Saturday, much to the surprise of family, I did not use my laptop for 24 hrs.
In fact, I didn’t use laptop, computer, cell phone, etc.
Personally, I felt I’d been spending too much time locked and loaded in.
Granted, Saturday was an easy day to try this because a good part of the day involved OLO.
Unfortunately, OLO gave way to me getting hit by the cosmic junk currently going around this week. (Less than fun).. To the point of missing princekermit‘s debut as a Deacon in the Mass. (Of which I reallllly wanted to attend)
Today, I’m recovering as best I can. I’m popping cough drops and corporate-pill-box multi-symptom cold tablets.
I am experiementing with another self-discipline test. I have managed to not put on my glasses today.
I have 20-35 vision. Which makes me highly functional, albeit blurred slightly at range. I can’t clearly read my name plate on the door about 15 feet away. However, I can read the spines of the reference books about 2-3 feet away with practically no blurring.
So, why am I doing this.
I have been noticing that I’ve been acting more impulsively of late. I don’t mind being in a schedule or having a rigid daily practice. However, I do mind when I do things automatically without thinking. A good example of this is loosing my glasses when in fact they are in the pocket of my shirt. Another example is forgetting where I’ve put a half drunk can of soda.
I want to have better control of the things I do. Why I do them. When I should and shouldn’t be doing things. And most importantly, keeping track of the things I do. (Yay to ADHD absent mindedness)
So… We’ll see how this little experiment goes.
Translation: Do I ever post on the topic again or is this just the “Distraction du jour”
hrmn
(Opens brain case and pokes at his own brain)
“No, no. Don’t tug on that. You never know what it’s attached to” – Buckaroo Banzai to Sydney “New Jersey” Zweibel while doing Brain Surgery.
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You were missed, but hopefully the downtime was helpful. Hope you feel better soon.
Thanks muchly…
…pounding OJ today. And trying to keep stress levels low.
*smooch*
Missed you, love.
Hope to hear more ’bout this (the brain salad surgery bit) ‘gain.
Hope you feel/get better soon, too.
You were missed, but I believe consensus will say that it was better for you to be home recouping than out and about, prolonging.
Mass went well, as I am sure you’ve heard. They may even invite me back for more. (I believe it was your wife who looked me square in the eye and said, “You WILL deacon for us, sometime in the future.” Who am I to argue?
Cheers and get-well-wishings
What part do we tug on to get “Throw the Harpoon”?
Yes, it is technically possible to strengthen your eyesight by exercising your eyeballs…but you’ll give yourself a splitting headache from it. It sounds, however, as if you are deliberately not using your glasses to prove to yourself that you can…and that using them is therefore a deliberate choice as well (as in, “I choose not to have a splitting headache because I’m walking around half-blind.”)
I know quite well what it is to do something because of instinct; I have done so far too much in this life, and so I sympathize with your wanting to do even the smallest thing by conscious choice. It has been easier to manage the larger things in life deliberately (“I choose to recognize my worth.” or “I choose to stop drinking so damned much.”) than the smallest (“I choose to stop biting my fingernails.”)
…and I still think Liber Jug-O-Rum crosses the line from “doing something consciously because it’s good for you” to “doing something consciously just to prove to yourself you can, no matter how stupid it may be.”
Liber Jug-O-Rum? Followed by Liber Kill-Me-Now-Hangover?
You realize we’re gonna hafta write that one now.
Not until you finish the Eleanor Rigby filk. 🙂
I would have to go on past experience for the deadly hangover piece. I just can’t drink like that any more!
Jugoram
I am really not a fan of this exercise. It is at most an example in negative feedback.
Which apart from Dr. Venkman’s ESP test has always struck me as utter bunk.
Interestingly, most people I see use Jugoram use a rubber band. Which I suppose is better than self mutilation.
But to me, since the purpose of the exercise is to understand habitual behaviour vs. Instinctual behaviour vs. intended behaviour… the negative feedback doesn’t work as it defeats the observatory/intellectualizing side of things.
In this case.. I am more of a Watcher than an immortal.
(Goes off humming Queen)
Re: Jugoram
There is no rubber band, only Zool. =)
Re: Jugoram
But to me, since the purpose of the exercise is to understand habitual behaviour vs. Instinctual behaviour vs. intended behaviour… the negative feedback doesn’t work as it defeats the observatory/intellectualizing side of things. Agreed; The use of negative feedback as a motivator changes the exercise from conscious choice to instinctual pain-avoidance, no matter the source. Avoiding the psychological pain of regretting unintentional actions should be motivation enough.