In the digital world, space is unlimited. Writers in the digital space do not have to deal with the constraints of the newspaper or the pages of a book. They can write thousands of words on a page, and have thousands of pages on their sites.

The constraint however, is the attention span of the reader. When the content gets longer than that you've lost.

Routine works. Establishing one does not make life boring or formulaic, but it does set up guide posts where true freedom and excitement can take place.

A routine I recently established was getting up at 6 a.m. This guide post has given my days structure. It has established a time where I can write this.

With the responsibility of fatherhood, I have had to change my focus from myself to my family. And having a family is a sure way to confuse and throw a wrench into any established order or normalcy in life.

However, I established this routine months after my son was born. It opened up the possibilities of being a great dad while still caring for my own needs.

The last several mornings now I woke up two minutes before my alarm was set to go off. Each time I glanced at my phone, and it showed 5:58. It's only been a few weeks since I started, but already the routine is freeing me from the annoying buzz of the alarm.

Before I started working on this I'd be sleeping deeply and when my alarm would sound, I'd hit the snooze button two or three times. The idea, of course was that "10 more minutes and I'll be rested and ready for the day." But snoozing three times adds up to a half hour of frequently interrupted sleep.

On the other hand, getting up and getting going shakes off the sleepiness much faster than laying awake in bed between pressing the snooze button.

Routine has given my day something new--a beginning. Rather than drifting into the day from a haze of sleep and snoozing, establishing a routine has created a clear delineation between night time and day time.

Also, my wife and I have been working to establish a routine for our baby. We're starting to see the first fruits of our efforts. The last several nights now, he's slept soundly from when we laid him in the crib until after I got up.

These routines do not diminish the freedom and spontaneity of a day. It is exactly the opposite, yet still a paradox. Fixed and strictly adhered-to routines create more freedom in a day than an open schedule.

I haven't established strict guidelines for what I'll do when I first get up. I try to read, write, or exercise, but sometimes I surf around on the web, play with the baby if he's awake, or spend some time in prayer.

However, no matter what I decide to spend the time doing, it is something I wouldn't be able to do if I didn't have the routine established to get started.

By setting up a few starting guide posts, I was able to establish much greater freedom in my day. And now I'm searching for similar opportunities in other possible routines.

It's easy to get down on yourself when you're not perfect. Being less than perfect admits a shortcoming, a failure. It's humbling.

A common cliché used to make someone feel better after a failure is to remind them that no one is perfect. However, this condolence provides little or no consolation. That's probably because it doesn't take a perfect person to avoid the particular screw up that's getting you down. It only takes a better person.

It is accepted that perfection is impossible, and it is. That being the case, the proposition also needs to be acceptable. However, it can be so difficult to accept not being perfect, that we sometimes forget perfect's younger sibling: 'better'.

It's okay to not be perfect. However, this cannot be cause for complacency. The premise that nobody is perfect does not justify not trying. 'Better' is a great alternative to perfect because it's situated directly between where you are now and where you'd like to be.

Also, each time you take a step to be better, you're that much closer to perfect, and there's another 'better' in close proximity for you to move towards.

Small steps in the right direction are acceptable. They are not preferable to lasting radical overnight changes, but they're a good start. Besides, for most, they are far more realistic.

Some people are are able to make drastic changes overnight, or even over the course of a year. Here I use the word 'some' to describe a very small minority of very special and talented or very weird and crazy individuals.

For the rest of us, the walk towards perfection will be a long one. It will take a superhuman perseverance. This will mean committing to a daily goal with clear action items to become a better person, to change bad habits, to start good ones, to develop the way you think about things, and to inspire those around you by your actions.

And if perseverance, commitment, desire, endurance, and patience are not traits that you either possess or can develop, then it will be better to look for some quick overnight fixes. Unless you're part of that 'some', they won't work, but even a quick fix is better than no fix.

Consciously or not, I've found myself drawn to a number of lifestyle design blogs over the past few weeks. They're filled with stories about individuals actively pursuing unconventional ways of thinking and living.


Spending time with my baby and being a good husband are the most important things to me. This involves time and support that I must provide.

Also, I work full time in a conventional setting. I'm not as adventurous as I'd like to be and do not have a strong enough desire to be an entrepreneur to strike out on my own. Actually, I still consider myself an entrepreneur, but I only have one client: the company I work with.

Despite all these factors that seem to point to the conventional life, I think I'll still be able to participate in extreme lifestyle design during bit of time I have left over. And that may be what makes this journey and set of experiments unique.

Can I be an unconventional thinker and passionately pursue my ideal day and life while still fulfilling my duty in what is most important in my life: loving my wife and baby?

This is a difficult question to ask. As a husband and father, there are sacrifices I must make to care well for my family. However, I have 'me' time in the cracks, and I don't think that I am, right now, the best possible version of my self. And this is because I am not making full use of the cracks.

So, my goal and mission will be to use that extra time to become the best possible version of myself. I know that writing this, and the fact the my wife reads it, will mean that I'll have at least one person to hold me accountable and to be able to witness my progress.

Photo by Ben Zvan

I have a problem with unfinished business. 

I had some issues with my computer a few weeks ago. It was late but instead of letting it go, calling it a night and saving the trouble shooting until morning, I felt an uncontrollable urge to fix the problem. Nothing could distract me from my desire to fix the problem and make things right again. 

I can see how this trait could be harmful. Stubbornness can easily distract me from what may really be important. 

Could this be good?

When I have a problem, all my energies go into fixing it. This is only true when something was fine but then broke or stopped working. Sadly, this does not seem to be the case for things that are wrong, that have always, or at least for a long time have been wrong. It seems like the urge is more crisis control or a desperation to maintain the status quo.

If only I was able to harness that "I have to fix it now" energy into changing bad habits and developing new behaviors. It really could be a powerful force for good in my life.

Converting bad habits into good ones

How do you take a bad habit and focus those negative energies into something positive? I feel like I try to do this. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the benefits of distractions. Distractions, a bad habit and a weakness, can provide the needed brain break for me to accomplish real work. An uncontrollable fixing urge, could, I suppose, be applied to something that was broken long ago, rather than just the recent break-downs.

But the energy just isn't there for the long cherished faults the way it is for the newly discovered broken parts. I want to learn to deal with both with the same vigor and passion, but one is by nature easier than the other. Why is it that we learn to accept our faults, just because we've had them for a while?

Feeling ready to take control

I do feel ready for radical changes. It's about time for some internal ones to keep up with the break-neck speed that everything else has been subject to. I live in an ordinary time, where many things are familiar to the universal experience, but I think it is time to make a clean break from my own linear motion and take real control over my life, actions, and outcomes.

I am a man, and I have control over my life. Each day I am offered so many choices, so many opportunities to act, and act with the brain. Just writing this probably brings me a step closer. Publishing it here does provide some level of accountability. I wouldn't want anyone to read this and six months down the road see me and realize that I still have not grown up and that I still have not taken control of my actions and choices.

I have a lot of potential, as does everyone my age. There are still years and years worth of things to learn and do. I'm starting now so that I won't miss out on a single chance to find what I'm looking for. It's getting late, but tomorrow will have more for me, so I can wait. 

Besides, the computer problem I mentioned at the beginning is resolved, so I'll be able to sleep easy. The momentary crisis is averted. 

However, I'm still not sure how I can rest so well knowing about my other issues

Right now, I don't think much or write, but I am actively trying to change that. You see, I believe the world's greatest thinkers were skilled writers, and the greatest writers were deep thinkers. It may be a chicken and egg situation, but my plan is to attack both fronts at once to make myself into what I want to be.

Parts of these first few posts are going to come across like pages from a journal, which is not what this site will become. However, I also want my writing to come across naturally, without forcing too much onto the page. And if I'm currently an immature thinker, then that will be what comes out until my mind grows up.

I'll develop a mature voice, I'm sure, as I write more regularly and think more deeply before and during my process. Until then I'll have to put up with the silly kid that thinks he has something to say. My hope, though, is that this site will provide that linear path of a voice maturing. 

 

I'm feeling fat, so I think it's time to go on a diet.

 

Not literally. I feel I've made great progress over the past several months in my eating habits, but with my consumption of food under much greater control, it's becoming time to take the reins and get my information consumption under control.

 

Apparently, we now live in the information age, and each day there is an overwhelming amount to consume. It is becoming clear that I need work on developing a healthy information diet. 

 

I have a tendency to go through cycles where I binge on the Internet, and then try to cut back drastically. It doesn't seems to be the most effective method constantly flip flopping between reading and looking at everything in sight and trying to radically reduce my inbox and RSS feed subscriptions.

 

I'm thinking now I need to find a better and more sustainable balance between the extremes of binging and anorexia.

 

Where this will lead is the big question: What is information for?

 

You don't have to starve yourself

First, this doesn't have to be unpleasant. I'm not prepared to come out and advocate for myself or you a low information diet. This is partly because of how much I enjoy most of what I read and watch, but also because I think a lot of the information I consume does have its place in my day and value for me.

 

However, there is also the fries and burgers of my daily dose that I can probably do without. I have no plans to ever give up burger and fries completely, but they work well for the point I'm illustrating. Some foods are not as good for you as others. 

 

Finding the good ones that agree with you and denying yourself the pleasures of the others is difficult but possible. To be healthy, it is not necessary to outlaw the good tasting foods that are bad for you. It is over the top to only select fat free, low carb, low sodium, high fiber fare for each meal, but developing a healthy balance is just the ticket. 

 

 

There's no right amount

 

There really is no clean cut answer as to how much information is the right amount of information. Again, this is very similar to any diet of food. The correct amount of information to consume depends entirely on the situation and the individuals' desired outcomes. 

 

Michael Phelps has to consume thousands of calories per day while in training to be able to perform as he does. Models, such as Filippa Hamilton, don't have the same luxury. They are after something else entirely.  

 

I'm sure the editors at Lifehacker have to have a very different level of information consumption to produce their massive site of useful information than that Leo Babauta needs to write his insightful posts for Mnmlist. 

 

The input for both of these examples is, I'm sure, in direct proportion to the desired output. One is not superior to the other. They are just different and are tailored to meet the specific needs. 

 

  

Balance is the key

 

The most important thing to find in developing a healthy information diet is the right balance. 

 

Information consumption is no different than eating in this respect. Everything that goes in must come in and be digested. Then, it will either be used or discarded. 

 

The correct balance is entirely dependent upon what you want to do with the information. If you're a writer, you'll want to consume everything you can about your subject so that you can write on it competently. If you're an athlete, you'll want to know about your sport so you can find your edge. 

 

Consuming too much information without proper digestion will lead to indigestion or waste. Neither is good. 

 

 

Three stages of an information diet:

 

1. Input: This is everything you read, see, watch, or listen to. This can be controlled by deciding what books you read, what shows you watch, which RSS feeds you subscribe to, and the music you listen to. This is also the part we only have partial control of. There are thousands of voices fighting for our attention each day. It is impossible to tune in to them all. It is also impossible to tune them all out. But it is possible to filter and highlight the things you want while blocking what you don't.

 

2. Reflection: This is the step where you digest everything that comes in. This can include a song getting stuck in you head, a topic that inspired another idea or project or the simple enjoyment of remembering what you watched or read. It doesn't have to be anything too deep. This stage of reflection is just the internalizing of what came in your mind.

 

3. Output: This is the final component of a balanced information diet. Everything that goes in will come out one way or the other. There is three possibilities in this stage. It can either come out in a productive and enriching way, go to your thighs, or it can simply be forgotten and wasted. Athletes use the food they eat to drive their performance. Couch potatoes don't, and the end results are visible. Some information can also just be forgotten and lost forever. Hopefully it was enjoyable the first time around, other it was kind of pointless.

 

 

You are what you eat

 

Since everything that comes in will eventually come out, it is important to remember that you are what you eat. The information that you consume becomes a part of you. This can make you better or it can make you worse, depending on what you let in and how you use it. 

 

You can have a significant impact on your outcomes by wisely discerning and using what you consume. To do this you need to: 

1. Know what you are trying to achieve.
2. Decide what you need to know to achieve it, and ignore the rest.
3. Learn to determine how to best use the information you receive.
4. Adequately reflect on the information before acting on it.
5. Act on what you learn.

 

Have fun

 

A healthy information diet does not have to be austere and boring. Some of what we eat can still be just for fun: a bowl of ice cream, a scoop of cookie dough. It's the same thing with an information diet. It can be for it's own sake, but too much will make you fat.  

 

My struggle is the beginning, middle, and end. I have a hard time coming up with what I'm going to write about. Once I've figured that part out, I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words. And after I have something down on paper, I have a difficult time accepting that what I have written is of any value.

However, this is my only obstacle to becoming a writer. It doesn't take as much time as I once thought because, it seems, no one is out there trying to write the next Moby Dick. It no longer takes 1,000 pages to tell a story or to make a philosophical point about the human condition. I don't know that it ever did, but the way most readers consume information now has changed, and writing has had to change to keep up.

I'm thankful. I have a difficult enough time settling on a topic for a 1,000 word post that will take me less than an hour to complete. I don't know how I would ever be able to commit to a project whose end goal would be a five-pound tome.

This, however, does not provide an excuse for a decline in quality, even though I would be hard pressed to find someone who could argue convincingly that the quality of writing and thought in one of the new releases at Barns and Nobel or one of the books on Amazon's top 100 could even begin to rival one of the classics in its command of the English language.


It would seem that if the scope of the work I am trying to accomplish is so much narrower, and so much shorter, that I'd be able to make up some of the ground in quality. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

How does a writer of a classic think during their writing process? How do they go about developing their story or crafting their sentences? It can't be that much different than today. However, I suppose, garbage in garbage out. I'm sure the classic writers and thinkers had a much healthier diet of reading and information than I have today.

This is an external factor that I feel like I can do something about. There are a lot of messages thrown at me every day. Many marketers are fighting for my attention, and I've subscribed myself to many things that I find interesting and enjoyable, but, if this information diet is turning my stomach, polluting my mind, and hindering my writing, it may be time for some changes.

It isn't realistic, practical, or helpful to pull the plug entirely. There is still the needed flow of input needed for processing, digestion, and good quality out put, but if so much time is taken at the top of the funnel, the second two stages suffer. 

What I need to develop is a more steady flow of information in, time to process and reflect, and written output at the other end. I need to turn this funnel into a cylinder with a fat middle. I actually believe that the middle, right now, is the narrowest part of the process.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I am preparing for a 5k race. I use the word preparing loosely. I have only run three times in the past several weeks. However, I have been gradually ramping up my time and intensity with each successive attempt. On my first outing, I ran 15 minutes, on the second 18, and last night I went a full 20.

The race is on October 8th so I think I'll still be able to fit in a few more runs and work my way up to 30 minutes. I think I should be able to finish the race in that amount of time, even at the slower pace at which I train. Hopefully, with the adrenalin the competition stirs up, my ego (which will do anything to beat out my slower co-workers), and the training I've completed, I'll be able to make a good showing at the race.

I don't consider myself a runner. Since college, I haven't chosen running as a preferred method of exercise. In high school and college I ran regularly, not for it's own sake, but either as conditioning for a sport or in the context of a game. Actually, since the beginning of this year, exercise has not been a high priority, but to a small extent, I'm trying to change that to get in shape and maintain my good health.

Using the Internet as resource number one, I've been able to find an overwhelming resource of ways to get started and develop. However, this really isn't something that I need more information on or to be educated in. Probably all the searching was really just an attempt at avoiding the real work.

Running is just something I need to do: set aside 30 minutes to workout, and then enjoy or endure the pain or the high, and, every time, the sweat. It's really about finding out what works and doing it. Hopefully there is more pain than high, or I may become addicted.
 

I made it to work by 6:32 a.m. Not to the office, but to the laptop to begin writing. I've been trying for a few weeks now to wake up earlier in the mornings to no avail. It seems like every week night, I'm able to set my alarm for 6 a.m. with no problem, but when it comes to morning I'll hit the snooze button repeatedly until 7 a.m., which is last call for getting up and getting ready for work.

This may not seem like any great accomplishment, but for, me, a new dad, whose decided to become a writer, it is a real milestone because it creates for me a new 30 minute block of time in the day. I've been developing more goals for myself in the last several weeks, more things I want to do and accomplish on a daily basis. However, to even start working on those goals, I needed to create some more time in the day, so this was a major step forward.

If I can carve out this time consistently, it won't all be dedicated to writing. I also have a 5k run coming up, and I want to make sure I finish. Therefore, part of this newly created time will have to go towards running to get in shape and to make sure I don't come in last. It's a corporate race, where many of my co-workers will also be participating, so I have to be sure not to embarrass myself. That should, actually, provide great motivation to get in shape, but I hadn't thought of it in those terms before now.

I have not reached my final target yet, but it feels great to even accomplish part of a goal. The final step for me and mornings, or at least the current plan, is to consistently get up at 6 a.m., and get to writing or working out immediately. I may be a ways away from that still, but this morning was a good first step.

For me, getting up early is still a work in progress, but I'm looking for ways to develop this habit of getting up early. Here are a few ideas:


1. Get a reason

Waking up early for its own sake is a losing proposition. I need a reason to make it happen. I already had some new goals set for myself that I didn't feel like I was adequately addressing, so now I've applied these goals to me my action items in this the newly created time. For a long time getting up at 6 a.m. was a goal in and of itself.

I think now, with some clear activities that I want to engage in during that time, it will be much more realistic and manageable. These goals and plans for the mornings are best if it's something you really want to do that you feel like you don't have the time to do otherwise. For me that's writing and working out, but it could be anything. Whatever the case may be, getting out of bed in the morning is easiest when there's a reason.


2. Banish the snooze button

This, for me, is still the biggest stumbling block. I need an alarm clock to get up in the mornings (and I don't anticipate that changing), but one of its simplest functions seems to consistently be my undoing. The damn snooze button is so easy to use: just press it and enjoy 10 more minutes of uninterrupted sleep. I haven't found a way (but I'm sure there is one) to disable that function, but this is not a technical issue.

The 10-more-minutes mentality is what really gets in the way. During that 10-minute snooze, where I promise myself that I'll get out of bed when it rings the next time, leaves me with too large a gap to start rationalizing all the reasons why it will be better to re-set the alarm to later in the day and sleep until deadline. I'll be far better off if I don't give myself the opportunity to talk myself out of getting up. The best solution here is to get up when it beeps the first time, turn the alarm off and leave the bed room. I have a long way to go in learning the self-discipline to stat doing this, but that is another issue entirely.


3. Make gradual changes

I wanted to start getting up an hour earlier, but that could have been too big of a jump. I may be better off setting my alarm for 6:30 a.m. for a few weeks to get used to this new time, to develop my reasons to get up and to wean myself from the snooze button. Once I've gotten the hang of 6:30 a.m., I'll move the clock back again in gradual increments until I reach my goal.

Who knows, with baby steps I may be able to move it back even earlier. Of course if I get really good and start getting up a 5 a.m., I'll probably have to write and run every morning. I don't think I'm ready for that.

Technology brings many gifts to life. But it also bring many new burdens. The next step forward will be learning how to best integrate the modern marvels of technology, but to not let it get in the way. My question is how to let technology work in the background, to be able to benefit from it fully, appreciate it, but not have to think about it or let it get in the way.

One step is to figure out exactly how much technology is needed to complete a particular task. It is easy to upgrade to the latest version of a super sophisticated word processor, only to get so caught up in the new and improved features that you forget what the program was intended for in the first place.

I've reverted back to using notepad, a computer program that was probably less complicated to make than a pen and a pad of paper. (No offence to the programmer, but I'm sure making a pen and a pad of paper from scratch would be quite the accomplishment.) I've found just in this first post that I am much more focused on the words and ideas that I am writing, because I am no longer thinking about the other functions and formatting I'm sure I'd be exploring in any other situation.

A blog is a technical wonder in itself. But ideally, it can function as an effective medium to showcase the written word. This blog is rather advanced, I think. I probably bit off more than I can chew with the template, and the HTML I had to learn to work with it. However, now that it's set up, I can forget about it and let it work itself. I know the few simple functions to make it look presentable and keep it up to date. This lets me now turn my attention to the content, where it should be.

I'm trying out a new tool for writing. Rather than using a complicated program like Word or Open Office, I'm now just using Windows Notepad. There are almost no functions or options, just a full white window with a blinking cursor.

But the software is only half the story. I'm also using an old Gateway laptop that I bough off a college buddy for $20. There's no Internet connection or media player. Later, I plan to wipe the hard drive as well to get rid of any possible distractions. I want to have a tool that is entirely dedicated to writing.

I spent a lot of time over the weekend working on the look and feel of this blog, but now the focus has shifted. The most important item on the agenda now is filling the pages with compelling content that is worth reading. I could have the most beautifully designed blog of all time, but without that, I will not be able to attract or grow an audience.

It is likely that the first several posts on this blog will seem somewhat disconnected. This is part of my process of finding my voice. I am confident that after working for awhile that I will find that flow and rhythm that all good writers have. That, I don't believe, are what my problem will be. Rather, as always, my problem will be thinking of what to write about, and having the confidence that my choice of subject is worthy of being read.

It turns out that my attempts to find a simpler method of writing is not without its drawbacks. In what was meant to be a distraction free environment, I've managed to spend more time figuring out how to get this dinosaur to recognize my jump drive and to recognize my plug in key board. The space key on the laptop is unreliable, and I'm not in the mood to back space over every few words.

However, I'm determined. I'm passionate. And nothing can stop me now that I've begun. The life of a writer is a difficult one, especially for a young father with a full time job that I'm dedicated to and a little family that I love, more than anything, to spend time with.

Finally, I figured out now how to both run my jump drive and my keyboard on this paleontological computer. I brought my brush and have scraped away the dirt, and now I am ready to go.

I have it set up now where I can comfortable type with my feet up, keyboard in hand, with my computer sitting comfortably at my side on the near by coffee table. This is a very comfortable way for me to write and to map out my ideas. I don't know if it will bring me closer to being a writer or not.

But it seems like many writers have very peculiar habits, and need to have things just so to work. Maybe me too. Maybe I've found what I need to work effectively. I cleaned out much of the clutter, and I've tried to make it so my focus can be on creating something new without the constant distraction of things that are old at my fingertips.

This is quite possibly the most useful productivity blog of all time. Check it out below:


http://productiveblog.tumblr.com/

Distractions are the undoing of any effective time management scheme, right? They are bad and should be avoided at all costs. They should be stomped out. I am about to unwind this conventional wisdom that I've displayed in a straw-man argument.

Distractions do not need to be bad. They don't even need to be kept under close scrutiny. Distractions can be the source of inspiration and creativity.

I don't feel any need to point out the fact that I am easily distracted. I easily stumble out of what I should be doing into unneeded activity that does not move me any closer towards checking off any of the items on my to-do list.

That's not the reason I'm looking for an alternative. I didn't just decide that maybe distractions are good since I've failed to successfully avoid them.

However, I think I have discovered that each distraction is really just an attempt to avoid work. Now, this work can be my day job or any other task I set myself to accomplish. But why? Why such an effort to avoid what I actually want to be doing?

The reason I get distracted is because my brain needs a break. This avoidance provides a valuable reset function in my mind. Without distractions, I feel I would tire of my tasks much more quickly than if I indulge myself on occasion.

I don't want to learn to avoid distractions, though. I feel and un-distracted life would be one without surprises. How many great ideas, inspirations, and moments of joy have been part of a distraction. Too much focus is a bad thing to have if it prevents the enjoyment of spontaneity.

By allowing my mind to wonder freely, I'm able to live in the moment, and experience life as it reveals itself.

Do I get less done? Sometimes. Okay, yes. But the method is acceptable.