So, about how "Day 9" is eleven days after "Day 8," can anyone remind me how that math works? Oh, it doesn't. Cool, that's cool. No excuses: not keeping this thing up is disgraceful, as it doesn't take very long to write these entries at all.
That being said, I've made some good progress in a few areas. My diet's taking on more of a favorable shape, and I've been keeping up with my fasting plan pretty well--fasting intervals have ranged from a minimum of 15 hours to a maximum of 19 hours. Honestly, at this point, the trick is proving to be in eating a sufficient amount in that time-frame. Having prepared a number of meals beforehand is helping, but I'm taking too much time between meals, meaning that I end up only 2/3 of the way to my caloric needs for the day when evening--the time of my day when I am most likely to have obligations to attend to--rolls around, and often makes eating an untenable option.
Obviously, the longer my fasting period, the shorter my eating period and the harder it gets to stuff my face enough in the time available to me. That is why I need to normalize at around 16 hours; it triggers the ketogenic state I'm looking for and gives it some time to ride, but also leaves me 8 hours in which to get the calories I need each day. Even then, though, it's hard to approach that volume without constantly eating during that period--on heavy exercise days, I'm looking at 3000 calories, and on lighter days, I'm looking at 2600.
Exercise has been going well, but grip strength is proving a significant-enough bottleneck that I've made adjustments to put more emphasis on building it up. You'd best believe things are getting gripped up in here, in this house. This heezy. Oh yes.
Work has been a bit of a Charlie Foxtrot. More on that tomorrow. Sleep is in the now-time.
Still learning,
~L
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Day 8: Evaluation 1
Blargh, I neglected to update this bad-boy in two days. That being said, even though I missed my Sunday re-evaluation date, amidst my freelance-related work, I found some time to block out some of my goals more explicitly and figure out what needs to be done to achieve them.
Exercise Goals
Until this week, my regimen was three days per week, beginning with a very generalized workout plan that I did every day, later evolving into a three way split in which Monday was endurance training, Wednesday was strength, and Friday was explosive power. Starting with this week, that has been modified to six days per week. Those previously mentioned days remain my 'heavy' exercise days, but now Tuesday is a lighter-load power day, Thursday a lighter endurance day and Saturday a lighter strength day.
In addition, on these lighter days, I'll be throwing in some general skill work starting next week, since I have some time left in the 'exercise' time slot. Tuesday and Thursday will be focused, for the time being, on sprinting, with an ultimate goal of being able to run an aggressive 1.5 km. On Saturdays I'll work on technique-specific training for the handstand, the planche, the pistol squat, front lever and one-armed push-up.
My approach to the sprints will be focused on building sheer explosive speed first, then working on sustaining it over distances as I reached particular speed milestones. As my running progresses, I'd subdivide the workload between a speed day and an endurance day. That would look something like this:
I expect this progression to take me quite some time. Similarly, I know what sort of work I want to do on my 'feats of strength' on Saturday.
Again, this stuff will take a while, but will thankfully be supplemented by my primary exercise routine. Acquiring these skills isn't a matter of show, but it's also true that I have a secondary motive beyond my fitness goals, which is efficiency. For example, incorporating the handstand press, planche up and front-lever pull-up puts enough focus on my core stability across those motions that I could justifiably cut my exclusively core-focused work, while achieving a single-arm push-up allows me to blitz my triceps without the need for often rather unnatural isometrics.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy bodyweight exercises; they're definitely a lot more fun than anything iron-oriented to me. I'd still like to get the most bang for my buck though, and currently my heavy strength day (Wednesday) comprises a ~90 minute routine before you factor in the mobility/stretching work. Take a look, bearing in mind that for strength gain with minimized size gain, there is a 3-minute rest between sets.
Man, that turned into quite a lengthy diversion. Anyway!
Dietary Goals
So far, I haven't had any problem getting the amount of protein I want in a day, but I continue to succumb to the temptation of artificial, carb-loaded garbage (read: soda), which is holding me back in a variety of ways. It's keeping me from getting more useful calories, the kind that come with micronutrients. It's also causing the thin-but-present layer of excess fat around my core and glutes to remain, rather stubbornly.
I've also observed a recent change in my eating behavior, which is an increasing tendency toward eating earlier in the day--around 10:00. It used to be unheard of for me to eat before 13:00, having last eaten around 20:00 the previous night. I have also pushed my snacking later and later, to the point that I now often eat as late at 01:00 in the morning. The end result is that whereas I once was unwittingly intermittently fasting day to day and inducing a fat-burning state, I am now almost perpetually locked in a satiated state.
My diet in general is actually decent, though there are certainly improvements to be made, but simply starting with cutting out the soda entirely and returning to my original fast-like pattern will help a great deal. The next step--being the cheapest dietary improvement I could make--would be to start drinking my protein shakes on a daily basis. I'll need to revise my schedule a bit to reflect this pattern, but I feel confident it's a sound investment of effort.
As far as the actual weight/body fat measurements are concerned, I need to get my hands on an electronic scale that can measure the latter.
Career Goals
This past week has seen me doing very little writing, focusing instead on something more immediately pressing in my freelance career that, when finalized, should actually open up a fair bit of my time on a weekly basis, and allow me to put most of my mental energy where it belongs; in my writing.
Prior to that priority shift, my principle was simply to 'write more today than yesterday' to approach the goal of 5,000 words per day. Tomorrow, I'll resume that process.
As far as the singing is concerned, I've made efforts at the practice routine, but my allergies have made a point of being especially nasty, meaning my results on breathing exercises were less than stellar. I'm dissatisfied enough to not want to count the attempts.
Overall
I'm still trying to get my general situation aligned with this more concrete pursuit of goals, so for this week, so I'm only going to add the 'feats of strength' goals at this time. Expect the first reports on that tomorrow.
Still learning,
~L
Exercise Goals
Until this week, my regimen was three days per week, beginning with a very generalized workout plan that I did every day, later evolving into a three way split in which Monday was endurance training, Wednesday was strength, and Friday was explosive power. Starting with this week, that has been modified to six days per week. Those previously mentioned days remain my 'heavy' exercise days, but now Tuesday is a lighter-load power day, Thursday a lighter endurance day and Saturday a lighter strength day.
In addition, on these lighter days, I'll be throwing in some general skill work starting next week, since I have some time left in the 'exercise' time slot. Tuesday and Thursday will be focused, for the time being, on sprinting, with an ultimate goal of being able to run an aggressive 1.5 km. On Saturdays I'll work on technique-specific training for the handstand, the planche, the pistol squat, front lever and one-armed push-up.
My approach to the sprints will be focused on building sheer explosive speed first, then working on sustaining it over distances as I reached particular speed milestones. As my running progresses, I'd subdivide the workload between a speed day and an endurance day. That would look something like this:
Phase 1: 10 runs of 50 meters (Target = 6.2 s)
Phase 2: Tuesday - 10 runs of 50 meters
Thursday - 8 runs of 100 meters (Target = 11 s)
Phase 3: Tuesday - 8 runs of 100 meters
Thursday - 6 runs of 200 meters, (Target = 22.5 s)
Phase 4: Tuesday - 8 runs of 100 meters
Thursday - 4 runs of 400 meters, (Target = 56 s)
Phase 5: Tuesday - 8 runs of 100 meters
Thursday - 3 runs of 800 meters (Target = 1:58)
Phase 6: Tuesday - 8 runs of 100 meters
Thursday - 2 runs of 1500 kilometer (Target = 4:25)
I expect this progression to take me quite some time. Similarly, I know what sort of work I want to do on my 'feats of strength' on Saturday.
Handstand: Wall-Assisted Handstand Holds (60s) => One-Leg Free Handstand Holds (60 s) => Freestanding Handstand Hold (60s) => Handstand Press (20 reps) => Fingertip Handstand Press (20 reps) => One-Arm Handstand Hold (15s)
Planche: Frog Stand (60s) => Advanced Frog Stand (60s) => Tuck Planche (60s) => Advanced Tuck Planche (60s) => Straddle Planche (60s) => Planche (60s) => Planche Ups (20 reps) => Fingertip Planche Press (20 reps) => One-Arm Planche (15s)
Pistol Squat: Two Arm Assisted Pistol Squat (10 reps) => One Arm Assisted Pistol Squat (10 reps) => Pistol Squat (10 reps) => Jumping Pistol Squat (10 reps) => Reclined Pistol Squat (5 reps)
Front Lever: Tuck Lever (60s) => Advanced Tuck Lever (60s) => Straddle Front Lever (60s) => Front Lever (60s) => Front Lever Pull Ups (15 reps) => 1-Arm Front Lever (60s) => 1-Arm Front Lever Pull Ups (5 reps)
One-Armed Pushup: One-Arm Wide-Feet Plank (60s) => One-Arm Close-Feet Plank (60s) => One-Arm Plank, Feet Together (60s) => One-Arm Pushup (15 reps) => One-Arm Fingertip Pushup (5 reps)
Again, this stuff will take a while, but will thankfully be supplemented by my primary exercise routine. Acquiring these skills isn't a matter of show, but it's also true that I have a secondary motive beyond my fitness goals, which is efficiency. For example, incorporating the handstand press, planche up and front-lever pull-up puts enough focus on my core stability across those motions that I could justifiably cut my exclusively core-focused work, while achieving a single-arm push-up allows me to blitz my triceps without the need for often rather unnatural isometrics.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy bodyweight exercises; they're definitely a lot more fun than anything iron-oriented to me. I'd still like to get the most bang for my buck though, and currently my heavy strength day (Wednesday) comprises a ~90 minute routine before you factor in the mobility/stretching work. Take a look, bearing in mind that for strength gain with minimized size gain, there is a 3-minute rest between sets.
So in total, I'm counting 87 minutes of rest. Each plank set is also 60 seconds long, so even before we add up the time for the actual sets, we're looking at 92 minutes. Ouch! Adding in my pre-work-out stretching and my post-workout stretching, that bumps us up to about 2 hours, 15 minutes. Long-term, I'd love to get it looking like this:Pike Press x 4 x 4Pull Up x 2 x 4Chin Up x 2 x 4Push Ups (Narrow) x 4 x 4Tiger Claw Hold (Knees Far) x 2Plank (High) x 3Side Plank (High) x 2 per sideSplit Squats x 4 x 4
That is, of course, a long way away for me, but a routine like that would hit everything brutally hard in ~60 minutes. With sufficient strength in the right places, I could even combine the planche ups and handstand press, cutting the time down to more like ~45 minutes.Handstand Press x 4 x 4One Arm Front Lever Muscle Up x 4 x 4Tiger Claw Planche Ups x 4 x 4Human Flag x 2Reclined Pistol Squats x 4 x 4
Man, that turned into quite a lengthy diversion. Anyway!
Dietary Goals
So far, I haven't had any problem getting the amount of protein I want in a day, but I continue to succumb to the temptation of artificial, carb-loaded garbage (read: soda), which is holding me back in a variety of ways. It's keeping me from getting more useful calories, the kind that come with micronutrients. It's also causing the thin-but-present layer of excess fat around my core and glutes to remain, rather stubbornly.
I've also observed a recent change in my eating behavior, which is an increasing tendency toward eating earlier in the day--around 10:00. It used to be unheard of for me to eat before 13:00, having last eaten around 20:00 the previous night. I have also pushed my snacking later and later, to the point that I now often eat as late at 01:00 in the morning. The end result is that whereas I once was unwittingly intermittently fasting day to day and inducing a fat-burning state, I am now almost perpetually locked in a satiated state.
My diet in general is actually decent, though there are certainly improvements to be made, but simply starting with cutting out the soda entirely and returning to my original fast-like pattern will help a great deal. The next step--being the cheapest dietary improvement I could make--would be to start drinking my protein shakes on a daily basis. I'll need to revise my schedule a bit to reflect this pattern, but I feel confident it's a sound investment of effort.
As far as the actual weight/body fat measurements are concerned, I need to get my hands on an electronic scale that can measure the latter.
Career Goals
This past week has seen me doing very little writing, focusing instead on something more immediately pressing in my freelance career that, when finalized, should actually open up a fair bit of my time on a weekly basis, and allow me to put most of my mental energy where it belongs; in my writing.
Prior to that priority shift, my principle was simply to 'write more today than yesterday' to approach the goal of 5,000 words per day. Tomorrow, I'll resume that process.
As far as the singing is concerned, I've made efforts at the practice routine, but my allergies have made a point of being especially nasty, meaning my results on breathing exercises were less than stellar. I'm dissatisfied enough to not want to count the attempts.
Overall
I'm still trying to get my general situation aligned with this more concrete pursuit of goals, so for this week, so I'm only going to add the 'feats of strength' goals at this time. Expect the first reports on that tomorrow.
Still learning,
~L
Friday, May 17, 2013
Day 7: Shenanigans
Today went well in a general sense; work was productive and I got some enjoyable reading done which then helped me find a clearer sense of what I should be doing with my writing going forward. I've been stressing a bit lately about the comedic sensibilities in my work, because I'm generally able to make people laugh very well in conversation, but I don't think my writing has ever elicited more than an amused smile in the yucks department. Garrison Keillor's inspiration may be enough to change that, given some time to experiment.
I found that I was unable to resist the clarion call of the pull-up whilst on the subway today, and ended up hanging from a bar for the entire last leg of my journey home. It's a whole new reason to love empty subway cars, not that I needed more.
Yes, this one was a bit rushed. Don't care, tired. Moose.
- - - Goals - - -
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
Adherence to a daily schedule
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet
120 g of protein per day - 3 days consecutive
Weight of 77 kg, 8% body fat
Write 5,000 words daily
Improve singing
- - -
Still learning,
~L
I found that I was unable to resist the clarion call of the pull-up whilst on the subway today, and ended up hanging from a bar for the entire last leg of my journey home. It's a whole new reason to love empty subway cars, not that I needed more.
Yes, this one was a bit rushed. Don't care, tired. Moose.
- - - Goals - - -
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
Adherence to a daily schedule
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet
120 g of protein per day - 3 days consecutive
Weight of 77 kg, 8% body fat
Write 5,000 words daily
Improve singing
- - -
Still learning,
~L
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Day 6: In Which I Already Find Myself Wondering If I Will Keep Titling These
But seriously, I'm doing these every day. I give it a year before I just start rolling my face on the keyboard and calling it a title.
So, the black bits are, distressingly enough, pulp from the lemons and limes I used to start flavoring my water. I guess that means I will, in fact, have to just go ahead and juice the things, because whatever is going on there, the bits taste quite unpleasant. Oh well, we're learning by experimentation. Science!
I almost managed to stumble into another dietary no-no today--Sunflower Oil! It's not an artificial ingredient, mind you, but the normal stuff is absolutely loaded with polyunsaturated fat. Thankfully, it turns out it's high-oleic, which is almost all monounsaturated, so, yeah. As far as protein content is concerned, I managed to pull through yet again, at 143 g of protein, which brings me to a point-of-order for the journal as a whole.
Last entry, I forgot to, but starting with this one, when I make progress on a goal, unless there's some particularly noteworthy aspect, the result will be listed in bold at the bottom of the article. I want to reserve the article space for the really interesting parts of my day/undertakings from now on. Oh, and I should also mention that goals which saw no progress will just be listed in italics. What losers!
Also, everyone aspiring to be creative in any field ever should read this. There's a bit of hostility there that makes me uncomfortable--because it reflects my own feelings too clearly, methinks--but the message is still great, and suitably humbling for me.
Which is good, because you'll notice below that I didn't make much of a dent in my goal set. Of course, there are boring work-related reasons for that, but better time-management could have alleviated it somewhat.
Argh.
- - - Goals - - -
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
Adherence to a daily schedule
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet
120 g of protein per day - 2 days consecutive
Weight of 77 kg, 8% body fat
Write 5,000 words daily
Improve singing - 1 day of training regimen
- - -
Still learning,
~L
So, the black bits are, distressingly enough, pulp from the lemons and limes I used to start flavoring my water. I guess that means I will, in fact, have to just go ahead and juice the things, because whatever is going on there, the bits taste quite unpleasant. Oh well, we're learning by experimentation. Science!
I almost managed to stumble into another dietary no-no today--Sunflower Oil! It's not an artificial ingredient, mind you, but the normal stuff is absolutely loaded with polyunsaturated fat. Thankfully, it turns out it's high-oleic, which is almost all monounsaturated, so, yeah. As far as protein content is concerned, I managed to pull through yet again, at 143 g of protein, which brings me to a point-of-order for the journal as a whole.
Last entry, I forgot to, but starting with this one, when I make progress on a goal, unless there's some particularly noteworthy aspect, the result will be listed in bold at the bottom of the article. I want to reserve the article space for the really interesting parts of my day/undertakings from now on. Oh, and I should also mention that goals which saw no progress will just be listed in italics. What losers!
Also, everyone aspiring to be creative in any field ever should read this. There's a bit of hostility there that makes me uncomfortable--because it reflects my own feelings too clearly, methinks--but the message is still great, and suitably humbling for me.
Which is good, because you'll notice below that I didn't make much of a dent in my goal set. Of course, there are boring work-related reasons for that, but better time-management could have alleviated it somewhat.
Argh.
- - - Goals - - -
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
Adherence to a daily schedule
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet
120 g of protein per day - 2 days consecutive
Weight of 77 kg, 8% body fat
Write 5,000 words daily
Improve singing - 1 day of training regimen
- - -
Still learning,
~L
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Day 5: Sloppy Start
Today was a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the freelance work that provides my primary income for the time being went well; on the other, I made absolutely no progress on the writing front owing to poor time management. I managed to slightly exceed my protein quota, but fell victim to my one real artificial ingredient temptation--soda. I exhibited some restraint there, by limiting myself to just one. Little by little, lemon-lime water is replacing the soda habit, though I'm not feeling so great about the little black bits I keep finding in it. What's up with that?
As far as my general fitness goes, I found myself a bit on the sick side this morning and so eased off on my exercise, and my body composition is still holding steady at 71.7 kg, 12% body fat. The main thing I took a decisive step forward on was the daily schedule thing: I developed one that accounts for all my existing commitments and needs, but which I expect I'll be adjusting a bit as I go. Presently, though, it looks like this:
All that being said, writing this out and reading back through it is encouraging in its own way. This is a great mechanism for me to reflect honestly on how I'm spending my time, what can be done better, and how important all of that is. And, since it's public--as if anyone reads it--it forces me to spare the usual self-loathing, purposeless rants that I am happy to force on myself in private.
Well, tomorrow's another day to do better.
Still learning,
~L
As far as my general fitness goes, I found myself a bit on the sick side this morning and so eased off on my exercise, and my body composition is still holding steady at 71.7 kg, 12% body fat. The main thing I took a decisive step forward on was the daily schedule thing: I developed one that accounts for all my existing commitments and needs, but which I expect I'll be adjusting a bit as I go. Presently, though, it looks like this:
If some of these blocks--exercise and t'ai chi--seem rather long for their listed purposes, it's because I'm including travel time and other such details into those blocks for concision's sake. Both the 'exercise' and 'singing' blocks have more detailed breakdowns of their own, but I'll save those for near-future posts.Monday-Saturday05:15-08:00 – Exercise08:00-08:30 – Breakfast and Shower08:30-09:30 – Singing09:30-10:30 – Planning for writing10:30-12:30 – Writing12:30-13:30 – Nap13:30-14:00 – Lunch14:00-15:00 – Writing15:00-17:00 – Freelance Work17:00-18:00 – Free Time & Dinner18:00-21:00 – Freelance Work21:00-22:00 – Blogging22:00-00:45 – Free Time
Sunday05:15-06:15 – Breakfast and Shower06:15-07:30 – Cooking07:30-10:00 – T'ai Chi10:00-16:00 – Free Time16:00-20:00 – Cooking20:00-21:00 – Blogging21:00-00:45 – Free Time
All that being said, writing this out and reading back through it is encouraging in its own way. This is a great mechanism for me to reflect honestly on how I'm spending my time, what can be done better, and how important all of that is. And, since it's public--as if anyone reads it--it forces me to spare the usual self-loathing, purposeless rants that I am happy to force on myself in private.
Well, tomorrow's another day to do better.
Still learning,
~L
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Day 4: Starting Gun
This being Tuesday, my doing the weekly overview/commitment post is a bit belated, but I'm fighting the temptation to simply postpone the whole thing until this upcoming Sunday. That's one of my greatest personal failings, which has developed over the last six years, especially; if something throws me off such that I can't meet my (often arbitrary and unreasonable) expectations of myself, I scrap the effort entirely and swear to do it later, when life presents a better opportunity.
I used to be the sort who created and seized opportunities, knowing that life does not hand out convenience, only varying levels of challenge you must overcome. These days, I am my own worst enemy in all my endeavors, so the first step lies in saying 'no' to that self-demeaning, failure-fearing tendency and just doing the best I can every single day. After this post, my journal posts will be concentrated at the end of the day.
So, the following are the goals I'm pursuing/taking steps towards for this week, beginning tomorrow:
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
Adherence to a daily schedule
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet
120 g of protein per day
Weight of 77 kg, 8% body fat
Write 5,000 words daily
Improve singing
My post tomorrow will discuss a bit about how I'll be tracking progress along the way in addition to covering how my actual efforts went.
Still learning,
~L
I used to be the sort who created and seized opportunities, knowing that life does not hand out convenience, only varying levels of challenge you must overcome. These days, I am my own worst enemy in all my endeavors, so the first step lies in saying 'no' to that self-demeaning, failure-fearing tendency and just doing the best I can every single day. After this post, my journal posts will be concentrated at the end of the day.
So, the following are the goals I'm pursuing/taking steps towards for this week, beginning tomorrow:
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
Adherence to a daily schedule
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet
120 g of protein per day
Weight of 77 kg, 8% body fat
Write 5,000 words daily
Improve singing
My post tomorrow will discuss a bit about how I'll be tracking progress along the way in addition to covering how my actual efforts went.
Still learning,
~L
Monday, May 13, 2013
Day 3: In Which I Discuss The A,B,Cs of Me, Baby
Here we are, having broken up that big, ugly list into more meaningful groupings, which leaves us only with the task of describing their actual meaning and choosing the goals I will start this endeavor with. Let's wade right into the muck, beginning with Core goals, through to Priority goals and ending with Interest goals.
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
This one is easily quantifiable, because I have a particular number in mind: $500/week. Though I live in an expensive part of the world, my material needs are relatively humble, I have the ability to cook and I have no debts to pay, so this number can keep me fed, clothed and sheltered comfortably. At that point, I can scale back time spent trying to secure or executing freelance jobs.
Travel the world
This one is less quantifiable, as political circumstances in some regions may cause country borders to shift over time, but my intention is to see every country, traveling around as cheaply as possible, really taking my time to soak up the environs.
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet, 120 g of protein per day, Reach a weight of 82 kg at 9% body fat, Improved flexibility
These goals have been grouped together because they all feed into each other, as my essential fitness goals. My own experiences have convinced me of the truth of that old axiom that a healthy mind must reside in a healthy body. Moreover, with the scope and depth of my ambitions, I need to forge a body that can offer me as much energy and functionality as possible for as long as possible. Both the 'artificial ingredients' and protein objectives are things that have to be complied with on a daily basis, while 'improved flexibility' is technically measurable, but not feasibly for me, so for now, I'll simply focus on making sure I do my mobility exercises and stretches every day.
Regarding the weight goal, however, since I initially wrote up that list, I have had some time to mull it over. With respect to my ultimate fitness target, which is to partake in a single amateur cage fight, I think I'd first like to see how strong I can make myself as a fighter in the Welterweight division (77 kg max) before I go through the process of piling on another 5 kg. So, instead, we'll modify that goal to 77 kg and 8% body fat.
Develop a video game
This one probably seems a bit out-of-place in the list of essentials, but the fact of the matter is that I've wanted to do this for as long as I have been self-aware. Though I do not play them as much as I used to or would like to anymore, video games were an integral part of my childhood and shaped much of whom I am today. I do not care what capacity I serve in when developing the game, I just want to be part of the process; that alone would satisfy me.
Total adherence to a daily schedule
Another goal that requires day-to-day maintenance, the first step in this goal is to develop a schedule that gives me room to pursue what I absolutely need to pursue right now while still allowing some flexibility for less crushingly urgent goals and--shockhorror!--maybe even a social life. The schedule will evolve over time as my circumstances do, and when that happens, I'll update you good folk.
Write 5,000 words daily
This goal is the most immediate, direct path to achieving my utmost essential goal; living entirely off my creative endeavors. It is also one that will take some time to ease into, as I have found that my long absence from truly regular writing has greatly reduced my speed of production. For the time being, I'll be happy just to push my productivity a little bit further each day, eventually hitting this mark and sticking to it.
Learn to compose music
Composing music requires a more developed knowledge of music theory than I presently possess, as well as some basic playing ability and a much more trained ear. If I compose an album of original songs, alongside the various re-arrangement projects I have long had in mind, I will consider this goal reached.
Learn to sing
This might more accurately be called "improve my singing." In this case, I have my own idea of what singing I could be satisfied with sounds like, so for accountability's sake, the best I can do is to adhere to a daily regimen of vocal exercises until I find a vocal coach who can help me develop the voice I want.
HTML/CSS/Javascript/Web Design
This goal is essential for designing the personal and professional websites I need to solidify my online presence and help promote my work. I know HTML and CSS well enough to get by, but seem to struggle with remembering exact details of certain features. I'll study my way through the W3C documentation on HTML and CSS and experiment with the various features until I have completely memorized and mastered them. Then, I'll move on to working my way through "Eloquent Javascript" and its various assignments. Web Design, as a discipline, involves various aesthetic studies for which I have chosen resources. Once I can implement an aesthetically pleasing, functional website making use of Javascript features, I will consider this goal reached.
Graphic Design
This is another goal that is an essential part of my writing process, as part of catching the eye of potential readers is having a well-done cover, and a pleasing-to-read-through layout never hurt in keeping them coming back. This will simply be a matter of setting aside some time here and there to get more comfortable with Photoshop, studying and practicing. Being able to create attractive books is my completion mark here.
Drawing/Painting
Neither time-sensitive nor career-essential, but, like developing a video game, it's high on my list of "things I have always wanted to do." When I can illustrate my own work, I will consider this goal accomplished.
Improve typing speed
A priority mostly because it makes my 5,000 words-per-day goal easier and less time-consuming, though it also has its more general uses (e-mail, chat, blogging, coding) that make it a general quality-of-life improvement for someone as computer-oriented as me. This one is, thankfully, easily measurable. I'll be aiming for a 90 wpm sustained speed.
Improve cooking skills
Much harder to measure, as taste is very subjective, my palate is unrefined, and my objective with eating is nutrition more than taste. When I commit to this goal, my objective will simply be to cook one new meal each week and to try to cut down on the time spent cooking old ones.
Write 1 Poem Daily
This one's rather obvious, isn't it?
Music Production/Instruments
Sound engineering/mixing/editing and the like. I want to apply these skills at a sufficient level to do justice to the compositions I discussed in the 'core' section.
Python
I want to learn at least one programming language well enough to have some sense of the process of it all when developing a video game, even if I'm not the project's programmer. I chose Python in particular because I like it insofar as I've already used it, and because I want to use the Django framework for more complex elements of my eventual personal website. Being able to write simple programs in Python and web apps in Django will meet my needs.
Feats of Strength
Let's go ahead and bundle the jumping and running and such under this header, too. Apart from being cool, these are great measurements of functional strength. For the things that are specific movements, being able to do one with perfect form, unassisted, will meet the goal. For the timed and distanced things, obviously being able to meet those numbers is the completion point.
Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Linguistics
Each of these fields of study will be pursued according to a curriculum conforming to MIT's undergraduate degree requirements for those fields. Completion of the curriculum will count as achieving my goal, but these will likely be subjects of lifetime study.
Photography
My goal for photography, shallow as it may seem, is simply to be able to sell one print of a photograph I have taken. I feel this is the sort of thing where people are discriminating enough in their purchases that you'd really have to turn out something truly outstanding for people to pay for it.
Acting
I want to act in a single play produced by an established company. That is all.
Language Learning
Many people would consider this an 'interest' goal--and scoff at the sheer number of languages listed--but for me, it's instrumental to experiencing my travel fully. English is widespread, but I cannot and do not want to rely on it always being an option wherever I go. Ergo, it's more than just my love of languages and their beauty that fuels me. Priority'd, yo. As far as what 'achieving' this goal means, I'd consider a language 'learned' sufficiently if I can hold a conversation with a native speaker intelligibly and command a 2,000 word vocabulary.
Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, 1 Amateur Fight
These go hand in hand, and extend my overall fitness goals. While training at a gym, they won't let me enter the ring until they feel I've met a certain standard. Being able to meet that standard will be my completion condition for this goal.
Learn to play Go
Call me a dreamer, but this is a goal I'm giving myself a lifetime to pursue, so let's aim high: I'll aim to be ranked 1st amateur dan.
Read 1 Book/Week
Pretty obvious how I'd measure this one.
Re-read classical writings
I'd outline a particular canon for this project, which would be considered completed when I had read every item on it again.
Learn keyboard shortcuts
I'm mostly thinking of Photoshop here, but there's definitely no concrete 'finishing point' for this one. It'd be a repeated effort from application to application, anyway.
Memorize metric system conversions
For the sake of demystifying measurements while traveling abroad. My focus is on converting for units of distance, mass, area and volume.
Create an aquaponic farming system
Creating the aquaponics system and successfully cultivating both plants and fish for three months is my goal.
Write 1,000 words of fanfiction daily
Oh dear. But yes, I seriously have that much fanfiction I want to write, still.
Sound Design
As in the making of sound effects and instrument data from recordings for musical or theatrical use. I'd like to create one sound that I like enough to use in a composition.
Instruments
See my explanation of composition and of my 'priority' instruments goal.
D3, Programming Languages, R, SQL, Bash Scripting
Simply put, I want to be able to code up something I can (and want to) use with each of these tools.
Ring Training
Developing some of the more advanced gymnastics skills geared towards rings is interesting, but far from necessary for my fitness goals. Being able to perform an iron cross would be a satisfactory endpoint for me.
Chemistry, Biology, Material Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Architecture, Construction
See my explanation of other formal academic pursuits above.
Data Visualization
When I can use D3 and/or Processing to create interesting, informative readouts of data, this goal will be met.
Pixel Art and 3D Modeling
My goal here is to be able to produce character and scenery designs for video games, and with 3D modeling specifically, to be able to do architectural rendering.
Cartography
To be able to create an attractive map of the world in which my oldest novel project is set would be awesome.
Cinematography and Video Editing
Using these skills in the production of one short film would let me check these off the list.
Industrial Design and Interior Design
For designing and implementing my own furniture and home fixtures, naturally! Applying these skills in a home I designed myself would be a delicious cherry on top of the architectural sundae.
Sculpture
One sculpture in stone, one in metal, one of mixed materials: all of them human-scaled. Boom, done.
Tailoring and Costume Design
Taking my cosplay to the next level. One really excellent costume would be sufficient . . . for now.
Voice Acting
Just performing one voice-over role would meet my goal here.
Dancing
No sense of measure for this one yet, I just want to be able to socially cut a rug.
Stand-Up Comedy
One gig, even if it's a flop, just to say I've done it.
Other Martial Arts
These would supplement and round-out my Muay Thai/BJJ-centered fighting style, and maybe give me a unique edge, but this is likely only something I'd pursue if I took fighting beyond one match. I'd want to develop these skills well enough to use them in a fight.
. . .
And there you have it, folks. Those of you who have read the posts covering the set-up will notice that it took me until late on Monday to finish up a summary I'd intended to have done by Sunday. I could make all sorts of excuses, but I'll say what I really think and feel, which is that this sort of thing is exactly why I want a journal of accountability for myself. I'm earnest and a hard worker, but I do tend to let myself get distracted at times. Hopefully, we can beat that habit out of me.
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
This one is easily quantifiable, because I have a particular number in mind: $500/week. Though I live in an expensive part of the world, my material needs are relatively humble, I have the ability to cook and I have no debts to pay, so this number can keep me fed, clothed and sheltered comfortably. At that point, I can scale back time spent trying to secure or executing freelance jobs.
Travel the world
This one is less quantifiable, as political circumstances in some regions may cause country borders to shift over time, but my intention is to see every country, traveling around as cheaply as possible, really taking my time to soak up the environs.
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet, 120 g of protein per day, Reach a weight of 82 kg at 9% body fat, Improved flexibility
These goals have been grouped together because they all feed into each other, as my essential fitness goals. My own experiences have convinced me of the truth of that old axiom that a healthy mind must reside in a healthy body. Moreover, with the scope and depth of my ambitions, I need to forge a body that can offer me as much energy and functionality as possible for as long as possible. Both the 'artificial ingredients' and protein objectives are things that have to be complied with on a daily basis, while 'improved flexibility' is technically measurable, but not feasibly for me, so for now, I'll simply focus on making sure I do my mobility exercises and stretches every day.
Regarding the weight goal, however, since I initially wrote up that list, I have had some time to mull it over. With respect to my ultimate fitness target, which is to partake in a single amateur cage fight, I think I'd first like to see how strong I can make myself as a fighter in the Welterweight division (77 kg max) before I go through the process of piling on another 5 kg. So, instead, we'll modify that goal to 77 kg and 8% body fat.
Develop a video game
This one probably seems a bit out-of-place in the list of essentials, but the fact of the matter is that I've wanted to do this for as long as I have been self-aware. Though I do not play them as much as I used to or would like to anymore, video games were an integral part of my childhood and shaped much of whom I am today. I do not care what capacity I serve in when developing the game, I just want to be part of the process; that alone would satisfy me.
Total adherence to a daily schedule
Another goal that requires day-to-day maintenance, the first step in this goal is to develop a schedule that gives me room to pursue what I absolutely need to pursue right now while still allowing some flexibility for less crushingly urgent goals and--shockhorror!--maybe even a social life. The schedule will evolve over time as my circumstances do, and when that happens, I'll update you good folk.
Write 5,000 words daily
This goal is the most immediate, direct path to achieving my utmost essential goal; living entirely off my creative endeavors. It is also one that will take some time to ease into, as I have found that my long absence from truly regular writing has greatly reduced my speed of production. For the time being, I'll be happy just to push my productivity a little bit further each day, eventually hitting this mark and sticking to it.
Learn to compose music
Composing music requires a more developed knowledge of music theory than I presently possess, as well as some basic playing ability and a much more trained ear. If I compose an album of original songs, alongside the various re-arrangement projects I have long had in mind, I will consider this goal reached.
Learn to sing
This might more accurately be called "improve my singing." In this case, I have my own idea of what singing I could be satisfied with sounds like, so for accountability's sake, the best I can do is to adhere to a daily regimen of vocal exercises until I find a vocal coach who can help me develop the voice I want.
HTML/CSS/Javascript/Web Design
This goal is essential for designing the personal and professional websites I need to solidify my online presence and help promote my work. I know HTML and CSS well enough to get by, but seem to struggle with remembering exact details of certain features. I'll study my way through the W3C documentation on HTML and CSS and experiment with the various features until I have completely memorized and mastered them. Then, I'll move on to working my way through "Eloquent Javascript" and its various assignments. Web Design, as a discipline, involves various aesthetic studies for which I have chosen resources. Once I can implement an aesthetically pleasing, functional website making use of Javascript features, I will consider this goal reached.
Graphic Design
This is another goal that is an essential part of my writing process, as part of catching the eye of potential readers is having a well-done cover, and a pleasing-to-read-through layout never hurt in keeping them coming back. This will simply be a matter of setting aside some time here and there to get more comfortable with Photoshop, studying and practicing. Being able to create attractive books is my completion mark here.
Drawing/Painting
Neither time-sensitive nor career-essential, but, like developing a video game, it's high on my list of "things I have always wanted to do." When I can illustrate my own work, I will consider this goal accomplished.
Improve typing speed
A priority mostly because it makes my 5,000 words-per-day goal easier and less time-consuming, though it also has its more general uses (e-mail, chat, blogging, coding) that make it a general quality-of-life improvement for someone as computer-oriented as me. This one is, thankfully, easily measurable. I'll be aiming for a 90 wpm sustained speed.
Improve cooking skills
Much harder to measure, as taste is very subjective, my palate is unrefined, and my objective with eating is nutrition more than taste. When I commit to this goal, my objective will simply be to cook one new meal each week and to try to cut down on the time spent cooking old ones.
Write 1 Poem Daily
This one's rather obvious, isn't it?
Music Production/Instruments
Sound engineering/mixing/editing and the like. I want to apply these skills at a sufficient level to do justice to the compositions I discussed in the 'core' section.
Python
I want to learn at least one programming language well enough to have some sense of the process of it all when developing a video game, even if I'm not the project's programmer. I chose Python in particular because I like it insofar as I've already used it, and because I want to use the Django framework for more complex elements of my eventual personal website. Being able to write simple programs in Python and web apps in Django will meet my needs.
Feats of Strength
Let's go ahead and bundle the jumping and running and such under this header, too. Apart from being cool, these are great measurements of functional strength. For the things that are specific movements, being able to do one with perfect form, unassisted, will meet the goal. For the timed and distanced things, obviously being able to meet those numbers is the completion point.
Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Linguistics
Each of these fields of study will be pursued according to a curriculum conforming to MIT's undergraduate degree requirements for those fields. Completion of the curriculum will count as achieving my goal, but these will likely be subjects of lifetime study.
Photography
My goal for photography, shallow as it may seem, is simply to be able to sell one print of a photograph I have taken. I feel this is the sort of thing where people are discriminating enough in their purchases that you'd really have to turn out something truly outstanding for people to pay for it.
Acting
I want to act in a single play produced by an established company. That is all.
Language Learning
Many people would consider this an 'interest' goal--and scoff at the sheer number of languages listed--but for me, it's instrumental to experiencing my travel fully. English is widespread, but I cannot and do not want to rely on it always being an option wherever I go. Ergo, it's more than just my love of languages and their beauty that fuels me. Priority'd, yo. As far as what 'achieving' this goal means, I'd consider a language 'learned' sufficiently if I can hold a conversation with a native speaker intelligibly and command a 2,000 word vocabulary.
Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, 1 Amateur Fight
These go hand in hand, and extend my overall fitness goals. While training at a gym, they won't let me enter the ring until they feel I've met a certain standard. Being able to meet that standard will be my completion condition for this goal.
Learn to play Go
Call me a dreamer, but this is a goal I'm giving myself a lifetime to pursue, so let's aim high: I'll aim to be ranked 1st amateur dan.
Read 1 Book/Week
Pretty obvious how I'd measure this one.
Re-read classical writings
I'd outline a particular canon for this project, which would be considered completed when I had read every item on it again.
Learn keyboard shortcuts
I'm mostly thinking of Photoshop here, but there's definitely no concrete 'finishing point' for this one. It'd be a repeated effort from application to application, anyway.
Memorize metric system conversions
For the sake of demystifying measurements while traveling abroad. My focus is on converting for units of distance, mass, area and volume.
Create an aquaponic farming system
Creating the aquaponics system and successfully cultivating both plants and fish for three months is my goal.
Write 1,000 words of fanfiction daily
Oh dear. But yes, I seriously have that much fanfiction I want to write, still.
Sound Design
As in the making of sound effects and instrument data from recordings for musical or theatrical use. I'd like to create one sound that I like enough to use in a composition.
Instruments
See my explanation of composition and of my 'priority' instruments goal.
D3, Programming Languages, R, SQL, Bash Scripting
Simply put, I want to be able to code up something I can (and want to) use with each of these tools.
Ring Training
Developing some of the more advanced gymnastics skills geared towards rings is interesting, but far from necessary for my fitness goals. Being able to perform an iron cross would be a satisfactory endpoint for me.
Chemistry, Biology, Material Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Architecture, Construction
See my explanation of other formal academic pursuits above.
Data Visualization
When I can use D3 and/or Processing to create interesting, informative readouts of data, this goal will be met.
Pixel Art and 3D Modeling
My goal here is to be able to produce character and scenery designs for video games, and with 3D modeling specifically, to be able to do architectural rendering.
Cartography
To be able to create an attractive map of the world in which my oldest novel project is set would be awesome.
Cinematography and Video Editing
Using these skills in the production of one short film would let me check these off the list.
Industrial Design and Interior Design
For designing and implementing my own furniture and home fixtures, naturally! Applying these skills in a home I designed myself would be a delicious cherry on top of the architectural sundae.
Sculpture
One sculpture in stone, one in metal, one of mixed materials: all of them human-scaled. Boom, done.
Tailoring and Costume Design
Taking my cosplay to the next level. One really excellent costume would be sufficient . . . for now.
Voice Acting
Just performing one voice-over role would meet my goal here.
Dancing
No sense of measure for this one yet, I just want to be able to socially cut a rug.
Stand-Up Comedy
One gig, even if it's a flop, just to say I've done it.
Other Martial Arts
These would supplement and round-out my Muay Thai/BJJ-centered fighting style, and maybe give me a unique edge, but this is likely only something I'd pursue if I took fighting beyond one match. I'd want to develop these skills well enough to use them in a fight.
. . .
And there you have it, folks. Those of you who have read the posts covering the set-up will notice that it took me until late on Monday to finish up a summary I'd intended to have done by Sunday. I could make all sorts of excuses, but I'll say what I really think and feel, which is that this sort of thing is exactly why I want a journal of accountability for myself. I'm earnest and a hard worker, but I do tend to let myself get distracted at times. Hopefully, we can beat that habit out of me.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Day 2: Process Ingredients
I closed out yesterday by putting a very large list in the last article, a list that nominally explained my goals, but in most cases only vaguely. The idea is to take that list, critically examine it, determine what I'm really aiming at with each item, how I can get there in manageable, measurable steps, and how to prioritize them. I'll let you in on a little secret: I've actually already given this a fair bit of thought, but I'm rendering the process transparent because I'm trying to beat the perfectionist-hiding-everything-until-it's-shiny tendency out of myself. So, let's begin.
The first step in this process is to reorganize the list into more meaningful categories. The groupings in the initial version of the list were a slapdash production, and illuminate nothing of my priorities or my method. I had given some thought into blocking them out into groups of interconnected goals which lead into or supplement one another, but even if that shows more of a 'method,' it's a somewhat myopic one. In reality, I will most likely always be pursuing multiple entirely disparate goals in parallel.
What makes more sense is to instead break the goals down into tiers of importance, which leads me to a three-tier system comprising core, priority and interest levels. Core goals are the absolute essentials of how I want to live my life both intellectually and physically. Priority goals are those things which I place high value on, but which ultimately are facilitators of or extensions to core goals, and can be safely placed on the back-burner in favor of of them. Finally, interest goals are just those things which really get me motivated, but have no bearing on the essential pursuit of my particular life.
Broken down this way, we end up with a list that looks like this:
So, all told, that leaves us with 16 core goals, 25 priority goals and 37 interest goals, if you count the collectivized listings as single items. Not a bad spread, I'd say. The next article will take a look at the core goals, the reasoning behind their eminence on this list and how I intend to go about achieving them.
Still learning,
~L
The first step in this process is to reorganize the list into more meaningful categories. The groupings in the initial version of the list were a slapdash production, and illuminate nothing of my priorities or my method. I had given some thought into blocking them out into groups of interconnected goals which lead into or supplement one another, but even if that shows more of a 'method,' it's a somewhat myopic one. In reality, I will most likely always be pursuing multiple entirely disparate goals in parallel.
What makes more sense is to instead break the goals down into tiers of importance, which leads me to a three-tier system comprising core, priority and interest levels. Core goals are the absolute essentials of how I want to live my life both intellectually and physically. Priority goals are those things which I place high value on, but which ultimately are facilitators of or extensions to core goals, and can be safely placed on the back-burner in favor of of them. Finally, interest goals are just those things which really get me motivated, but have no bearing on the essential pursuit of my particular life.
Broken down this way, we end up with a list that looks like this:
Core Goals
Livable income from creative endeavors alone
Travel the world
Cut all artificial ingredients from my diet
120 g protein/day
Develop a video game
Total adherence to a daily schedule
Write 5,000 words/day
Learn to compose music
Learn to sing
HTML/CSS/Javascript
Web Design
Reach a weight of 82 kg at 9% body fat
Improved flexibility
Graphic Design
Drawing
Painting
Priority Goals
Improve typing speed
Improve cooking skills
1 poem/day
Music production
Play guitar
Play bass
Play drum kit
Play piano
Python
Pistol Squats, Handstand Pushups, Planche Ups, One Armed Pushups, Front Lever Pullups, Claw Pushups, Muscle Ups (Feats of Strength)
1 Minute of Double-Unders on Jump Rope
1 meter Vertical Jump, 2.4 meter Standing Long Jump
15 minute 1 kilometer swim
15 second 100 meter dash
Train grip strength
Mathematics
Physics
Computer Science
Linguistics
Photography
Acting
Learn various languages
Muay Thai
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
1 Amateur Fight
Interest Goals
Learn to play Go
Read 1 book/week
Re-read classical writings
Learn keyboard shortcuts
Memorize metric system conversions
Create an aquaponic farming system
Write 1,000 words of fanfiction/day
Sound design
All non-priority instruments
D3
All other programming languages
R
SQL
Bash scripting
Ring training
Chemistry
Biology
Material Science
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Architecture
Construction
Data Visualization
Pixel Art
3D Modeling
Cartography
Cinematography
Video Editing
Industrial Design
Sculpture
Tailoring
Costume Design
Interior Design
Voice Acting
All dancing
Stand-Up Comedy
All non-priority martial arts
So, all told, that leaves us with 16 core goals, 25 priority goals and 37 interest goals, if you count the collectivized listings as single items. Not a bad spread, I'd say. The next article will take a look at the core goals, the reasoning behind their eminence on this list and how I intend to go about achieving them.
Still learning,
~L
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Day 1, Part III: What Am I Fighting Fooooooooooooooooooooooooooooor!?
So, having put forth both my thesis and my method for this journal, it's time to dig into the meat of the project: the actual goals.
Now, let's make something clear right up front, here. This is intended to be a lifetime list. As I described in my method article, many of these goals are not things that can ever truly be 'completed.' Furthermore, the list is quite extensive and widely varied, and many of the items on it are plenty challenging on their own. I have limits to my time, the same as anyone else, so I fully expect to still be chasing some of these items--or the 'stretch goals' that extend them--to my last breath.
Given those limitations, though, I obviously need to prioritize my pursuits, and in selecting them, I will weigh each according to my interest, their viability in my current circumstances, any prerequisites they may have, cross-applicability to other pursuits, their innate urgency and how they can be made to fit in my schedule. With that being said, let's have a look at the list, shall we?
Well, my friends, that is the first goal I'll track to completion through this journal: detailing the process by which I take these unwieldy, ill-defined goals, suss out their meaning and determine what sort of paths I'll take to them. Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, I'll be chipping away at that challenge, and by Sunday's end, I intend to have a meaningful and comprehensive list that shall become the main reference point of this journal.
Still learning,
~L
Now, let's make something clear right up front, here. This is intended to be a lifetime list. As I described in my method article, many of these goals are not things that can ever truly be 'completed.' Furthermore, the list is quite extensive and widely varied, and many of the items on it are plenty challenging on their own. I have limits to my time, the same as anyone else, so I fully expect to still be chasing some of these items--or the 'stretch goals' that extend them--to my last breath.
Given those limitations, though, I obviously need to prioritize my pursuits, and in selecting them, I will weigh each according to my interest, their viability in my current circumstances, any prerequisites they may have, cross-applicability to other pursuits, their innate urgency and how they can be made to fit in my schedule. With that being said, let's have a look at the list, shall we?
Oh. That's . . . quite a lot. You may notice that this list is not only massive, but that it is inconsistent in its organization and not particularly informative. Or informative at all. Looking over many of these items, one cannot help but ask the blindingly obvious question: what do any of these mean?
General
Livable income off creative endeavors alone
Learn to play Go
Read 1 book per week/Re-read classical literature/philosophy/theology
Travel the world
Improve typing speed/learn keyboard shortcuts
Memorize metric system conversions
Improve cooking skills
Cut all artificial ingredients from diet/120g protein per day
Learn about, create and operate an aquaponic farming system
Develop a video game
Total adherence to daily schedule
Writing
5,000 words/day
1 poem/day
1,000 words fanfiction/day
Music
Composition/Production/Sound Design
Singing
Guitar/Bass/Violin/Banjo/Mandolin/Upright Bass/Viola/Cello/Ukulele/Oud/Harp/Dulcimer/Shamisen/Huqin/Sitar
Nyckelharpa/Koto
Piano/Mbira/Harpsichord/Celesta/Organ
Drum Kit/Bongo/Djembe/Taiko/Castanets/Wood Block/Conga/Doumbek/Darbuka/Timpani/Tabla/Tambourine/Maracas
Chimes/Bells/Wine Glasses/Tubular Bells/Tibetan Singing Bowl
Marimba/Xylophone/Steel Drum/Hang/Handpan/Glockenspiel/Lithophone
Harmonica/Flute/Bagpipes/Accordion/Clarinet/Oboe/Bansuri/Danso/Dizi/Ocarina/Shakuhachi/Piccolo/Pan Flute/Shinobue
Trumpet/Saxophone/Trombone/Tuba/French Horn
Coding
HTML/CSS/Javascript/D3/Web Design
Python/Ruby/Java/Scala/Processing/C/C#/C++/Haskell/PERL/Clojure/Rust/Go/D
R/SQL/Bash
Fitness
82 kg, 9% body fat
Pistol Squats, Handstand Pushups, Planche Ups, One Armed Pushups, Front Lever Pullups, Claw Pushups, Muscle Ups
1 Minute of Double-Unders on Jump Rope
Grip Strength
Ring Training
1 meter Vertical Jump, 2.4 meter Standing Long Jump
15 minute 1 kilometer swim
Improved Flexibility, Splits
15 second 100 meter dash
Self-Education
Mathematics
Physics/Chemistry/Biology/Material Science
Mechanical Engineering/Electrical Engineering/Computer Science
Architecture/Construction
Linguistics
Visual Arts
Graphic Design/Data Visualization
Drawing/Painting
Pixel Art/3D Modeling
Cartography
Photography/Cinematography/Video Editing
Material Arts
Industrial Design
Sculpture
Tailoring
Costume Design
Interior Design
Performing Arts
Acting/Voice Acting
Swing/Blues Dance/Tango/Waltz/Salsa/Hip Hop Dance/Modern Dance
Stand Up Comedy
Languages
Danish, Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian, Swedish, Old English
Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Lithuanian, Romanian
Bulgarian, Hungarian, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, Kazakh, Greek
Albanian, Slovene, Macedonian, Slovak, Polish, Czech
Armenian, Georgian, Latin, Dutch, German, Afrikaans
French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Hebrew
Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, Arabic, Amharic, Berber
Yoruba, Swahili, Zulu, Farsi, Punjabi, Hindi-Urdu
Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Nepali, Mongolian
Korean, Mandarin, Tibetan, Burmese, Vietnamese, Lao
Khmer, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog, Japanese
Martial Arts
Muay Thai
BJJ
T'ai Chi
Wing Chun
Boxing
Wrestling
Pencak Silat
Kali/Escrima
Shaolin Kung Fu
Capoeira
Krav Maga
Aikido
Shotokan
1 Amateur Fight
Well, my friends, that is the first goal I'll track to completion through this journal: detailing the process by which I take these unwieldy, ill-defined goals, suss out their meaning and determine what sort of paths I'll take to them. Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, I'll be chipping away at that challenge, and by Sunday's end, I intend to have a meaningful and comprehensive list that shall become the main reference point of this journal.
Still learning,
~L
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