Reading Lately
I haven’t been reading as much.
Last month, I read Seveneves, The Fractal Prince, the beginning of The Phoenix Project, and the endings of Cryptonomicon and The Brothers Karamazov.
That’s as much reading as I’ve ever done in a month. In particular, I read the Fractal Prince in a single weekend. It was simultaneously invigorating and relaxing.
I’m a bit burned out on reading, though. Reading for over three hours a day is tiring. Holding a book or e-reader and sitting for hours is exhausting. I need to move around more.
Walking Lately
I’ve been going for a daily walk.
On vacation last month, my sister goaded me into going for a run. On the first day, I had to call it off after a mile. On the second day, we did half-mile runs/walks and it wasn’t as bad, but I’m in worse shape than I thought.
When I got back home, I decided I need some physical activity. I’m not quite mentally ready to go for runs. I’m self-conscious about running, but I found a neighborhood nearby that’s secluded and I’ll occasionally get a half mile in.
Walking is impacting my state of mind, in a good way.
I get some fresh air. I get a more exercise than I’ve gotten in a long time. I get to explore the area around where I live. I get a break from social media and all the things that sap my attention. I get to think.
Thinking Lately
I’d like to get better at thinking.
I spend too much time thinking about work. I play the same arguments in my head ad nauseam. Project planning is broken, no one communicates, no one understands scrum/agile, power games ruin everything.
I wish I thought more about projects and ideas. I’m not much of an idea person. I’m impressed by people who come up with interesting applications of strange technologies. I’d like to be like those people.
My ideas are too simple, small, and practical. They aren’t interesting or challenging. When it becomes complicated, I get drowned in the details instead of looking at the bigger picture. I have to structure my thinking.
Writing Lately
I’m starting to write again.
I had a daily writing habit on WriteNext for 7 months last year. I switched off the app to writing locally for a bit after that. Then I stopped the habit entirely during a rough March.
Writing is a fantastic daily habit. It requires thought, it produces an artifact, it develops a valuable skill. It can be relaxing, exciting, sad. Writing fiction is different from writing a journal which is different from writing movie reviews which is different from blogging.
Blogging Now
I thought about making a blog.
Well, actually, this is the blog. I’ve thought about doing this for a long time. I’m not going to worry about making high quality content. I’ve spent so much time writing, but never editing/publishing.
Maybe I’ll write new stuff. If I don’t have any new ideas, I’ll edit one of my old writings. That will make it easier get something published.
It won’t be great. No one will read my random babblings. I won’t market it. It will be out there, though.