Matthew's Blog
Value: Writing Tools And Cat Toys
Whether its writing tools or cat toys, here’s my equation for value: (UTILITY X DURABILITY X JOY)/ $COST So, in the case of my cat’s play tube (seen above), I have an item which my cat has vigorously played inside every single day for the past year. All for the IKEA...
My Writing Ritual
When I write, I like to have the least distraction possible, with only the tools I need at hand around me. At my desk, here’s what I place in front of me: KeyboardPost-It notesMont Blanc pencilPomodoro clockYoda Each has with it a specific ritual-like task: First, I...
Being An Intellectual Hobbit
Everyone deserves an intellectual challenge that can take a lifetime to solve—or perhaps even understand. Mine is the solution to the Mind-Body Problem. On the downside, the more I dive into it, the less I seem to understand the question. But on the upside, it has led...
My Primary Writing Space
In the photo above, you can see my primary writing space. It has a few things which I love—especially the lighting. It also has my Pomodoro clock, which I use to time my blocks of deep writing. And there's my little Swarovski crystal Yoda, which is a motivational...
Goal Brainstorming In November
November is the month I start brainstorming my goals for the following year. It’s a running list on my Reminders app, making fleeting ideas very easy to capture. During November, this list will expand to about 10-15 possible goals for the following year. Then, in...
Great Ideas Are A Dime A Dozen
Great ideas are a dime a dozen. That’s roughly 0.83 cents an idea. I have plenty of ideas. For example, I currently have—written out and accessibly filed—the following idea sets: Blog Topics: 153 ideasBig Ideas: 45 ideasProduct ideas: 4 ideasAffiliate ideas: 19...
A Trick For Blogging Every Single Day
How did I keep up a daily blogging habit for nearly a year? Well, one way is that whenever I was bored, or at loose ends, or just sitting there twiddling my thumbs, I wrote a blog post. Even if it was short. Or not very good. Or a post like this.
Focusing On My Ikigai
As I have mentioned in a previous post (I Am Blogging About Too Many Topics), although I feel good about blogging daily—after all, it’s not just a daily writing practice, it’s a daily publishing practice—I don’t like that my blog is unfocused. It’s not that I write...
Why I Love My Ugly Desk Lamp
My desk lamp isn’t just “aesthetically unpleasing.” It’s ugly. The base is too wide. There are cables and wires everywhere. It’s bulky, without any elegance of design. And its rotating joints are exposed and complicated. I cringe whenever I see it. Yet, it does one...