Need Motivation?

Lets find out!  Thanks to @jockowillink
View here:
https://twitter.com/jockowillink/status/897839185616224256

Kerouac on writing, per BrainPicker

I was a Kerouac fan from early on, and growing up not that far from Lowell added to my enthusiasm.  But I never found this before, thanks much to Maria Popova @brainpicker.  Its about writing, but its about a lot more than that, seems to me.

See: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/03/22/jack-kerouac-belief-and-technique-for-modern-prose/

supplements

Here is a great post and graphic from Information is Beautiful - http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/  that describes the posible value of various supplements.  The cool thing is that the graphic is driven real-time off their updated data, so when new information comes in - the graphic is automagically updated.

I believe, to a certain extent, in the benefit of supplements.  These days I take, from time to time, a multi-vitamin, fish oil, folic acid, SAM-E, l-lysine, and vitamin D. 

challenges

found this (more or less) on the web:

"View all problems as challenges.
Look upon negativities that arise as opportunities to learn and to grow.
Don't run from them, condemn yourself, or bury your burden in saintly silence.
You have a problem? Great.
More grist for the mill. Rejoice, dive in, and investigate."

from NYT: "In Hard Times, Fear Can Impair Decision-Making"

from Gregory Berns: see: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/jobs/07pre.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

in particular, the conclusion:

"...And right now there are incredible opportunities to do something differently. Yes, they’re risky, and some will fail. But while others wait for the storm to pass, I’m busy expanding into new areas. If I wait for money to start flowing again, the opportunities will have passed."

Calibri and OpenOffice.org

Microsoft's Calibri font (proprietary, introduced in Vista and/or Office 2007)  has bugged me because Open Office doesn't have a good default fall-back for it.  Result is that documents are frequently un-readable.  (Makes one wonder if this was intentional - like the old rumor about "Windows isn't done until Lotus doesn't run...")

I finally found and settled on a good solution, for me anyway, described here http://www.oooninja.com/2008/02/metrical-equivalent-fonts-and-font.html, in particular, this recipe for font replacement:

"At the OpenOffice.org level, you can specify font replacement rules. That means whenever OpenOffice.org encounters font X, it will use font Y instead.

1. Open any OpenOffice.org application.
2. Click Tools > Options.
3. In the tree menu under OpenOffice.org, choose Fonts.
4. Check the box Apply replacement table.
5. Type the name of the Microsoft font in Font.
6. In Replace with, type the name of the non-Microsoft font.
7. Click the green checkmark.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 as needed"

 I replaced Calibri with Comic Sans MS and it works fine for my purposes.  Thanks so much to OpenOffice.org Ninja - you rock!

UPDATE - if you're sharing docs on Microsoft platforms, one of the office versions may be missing a font.  See: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/fonts-that-ship-with-different-versions-of-office-HA010282644.aspx for help from Microsoft.

Here is a recipe if you are on Ubuntu:  http://askubuntu.com/questions/34077/libreoffice-missing-certain-microsoft-fonts

elite performance

 This post  (How the best of the best get better and better) from Eric Musselman's Basketball Notebook points to a HBR article about elite performance psychology.   Good food for thought and possible self-improvement.
snip:

1.  Learn to love the pressure.   "Top sports performers don’t allow themselves to be distracted by the victories or failures of others. They concentrate on what they can control and forget the rest."

2.  Set long-term goals, then outline short-term objectives and action steps.   "Much of star athletes’ ability to rebound from defeat comes from an intense focus on long-term goals and aspirations. At the same time, both sports stars and their coaches are keenly aware that the road to long-term success is paved with small achievements.  The trick here is to meticulously plan short-term goals so that performance will peak at major, rather than minor, events."

3.  Compete against the best in order to improve.  "If you hope to make it to the very top...make sure you train with the people who will push you the hardest."

4.  Seek constructive criticism, feedback, and advice.  "How do you motivate yourself to embark on another cycle of building the mental and physical endurance required to win the next time, especially now that you have become the benchmark? [Elite performers have] an insatiable appetite for feedback.  They have a particularly strong need for instant, in the moment feedback."

5.  Work hard; play hard.  "Elite performers...put almost as much effort into their celebrations as they do into their accomplishments.  Celebration is more than an emotional release. Done effectively, it involves a deep level of analysis and enhanced awareness. The very best performers do not move on before they have scrutinized and understood thoroughly the factors underpinning their success.  Dwelling on success for too long is a distraction and, worse, leads to complacency. Celebrate—but push on."

6.  An intense desire to compete.  "What drives all elite performers is a fierce desire to compete—and win. That’s what truly separates elite performers from ordinary high achievers. It takes supreme, almost unimaginable grit and courage to get back into the ring and fight to the bitter end."

 

end-snip

Here is the original Harvard Business Review article.

Ed Boyden: How to Think

In his Technology Review blog, Ed discusses a few thinking tips in his post subtitled: Managing brain resources in an age of complexity.

In summary:

1. Synthesize new ideas constantly.
2. Learn how to learn (rapidly).
3. Work backward from your goal.
4. Always have a long-term plan.
5. Make contingency maps.
6. Collaborate.
7. Make your mistakes quickly.
8. Write up best-practices protocols.
9. Document everything obsessively.
10. Keep it simple.

See Ed's post for details and other suggestions.