Idea

Remove distractions, then fill with the person I want to be.

Previous parts:

• Month of Mu - Week 1
• Month of Mu - Week 2

Last Week

• Use 50-10 time boxes each day.
• Take breaks away from the computer. Make break activities part of daily planning.

If there was an award for not doing what I planned, I'd win it.

What went well

• Enjoying podcasts
• Good work on a project repair utility. I enjoy making useful utilities.
• A little better on taking breaks.

What didn't

• Really missing the consistency of regular breaks. When I take them, they help.

This Week

The same, until it sticks.

• Use 50-10 time boxes each day.
• Take breaks away from the computer. Make break activities part of daily planning.

Idea

Remove distractions, then fill with the person I want to be.

Previous part:

• Month of Mu - Week 1

Last Week

• Breathing meditation twice each day.
• More breaks to walk outside.
• Read a physical book (the amazing The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood)

I had two really good work days (Tue and Wed), one day bad for work but great for learning (Thu), and one pretty bad day overall (Fri).

What went well

• Meditation almost every day
• Did more reading than previously
• Good morning routine on the good days
• Found myself listening to and enjoying podcasts

What didn't

• Fewer breaks, instead of more
• Early distraction on Thu/Fri led to poor work days
• Zero time practicing martial arts

This Week

• Use 50-10 time boxes each day.
• Take breaks away from the computer. Make break activities part of daily planning.

Idea

Remove distractions, then fill with the person I want to be.

Inspiration

Mu (Chinese: wu) can have many translations when applied to the famous zen Dog Nature koan. David Hinton's No-Gate Gateway suggests "absence" as appropriate to the meaning of the koan.

A monk asked Master Visitation-Land: "A dog too has Buddha-nature, no?"
"Absence," Land replied.

Possibly: "You're asking the wrong question, bud."

Set up

We all have our distractions. I may not ask the right question, but maybe I can remove the wrong ones. For the whole month, I'm eliminating the worst offenders, the flickering demons: the shiny objects to my OCD-ish-ness.

Gone

• I've canceled Netflix. I can always come back to it.
• No Facebook. No Facebook notifications.
• No news, no YouTube. In short, no TV-like media at all.
• No movie soundtracks.

Keep

• I still use Facebook as my messaging/texting app.
• Scan Morning Dew daily for articles, because it's part of my career.

This Week

• Breathing meditation twice each day.
• More breaks to walk outside.
• Read a physical book (the amazing The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood)

Why Am I Doing This, Again?

My wife put it best. I used to be actively creative, and now I passively take in creativity (in the form of movies and TV).

I think this negatively affects my work productivity, my mood, and my marriage.

I'm reclaiming (the best of) my life.