Notes
Fill your mind
- Consume in a non-distracted environment
- Listen while on a walk or read outdoors
Empty your mind
- Mindfulness
- Gym experience
- Nature
- Meditation
- Brain dump journalling
Use your mind
- Have a routine to expend less mental energy
- Start with a mini walk to practice setting intention
Highlights
I pick up gold nuggets here and there from what I am consuming, but the real magic happens when I hear the right word that triggers a waterfall of insight. I’m not sure what the phenomenon is, but sometimes you just need that one word, letter, sound, example, anecdote, or story to bring up a thought that leads you down ==a rabbit hole of questioning and exploration==.
Listening On A Walk
II.I. Fill Your Mind
Reading In The Sun
you become less prone to familiar distractions that will impact your study just by being in that environment
Reading — as opposed to listening — allows me focus my attention and study deeper. I can highlight ideas that I want to contemplate over the coming weeks and months for the sake of understanding
II.II. Empty Your Mind
A few ways you can practice immersing yourself in the present moment:
The Gym
Observe the voice in your head that tells you to quit. Observe how the muscle feels as it contracts. Observe the blood flowing quicker through your body.
Nature Bathing
You may have a water intake goal, distance goal, health goal, or just the goal to have a good time in nature. Intention.
Other Meditative Habits You Can Adopt
I choose a topic that I know and fill in the blanks in a way that I understand it according to my direct experience. Stream of consciousness, then edit. If you can’t tap into an infinite stream of consciousness, question why.
Physical Mediums
brain dump journaling
By taking your attention off work and placing it on life, the gap between the two dissipates and The Unknown will deliver the insight you were looking for to the forefront of your conscious mind.
II.III. Use Your Mind
There are 3 main things that come into play when getting into deep, focused work:
Leveraged familiarity Ordered consciousness Connection to The Unknown
Leveraged familiarity is a soft morning routine
I start my mornings with a long 45-minute walk without my phone. I focus on my breath, body, and other sensations that I bring my attention to. My intention with this is to ground myself in ‘not knowing’ before it’s time to work.
Ideas
Actionable
Thoughts/Questions
Prompts
What other ideas is this related to?
What problem does this solve? Who can it help?
What personal experiences do I have related?