A couple of thoughts, as I start today… Is it day 9? I don’t know anymore.
During the first days of this quarantine I had a lot of plans.
But see, that’s the thing. I’m good at knowing what I want, but the problem is, and it’s always been, these thoughts remain as thoughts.
I need to get rid of the mindset that says that I need to be in the proper mood, or I need to be in the best environment before I even start. I need to change the way I think about the conditions to be met before setting out to do something. I need to re-assess how my body and my entire being seeks comfort.
Because that’s what this is. If there’s anything I’m learning about this quarantine, it’s that I need to un-learn my current parameters for efficiency, especially where comfort is concerned.
If there’s another thing I’m learning about this quarantine and the people I’ve been speaking to throughout all this time, it’s that I need to seriously get straight to the point, and to stop beating around the bush. I ought to respect my time and the time of the people I speak to by being direct. Not brutal, but direct.
For example, I could talk a whole deal about how I need to change my mindset regarding work and comfort, or I could respect your time, dear Reader, by just saying that if I want to write, then I write.
Let me go ahead and take down what I had on my notebook.
If I wanted to write a post for my site, then I write.
If I wanted to start on that book I said I’ve always wanted to write, then I write.
If I wanted to watch and finish that online course on Data Science, or Machine Learning, then I sit down and watch.
If I wanted to read and reflect on the Best of Spurgeon, then I sit down and read.
**Take note, I’m not writing EVERYTHING down.
I’ve also written down that I would be working out today. Now, it seems easier for me to just strip and change into my workout clothes right here, right now, and start with my stretching and cardio. Why is this easier for me, compared to the other stuff I had on there? I’ve read somewhere that I should be working on the most difficult tasks first. This isn’t wrong, but I need to redefine ‘most difficult’ to the tasks that I resist or delay on the most.
And speaking of resistance, these quarantine days have allowed me to see the thoughts that hound me and leave me procrastinating. They’re in the line of, ‘Is that really the best use of your time right now?’, ‘What else can you do doing while this is being done?’, ‘You should sit on it for now, and really think if this is effective.’
The only right way to address these thoughts is to start. It sounds obvious: problems are addressed as solutions are executed. It’s time to stop thinking of porn the wrong things, and to start executing plans.
The point here, as always, is to just do it. The folks at Nike were pretty right about this.
And JB, just do it. You’ll know when to rest. Just start.
There are many more days left in this quarantine. We’ll definitely get a lot out of this, but it starts with us re-thinking current mind models that aren’t working for us. For me, it starts with ACTUALLY starting, yes, but I also need to turn my entire being towards finding the pleasure and joy of getting things done, away from just being comfortable in a given moment.
One of the plans I’ve been wanting to formulate and execute more is to grow food here at home.
People have been flocking in the groceries, and there are subtle signs that the demand is at par, if not surpassing the supply.
On a related note, you see what the people like/prioritize by what’s flying off of the shelves here. In our local grocery I see that people have been buying a lot of sugar and canned goods lately… But not ALL of the canned goods have flown off the shelf. Those high-end canned beans don’t seem to have had the same attention as the rest of the food in the aisle.
It’s a no-brainer. With limited transportation and the rush to the groceries and pharmacies, I think we would do our part in beating the curve by staying home, and producing our own food and medicine. That’s something to read on: Sustainable, nutrient rich, satisfying food, and plant remedies to relieve the body while it heals itself. Off the bat, I’m thinking about Camote (Sweet Potato), Tomatoes, and any and all herbs we could grow, in the limited space we have.
There’s a lot on Youtube regarding urban gardening. We’re starting off here, but I’m thinking we’d all be doing ourselves a favor if we don’t put all our cash into the groceries.
Let’s think long-term. Let’s think about sustainability. For our minds, for our sanity, and for supplies.
Let’s exercise our minds and bodies right, and let’s re-think how we sustain ourselves as the days could turn into weeks.
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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