We Were on a Break

We were on break this past holiday. I had a deserved change of environment. That being said, as I expected, I did not slow the pace of things. I would go as far as to argue that I was more productive than on some school weeks. Nevertheless, the change in the environment was already very welcome.

As mentioned, the first quarter of my school year lacked reflection. The reflection done within these past few days has brought me very far. Dissolving some illusions of greatness to show that there is indeed still space for growth (crazy I know). Surprisingly enough, this boosts my intrinsic motivation a lot. I think it’s about getting to point a finger at something specific instead of being in the fog. Putting thoughts into sentences, instead of letting them simmer.

One of the realisations, also as mentioned last week, is learning to set boundaries. These boundaries are to be set on one’s priorities. Which I clearly have not defined properly enough. Boom — found a concrete problem. So that’s what I shall dive into, probably right after writing this piece.

I happened upon one of Ali Abdaal’s videos about productivity, surprising I know. They are my little sweet treats. In this video, he explains how willpower is not an exhaustible resource. Well actually, one of the studies he mentions says that it is in one specific case. For those who believe that it is an exhaustible resource. Placebo effect! 

It sounds slightly like David Goggins saying “You are not tired — you are lazy!” This call to action has had a positive effect on me. It’s in my hands to get things done. Getting things done is a choice. I have to mention that this is truly a first-world problem. I am grateful to have a problem such as laziness rather than being obliged to find financial resources to stay afloat. 

Me proving the last point is studying Hiragana during my plane ride whilst simultaneously writing this blog post. I accumulated a worse sleep debt during the past week than I have had in a long time. At the time of writing this, I have 4 hours of sleep and a severe amount of caffeine flowing in my blood. This is, of course, not conclusive evidence, the test group is rather small: one person. But that one person is me, and for me, that’s what matters right?

This Week's Suggestions:

🎶 "1+1=11" by Peggy Gou remixed by Spray:

This song was shown to me by one of our new techno association members. It is a beautiful melodic trance song. In his words, it is perfect for the autobahn.

💡 How To Control Your Attention (And Stop Wasting Time):

This is the aforementioned Ali Abdaal video. It has some good insights, I only mention one principle out of four in my text.

That is all for today!