Great challenges ahead with the things you like to improve on. I had to deal with them as well, and maybe you can use some of what I've learned and done to actually improve on them.
Mobile Equipment
Although I'm not an Apple fan due to their closed environment, I love my MacBook! It is more stable than all the Windows systems I had before.
Smartphone: Also here I have Apple, not by choices, but once having it, the UI is somewhat better than Android. But then again, Android is getting better. The flagship Samsung has a great camera (better than iPhone). If you do not want to pay all the premium, you may like to look into Wileyfox, they have some very affordable phones with pretty ok hardware. If you look to help make the world a better place, look into the Fairphone 2. This is a modular phone where you can replace components yourself, and order also these components. The intention of Fairphone 2 is that when eg a better camera comes on the market, you can upgrade the phone with just the new camera.
Exercises
I tried everything, from sport places, to tennis (must do since it is a teamsport) to running since this seemingly cost the least amount time when starting the run at your doorsteps. Everything stopped quite quickly again. So, I got myself a rowing machine that sits in my house and look at it every day. With ups and downs I regularly sit on it and do my exercise. Still I do it in the afternoon or evening, but I want it to make my habit to start in the morning, immediately after waking up. Apparently that is a good way to start your day + your metabolism is kicked so any food you take will be digested much better. I know for sure, when I start doing this in the morning, and I know I will feel great after the exercises, I will continue with it. Rowing is one of the best exercises you can do BTW, most muscle groups are used. Ok, swimming is even better, but that cost more time since I do not have a swimming pool around the corner.
Online versus Offline
I was always connected to the Internet, like you. Since I've started with Steemit, I even spend way more time online. Need to reduce that as well. I'm seeking less the offline social contact. Need to improve on that as well. So, what do I do here! I make sure I go out of my house everyday (I work at home, so that doesn't really help to keep connected with the offline world). I say YES to almost all invitations I get from friends; Once I say YES, then I do it. A couple of times a week, I make some appointments with my friends as well, once fixed, I show up. No sound is on on my mobile and switched of many of the notifications. I already learned not to jump up and check my mobile when I hear a sound. Took me a couple of years though. I dont have my email client open te whole day, I actually open it a couple times a day; I answer the emails, write those I need to write and close it again. Another tip is to go off grid. I always took my laptop and mobile with my an vacations, and every day I was working, a little bit but still working. So, years ago I went to the South Pole; 12 day trip without mobile network coverage. After returning to Argentina, I travelled for another 3 weeks, but rarely had the urge to switch on my mobile, so I didnt. When things get to much with me 'playing' with my phone while not at home, I think back to that month of vacation and the freedom I felt not having the urge to go online.
I hope I gave you some inspiration to help you master your challenges.
NJOY the place your are offline at the moment! A great way to start not bringing your phone with you outside your room.
Looks like you're quite the Apple user! Personally I think i'd stop using macbooks because I've experienced 2 damaged chargers, and this time around I couldn't tell if it's the laptop or charger since there's no Apple store around here for me to try out..
Fairphone 2. This is a modular phone where you can replace components yourself
Wow I didn't know modular phones are a thing now, I thought it's still under R&D!
Still I do it in the afternoon or evening, but I want it to make my habit to start in the morning, immediately after waking up
I guess that's the best eh? I'm so not used to working out in the morning at all, I usually just laze around the bed. I think you're right about kickstarting metabolism early in the day though. Hmm alright, committing to morning workouts!
Online versus Offline
Kinda difficult if I want to stay on top of curation with Steemit and staying in touch with current events that are relevant to me. Need a smart way to have an effective feed and not spend too much time reading through all kinds of information, although that may cause some potentially important stuff to slip by. But maybe it's time to stop trying to try to know everything on time.. well still not easy, this part.
I really appreciate the comprehensive reply @edje - thank you!
Modular Phone: Google tried to get to a modulair phone, but some year or so ago they abandoned the project. As far as I know, Fairphone is the only supplier who creates these type of modular phones. They also make deals with eg gold mines to prevent child labour and so on. The Chinese factories they us they do not allow the personal to work to many overtime hours. Ie they try to make the world a little bit better. Great goals they have and execute upon, at least that is my honest opinion :)
Online/Steemit: Knowing everything will cause an overload, especially now a lot more authors and posts are working with and entering the system. I recently discovered a curation tool that is under further development and the developer is open for suggestions. That maybe something for you? i like to see posts filtering based on keywords, no idea if this guy want to do it. If you like, check my feed, I just posted on it.
Your Challenges I wish you great success with picking up the challenges; My advise, one at the time since otherwise it'll be extremely difficult to keep on going and it becomes pretty easy to just forget about all of them. I speak from own experiences, many of them :)
First of f all, this is catchy. Nicely done!
" What's within control is only with the self, and so I've adopted "The New World Blogger" as a simple wordplay for the popular term "The New World Order".
As for you other questions I offer some tips, but I am not a know it all on all your questions, so this will have to do ;)
A. For a laptop that is portable and has all the power you need this is actually a great one. HP Spectre 13-w025nd x360. You can us it as a laptop and as a tablet too. It is only 1.4kg so easy take along.
As a mobile phone I use a Samsung s6 galaxy edge+ and after years of Iphones I am in love with Samsung. The newest S8 is great. But... maybe Xiaomi and Huawei offer better ones on price vs quality. You should check this out.
Instead of a large DSLR you could check for smaller system camera's which have many similar options. I own a Olympus OMD Em10 with several lenses, but on the go I like to have the zoom pancakelens on it which is only 2cm thick, but is able to zoom. This is an easy point and shoot setup.
B. Tired and blooted.. Lets shake hands! I know the feeling!
Things I do to keep a certain pattern is always keep a large bottle of fresh water with me so I am sure I'll drink enough and stay away from soda's. Also keep a bag of nuts or something close. These fill you up pretty quick and are way better then other snacks.
For working out you got try HIT training, which stands for High Interval. You do several work outs in high tempo, so your metabolism gets a boost. Worth looking in too.
Also try mindfullness. It sounds dorky, but it is very helpful to clear your mind and lower your stresslevel. It can even be done in 4 minutes or so if you don't have a lot of time. Check out youtube for guidance.
Great! Let me know what you eventually end up buying @kevinwong
Discipline is the father of Accomplishment, without his father Accomplishment has a chance to reach his goals in life but he has to have a mother called Fortunate... just made this up, but sounds pretty Dr. Phil'ish doesn't it? 😂
You are making progress by laying out the plan of what you want to do. Good for you.
I work with my clients in coaching talking about doing 3 specific tasks each day which I call SEM: Study, Exercise, Meditation. It is most helpful to have procedures and systems that you use and help guide you.
In addition to that it is very beneficial to have the motivation to keep you going. Often people get fired up to accomplish something often at a rally or big meeting only to see that enthusiasm fizzle out back in the real world. Having periodic meetings with a coach can help on that. Also reading the right kinds of material can help. Some select YouTube videos can assist as well.
You are a smart guy. You are going to make it. I applaud your efforts and what you've done thus far. Let's talk more offline.
Often people get fired up to accomplish something often at a rally or big meeting only to see that enthusiasm fizzle out back in the real world.
All too true! Definitely gonna take into consideration periodic meetings with a coach, or someone who could keep me on track. Thanks for the input - appreciate it!
This is a cool post, and I like seeing the detailed answers the Steemians have already shared with you. Great to see you strive for self-improvement and share it on the blockchain for inspiration & accountability.
I'll weigh in on my area of experience regarding health: 1-2 hours of ashtanga or bikram yoga a day and you will lose weight, upgrade cardio, build muscle, increase flexibility, sharpen your mind, improve your energy, sleep better, destress, and be happier. It will also expand you in ways you might not imagine right now--it really is a whole new world. Talk about empowering the individual!! :) I'll do it with you if you want a yoga buddy!
For a while i had REALLY bad problems with acne, and I started to realize i was putting on some weight as well. it got to the point where i was basically staying inside all day not wanting to go out because of it
One of the things that I learned how to do, and its actually a bit insane how easy it was. A friend told me to start drinking a lot of water, i essentially cut out ALL forms of sugar as much as i could...that means, no soda, and no juice, no sweets or any type of pastry
this caused my acne to disappear in a matter of days and my weight got back to where it was before as well. I know a lot of people are to...keen on exercising all the time, so actually just started going for long walks, usually around an hour or two per day, this also managed to keep me healthy because not only was i not eating sugary foods but i was also speed walking which helped with my cardio a bit
I grew up in NYC where you were able to get triple cheeseburgers for a dollar on certain promotion days, SO, that was all that i ate for a long time, it was either mcdonalds or i would get free stuff from starbucks after they closed from friends who worked there
I started to incorporate vegetables into my diet and even made sure that i was having tons of lean protein....fish, salmon, chicken breast, etc, and it worked like a charm
what REALLY works, and what ive stuck with the most is carrying around a banana and an apple and a bottle of water with me wherever i go, we all have those moments where we get REALLY hungry outside, and the banana and apple provide the "sugar" that my body wants, while also letting me know that im not just eating some trash from a near by store, usually when we get thirst we reach for a soda or juice, but with the bottle of water in my bag, i have no excuse not to drink my recommended amount each day
I wish you the best and I hope you reach your goals!
Fortunately i dont have any acne probs despite not using any face soap and stuff. I read this happens to some due to lack of sleep? Carbs and sugar are definitely a staple where I'm from and it's not that easy to get out of unless I prepare on my own. I eat plenty of veggies too, but I guess my metabolism is just plain lower than average which sucks so I do easily gain some pounds just by sitting more often. Thanks for writing in, gonna consider just eating more unprocessed food then :)
I would recommend a macbook pro 13. Not super lightweight but effective, powerful and with a long lasting battery
For a small, yet amazing camera. The Sony Alpha ones are really good bang for your buck. You can change its lenses, manual/automatic. Really good for its size and price.
()
And if you are looking for a cheap but good cellphone, look no further.
Moto G3 3rd generation is great. Great camera, good battery, water splash resistant and cheap as chips. (android)
()
For losing weight, thats a tough one. Since everyone enjoy/dislike different kind of workouts. When I was living in NZ I did a workout training called "Insanity". A friend had the DVD and we would gather at my place and play it on the PS4. Lots of squats and stuff like that. It was really tough.
To eat healthy, I would recommend to stay hydrated, lots of fruits/shakes/smoothies/juices. Reduce the consumption of flour/breads. Eat some raw vegetables and lots of soups.
So... thats about it from me. Enjoy Greece and have fun @kevinwong!
Looks like I've got a good number of hardware to check out over the weekend - thanks for the recommendations! Probably the hardest part will be food, especially if eating out with others.. matter of convenience and all.
2 becoming healthy and lean-
Most diets work if you stick to them so just pick one that you like, one that has balance as far as the various food groups. Don't be discouraged if you slip up but just get right back on the diet. Just as with dieting any form of exercise is good as long as you stick to it. Pick something that works for you, morning walks, running, biking, calisthenics. Try mixing it up doing different exercises on different days. Working out is boring so plug in those earphones and jam it up with music or if your social with other people. Here's the most important part, you have to do both diet and exercise. Doing just one of the other isn't effective. Here's the part you don't want to hear, a good night sleep is very beneficial to weight loss, especially as you start to get older and your metabolism is slowing down. This all sounds very cliche but good health is a lifestyle.
@kevinwong have a good time being disconnected. we need it once in awhile. BTW DUDE ... you need an avatar upgrade ! lol ... cheers buddy here's one for ya
First and foremost you have to develop a plan that you feel you will be able to stick with, in terms of time working out , or time spent on/away from the computer. You want to avoid pushing yourself too hard right away and risk failing at it and then ultimately giving up. I know this sounds stupid (I can do anything I put my mind to), but making lifestyle changes takes time and in my opinion it's much easier and more effective over the long term to slowly add in new and more healthy lifestyle habits. You're not going on a diet, your changing your life. Sounds like you have your mind in the right place, just write a good plan and do your best to stick to it. If you fall off, the the f*** back on. Best of luck! You will have to post about your progress in later months to come.
Great challenges ahead with the things you like to improve on. I had to deal with them as well, and maybe you can use some of what I've learned and done to actually improve on them.
Mobile Equipment
Although I'm not an Apple fan due to their closed environment, I love my MacBook! It is more stable than all the Windows systems I had before.
Smartphone: Also here I have Apple, not by choices, but once having it, the UI is somewhat better than Android. But then again, Android is getting better. The flagship Samsung has a great camera (better than iPhone). If you do not want to pay all the premium, you may like to look into Wileyfox, they have some very affordable phones with pretty ok hardware. If you look to help make the world a better place, look into the Fairphone 2. This is a modular phone where you can replace components yourself, and order also these components. The intention of Fairphone 2 is that when eg a better camera comes on the market, you can upgrade the phone with just the new camera.
Exercises
I tried everything, from sport places, to tennis (must do since it is a teamsport) to running since this seemingly cost the least amount time when starting the run at your doorsteps. Everything stopped quite quickly again. So, I got myself a rowing machine that sits in my house and look at it every day. With ups and downs I regularly sit on it and do my exercise. Still I do it in the afternoon or evening, but I want it to make my habit to start in the morning, immediately after waking up. Apparently that is a good way to start your day + your metabolism is kicked so any food you take will be digested much better. I know for sure, when I start doing this in the morning, and I know I will feel great after the exercises, I will continue with it. Rowing is one of the best exercises you can do BTW, most muscle groups are used. Ok, swimming is even better, but that cost more time since I do not have a swimming pool around the corner.
Online versus Offline
I was always connected to the Internet, like you. Since I've started with Steemit, I even spend way more time online. Need to reduce that as well. I'm seeking less the offline social contact. Need to improve on that as well. So, what do I do here! I make sure I go out of my house everyday (I work at home, so that doesn't really help to keep connected with the offline world). I say YES to almost all invitations I get from friends; Once I say YES, then I do it. A couple of times a week, I make some appointments with my friends as well, once fixed, I show up. No sound is on on my mobile and switched of many of the notifications. I already learned not to jump up and check my mobile when I hear a sound. Took me a couple of years though. I dont have my email client open te whole day, I actually open it a couple times a day; I answer the emails, write those I need to write and close it again. Another tip is to go off grid. I always took my laptop and mobile with my an vacations, and every day I was working, a little bit but still working. So, years ago I went to the South Pole; 12 day trip without mobile network coverage. After returning to Argentina, I travelled for another 3 weeks, but rarely had the urge to switch on my mobile, so I didnt. When things get to much with me 'playing' with my phone while not at home, I think back to that month of vacation and the freedom I felt not having the urge to go online.
I hope I gave you some inspiration to help you master your challenges.
NJOY the place your are offline at the moment! A great way to start not bringing your phone with you outside your room.
Looks like you're quite the Apple user! Personally I think i'd stop using macbooks because I've experienced 2 damaged chargers, and this time around I couldn't tell if it's the laptop or charger since there's no Apple store around here for me to try out..
Wow I didn't know modular phones are a thing now, I thought it's still under R&D!
I guess that's the best eh? I'm so not used to working out in the morning at all, I usually just laze around the bed. I think you're right about kickstarting metabolism early in the day though. Hmm alright, committing to morning workouts!
Kinda difficult if I want to stay on top of curation with Steemit and staying in touch with current events that are relevant to me. Need a smart way to have an effective feed and not spend too much time reading through all kinds of information, although that may cause some potentially important stuff to slip by. But maybe it's time to stop trying to try to know everything on time.. well still not easy, this part.
I really appreciate the comprehensive reply @edje - thank you!
Modular Phone: Google tried to get to a modulair phone, but some year or so ago they abandoned the project. As far as I know, Fairphone is the only supplier who creates these type of modular phones. They also make deals with eg gold mines to prevent child labour and so on. The Chinese factories they us they do not allow the personal to work to many overtime hours. Ie they try to make the world a little bit better. Great goals they have and execute upon, at least that is my honest opinion :)
Online/Steemit: Knowing everything will cause an overload, especially now a lot more authors and posts are working with and entering the system. I recently discovered a curation tool that is under further development and the developer is open for suggestions. That maybe something for you? i like to see posts filtering based on keywords, no idea if this guy want to do it. If you like, check my feed, I just posted on it.
Your Challenges I wish you great success with picking up the challenges; My advise, one at the time since otherwise it'll be extremely difficult to keep on going and it becomes pretty easy to just forget about all of them. I speak from own experiences, many of them :)
First of f all, this is catchy. Nicely done!
" What's within control is only with the self, and so I've adopted "The New World Blogger" as a simple wordplay for the popular term "The New World Order".
As for you other questions I offer some tips, but I am not a know it all on all your questions, so this will have to do ;)
A. For a laptop that is portable and has all the power you need this is actually a great one. HP Spectre 13-w025nd x360. You can us it as a laptop and as a tablet too. It is only 1.4kg so easy take along.
As a mobile phone I use a Samsung s6 galaxy edge+ and after years of Iphones I am in love with Samsung. The newest S8 is great. But... maybe Xiaomi and Huawei offer better ones on price vs quality. You should check this out.
Instead of a large DSLR you could check for smaller system camera's which have many similar options. I own a Olympus OMD Em10 with several lenses, but on the go I like to have the zoom pancakelens on it which is only 2cm thick, but is able to zoom. This is an easy point and shoot setup.
B. Tired and blooted.. Lets shake hands! I know the feeling!
Things I do to keep a certain pattern is always keep a large bottle of fresh water with me so I am sure I'll drink enough and stay away from soda's. Also keep a bag of nuts or something close. These fill you up pretty quick and are way better then other snacks.
For working out you got try HIT training, which stands for High Interval. You do several work outs in high tempo, so your metabolism gets a boost. Worth looking in too.
Also try mindfullness. It sounds dorky, but it is very helpful to clear your mind and lower your stresslevel. It can even be done in 4 minutes or so if you don't have a lot of time. Check out youtube for guidance.
C. No suggestions here. Could use some myself...
Good Luck! Enjoy the rest of your holiday.
Cheers, @GoCoconuts
That's pretty cool, already in shopping cart as an option.. along with the camera suggestion
I used to do HIT but don't have much discipline for it since its quite a boring workout and feels like forever lol.. sometimes it's just an excuse eh?
Great! Let me know what you eventually end up buying @kevinwong
Discipline is the father of Accomplishment, without his father Accomplishment has a chance to reach his goals in life but he has to have a mother called Fortunate... just made this up, but sounds pretty Dr. Phil'ish doesn't it? 😂
Great post, Kevin, Etherpunk (!)
You are making progress by laying out the plan of what you want to do. Good for you.
I work with my clients in coaching talking about doing 3 specific tasks each day which I call SEM: Study, Exercise, Meditation. It is most helpful to have procedures and systems that you use and help guide you.
In addition to that it is very beneficial to have the motivation to keep you going. Often people get fired up to accomplish something often at a rally or big meeting only to see that enthusiasm fizzle out back in the real world. Having periodic meetings with a coach can help on that. Also reading the right kinds of material can help. Some select YouTube videos can assist as well.
You are a smart guy. You are going to make it. I applaud your efforts and what you've done thus far. Let's talk more offline.
All the best to you!
All too true! Definitely gonna take into consideration periodic meetings with a coach, or someone who could keep me on track. Thanks for the input - appreciate it!
Hello, Mr. Kevin!
This is a cool post, and I like seeing the detailed answers the Steemians have already shared with you. Great to see you strive for self-improvement and share it on the blockchain for inspiration & accountability.
I'll weigh in on my area of experience regarding health: 1-2 hours of ashtanga or bikram yoga a day and you will lose weight, upgrade cardio, build muscle, increase flexibility, sharpen your mind, improve your energy, sleep better, destress, and be happier. It will also expand you in ways you might not imagine right now--it really is a whole new world. Talk about empowering the individual!! :) I'll do it with you if you want a yoga buddy!
Rock on, Etherpunk!
For a while i had REALLY bad problems with acne, and I started to realize i was putting on some weight as well. it got to the point where i was basically staying inside all day not wanting to go out because of it
One of the things that I learned how to do, and its actually a bit insane how easy it was. A friend told me to start drinking a lot of water, i essentially cut out ALL forms of sugar as much as i could...that means, no soda, and no juice, no sweets or any type of pastry
this caused my acne to disappear in a matter of days and my weight got back to where it was before as well. I know a lot of people are to...keen on exercising all the time, so actually just started going for long walks, usually around an hour or two per day, this also managed to keep me healthy because not only was i not eating sugary foods but i was also speed walking which helped with my cardio a bit
I grew up in NYC where you were able to get triple cheeseburgers for a dollar on certain promotion days, SO, that was all that i ate for a long time, it was either mcdonalds or i would get free stuff from starbucks after they closed from friends who worked there
I started to incorporate vegetables into my diet and even made sure that i was having tons of lean protein....fish, salmon, chicken breast, etc, and it worked like a charm
what REALLY works, and what ive stuck with the most is carrying around a banana and an apple and a bottle of water with me wherever i go, we all have those moments where we get REALLY hungry outside, and the banana and apple provide the "sugar" that my body wants, while also letting me know that im not just eating some trash from a near by store, usually when we get thirst we reach for a soda or juice, but with the bottle of water in my bag, i have no excuse not to drink my recommended amount each day
I wish you the best and I hope you reach your goals!
Fortunately i dont have any acne probs despite not using any face soap and stuff. I read this happens to some due to lack of sleep? Carbs and sugar are definitely a staple where I'm from and it's not that easy to get out of unless I prepare on my own. I eat plenty of veggies too, but I guess my metabolism is just plain lower than average which sucks so I do easily gain some pounds just by sitting more often. Thanks for writing in, gonna consider just eating more unprocessed food then :)
Great read @kevinwong !! Interesting stuff
As for my recommendations:
I would recommend a macbook pro 13. Not super lightweight but effective, powerful and with a long lasting battery
For a small, yet amazing camera. The Sony Alpha ones are really good bang for your buck. You can change its lenses, manual/automatic. Really good for its size and price.
(
)
And if you are looking for a cheap but good cellphone, look no further.
Moto G3 3rd generation is great. Great camera, good battery, water splash resistant and cheap as chips. (android)
(
)
For losing weight, thats a tough one. Since everyone enjoy/dislike different kind of workouts. When I was living in NZ I did a workout training called "Insanity". A friend had the DVD and we would gather at my place and play it on the PS4. Lots of squats and stuff like that. It was really tough.
To eat healthy, I would recommend to stay hydrated, lots of fruits/shakes/smoothies/juices. Reduce the consumption of flour/breads. Eat some raw vegetables and lots of soups.
So... thats about it from me. Enjoy Greece and have fun @kevinwong!
Looks like I've got a good number of hardware to check out over the weekend - thanks for the recommendations! Probably the hardest part will be food, especially if eating out with others.. matter of convenience and all.
@dontstopmenow got you a 9.24% @minnowbooster upvote, nice!
Want a boost? Click here to read more!
I tried upvoting you but the post was in its last 12 hours, please check beforehand next time...
2 becoming healthy and lean-
Most diets work if you stick to them so just pick one that you like, one that has balance as far as the various food groups. Don't be discouraged if you slip up but just get right back on the diet. Just as with dieting any form of exercise is good as long as you stick to it. Pick something that works for you, morning walks, running, biking, calisthenics. Try mixing it up doing different exercises on different days. Working out is boring so plug in those earphones and jam it up with music or if your social with other people. Here's the most important part, you have to do both diet and exercise. Doing just one of the other isn't effective. Here's the part you don't want to hear, a good night sleep is very beneficial to weight loss, especially as you start to get older and your metabolism is slowing down. This all sounds very cliche but good health is a lifestyle.
@kevinwong have a good time being disconnected. we need it once in awhile. BTW DUDE ... you need an avatar upgrade ! lol ... cheers buddy here's one for ya
VerY CooL !! - ))
.. a BaD ASS reply !! - ))
ha ha )))
First and foremost you have to develop a plan that you feel you will be able to stick with, in terms of time working out , or time spent on/away from the computer. You want to avoid pushing yourself too hard right away and risk failing at it and then ultimately giving up. I know this sounds stupid (I can do anything I put my mind to), but making lifestyle changes takes time and in my opinion it's much easier and more effective over the long term to slowly add in new and more healthy lifestyle habits. You're not going on a diet, your changing your life. Sounds like you have your mind in the right place, just write a good plan and do your best to stick to it. If you fall off, the the f*** back on. Best of luck! You will have to post about your progress in later months to come.