1. Q: In the pilot 5Q5A entry, you mentioned focusing on simplifying things by imposing tighter limits on your writing activity. Can you explain how you’re [going to be] doing this?
A: I consciously give myself a timeframe to work within, and an environment where I’m least distracted. I don’t use anything as obviously formal and annoying as an alarm; I do use something of a more passive and enjoyable as a time indicator, like a preset music playlist from iTunes. Music is the only distraction I’ll allow. It keeps me alert and provides me with a pace and flow to work with. I usually play techno, trance, or some soothing instrumental classical tunes (because it’s rhythmic, and there’s no extra singing in it to distract me). When the playlist stops playing, I stop writing. My ability to write, programme, and do calculations is inversely proportional to the number of other people hanging around me when I’m doing such things. It’s a type of performance anxiety I suppose. I need a high degree of solitude for brain work. Working at these things in a public place, classroom, or an open cubicle environment drives me absolutely insane, so another limit would be the number of people around me when I’m trying to concentrate. Whatever system I use, it seems I just get more done alone than I do working with others. Resisting the temptation in trying to do everything in one fell swoop is another thing to work on. I see that using baby steps and kaizen is probably the better way to go. I applaud the feat of one grad student mentioned in Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4 Hour Body, who was partying every night while in school; yet managed to complete his entire Ph.D. dissertation by limiting himself to writing one sentence each day through the duration of his academic year. I think that’s totally amazing.
2. Q: The end of the year is coming soon, and you usually plan a major project ahead of yourself for the coming New Year. Have you decided what you’re going to be doing yet?
A: I know that late November/early December is the time when I usually start itching and dreaming to plan some action on getting some changes happening once January 1st rolls around. This year, however, I seem to have been lost in a bit of a fog, thus I’m resorting to exercises like this one to promote some sort of clarity of vision. If I ever get a decent stretch of time off work before this year’s end, I’ll probably be using it to do the annual “office purge”. I rummage through my filing cabinet and hard drive(s) to empty spaces, so then there might be the inclination to see how I want those spaces refilled. I know my organization system will be changing majorly and radically. I’ll be using my scanner more to digitize, and render stuff to OCR compatible material as much as I can; ditching as much superfluous paper as possible. Once more stuff is digital, I hope I can take giant strides ahead with cutting, pasting, re-processing, and keeping what is essential, and having things kept to a minimum. That’s one priority I know I want to take care of, and perhaps a sphere of ideas will expand from there with the new modality of reclaimed space and digital efficiency.
3. Q: Between now and then is Christmas. Any thoughts as to what you’d want to get as a gift for yourself?
A: Realistically, it would be $200.00 or less. Initially I thought of getting a PVR, to record my favoured TV shows from my digital cable service. But, then I thought about how there’s less and less programming that’s interesting to me nowadays, and I already have a whole piss whack of shows recorded via Windows Media Centre stored on a hard drive somewhere that I haven’t even seen yet. There’s no time for it. The kid in me thought about a getting a Wii console. It’s a cheaper system that would allow me to at least be “active” with exercise programmes, but I’m even second guessing about this, as this system will probably be obsolete soon. Plus, logically, if I have no time for TV, where will the time come from for video games? I’ll figure out what I’ll get when I finish shopping for my loved ones, and then I’ll see what’s left moneywise and available inventory-wise after Christmas as the Boxing Day Sale madness escalates.
4. Q: Television and video games are stuff of the realm of introversion. What else could you get to force yourself to circulate and be more social?
A: A pass to the civic facilities, or a gym membership time is doable. It’s most practical and falls within my commitment to stay fit. But then again, so far I’ve found that the clientele that go the Field House during the hours I have time off are mostly just a bunch of near-dementia-addled old retirees, with whom I have nothing in common. Anyone else close to my age seems to be at work on a normal schedule. The arrogance and stuck up attitude I see from the younger people (especially from the ladies, surprisingly) dedicated to going to the gym is a real let down for me. It’s rare that people want to interact with me and vice versa. I hate wasting time and money at loud bars by myself, yelling at people to greet and chat with them (forced to make private conversation loud and public). I’ve checked out the local Leisure Guide numerous times in the past. There are lots of interesting classes, but again, they happen at times that aren’t available for me. I’m stuck at square one with this question.
5. Q: Last Question . . . What you’ve planned (minimally) so far looks like it could satisfy the practical side of yourself, but what about the creative side of yourself, as hinted at in Q5 of the previous Q5A5 entry?
A: Ah-ha . . . my first really challenging question I’ve encountered out of all of this. I’m glad it’s the last one. It looks like it’s time to hit the drawing board. Besides, my playlist has just finished now.
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