Productivity
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I planned the productivity system update project. After umpteen projects, I’m still figuring out how to plan them. This time I listed the sources I wanted to consult, the needs the project would address, the topics the project would involve, the deliverables, and possible next steps. I’m going to try to take an agile approach, where I do a task for a time boxed period, then decide what task makes sense to do next.
I set up some new daily schedule templates. This was the first substantive task. I created schedules for a few different kinds of days, and I added more time for miscellaneous tasks so I wouldn’t put off things like email replies for so long. Since Elastic Habits tends to define its habit levels in terms of time, I’m going to rethink how I implement it so it doesn’t interfere with my priorities.
My theme right now is working more efficiently. The main work I have in mind is reading and writing. My thought is that I’m trying to accomplish things in my off hours that other people do in their day jobs, so I’m going to need to get more of the important things done in less time. One key I’m finding is to try to work breadth first so I don’t get lost in the first step and leave no time for the rest.
I’ll also need to save time during my regular non-project tasks. An experiment I’ll try is creating interval timers to direct my daily routines using the Seconds app. The idea is to train myself not to waste time during the side tasks I do every day.
Business
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The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss is a strange mix of good and questionable advice. It’s good to rethink what you want out of life. It’s good to consider breaking rules that are unhelpful and unnecessary. It’s probably not good to break rules like honesty, which is what a lot of his techniques amount to, in my opinion. I like that he goes in depth on setting up passive income streams, but I’m still not sure what to think of that concept or his specific advice. Passive income is on my agenda to research.
The book is really two books in one. The first is how to extricate yourself from normal work to do what you love; the second is how to become a world traveler, since that’s of course what you love. I can’t say I want to quit my job to spend my life on travel, but I’ll give him credit for getting me to think about were I might want to go and what I’d do once I got there. I ended up wondering if it’s possible to rent a room in an old British mansion. I’d spend the whole time wandering around, taking pictures, and writing about what it all means to me.
Movies
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Parasite got me thinking about the gridlock of economic class. I was confused about what I should be taking from the ending, but once I found out, the problem solver in me felt a little bleak. The quote that sticks with me is Ki-taek’s weary commentary in the middle: “You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned.” It’s certainly the pattern of the story.
It highlighted for me that when life turns you around, it helps to have a moral compass. It seems to me things in the movie go the most wrong when the characters’ disrespect for each other shows through. But it’s the type of disdain that could easily be a blind spot, which highlights our need for prophets and mentors who will show us the dangers we put ourselves in.
A moral compass is needed, definitely.