Angry Monkey

context

these are notes from a podcast Ronny shared with me after I ranted to him about not knowing what to do with myself on a free Saturday morning. great chat, we had.


journal

  • journal before bed & upon waking up. This is a way of closing open loops, and staying mindful about your days

meditation

  • it’s not about emptying your mind completely for 30 minutes straight, that’s an unreasonable ask
  • the practice is more about learning how to come back to your mantra or surroundings for even as little as 3 - 5 seconds at a time. do that over and over
  • when you notice your mind starting to wander, acknowledge it, gently nudge yourself back to why you’re here

recharge

  • lay in bed, in complete silence if possible
  • close your eyes, make the room dark etc
  • as much sensory deprivation as possible
  • try this for like 10 minutes. magical
  • helpful when you’re switching contexts, eg going from work gears to creative mode

small wins

  • accumulating small wins helps build momentum
  • momentum combats the resistance
  • momentum results in progress
  • small wins is about practicing the executive function muscle
  • a quick example: instead of letting the dishes ‘soak’ after use, clean that shit up when you’re done, lol.
  • you generally feel good and capable of more as you accumulate these small wins

related reading

  • a big part of the narrative in this episode reminded me of The War of Art.

excerpt from a text I sent:

The war of art should be re-titled “Resistance” 😂random thought I had earlier. that’s the core topic of the book, for me at least

If you wait until you’re motivated, you’ve already lost. If you let motivation dictate your actions, inertia conspires to keep you in place.Action creates progress. Progress creates momentum. Momentum creates motivation.