Things that didn't work out
Ergonomic office setup. There no real ways to make sitting or standing at a desk 7+ hours a days, no matters how many breaks.
Going to the bottom of things. Being honest and thorough is not a viable approach for 95% of things that requires my input.
MVP and minimal-effective-dose frameworks. The best way to feel like I did not try very hard, desatisfaction guaranteed.
AirPods. I'm not trimming my ear hair for this.
Fitness trackers and apps. They all tap into my OCD. More harm than good. I fit int he "worried well" category.
Over communication. Really toxic at every scale. Household and work. Filtering is respect. Not every thought should be verbalized.
Making sense of work. Rationality is not a panacea. Understanding often goes against coping.
Replying. Any answer, positive or negative is a kind of engagement, it cost something. I'm okay with ignoring now, it's more disrespectful to myself than whoever I ignore.
Inbox zero. Trying is futile.
The standard american hydration prototocol (SAHP). Walking around with a bottle is water is just the best way to be looking for bathrooms and pass water. I drink when I feel like it. My kidneys will thank me.
Reading before bed. I may revisiting when I retire but for now I just can't.
Browsing sales. Buying something because it’s on sale is the worst reason. Either you need it or you don’t. Sales are a special kind of hell I’m not mentally equipped to navigate.
Gyms
Journaling. Fun for a month but faded. I'm not that kind of person. No interest in re-reading and very little therapeutic relief. Thinking back to my few streak I feel silly about having spent that time on my phone writing down trivial details as the days where unfolding. Not the kind of awareness I'm seeking
Grammarly
Insoles: I didn’t notice anything aside of mild extra discomfort
Driving: I don’t like it as an object or driving it. I only enabled us as a family to get by in America
Trying different kind of footwear. It looks like I reached a point in life where the cost of trying new things is significantly greater than the potential of finding better than current favorites.
Side projects. It’s either a project or not, there’s no side thing. Side projects create the ambiguity that lead to creative agony.
Audio content. If I don’t read, I don’t retain. In all honesty, if I’m only willing to listen to it, it will be at 2x speed because I don’t really care.
Spotify. It's just too much. I never finish a song. Music as a commodity diluted its essence. It’s just endless pleasing noise at this point.
iPhone 13 mini. I thought it would be a good one hand experience but it’s not great for anything that requires typing more than 3 words. Bummed.
Sabbath. I just can’t unplug fully, the struggle for making it happen nulls the potential when it does happen. Perhaps it is a moment in life things, it’s not my time yet. Juggling baby and work creates urgency to use white space time aggressively.
All time management software and content.
Stoicism adapted to modern struggles led me to some ridiculous thought patterns. Mainly by tapping in my deeply anchored work ethic and sense of virtue. I don't recommend to anyone who needs to "chill". Look at how all these guys ended, not where I want to be. Nevertheless a lovely philosophical detour.
Gravel bikes. The do-it-all bike doesn't exist.
Climate control. The mild comfort isn't worth the noise, energy and stuffiness.
Strollers. There is many ways to carry babies, strollers are the worse.
Shaving regularly
Mushroom coffee
Documenting the process. 90% overkill, nobody read. If you do it, do it for yourself. Nobody read. And those who do will not get it.
Analytics. The more data, the more confusion.
Organizing notes. Choas seems invevitable and productive. Only scale can and should be controlled
Strava
Group rides. Perhaps I'm too socially anxious or not interested in talking gear. I just want to be out.
Remote work: fully async works. in-person works. Remote is the mix that gets the worst of both world. High fidelity noise, maximum ambiguity, anxiety inducing.
Video games. Sold my "gaming" computer in 2017 and never looked back.
Talking about feelings. Verbalizing a feeling is giving it more definition and reality, the opposite of the initial intent. More meditation, less talking.
Talking about health. Partial knowledge, opinion and personal sensitivity are too hard to navigate to make it worth it. And nobody knows, everyone should chill, myself included.
Travel plans than involves more than a destination. Way too complicated, too hard to relax.
** All this stuff didn't work out for me, but maybe it did for you. This is intentionally focused on the negative, lots has worked out, that'll be for another post, somedays. I will try some of these again, and also new things. Small steps forward, some steps backwards, it all goes somewhere.
← Index Published on 2024-04-08