Practice and overfitting
In the ten years or so that I was taking piano lessons, I caused my teachers a lot of frustration by how slow I was to learn new pieces—one even called me the bane of her existence. It wasn’t that I didn’t practice; I was all too happy to practice a piece once I’d figured […]
Why I throw my iPod on the floor every morning
Since childhood I’ve loved the feeling of waking up earlier than I have to, and getting to drowse until it’s time to get out of bed. It feels both luxurious and virtuous. So the old iPod I use as an alarm goes off twice every morning: first there’s the “wake up” alarm, and then the […]
Contracts with myself
This semester, I’m upping my exercise regimen to include strength training at the University of Minnesota gym. I’m really enjoying feeling satisfyingly exhausted, but I do always wonder why, if I go to the gym to get stronger and have more energy, it makes me feel so weak and drained afterward? By now (I’ve been […]
The three varieties of habit
I like habits. I think chipping away a little at a time is a great way to make a big dent in something, and I’m always looking for ways to break down big problems into little solutions I can effect over time. But I’ve noticed in my readings that not everyone has the same idea […]
Should free time be structured?
A few weeks ago I got a lot of comments about one particular thought: “Every week, I make a list of things I want to have gotten done by the end of the week. Then I schedule in the time I think it will take, along with blocks where I let myself do whatever I […]
Three ways to do your to-dos
With Clara off at school every day and me home alone, it’s all down to me to decide when and how I’ll get stuff done. I have always struggled with procrastination and lack of willpower, so I’ve been thinking a lot about what sorts of systems I can put in place to make getting work […]
Turning token actions into keystone habits
Last time, I talked about the idea of encouraging big life changes by making small changes to your environment: become a writer → keep a journal nearby at all times take charge of your health → put the cookies at the back of the cupboard organize your household → dedicate a spot for give-away things to live until you […]
Habits of Variety
I noticed recently that I’ve been trying to live my life according to two conflicting principles. On the one hand, I am always trying to give my life the structure of good habits. I journal every day, I write a blog post once a week, and I am currently working on the habit of washing […]