Welcomed the new year watching fireworks at New Brighton Beach.
I have been meaning to take a photo daily. I have identified that I overthink the caption to get it right. It just puts undue pressure on me, and I end up not posting. So, here’s the challenge for 2023: Shoot and Publish! Simples!
Current state of “Personal Knowledge Management” is mostly bullshit, made possible in the short term by the magnitude of the problem and the widespread, felt need for a solution.
Source: Personal Knowledge Management is Bullshit
Damn! No wonder PKM-esque apps irritate me to the core.
After months of saving for a better car, I purchased this 2006 Mercedes-Benz C180 today.
I have named it Sidra which means “like a star”.
I purchased this Mercedes in honour of my father. Growing up, we had a black Mercedes and it reminds me of the good times our family had in that car. I’m truly grateful for those fun times.
“In your actions, don’t procrastinate. In your conversations, don’t confuse. In your thoughts, don’t wander. In your soul, don’t be passive or aggressive. In your life, don’t be all about business.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.51
We finished watching The Handmaid’s Tale - Season 1.
What a grim series!
We may have lived a version of this kind of lives in the past. But, with the way things of going in this world, one just can’t help to imagine if this becomes a reality now.
Snippet from the Daily Stoic.
Hold yourself to a higher standard but not an impossible one. And forgive yourself if and when you slip up.
An excellent reminder to live the good life.
I have taken a break from posting and microblogging for some time now. No reason! Just thought, I needed a break. I’m happy to be back online.
Today, my mind was scattered. I was a bit anxious, thinking about the future and the responsibility it holds for me. It has been 14 months since my father’s passing. I’m slowly learning to accept the Divine Decree of Allah SWT.
In a few days, we will be observing Eid al-Adha. My father used to give to a lot of charitable causes during the month of Hajj. I hope I can continue his charitable work and carry his legacy forward. Ameen.
Three simple tips to improve writing:
I recently watched Cal Newport’s video on Daily Metrics Tracking for productivity.
If you are someone like me who is good at planning but struggle a bit in execution, then metrics tracking is an awesome tool to skyrocket your productivity.
As a start, Cal recommends tracking three things:
Here’s mine:
What’s yours?
On 11th March 2022, I watched Warnie’s documentary on Amazon Prime after hearing about his sudden demise on 4th March 2022.
Shane Warne is a cricketing legend. This man was the Rock Star of Cricket.
When I used to play cricket, I chose Leg Spin because Shane Warne was a leg spinner. The legend is no more but his legacy lives on.
Check this video to experience the King of Spin.
I came to know about this notorious disinformation-spreading far-right group after the Captiol Hill attack on January 6, 2021. Conspirators and Far-Right Extremists like these are allowed to operate freely in the name of free speech. These groups cause mayhem and chaos in our communities. Yet, they will be allowed to operate by the government because they are useful to the politicians for their political gains.
I listened to Finding Q on Audible over the past few days. It’s a riveting investigative journey by journalist Nicky Woolf in his quest to find who is Q? I think Nicky has kind of identified who Q is but what is the use? Even if all this information is shared with the authorities, are they going to take action? I don’t think so!
Finding Q is an excellent production and deserves our attention and praise.
I highly recommend it and encourage you to give it a go.
I feel a bit lost over the past few weeks. Work and Personal stuff have been keeping me busy and occupied. I have less “me” time. Even when I get some free time, I end up wasting it on mindless YouTube videos. Moving forward, my intention is to post 3 good things for a week and see how it goes? I think this gives me a chance to reflect on the day and be mindful overall.
It’s a new month.
Let’s start this month fresh like this new Moleskine notebook.
As an avid GTD practitioner, I wanted an excellent capture tool. Stumbled on Capture Wallet few months back. I was debating whether to go for it or not. Finally, purchased it on 2nd February 2022 and got it delivered today. I’m really excited to use this Capture tool because nothing beats pen & paper.
This year I’m challenging myself to read 25 books. I had an idea to read one book together with Safana. I wanted to be a better spouse I can and I purchased The Muslim Marriage Guide by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood last year but never got around to reading it. The idea is for us to read the same book together, reflect and leave marginalia in the book for discussion as and when needed. This may help us in better understanding each other and make our marriage stronger.
Another book-related idea I got from the What Should I Read Next? podcast Episode 313, pick a tough book, like a thick or a dense book on a particular topic of your interest and read a set number of pages every day. I like this idea because this will help me to read classic novels that people including myself say they want to read but never get to read them.
I purchased iA Writer.
Today I decided to purchase iA Writer for iOS. I got excited when I saw that I can publish to Micro.blog directly from the app.
The main reason for this purchase is distraction-free writing. And, I think the iA Writer app has done it.
One big feature I enjoy right now is the Style Check. It is impressive. I hope it doesn’t interrupt from writing.
I’m exploring the app and would love tips and tricks from the app users.
Don’t Look Up was a watchable film.
I keep forgetting how awesome Leo is as an actor.
As of today, if a comet did head on a collision path to Planet Earth; I kind of see how social media and lunatic politicians would use this catastrophic event to their advantage. It is scary to see how powerful social media can become in causing mass delusion.
The alt-right would try to blame it on the Muslims and the “immigrants” crossing the border.
The woke crowd would blame it on the big corporations for taking advantage of the collision to make big bucks.
The good people of planet Earth would be caught between these two idiotic groups and decay into chaos.
I pray to God Almighty that we wouldn’t be tested with this kind of event in our lifetime.
On 22nd December, I got my booster jab for COVID-19. It was a Pfizer booster vaccine. My first two jabs were Pfizer so I wasn’t expecting any major negative reactions.
The booster jab knocked me out with a headache. I spent the next day sleeping and lying on the sofa. Paracetamol tablets helped me relieve the pain. I started getting better in the evening such that I was able to have a proper shower, clean the toilet & shower cubicle and go to the gym for an hour-long walk.
I’m truly grateful to receive the booster jab in a matter of days after 90 days period since the second vaccine jab. I’m thankful to the NHS staff, doctors, scientists and many others who are fighting tirelessly to save us from this pandemic. And, the least we can do is be grateful and take the vaccine to save ourselves and our families.
I have upgraded to Micro.blog Premium subscription.
After a year of using this nice little service and hoping around different blogging platforms, I have chosen to call Micro.blog my digital home.
I’m excited to share my (un)formed thoughts, musings & quips via text, photos, videos & audio.
I thank Manton, Jean & the community for making this platform an amazing one!
I think I need to block an hour or two today to clarify my inboxes. Lots of things to process and it is clogging my head. Always remember, my mind is for having ideas and not holding them.
As a regular listener to Jean & James’s Weekly Review podcast, I was elated when I heard the duo discussing a blog post I have written as the Ultimate Productivity Lesson. It really made my day! Thank you very much!
On the latest [@theweeklyreview](https://micro.blog/theweeklyreview), You Can’t Take It With You, [@jamesdempsey](https://micro.blog/jamesdempsey) and I were inspired by a post by [@ridwan](https://micro.blog/ridwan) to talk about The Final Checkmark on everyone’s to-do list…
PS: Watch out for the Intro hook! It’s so catchy!
I am slowly learning the GTD Methodology. It is one of the best stress-free productivity systems out there.
I was listening to an episode from the GTD Connect library on the power of writing things down and an idea for using the Tickler file.
Two things really stuck with me that I will be implementing in my life straightway:
I will never get to say, இனிய பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்துகள் வாப்பா (Happy Birthday, Father) again.
The very first thing I do on my father’s birthday is, wish him. My father was not really keen on birthday wishes. This year onward, I will never get to say it.
Growing up in a Kilakarai-Tamil-Muslim household, it may be a cultural thing that we were not exposed to saying “I Love You” explicitly. It’s always known. We never doubted the love and affection from our parents. However, after my late teen years, my father hugs me and say “I love you, my son or I’m proud of you, my son”. I have felt awkward when I hear him say that. Not because I didn’t like it. It was because I did not know how to receive it.
I love my father very much. I see him as my hero. During his last days, it never donned on me to say “I Love You Vappa”. When his soul departed right next to us, I stood there helpless and forsaken. I will never get to say “I Love You, My Father”.
He taught us good manners and values. We can vouch that he has embodied the words of the Holy Messenger of God Almighty (SAW), as quoted in the Book of Tirmidhi:
There is no gift that a father gives his children more virtuous than good manners.
By God’s will, my siblings and I will strive to be true to the Holy Messenger’s words like our father.
We Miss You, My Beloved Father. I Love You, My Dearest Vappa!
I’m really having a tough time generating ideas for daily blogging. I’m no stranger to daily writing or journaling. Blank page or blinking cursor never scared me. But, coming up with ideas and expanding on that nugget seems to be a bit hard for me.
I really admire writers who are really good at generating and curating ideas for their writings.
One way to generate more ideas, I have started to read consistently. I do read but inconsistently. However, consistent reading did make me more mindful of my thoughts and emotions. I shall be using James Clear’s advice on reading 20 pages a day.
To summarise, reading leads to idea generation, which eventually leads to better writing.
A few months back I read a book titled Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier. It is an incredible book on how much social media influences our psyche and behaviour.
I remember using Twitter & Facebook back in 2007 and Instagram when they debuted in 2010. Little did I know how much these apps would go on to influence our mindset and behaviour.
Recently, there has been a lot of buzz around social media and its influencer-driven marketing drive. I do not exactly remember when I started to see Facebook Ads and Instagram Sponsored Posts. But, I vividly remember telling myself how big this is going to influence users.
Over the past few months, I catch myself spending a lot of time on Instagram. I have deleted and re-installed this addictive app plenty of times. But, I keep going back to it. I suppose this is the power of an addictive algorithm Jason Lanier & Tristan Harris keep banging on.
In short, I understand that I have a problem with Instagram and battle to keep my usage down. One step I have taken is to open the NetNewsWire app whenever I have the urge to open Instagram. Making this switch means, I can read or scan some of my favourite blogs. This has enabled me to read more and build an idea bank for my daily posts.