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Paul A.

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Today was the last day of my workweek, meaning I have two days off starting tomorrow (well, today at the time of this writing). Super slow day at work, partially because of poor traffic and partially because I spent a good chunk of the day watching sports instead of actually working. Senegal lost to England; a disappointing result. As a child of Ghanaian immigrants, I have a lot of love for both my country and continent of origin. But since Ghana got knocked out of the World Cup, I shifted my allegiance to Senegal, one of the few remaining African teams still in the tournament. But with their loss today, they’ve been eliminated from the World Cup, leaving Morocco as the sole African country remaining. I’ll be watching Morocco face off against Spain intently on Tuesday. Hopefully they don’t let me down.

Anyway, I got to go home early, after which I spent the remainder of the night watching NFL football. All in all I’d say it’s been a relaxing day. I’m looking forward to enjoying my two days off.

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7 hours ago, Paul A. said:

Today was the last day of my workweek, meaning I have two days off starting tomorrow (well, today at the time of this writing). Super slow day at work, partially because of poor traffic and partially because I spent a good chunk of the day watching sports instead of actually working. Senegal lost to England; a disappointing result. As a child of Ghanaian immigrants, I have a lot of love for both my country and continent of origin. But since Ghana got knocked out of the World Cup, I shifted my allegiance to Senegal, one of the few remaining African teams still in the tournament. But with their loss today, they’ve been eliminated from the World Cup, leaving Morocco as the sole African country remaining. I’ll be watching Morocco face off against Spain intently on Tuesday. Hopefully they don’t let me down.

Anyway, I got to go home early, after which I spent the remainder of the night watching NFL football. All in all I’d say it’s been a relaxing day. I’m looking forward to enjoying my two days off.

Just be careful not to watch too many sports, as it would be no different than watching YT all the time or binging Netflix series. There's too many sports to keep track of. I hardly ever watch sports. I know my father or my brother watch rugby, sometimes basketball or football and maybe hockey in the season, but it's definitely a weekend hobby after a week's work. Not something to be done during work-time 😛

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Yesterday I dealt with a bit of boredom, likely because I was staring at my phone screen a bit too much. I notice when I have my phone on, I’ll keep swiping through it looking for things to do on there, whether scrolling through YouTube or opening up social media apps. So from now on, I’m gonna try to keep my phone off as much as possible. This is definitely something I’ve tried to do in the past, but have been unable to be consistent with. But, I think it’s worth giving another shot. I started today with my phone off, which was a nice change of pace. I felt relaxed and at ease throughout the morning. I took a shower and even caught the first half of the Morocco vs. Spain match before I got tired and went back to sleep. In other news, Morocco won! I’m super excited about that since they’re the last African nation still remaining in the World Cup. I’ll be rooting for them in their upcoming matches.

Anyways, I digress. Having my phone off just allows me to be more in the present moment, instead of constantly looking for quick-fix entertainment. So I think it’s worth trying to go without it for a while. Not sure how I plan to spend the rest of the day, but I think I’ll manage.

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8 hours ago, Paul A. said:

Having my phone off just allows me to be more in the present moment, instead of constantly looking for quick-fix entertainment.

This is one of the primary reasons I decided against renewing my smartphone service early this year. It was hardly used for calls, but that realization led to questioning why I had one in the first place. Given, I still have a landline, and getting a flip phone for the car seems like a good idea.

If, in keeping your phone off, you find yourself asking a similar question, consider assessing the overall value it brings to your life. If you find the cost of your attention outweighs your phone's benefits, perhaps it has outlived its useful purpose.

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14 hours ago, Paul A. said:

Yesterday I dealt with a bit of boredom, likely because I was staring at my phone screen a bit too much. I notice when I have my phone on, I’ll keep swiping through it looking for things to do on there, whether scrolling through YouTube or opening up social media apps. So from now on, I’m gonna try to keep my phone off as much as possible. This is definitely something I’ve tried to do in the past, but have been unable to be consistent with. But, I think it’s worth giving another shot. I started today with my phone off, which was a nice change of pace. I felt relaxed and at ease throughout the morning. I took a shower and even caught the first half of the Morocco vs. Spain match before I got tired and went back to sleep. In other news, Morocco won! I’m super excited about that since they’re the last African nation still remaining in the World Cup. I’ll be rooting for them in their upcoming matches.

Anyways, I digress. Having my phone off just allows me to be more in the present moment, instead of constantly looking for quick-fix entertainment. So I think it’s worth trying to go without it for a while. Not sure how I plan to spend the rest of the day, but I think I’ll manage.

Keep up the good fight 🙂 
I have setup a habit of simply being on all the social media for 15 minutes a day (including all messages on whatsapp etc.) For me it sticks for a couple of years. If I need someone critically before that time, I can always call them or they can call me. One more thing is to turn off as many notifications as you can, so as not to hear it and be triggered by it, aswell as when you open your lock screen.
On whatsapp you can disable the blue V's, so that you wouldn't feel obligated to answer once you've viewed a message also.
(Edit)P.S. I'm shaing those facts so that you may consider this way of coping perhaps instead of turning off the phone. Eventually anything will require for you to stick to it with discipline until you make it a habit, so consider which one of the ways is better for the long hall. Turning your phone off/doing what I said/Something different all together.

Cheers!

Edited by Yan
Added the P.S.
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2 hours ago, Yan said:

One more thing is to turn off as many notifications as you can, so as not to hear it and be triggered by it, aswell as when you open your lock screen. On whatsapp you can disable the blue V's, so that you wouldn't feel obligated to answer once you've viewed a message also.

10000%. I don't understand how people can live with the phone flashing and beeping all the time. The phone is there for me; I am not there for the phone. I'm default invisible on my WA, the same with Facebook/Messenger.

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I’m now a few days into quitting games, and a day without porn. So far so good. No major cravings for games. I relapsed with porn but I’m back on the wagon now. As far as going without the phone, that’s going fairly well. I managed to stay off of it for a good portion of the day before I got to work. Once at work, it became a bit more of a challenge. I kept the phone on to watch some NBA basketball while it was slow. I still loathe the feeling of being bored with nothing to do, and I think I always will; hence putting on the game. Pretty much watched the game and fooled around with some coworkers until it was time to go home. Pretty uneventful day, all things considered.

In other news, I created a preliminary budget. I went grocery shopping, and after that, I was inspired to start budgeting from a Netflix documentary about money management. My dad already gets half of my paycheck to save, but I want to do better with the half that I receive. So, I’m using the monthly budget template on Google Sheets to budget the money I have left over from my paycheck. I plan to do the same with every check I receive from now on. So far so good!

I’ve also gotten back into meditation. There was a point in time where I was heavily focused on spirituality, and I meditated several times a day. I want to get back to that way of life. I was a lot more tranquil back then, and I feel like I was happier, too. But, I no longer enjoy meditating as much as I used to. So, I’m trying to ease my way back into it. I can’t meditate with my eyes closed anymore, but I can with my eyes open, so I’m doing that for the time being. It’s actually somewhat enjoyable this way, with my eyes open. Granted, I’m pretty much just staring blankly at whatever is directly in front of me, but I feel like I’m better able to focus on my breath with eyes open, as opposed to eyes closed. Kinda weird, I know. Anyways, I meditated twice today, which is cool. Gonna try for the same tomorrow.

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20 hours ago, Paul A. said:

I’ve also gotten back into meditation. 

Glad to hear. 

 

On 12/5/2022 at 2:42 PM, Ikar said:

Just be careful not to watch too many sports, as it would be no different than watching YT all the time or binging Netflix series.

What he said 🙂

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Feeling a bit stuck in life. I just feel as if I’m not making any forward progress in my life. I’m not doing well at work, I’m not in school, and I’ve tried and failed to quit video games several times. Not a very impressive track record. Not to mention, I’m struggling to pick up new hobbies. On my off days, I’m either watching Netflix or sleeping. Not the most productive use of my time, I know. Just goes to show how much of my life was being consumed by gaming. Problem is, I don’t know how to fill that void. I spent some time following a drawing tutorial this evening, which was a little fun, but I don’t see myself doing it very often. Granted, I really only tried it once, so I’ll have to try it again to draw a more reasonable conclusion. Other than that, it’s a desperate struggle to ward off boredom day after day. Hopefully with time I can pick up more meaningful hobbies.

The solution I’ve come up with for the time being is just to keep busy. I figure that if I’m busy all the time, I won’t have time to be bored. I’m gonna start going in to work even on off days, and I’m considering picking up some online classes. I know it’s not good to overwork myself and that drowning myself in work is not the healthiest coping strategy, but to me it’s better than the alternative of not having enough going on in my life - the perfect scenario for me to start feeling discontent and dissatisfied with my life. The way I see it, the busier I am, the less time I have to be bored or dissatisfied. I’m going in to work tomorrow morning even though I’m not scheduled to work, and I plan to stay all day. Let’s see how that goes.

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20 hours ago, Paul A. said:

Feeling a bit stuck in life. I just feel as if I’m not making any forward progress in my life.

How about the fact that you have been off social media for 3 days? That is amazing, most people don't even acknowledge they have a problem and continue with their momentum... How about picking meditation yesterday?

Look, you're doing lots of great things, you just have to see it and acknowledge it, and you'll see that you're capable of a lot!

Perhaps try the format that I'm using in my diary: 
Writing three things that you did right today, no matter how small and 1 thing you could do better (Notice, not that you "failed at", but that you could do better.)
Once you'll see that you keep some of your promises to yourself, you'll start building self confidence and positive momentum.

No more than 1 thing you could improve daily. You are who you are, and kicking yourself for it wouldn't help. Focus on one thing at a time, and bit by bit you'll be on your way to being the person you want to become 🙂

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Thanks @Yan for the words of encouragement.

I went to work this morning as intended, even though I was off. I ended up leaving earlier than planned, solely because it was so slow. I work at a furniture store, and we’re going through a phase of particularly slow traffic, likely because the Black Friday sales are over. The whole “keeping busy” methodology kinda backfired on me because there was really nothing to keep myself busy with. It’s also hard to keep yourself busy when the work you’re doing to occupy yourself is thoroughly uninteresting. I went through some training modules earlier this morning but I quickly got bored of that, because the information I was being presented with was largely irrelevant to my everyday work. So keeping busy proved a challenge.

Since I’ve been home, I’ve been watching Netflix and napping. Not a very productive use of time. As well, the whole “no phone” thing has kind of fallen through. I’m gonna try and pick it back up starting tomorrow, though. In other news, I think I’m gonna go back to school. I’ve tried the whole school route a few times at this point, but I’m never able to finish, usually due to my mental health. But I think my mental health has stabilized enough to where I’ll be able to take a few credits. I’m thinking about studying finance, but it’s not set in stone. I still have to think about how I’m paying for tuition. I have a bit of money saved up, but I’m not sure how much of a dent school will put it in. But I think it’ll be worthwhile.

Funny enough, I was watching a Netflix documentary about money, and one of the episodes was about student loan debt. The statistics that were presented suggested that high school grads make significantly less than college grads, which makes perfect sense. Right now, I only have a HS diploma, and I’m earning less than $2k a month. If I can get my degree, my earning potential can skyrocket. Without that degree, my earning potential is very limited. Plus, I think going back to school will give me something to do; to keep myself busy, if you will. It’ll give me a goal to pursue, and give me a sense of purpose in life that I’m lacking at the moment. I’ll talk to my parents more about my intentions.

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I tried something interesting last night. I took some time to just sit around and do nothing. And it wasn't as bad as I thought. I realized that I'm so afraid of boredom that I drive myself into it while trying to avoid it. Not sure if that makes any sense, but basically, I get bored by trying so hard NOT to be bored. Weird rationale, I know. But I noticed that when I took the time to do nothing, I could actually just sit with my thoughts for a while, and then find something else to do after some time. Now I'm trying to strike the right balance of doing nothing and doing something in order to capitalize on my discovery. Hopefully it leads to feeling less bored on the whole.

Uneventful Saturday today. Went to work, came home, took a nap, ordered food, watched anime, read a bit (which I haven't done in a while, admittedly), and now I'm about to retire for the night. The reading was a nice change of pace, though. It was slow-paced and relaxing. I'm reading The 360° Leader by John C. Maxwell. For the duration of my tenure at my place of employment, I'm gonna attempt to hone my leadership ability. I believe leaders just enjoy a life of more opportunity than the average person. So, I'm gonna try and seize that life for myself.

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On 12/10/2022 at 3:53 AM, Paul A. said:

In other news, I think I’m gonna go back to school. I’ve tried the whole school route a few times at this point, but I’m never able to finish, usually due to my mental health. But I think my mental health has stabilized enough to where I’ll be able to take a few credits. I’m thinking about studying finance, but it’s not set in stone. I still have to think about how I’m paying for tuition. I have a bit of money saved up, but I’m not sure how much of a dent school will put it in. But I think it’ll be worthwhile.

Funny enough, I was watching a Netflix documentary about money, and one of the episodes was about student loan debt. The statistics that were presented suggested that high school grads make significantly less than college grads, which makes perfect sense. Right now, I only have a HS diploma, and I’m earning less than $2k a month. If I can get my degree, my earning potential can skyrocket. Without that degree, my earning potential is very limited. Plus, I think going back to school will give me something to do; to keep myself busy, if you will. It’ll give me a goal to pursue, and give me a sense of purpose in life that I’m lacking at the moment. I’ll talk to my parents more about my intentions.

I've talked to a few of my friends and told them I probably wouldn't go to the uni if I wasn't be there now. Mind you I actually don't pay anything to study and I get a favorable tax treatment as a uni student, but it obviously still costs me my time.

My bachelor studies gave me some structure after the breakup with my first girlfriend (I was 21, now I am 25) and during quitting games, but I was actually already finishing the first grade in bachelor when that happened. Regardless, since I went to school only once a week (due to the fact I attended the "combined" form intended for working people), it taught me that it's important to work on my own and that if I work on something long-term and consistently, I can do it.

My master studies are a bit different (daily studies now too; this semester maybe 10 hours a week at the uni + 5 hours working on projects). Profs focus more on discussion, presentations of our opinions and maybe via that training us to be more confident and outspoken. Many schools focus obedience (I mean, how else can one teacher manage 20-30 kids in class at school, let alone 100+ students at the auditorium?), so I am happy that my uni classes are in small groups of mostly 10 people and that we all know each other.

The funniest about all this is the best course I had at the uni was not even related to my study field, credited or compulsory - a course on how to start a business (or how to start as a self-employed), its management and mentoring. I'm planning on attending some networking and entrepreneur conferences the next year for sure! I'm sure these courses will be more common in the US (even if they are not for free).

As for the stats, I believe the diploma calculation is biased based on what degree you take. I linked you the article below:

https://www.getrichslowly.org/the-value-of-a-college-degree/

2 hours ago, Paul A. said:

I'm reading The 360° Leader by John C. Maxwell. For the duration of my tenure at my place of employment, I'm gonna attempt to hone my leadership ability. I believe leaders just enjoy a life of more opportunity than the average person. So, I'm gonna try and seize that life for myself.

I honestly prefer this kind of informal education myself. But you have to go through it yourself, as there are no profs or credits watching over you.

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I’m diving back into the world of mindfulness and meditation. I’ve been struggling with meditation for a while now, but after watching a few videos about it, I think I get the gist of it. Meditation isn’t about trying to “clear the mind”, or about attaining enlightenment, or anything fancy like that. Meditation is simply about awareness. A lot of people like to focus on the breath, but you can be aware of a lot of different things, such as thoughts, bodily sensations, sounds, etc. Building this practice of awareness in meditation allows us to bring more awareness and presence into our daily lives, and live happier, more fulfilled lives as a result. I think that about sums it up. I intend to start meditating several times a day like I used to, not because of any goals or expectations I’ve placed on myself, but simply because I enjoy it and I want to. I used to have a lot of fun meditating, and I want to return to that place of blissful enjoyment.

Still thinking about going back to school. I told my parents that I want to go back, but haven’t done much beyond that. I’m about 70% sure that I want to study finance, but I want to explore my options, too. The article @Ikar linked me was really helpful; what stood out to me is that college degrees are indeed a guaranteed gateway to earning more money, provided you pick a good major. Otherwise, a bad major can squash your earnings potential. So I want to explore what majors are most lucrative. Of course, I want to do something I’ll enjoy, which is why I’m gravitating towards finance, but if there’s something out there that can make me more money, why not look into it? I’ll do some more research and talk to my parents after I complete this entry.

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I spoke to an academic advisor today. I inquired about the finance major, but after I did some research, I decided I want to study accounting instead of finance. According to the advisor, the major would mostly prepare me to take the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) exam. But I don't think I'm cut out to be a financial planner/advisor. I started tracking my transactions on a simple budget spreadsheet earlier this month, and I have a lot of work to do, but I'm enjoying keeping track of all my expenditures. It's almost like a game. And while it would be great to optimize my own finances, I wouldn't want the responsibility of overseeing someone else's financial well-being. Furthermore, I watched a few videos about what accounting entails, and I think it would be more up my alley. Since I'm enjoying the process of tracking my financial inflows and outflows, I figured a career in accounting would be a logical end goal. Of course, accounting entails a lot more than just simple bookkeeping (what I'm doing), but I'm prepared to learn whatever else comes with the territory, and hopefully make a lucrative career out of it, all while having fun in the process.

But given my limited success with completing post-secondary education in the past, I wouldn't want to overload myself. That's why I only plan to take 2 classes this upcoming semester, and if I can handle it, I'll move forward with my education. Otherwise, if I don't enjoy myself or if I can't handle it as well as I think I can, I won't have wasted as much time or money. I have enough in my savings to pay for 2 classes, so it's not like I'll be going into debt for an endeavor I may not be able to follow through with. But I'm not too concerned about it. My mental health has improved significantly in the past few months, so I'm sure I'll be able to handle 2 classes, and then some.

I was able to meditate 3 different times today, mostly directing my awareness to the sounds around me. I just find it easier and more enjoyable to do this than to focus on my breath, for some reason. I'm also diving back into my spiritual education. I started reading The Dhammapada, which is a collection of sayings from the Buddha, and it presents some interesting implications for the spiritual seeker. I plan to read a bit of it every day moving forward. All in all, things are on the up and up. Was definitely struggling with a lack of direction recently, but I think I'm feeling a lot more grounded now.

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I filled out my college application today. I'm waiting on my high school transcript before I can enroll for classes. I want to talk to an advisor about what courses I should take first, since I only intend to take two of them this semester. Apart from that, I'm just waiting for now.

I meditated twice today. Directed my awareness towards ambient sound. This is the easiest way to meditate for me, rather than focusing on breathing.

I told my therapist about my intentions to return to school, as well as my newfound meditation practice. He was impressed with the progress I'm making. Feels good to know I'm on a forward trajectory now. I also opened up to him about something I've been keeping secret for a while, which I won't disclose here. I only did it in the name of being more open and honest, not because it was eating me up inside or anything. I think we're all entitled to a little privacy.

I spent most of the day watching Netflix and anime. Funny enough, watching anime awakened a strange feeling inside me - a desire to put a lot of effort into something, especially something physical. Something like martial arts or sword-fighting. It only makes sense that I was watching Bleach, where everyone wields a sword. Even so, the desire to put effort into something is real. I'm thinking once my first semester of classes rolls around, I'll be able to gratify that desire. That, or I find some other outlet in the meantime.

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Feeling a strong urge to dive back into the realm of self-improvement. What’s the catalyst? I spent this morning and this evening watching a Netflix documentary about successful sports coaches, and hearing their stories and philosophies motivates me to want to make something of myself. Not to mention, I’ve been dealing with a lot of boredom recently, and I need a sense that my days are purposeful, that I’m not just going through the motions day after day. I need a sense of direction. I’m going back to school soon, so I’ll be able to apply myself to that, but in the meantime, how do I fulfill this need for purpose? I’ll be trying to answer that question for myself.

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3 hours ago, Paul A. said:

Feeling a strong urge to dive back into the realm of self-improvement. What’s the catalyst? I spent this morning and this evening watching a Netflix documentary about successful sports coaches, and hearing their stories and philosophies motivates me to want to make something of myself. Not to mention, I’ve been dealing with a lot of boredom recently, and I need a sense that my days are purposeful, that I’m not just going through the motions day after day. I need a sense of direction. I’m going back to school soon, so I’ll be able to apply myself to that, but in the meantime, how do I fulfill this need for purpose? I’ll be trying to answer that question for myself.

Great observation! Boredom comes from lack of purpose.
I don't remember the last time I felt "Bored", because I always have something to do.
On the contrary, I always feel like there's not enough time to do the things I want.
 

A book that I suggest quite a lot in relation to the subject and generally, and probably the first book I'd suggest to anyone who starts self-development is the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. 

P.S. Gotta let you know that I've skipped the very long posts, perhaps will read them later, but the longer they are, probably the greater the resistance of the potential reader to read it, especially when they are just a huge block of text. In case you are journaling just for yourself, this doesn't matter of course, but for readership, take that into consideration 🙂

51HshB5UNCL._AC_SY780_.jpg

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On 12/15/2022 at 1:56 AM, Yan said:

A book that I suggest quite a lot in relation to the subject and generally, and probably the first book I'd suggest to anyone who starts self-development is the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

I’ve read a version of that book before - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens - by the same author, but I think it’s worth reading the original as well. Thanks for the suggestion.

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Thinking of creating a simpler journal format. Just to organize my thoughts better, really. Probably gonna implement it here in a few days.

I enrolled for classes today. I’m taking 10 credits over the course of 4 months starting in January. Not a very intensive course load in my opinion. I think I can handle it, especially because of the way they’re split up. I’ll be taking the first 6 credits from January through March, and the last 4 from March through May. If I can handle the course load, I’ll keep it at a similar level for the next semester. I might even up it, who knows. If not, I’ll dial it back a bit. I’m looking forward to getting started come January. I think it’ll give me the sense of purpose and direction I’ve been craving recently.

I also realized something today that I discussed with some coworkers: it’s good for a man to work. I don’t think it’s good for a man to sit around idly, not doing anything. We’re not wired for that. It took me a long while of sitting around not doing much with myself to realize - I’m supposed to be working. And not even work in the sense of employment, necessarily. Work can be anything a man does to keep himself busy, provided that it takes some effort and that he does it to achieve some purpose or goal. But I’m sure I don’t need to explain work to you guys. We’re all familiar with the feeling of a hard day’s work. It’s satisfying in a way that nothing else can compare to. Outside of school, I’m gonna search for work I can do to keep myself occupied. I might start working on a side business, or something along those lines. Just anything to satisfy that need.

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5 hours ago, Paul A. said:

Thinking of creating a simpler journal format. Just to organize my thoughts better, really. Probably gonna implement it here in a few days.

I enrolled for classes today. I’m taking 10 credits over the course of 4 months starting in January. Not a very intensive course load in my opinion. I think I can handle it, especially because of the way they’re split up. I’ll be taking the first 6 credits from January through March, and the last 4 from March through May. If I can handle the course load, I’ll keep it at a similar level for the next semester. I might even up it, who knows. If not, I’ll dial it back a bit. I’m looking forward to getting started come January. I think it’ll give me the sense of purpose and direction I’ve been craving recently.

I also realized something today that I discussed with some coworkers: it’s good for a man to work. I don’t think it’s good for a man to sit around idly, not doing anything. We’re not wired for that. It took me a long while of sitting around not doing much with myself to realize - I’m supposed to be working. And not even work in the sense of employment, necessarily. Work can be anything a man does to keep himself busy, provided that it takes some effort and that he does it to achieve some purpose or goal. But I’m sure I don’t need to explain work to you guys. We’re all familiar with the feeling of a hard day’s work. It’s satisfying in a way that nothing else can compare to. Outside of school, I’m gonna search for work I can do to keep myself occupied. I might start working on a side business, or something along those lines. Just anything to satisfy that need.

Hey, I think that what can help you decide what your undertaking in your spare time should be is thinking of your long term life purpose. Then you could define, how many hours you want to devote to what each day. And then after you're clear on that, the battle for discipline begins. But without it, you'll have no Idea if you should start a business or just do a side job... I think the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People can help you with that. As it is said in Alice in Wonderland:

Alice: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
The Cheshire Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
Alice: “I don’t much care where.”
The Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.”


 

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On 12/16/2022 at 3:25 AM, Yan said:

And then after you're clear on that, the battle for discipline begins. But without it, you'll have no Idea if you should start a business or just do a side job... I think the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People can help you with that.

My dad actually had two copies on his bookshelf, so I grabbed one and started reading yesterday. Great read so far, thanks!

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13 hours ago, Paul A. said:

I don’t think it’s good for a man to sit around idly, not doing anything.

I agree with your assessment that work is important.  For me I really try and look at the difference between distracting myself from work and escaping vs actually sitting and attempting to quite my thoughts... and be present.  Or do things that require minimal brain usage like a walk or something that just has me return to my body and the present moment.  It all comes down to intention!  But totally with you... redirecting the distraction energy into production that is fruitful is currently my journey too! 

Stoked to follow you along more!  

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10 hours ago, Paul A. said:

My dad actually had two copies on his bookshelf, so I grabbed one and started reading yesterday. Great read so far, thanks!

Awesome. Would love to hear what you think of it when you finish it!

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