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A LURE OF GHOSTS Hi Subscriber First Name, If you’ve been following the blog you’ve probably noticed a certain level of unrest in my words lately. From the feedback I’ve received, I know I’m certainly not alone—which is to be expected. We’re all in this together. And with so much around us in a state of perpetual flux, I’ve found myself noticing articles that speak to this fact. So let’s call this one the dealing with sh#@ issue...;) ... I sincerely believe in the benefits of keeping a daily journal: it anchors ideas, provides a way of assessing life/progress, and over time it offers a glimpse into our past. I just wish I actually wanted to write at the moment. Most days I stare blankly at the page, type a few disjointed thoughts and close the app with very little sense of accomplishment. That’s when I’m not skipping the process entirely, my brain too addled to even try. I know, I know: do it anyway, they say. Well, a few days ago I did and I wrote the following sentence: “As far as systems go: they all add guilt.” By system I was thinking of the myriad ways I’ve tried to hack my productivity over the years: kanban, Eisenhower matrix, timeblocking, day theming...the list goes on and on, the apps rapidly succeeding each other in a blur. I’m a total geek about this stuff. But it’s absolutely clear to me how easily I can fall into a trap of just fiddling, endlessly, without making much headway. Ultimately, if we’re not careful, these systems can lead to increased procrastination...which inevitably turns into that guilt I mentioned. They shouldn’t take over our focus. There’s a balancing act here that’s incredibly important to perform successfully. I now feel the same way about streaks, a trend that’s been popping up for awhile, in various apps: some of these are solely dedicated to the principle, allowing users to keep track of any habit they can throw at them; which is fine: you know what you’re getting into. But—circling back to journaling—Day One now also keeps a record of streaks. So now I’m always aware of the fact that I have NOT been writing in my diary. Cool. The underlying idea is to “gamify” our lives...because you know, games are like...fun. This week, in the ongoing turmoil, I broke a 258 days meditation streak. I know because Muse—the app and device I use…i.e I’m-a-total-nerd—told me so. And I felt horrible about it. I felt as if I’d let someone down, as if I’d failed. Seriously: what. the. flying. fuck? Talk about an inversion of purpose. Humans are odd animals. We erect self-imposed structures that eventually box us in—social, economic, personal—and yet these are merely ghosts, as immaterial as any dream that would haunt our sleep. We elevate precepts into absolutes, into dogma; and then we forget they were never real to begin with. These days, I tend to think real should be our one and only concern.
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