Toolkit
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How to stay productive with not enough sleep
This is what works for me to stay productive when I haven’t had enough sleep. Everyone is different, and has a different level of energy and sleep requirements. For some people, pumping caffeine works. But the goal is to move as close to the ideal circadian rhythm as possible; i.e. wake up at or before sunrise, wind down at sunset. Front Loading The secret is front loading the most important task of the day. Get it done when you still have energy, as little as it may be. If you drink coffee or green tea, it’s best to use that bump in energy before it runs out. Do not keep…
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Dean Wesley Smith’s approach
I just found this out this morning. Dean Wesley Smith’s approach to writing. What he says aligns very well to my own thinking. If you need awards and acclaims in order to listen to someone, he has written 200+ books, NYT bestseller and all the awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypG4iuJ9_ck Write into the dark. Start writing without really plotting or knowing where the story is going to go, and let your characters tell the story for you. Once you finish, don’t rewrite. Sure, show it to your alpha reader, and fix any typos or errors, but don’t get stuck in rewrites. Put it out there on the market and leave it there. Check…
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How to sell
“These are the strategies to get more sales,” says one online guru while promoting his wifi business. “Five easy things to increase traffic to your site,” says another. There are all kinds of flavors of the same thing. It boils down to “I will teach you how to sell.” Or “Learn how to make money.” It’s hard to look away and not click on titles such as these, if you are lucky enough to find them in front of a paywall, instead of behind it. One thing’s for sure, there is a paywall somewhere. And sometimes the billboard type titles are so enticing that even the paywall does not dare…
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How to Meditate properly
How to meditate properly is a question most beginners interested in the practice might wonder. I used to wonder this myself, and I got neck deep in apps like Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer, or guided meditation videos, and audio files. Although these might help in the beginning to get into the rhythm of the practice, ultimately I landed on practicing meditation in silence, whenever I can. I found that the less pressure I put on it, the more I kept it as part of my morning and evening routine. How to properly meditate is up to you. From sitting, to lying down, repeating a mantra like Transcendental meditation teaches, to simply focusing on your…
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Morning Routines: How to Rise Like a Phoenix
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What is the purpose?
Every second, ask yourself: What is the purpose of this moment? You are sitting in front of your computer, typing away trying to curb the fierceness of your thoughts, when an urge to look up an online sale comes along. And you step on the breaks of a 100 mile per hour train to full stop to skip to the next open tab and look for a few seconds. When you cannot find the item you want quick enough, you jump back to the previous tab, but the train is not there anymore. It exploded, and it took the tracks with it. And you try to go back to the…
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How to make better decisions
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How to make better decisions
If I was a person who ONLY made the right decision, what decision would I make right now? This is a question that should take permanent residence in your mind. It will help you make better decisions. When working out, there are a few ways to perform the same exercise routine. There is the light weight high repetition count, there is a high weight low repetition count, and then there is the no weight version. All of them have something in common: they allow you to pick and choose your difficulty level so you do not stop moving. Ever. Apply this to all other areas of your life and watch…
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What is the purpose?
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The next thing
Living in the moment is as important as looking forward to the next thing. How often an upcoming show, concert, or even a new episode of a beloved show have kept your mood up for an entire day or weeks? Give yourself mini rewards to look forward to in the future to get through the tough parts of your day. Do you want to write 500 words? Think about the video games or the movie you’ll be able to watch after you get that done. Don’t know how you’ll get up early to work out? Think about the delicious and healthy breakfast you’ll cook and eat after you’re done, and…
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Never ending list of productivity and reward recommendations
Productivity playlists and how to reward yourself after being productive.
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Prose Styles – Plainsong and Baroque
In prose, there are two different styles. Plainsong and Baroque. You might have heard of them. Let me explain each one briefly, and provide an example piece of text telling the same story in the two different styles. Plainsong Short sentences, not many adjectives and adverbs. Blunt and straightforward. The little girl came in. She murmured something to the teacher. She left the room running. The teacher announced the secret to the classroom. The girl had a crush on me. They all laughed. Baroque Ornamented. A lot of subordinate clauses. A lot of adjectives and adverbs, Pile on of detail and syllables. The little girl peeked with scared and longing…
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Transcluding in Ancient Times: AngularJS
I attempted transcluding in multiple slots before multiple slot transclusion was invented in AngularJS. Weapon of choice: AngularJS 1.3.4. My use case was to create a customizable table that could be reused by changing the table columns and headers. The goal was to keep some functionality and styling throughout the different uses but only change the columns and headers displayed. Available Approaches Use column data as a property passed to the directive. Multiple transclusions – I liked this approach, but AngularJS does not support slotted transclusions until version 1.5, I am using 1.3.4. Create an entirely new custom table directive with Divs and CSS it into looking like a table…
