My Reading Portfolio

gs454236@gmail.com (Basil Labib) — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 12:00:15 +0530

I haven’t met anybody as devoutly fanatic about books as I am in real life. This love of mine can turn aggressive, even generously self-depreciative, which is a source of concern. I maintain a digital library simply because there won’t be enough room for all the books if I build for myself a physical library (Now you know how to impress me :winking_face:). I spend literally hours fretting about organization, intensely debating with myself what parameters to organize under, designing programs to maintain a catalog, devising makeshift ways to register progress and so on.

The most painful task for me, however, is choosing what book to read next. Bear with me if this sounds ridiculous. It is less ridiculous than what most people do these days. Hours of negotiation goes into deciding what to read next. To ensure I utilize my time optimally. This might seem trivial but it isn’t. Imagine picking up a book that required pre-requisite knowledge. Reading it is wasting time because nothing registers. So, it boils down to a dependency problem. But that can be solved with trees? One problem: Those trees can get very large. Pruning? No, what we need is prudent decision making.

Four parameters

Interest. I am human and a reckless reader. If I lose interest in a book, I’ll leave it right then, no questions asked. So, I have to make sure I pick up only those books that I want to read.

Utility. For eg, I love Harry Potter. Let me put away my current read and pour over the entire HP universe? No. The next question is: How much utility will I derive from the book I am about to read? Is it a good investment? Will it help me in acheiving my goals?

Experts. I believe we are the greatest fools if we can’t learn from the mistakes of those who already committed them. In terms of books, I look up to what others suggest. Mostly, the old and wise are eager to share their knowledge.

Content. This is me getting judgemental. If I have a chose between a finely written old masterpiece and a lousily written contemporary masterpiece, I’ll probably go with the old one. I can’t stand poor writing. I want to derive more than just the concepts. But what if the new book has more relevant ideas? As I said, it isn’t always easy.

My portfolio

I read multiple books together. So, I devised a so-called “reader’s portfolio” – a term borrowed from investing. It is a bunch of categories and I actively endeavor to maintain that proportion in my current readings.

Non-fiction
- History
- Finances
  - Economics
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Culture & Geography
Revisits
Tech
Science
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Fundamental Sciences
Literature
- Poetry
- Contemporary
- Classics

In conclusion

All these elaborate schemes are far from perfect and I know it. But at least, it’s a start. These crude ideas give me a basic idea of where I should be headed so that I don’t go crazy.

Notes: Habits by James Clear

gs454236@gmail.com (Basil Labib) — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

My Notes

Introduction

Majority fail in making habits because they try to make changes the wrong way.
It is easy to get obssessed with the result.
Never overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making better decisions on a daily basis.
Don’t focus on the destination. Focus on the path.

Habits

Pattern of every habit:
- Reminder ( trigger )
- Routine ( the action itself )
- Reward ( the benefit )
A good reminder makes it easier for you to start your habit by encoding your new behavior in something that you already do, rather than relying on getting motivated.
Set a visible reminder and link your new habit with your current behavior.
Reminders are specific to you and your habit.
Things that you do everyday without fail, even unconsciously.
“Make it so easy you can’t say no” - Leo Babauta
start small
consistency is key
Reward yourself, atleast with positive self-talk.
Make habits that are important to you, not what you are told.

New Identity

visualize yourself being the better you.
Grow more confident in your new identity by getting approval from others.
All your actions is a reflection of who you think you are. Change your image and you change your habits.

Motivation is unreliable

Define life-goals := tiny, daily behaviors that are repeated until success becomes inevitable.
“Plant the right seed in the right spot, it will grow without further coaxing…”
“Focusing on motivation as the key to habits is exactly wrong…”
“Pick the right small behavior and sequence it right.”
Don’t dive into the deep end and drown as the initial impetus fades.
Dream big, but start small.

Just Do it

The problem: We set deadlines, not schedules.
If we don’t achieve, we feel like failure - even if we improved.
It’s not about always doing your best work, it’s about doing the best you can on a consistent basis.
Stop focusing on result. Focus on consistency.
Don’t refrain when the Muse sings to you. But don’t rely on them.
The focus is on doing the action, not achieving X goal by a certain date.

Keystone Habits

A keystone habit is a behavior that naturally pulls the rest of your life in order.
Eg: Fitness, Work out, morning run, daily meditation.

Get back on track (quickly)

Best strategy isn’t to avoid failure, it’s to plan for it.
Must have a plan to get back on track before you get off track.
Be specific about your habits. When, where, exactly how are you doing to do it?
Stick to your schedule, even in small ways.
This will prove to yourself that you can achieve even when the circumstances are not favorable.
Have a person as an incentive.
Design your environment for success.

Overcome Bad Habits ASAP

Bad habits are a way of dealing with stress and boredom.
Bad habits can’t be eliminated. They must be replaced.
Choose a substitute that provides a similar benefit.
Cut out as many triggers as possible.
Join forces with somebody.
Visualize yourself succeeding.
You lived without the bad habit before. If you could then, then you certainly can now.
Be aware of your bad habits.
It takes perseverance but it isn’t impossible.

Conclusion

Knowledge is useless without action.

Footnotes

This post is a condensed form of the most essential ideas from the book “Transform Your Habits” by James Clear . My objective has been to ensure that a single read through this post will revive all the keystone ideas in the book, thus optimizing the time for reading yet another book.

My intention has been to propogate productivity. All copyright belongs to the owner and I hope he will understand the good nature of the work presented here.

As always, suggestions are welcome.

To infinity and beyond.

Habits on Basil Labib