Productivity books and blogs will often point to the Pomodoro Technique as an effective way to get things done. The method involves working (or studying) for say 25 minutes, taking a short five minute break and repeating this process three or four times. After three or four intervals of this, one can take a longer break of say 30 minutes. There are many reasons why people like this method, but I’ve found that there are two reasons in particular that make it effective for difficult work, especially writing.
Continue reading “Two reasons why the Pomodoro Technique is effective for difficult work (especially writing)”Book Review: The Children of Men – PD James
In Year Omega the entire human race becomes infertile. No real reason is given for this, but the after-effects are dire.
As someone who reads and writes sci-fi, I would have loved to come up with an idea like this. It’s an epic idea for a story because you can do so much with it.
Continue reading “Book Review: The Children of Men – PD James”Attachment to Progress
I think most people will agree that progress is a good thing. Something to strive for. But lately I’ve noticed my attachment to this thing called progress.
Continue reading “Attachment to Progress”Why inner peace matters more than outer circumstances
After doing various drafts of this post I realised that there is really only one thing to say here, and that is that the neediness inside us will never be satisfied. Something inside—call it the ego, call it the small self—whatever that thing is will always want more, always need more, and will never be satisfied. So, we might as well be at peace now.
(Related Articles: Two modes of being: The locust and the lotus.)
Two modes of being: The locust and the lotus.
Every so often I forget to make the present moment a priority. The mode I usually go into is one that spirals into a feeling of neediness and anxiety. It’s like being driven by a perpetual unrest inside. It feels like a grabby-ness, a wanting-to-get, or just a wanting-to-be-somewhere-else.
Continue reading “Two modes of being: The locust and the lotus.”When you no longer have to finish the arguments in your head.
I’ve been meditating for years but I guess you could say that at times I wasn’t really meditating as much as just having conversations with myself while sitting still.
Continue reading “When you no longer have to finish the arguments in your head.”Is self-help the weed of the book world?
The other day I wanted to see if my local bookstore had any books on Python programming. A few years ago they used to have at least one or two, but I’ve recently noticed the IT section shrinking steadily. Today the IT section is a mere single shelf in a store where nearly 25% to 30% (by my own estimation) of the shelves are taken over by popular psychology, or self-help, or business tactics, or some combination of those. And when I say 25% to 30% that’s a fairly conservative estimation on my part—it might actually be more.
Continue reading “Is self-help the weed of the book world?”Restlessness as a symptom
The deeper I go into restlessness, the longer I sit with that feeling of being chased around by a to-do list or random thoughts in my head, the more I realise that underneath that feeling is a more profound emotional discomfort.
Continue reading “Restlessness as a symptom”Chasing Presence
Sometimes during my morning meditation I get this sense of urgency to feel that calm centredness I often associate with being present.
Continue reading “Chasing Presence”Why running is easier than writing
I never walk away from a running session feeling that I’ve failed.
Continue reading “Why running is easier than writing”