local helps, too!
Mindfulness
I see mindfulness as key to my well-being and ideally baked into all aspects of my life.
Meditation practice comes as a way to improve this fundamental skill. However, I am having some trouble to turn this into a regular habit. Going forward, I will try doing a session as part of my morning routine or, failing that, during my late afternoon running session.
What I am already doing is
Yoga Nidra, a guided meditation practice where the body is asleep while the mind is awake. I helps me regain energy/clarity/focus for creative work and as a complement to sleep (For instance, if I wake up one or two hours early, I find it more beneficial to do a one hour yoga nidra session than trying to fall asleep, Same goes for napping). Yoga Nidra definitely counts as a meditation/mindfulness practice in my book.
Finally, I am adding here three projects for which I will use this journal for accountability (plant-based/OMAD diet being a fourth).
Journaling
Journaling is an essential companion to making life changes, pursuing creative endeavours, improving writing skills, documenting and making sense of things. Consistency is key, and I haven't always been able to keep up in the past. Combining paper and digital note taking (Logseq, which is also my tool for time-blocking, to-dos, weekly reviews, reading notes, flashcards, knowledge management, etc.), I want to turn this into a daily habit. I see this ERE journal as an integral part of this (with the added social aspect).
Technology-related addictions:
I've read several books on building and breaking habits, but most seem to miss a point. There is a difference between a habit and an addiction, which I think is not a difference in degree, but in kind. I find it helpful to identify an addiction for what it is instead of simply treating it as a bad habit. The willpower method alone won't cut it. Following a habit breaking script often won't be enough. There needs to be radical change. I have been fighting this for years, as it is pervasive, affecting all aspects of my life. I have had some success, but It has been hard to find a balance and avoid relapse when I can't really afford a withdrawal period (as the computer is also my main income tool). Also, I had tried going smartphone free, but a smartphone makes a lot of sense when traveling with one bag, if only for maps and Internet tethering… This makes it more challenging to tackle/solve.
Since the beginning of the year, though, I have renewed my efforts as I would really like to fix this. It is a major project for 2022. So far, I have done various things in this direction: minimalist launcher, degoogled/decluttered phone/computer, no social media, minimized newsletter subscriptions and removed distracting apps, grayscale on phone/PC most of the time, no movie/TV show/YouTube watching (except for occasional listening music or video podcasts in audio mode) unless it is a specific instructional video, focus rules during work (55 min pomodoro sessions with no phone/mail or other disruptions), etc.
Digital declutter
Officially starting a digital declutter/reboot period, with a view to making sustainable changes (not just come back to the same old ways) to my technology-related addictions.
Duration: May to end of September (reassess then)
Rules:
- No porn sites (later: banned for life). This has been a huge addiction on its own and probably the worst offender in terms of impact. After so many years. I am ready to let it go now.
- No social media (later: continue avoiding). Reddit okay when coming up in web searches or occasionally for specific interest subs, but no participation.
- No news websites (later: once a week/month)
- Pro forums once a week. Limited tracking and participation (later: same). This has been compulsive and a time sink.
- ERE forums: Tracking/catch-up once a week. Schedule reading/writing during the week as part of my reading/journaling practice.
- Crypto: pause self-education, track/review once a week (later, schedule more as needed for investment or education purposes)
- No movies/series/films (later: viewing limited to occasional quality films/sharing with DGF, no movie theaters or once a year or something).
Linux PC/smartphone maintenance/customizations once a month (updates, complete backups, fixes). From experience, this can easily turn into a time sink. I have done enough. No need to dig further into this rabbit hole for now. (later: keep once a month, unless urgent).
- Web searches: avoid immediately initiating web searches. Add topics that come up to a list, review and schedule as needed, with specific targets and time allocated. Once again, avoid this time sink.
- Email: when possible/appropriate, limit replies to five sentences. Personal emails: check once a week, or no more than once a day. Pro emails: due to time zone difference, check only once in the morning, then hourly from 15:00 to 20:00, outside pomodoro sessions.
- Phone/VOIP: more focused phone conversations, I notice that I tend to let these run for too long. I guess this can be improved without impacting the quality of the contact.
- Signal: friends muted, except DGF. Review once a day otherwise.
- Online reading: use Raindrop for curating "read later" lists, and schedule time for reading.
- No smartphone near me during sleep.
- Smartphone yes list: internet tethering, photography, maps, audio-books, TTS listening, e-book reading, meditation/yoga nidra/music, podcasts, banking, working from smartphone.
- Focused work, with positive/recharging breaks (yoga nidra, mobilizations, small chores, just check pro emails outside work sessions). Self-contained workday (Try to stop after a set time (shutdown ritual). This is already happening lately and contributes to better balance).
- Refine the rules or add items as needed
No buy year challenge/Detailed expenses tracking
Two plus years of living out of "one bag" (with the exception of household items) have helped a lot towards minimalist living, belongings optimization and limited expenses.
Still, I think I can benefit from a year-long no buy challenge, combined with a return to detailed expenses tracking, to shed some more consumer pounds. I have been preparing for this, completing a few purchases that were deemed necessary (like some stuff for ultralight back-packing).
Duration: May 2022 to May 2023.
Rules:
- No clothes purchases: I have everything, trimmed down to a very efficient travel capsule wardrobe suited for summer months. Unless a critical item is destroyed or lost, no additional purchases will be made. Some replacements (like my single pair of shoes) are only scheduled for later. This will be an additional motivation to work on my (hand) sewing/mending skills. I also have a project for making DIY huarache-style (running) sandals this summer
- No online purchases/accessories. Exceptions include non frivolous consumable items (like B12 capsules, etc.).
- Eating: no eating out/food deliveries, except occasionally in food courts and simple/street shops, especially when on a trip, with no access to a kitchen (Thailand). No restaurants when I am back in Europe, or if unavoidable in a social context, just one dish.
- Thoughtful gifts.
- Entertainment: already close to zero, except for traveling. Just keep up the good job.
- Traveling: experiment with even more cost-efficient ways.
- Refine the rules or add items as needed