Trying Out Before Buying In

This week has definitely been an improvement in general. When starting, it was difficult to sit still for what seemed like minutes. In the past few days, I was able to lock down and get through a number of problems that arose.

Finding Time to Wander Again

A habit I’ve started building again is one I’ve mentioned before, late night walks. Taking the time to just allow my mind to wander helps to release all the pent up stuff that builds over time. Without all that junk flying around my head, it’s a lot easier to focus on the task at hand.

Recently, I’ve made sure to make time not just at night, but during the day too. During my lunch hour, I’ve started walking more to help with my attention during work, where it’s critical.

NO-tifications

Another practice I’m putting in more lately is reducing push notifications to only the things I find to be important.

A few years ago, I accidentally turned off email notifications on my cell phone, and it was a godsend. At the time, I was getting a few emails an hour and my phone would bug me constantly. On a related note, unsubscribing from unwanted emails is a satisfying feel.

Notifications don’t only apply to cell phones either. Just earlier today, I turned off all app notifications on my computer and no longer seeing the little popup window every so-often helped me to focus on the task at hand. Extremely beneficial considering it is also the computer used for work.

This week was a step up from the last. Improvement is still needed, but I’m finding opportunities in the day to put everything aside and tackle one problem in front of me. As I write this, fireworks are blasting off around the neighborhood. I even tried using a practice I’ve done in the past, but to my surprise, it may have been more of a hindrance than a help.

Finding Flow

There is definitely something satisfying about losing yourself in a problem and ignoring everything until a certain milestone is met. That flow state of getting things done is something I’m sure many of us, if not everyone is familiar. Whether it’s a task at work or school, getting in the zone in a sport, or getting locked in and powering through some chores, flow can hit in different ways at different times.

Often the hardest part of getting into a problem is a solid start. Sure, sometimes it’s chipping away at something tiny bit by bit. To get into flow though, it takes a good jumping off point to actually get into the deep state of mind.

Tools of the Trade

A method I’ve used before, and seen success with, is called Pomodoro. While it may be the Italian word for tomato, we’re not making pasta sauce here. The idea is to separate states of work into a 25 minute focus period and then a 5 minute break.

The thinking behind this method is that after 25 minutes of focused work, there is a good chance you’ll get lost in the problem, enter a flow state, and only really take the break when needed.

In an attempt to get myself locked into some work, I busted out my timer. Unfortunately, I found myself using the timer as another distraction. Frequently checking how much time I had left before my break was what I filled my “focused work” time with. Of course, ideally the timer would be completely ignored until it went off.

In the last couple days, I’ve felt a better head on my shoulders. I’m hoping to try out a few pomodoro sessions again this coming week, and looking to be more successful this time. Are there any tools or practices you use to stay focused? Let me know in the comments! I’ll give them a try and feature them in next week’s post.

The reason I sought out to make time to focus is because I struggle with distractions. This not only applies to my day to day life, but in projects and long term goals too. I wish I could say this week was more successful than it was, but I found myself slipping into old habits too often.

Juggling Priorities

Over the past few years, I’ve had a number of ideas and projects. From businesses to books to videos, I jot down nearly every idea that pops in my head. When an idea first comes in, I am excited and look forward to learning the skills needed and research to my hearts content. Then, before any tangible progress is made, I move on to the next thing. This blog is a rare exception.

Now I don’t denounce trying different things, I mean read the title of this site, but there still needs to be an honest effort put into at least some of the ideas I flirt with.

A benefit I am hoping to see from this trial is not only in developing more productive habits, but that I can see some overlap into the big picture.

Reducing Friction

A challenge I set for myself this trial was having a lofty goal. Trying to carve out an hour each day can be difficult, and when the day passes by and it’s time for bed, the last thing I want to do is spend another hour without distractions. All I want to do is go to bed.

With this in mind, I’m going to reduce the goal time from an hour to just fifteen minutes. The goal isn’t to start a timer and call it quits on the second, but to spend some time in a focused state.

Getting started is often the hard part of habits. Setting sights too high can lead to a failure in developing a habit at all. I’m going to try the new time frame and see if it helps. I suppose you’ll find out next week!

The other posts of this trial really capture my thoughts on clothes and my simplifying is useful, and so the only thing left to do is recap and move on to the next thing.

The Experience

I really enjoyed this trial as a whole. Only worrying about a handful of clothes for a few weeks was nice. I never had to think about what to wear, I just put on what I always had and started the day.

The one thing I worried about was the putting wool in practice. I mentioned in the second post, that I long read about the benefits of wool. Similar to another habit I’ve written about previously, I waited to see if there was any feedback. From what I can understand, the test passed. My plan is to almost exclusively buy wool when able, though I’m sure there will be times when I find an exception.

In terms of going forward, I plan on keeping this habit up, though may decide to change things up here and there. Pictured above is my closet, which has a ton of clothes I avoided prior to this. Going through and finally getting rid of all except the items that I would make an exception for is now on my to do list.

Now for the next trial for the next four weeks! Thinking of what I wanted to do next was tough, I couldn’t come up with a single idea for about an hour. Then it hit me. Currently, I’ve been struggling a LOT with focus. I plan on spending at least an hour a day spent focused on a single task. The task itself can vary from day to day, but for 60 minutes I want to avoid anything else. I look forward to telling you more about it next week!! Let me know in the comments below if you plan to follow along, or what I should do next!

Throughout this trial I’ve thought a lot about what our clothes really mean. Of course they provide some protection from the elements, but with our modern comforts I really think they go beyond that. Today, I find myself using clothes for two additional purposes, broadcasting something about myself and setting an intent.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

This is the first use of clothing that I recognize. This is one I don’t know that many people would deny. Many of us today use clothes as a way to express something about ourselves to others without having to talk or explain. A sports jersey defines a fan or a logo can let others know you’re in on a joke or movement. Have you ever walked into a room of strangers and been able to relax after seeing someone wearing a shirt for a band, game, company, etc. that you are a big fan of? Regardless of anything else, you can at least find solace in that one subject with that one person.

As I mentioned, this was the first thing that I really recognized in myself for using clothes. With the mundanity of my current wardrobe, I can’t deny I miss expressing myself with a favorite band tee.

Wearing a Mindset

This element of clothes went unnoticed until just recently for me. I’ve mentioned before that currently I work from home, and for a long time I would roll out of bed and work in generally whatever I slept in. While some may consider this convenient, looking back I feel like it really impacted the way I look at working at home. I never thought about it until a friend of mine asked me about it one day.

Even if I’m sitting at home alone, the simple act of putting on a new set of clothes has surprisingly had an impact on my mentality while working. While PJs might be comfortable to lounge around in, they aren’t particularly great for focusing on work. Wearing my current outfit of pants and a black tee, I feel as though I am finding it easier to tackle the problem at hand..

These are a few additional aspects of clothes that have been on mind my while minimizing my wardrobe selection.

This week I feel I’ve really felt the benefits of sticking to the same outfit each day. Over the weekend, I moved into a new living situation and minimizing effort has been a major plus as I get organized. I did want to take some time and explain what I’m wearing and why, so let’s get started.

Why Wool

To add some context for what I’m wearing, it’s a pair of gray pants and a black shirt. Both are made of merino wool, which have better longevity, though not unlimited, than cotton does between wears. In other words, they don’t smell bad as quickly. The reason for this is that wool doesn’t absorb moisture, i.e. sweat, like cotton does. I wear a different shirt each day, switching between two, though I do plan on getting more in the future.

When it comes to the style, I’ve long been a fan of solid neutral colors. The combo are easy to dress up or down as well. When I work in the office for example, I wear business casual, so a button up over the shirt is all that’s needed. When it comes to dressing down, while in just the t-shirt, I feel casual.

I was really turned on to wearing wool thanks to Tynan and his gear posts. It got me interested in “one-bagging,” traveling with just a single bag. Minimalism can have some very tangible benefits when it comes to travel. Earlier this year, I went on a trip to London and was able to make by on a single bag, though there were improvements to be made for sure.

Keep It Simple

I’ve mentioned before about minimalism being about more than just getting rid of stuff. Simplifying is the real benefit. Moving can be a real hassle and having to not only pack up, but unpack can be just as big a pain. When packing, I set aside the few clothing items I knew I would need during this trial. With unpacking, I have everything out of boxes, but in no particular order.

Putting off this element of the move has helped me focus on getting other areas of my living space organized and set…though the kitchen does still need some work. Not having to worry about organizing my closet has given me some time to unwind after the stress of the move itself. Having a reliable set of clothes I can pop on each day makes the morning smoother, leading to an overall better day.

The past week I sought out to wear the same clothes every day. It was a pretty simple habit to start, especially considering most days were spent on a camping trip. Over the past week, I’ve had loose dress code requirements, making this simple so far, with rare occasions requiring differences. So far, it’s off to a good start.

Staying the Same

The fact that a majority of the days I’ve spent on this trial so far were on a camping trip helped get into the swing of things easily. I didn’t have to think much about what to bring and just threw the clothes I needed in my bag. To my knowledge, my friends accompanying me didn’t even notice. If they did, it was insubstantial enough to not need to mention.

After the trip, everything sat in my laundry for a short bit, but I still kept my clothing choice to a simple set of clothes. Luckily, I work from home, meaning I don’t have to think too hard about what I wear already. I have some additional thoughts on this that I want to expand on in the future, so I’ll leave things there for now.

Time and Place

Something I did mention in last week’s post leading up to this trial was that certain situations will call for different clothes. While 90% of activities will consist of the same circumstance, there are exceptions to be had. For example, when I go out for a workout, I have a separate set of clothes for working out in. Another example is that I went kayaking on the trip and wanted clothes that would dry easily should I unfortunately go in the water. So I wore a pair of running shorts, surprisingly not part of my standard wardrobe.

In general, the idea I was going for with this trial, and possibly after, is to reduce the items that I skip over in my wardrobe. We all have those items. The ones that end up on top after the laundry pile picks up and we dig deeper to find something else. Anything else. Over the past couple years, I’ve found more and more of those items accumulating.

Another benefit I’m looking for is to reduce the amount of thinking that putting on clothes can sometimes take. BUT I think I’ll save that for next week. So far, I’m enjoying this trial quite a bit.

The last few weeks I’ve been feeling better and better, but due to some bad decisions lately that have started to take their toll. In the long run, I expect this to pass, and thus I have a bigger concern, keeping my momentum going.

Getting Stronger

I really did enjoy this trial quite a lot. Getting daily exercise has generally made me feel stronger and healthier. Unfortunately, there are a few other elements that I have started to let slide. My diet and sleep took a hit recently, and I’ve paid the price. As the trial came to a close, the sets were getting harder and harder. It goes to show that health and fitness are much more than just exercising.

Other than the recent bumps, I felt I was getting stronger and faster each day. Runs feel smooth and easy, though at a quick pace. I’ve even been able to run some workouts and push myself pretty hard. Over the weekend, I ran a tough hill workout from my college days that had some interesting effects.

Keeping the Habit

A trend that started with the last few trials was a quick stop to the habit as soon as the period ended. Something I mentioned a few weeks back was the benefit of adding the set to my daily to do list. This helped to make it part of my day, no matter what. To try and remedy my adherence problem, I’m keeping the to do list item.

With the specifics of this trial completed, adjusting the habit to a more generic workout or stretching should help. The stretching piece will be the biggest benefit. As I’ve started to feel more and more exhausted from the workout, I’ve been less and less motivated to stretch, making the next day more difficult.

With this one in the books, what lies ahead? My next trial will be to simplify my wardrobe by wearing the same outfit every day, with a slight caveat for special occasions.

The past week has been going well, though I did take a couple days off to avoid possible injury. Other than that I’ve been able to climb higher and higher with the workouts.

Little By Little

Every day feels to be getting better in one way or another. Maybe I’ll finish the run faster than the day before, or I’ll be able to increase the reps I do in a set on the way to 100. Today, I even did a tempo pace running workout. The premise being to run at a faster sustained pace for a certain time period. The workout was a great way to see what kind of shape I’m actually in fitness-wise.

Something I mentioned early on in this trial was that this workout routine is pretty limited in terms of covering the whole body. With the progress I’ve been making, I decided to add some additional elements, though optional. A set of pullups at the end of the cycle was the first addition. Next, I added a calf raise to the squats. With these additional elements, I want to start off small and work them into the routine slowly. As I master the other elements, I can start to bring in other pieces to the table.

Coming to a Close

With the trial winding down into the last week, I am not quite sure how I want to approach my fitness in the future. This routine has led to me feeling great and fit, while not investing hours and hours every day. However, I don’t know how sustainable it is in the long run. As mentioned, I took a few days off after feeling some pain in my foot in a injured spot from the past.

Taking necessary time off might be something I work into a future plan. Whatever I decide, I do feel that this is a good program to do for a short period after a long time off. The numbers themselves can be adjusted, but trying to hit a goal for each exercise daily helps to get back in the swing of things. In the past, I’d come back to working out in a way that left my body broken for days. With this however, the relatively small amount of effort needed provides the important result, building the habit.

Another week down, and while there were some complications, I’m still going strong. One thing I want to discuss in particular today is how treating habits as a to-do list has helped me to keep up with them.

Progress Report

As far as the trial is going, I unfortunately missed a day last week due to some poor planning on my part. It wasn’t fatigue or laziness that was the problem, I just didn’t properly make the time that day. In hindsight, I could have made something work, but that’s how most things are. I decided to just focus on keeping things going.

Something I didn’t really touch on last week was how I’ve been approaching getting 100 reps of each exercise in. While I wish I was able to do each in one go, I’ve broken things up in sets. One part I’m really happy about is that I’ve been able to increase the amount of reps in each set. Last week, I was doing sets of 25 reps. Now I do two sets at 35, and one at 30. I’m hoping maybe I can shoot for the 100 set towards the end.

Habits as Tasks

One of the most important apps I have on my phone is my to-do list. Every day it lists what things I have set out for myself to do. There are exceptions of course, but I generally get things done when I set out to.

Adding habits, especially daily ones, has been a good way for me to stay on top of them. If I see a checkbox for the day, I am going to make sure I find a way to get that done. This works extremely well for habits that more often need a spark to get started.

My current trial isn’t the only habit I’ve done this with. I’ve used this for reading, journaling, and even longer term habits like my weekly reviews. Having this system helps to employ the “Seinfeld rule.” In is time as a comedian, Jerry Seinfeld set out to write at least one joke every day. His only goal was to not break the streak, regardless of the quality of the joke. Putting in the effort every day was what mattered.

As mentioned before, I unfortunately broke the streak. It happens. The important thing is to start again and see how long you can make it this time.