Making Moves
“Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there’s less power left over for other things.” Charles Duhigg
Back to school. My timetable for this first week was very pleasant. On Monday and Tuesday I had a combined 7 lessons (which is little), on Thursday it was Armistice Day and for Saturday's exam session I only had one exam.
On the second day of the week I went to IKEA and purchased loads of stuff. The most meaningful purchases being a big convertible couch, a cabinet for my many space consuming folders and last but not least a set of reasonably-sized drinkware.
The enjoyment I got through assembling the cabinet and the couch is unlike anything else. I now understand IKEA's marketing strategy. This couch that I assembled with my own hands has a lot more personal value than a couch bought as one piece. As a bonus it made me reconnect with the world of handcrafting to a certain extent.
My apartment is now starting to feel more and more cosy. There are posters on the walls, I have created a certain office space, there's a big whiteboard and there is a comfy couch that I myself can fit in.
On Friday my physics teacher set a new record for his being late. He managed to arrive 20 minutes after the lesson is supposed to start. Till then he had reached the 15 minute mark once but that is it. In our class we estimate the average lateness of this teacher to be about 8 minutes.
This weekend was once again very colorful. Saturday I had some family coming to visit my humble abode. In that same evening I went to a house party where I was the 71st to arrive, that being said, there was still that great intimate feel to it. I truly enjoyed socialising with absolutely random people.
The next day from 10 A.M to 15 P.M I took part in the under 21 year old's French Cup. We were knocked out of the tournament. Nonetheless I enjoyed the opportunity to play with and against my own generation once again. This time we played against some players who play in French A league (highest there is). It was pretty damn amazing to watch their fluid, precise and powerful movements.
This week's suggestion goes again in the direction of self-improvement. In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg breaks down the structure of habits. There is the cue, that initiates the habit, then there is the routine performed, and finally there is a reward for doing the habit (here's a TED talk that gives a certain taste of the subject).
For example, let's analyse my morning coffee making routine: waking up and being sleepy is my cue, turning on the kettle is the routine performed and the affection of dopamine levels and the blocking of sleepy-compounds is the reward of the habit.
This simplifies everything. Since we have broken down the structure it becomes easier to create and/or break habits. For example I could want to replace my coffee addiction with cold showers (I won't, but I could) since both share the same effects: they both wake you up and are related to some happy hormones.
That's enough for this week! See You next week!