Prodding and Reaffirming
December 11, 2024
3-Item Status
Current Location: Milwaukee, WI
Reading: The Longevity Imperative by Andrew Scott
Listening: Feels Right by Biig Piig
Quick Notes
New Work: This week’s Let’s Know Things is about Assad’s Overthrow, and yesterday’s Brain Lenses essay was on Surnames.
Holiday Break: Next week’s newsletter will be the last one of the year, as I’ll be visiting family in Seattle over the holidays—things’ll pick back up again the week of Jan 6.
Question: This week’s question is about taking breaks.
(If you have a moment, reply with your own 3-Item Status and/or Quick Notes about what’s happening in your life.)
Prodding and Reaffirming
I’ve been toying with the idea of continuously wearing some kind of “smart” gadget that tracks basic things like heart rate and steps taken, and which allows me to stay connected to the world without having to pull my phone out of my pocket.
I’ve got an old Apple Watch that does some of what I need in this regard, but its battery doesn’t last long enough for me to use it all day, and while newer models look nice, I actually don’t like the feel of a watch continuously on my wrist; it’s a little chunky and cumbersome to wear all day.
I decided to try out an inexpensive fitness tracker, as while this product category doesn’t get a lot of love these days (they’ve mostly been subbed-out for smartwatches), a slimmer, lighter device seemed appealing, and the fact that I could wear it for several weeks without having to charge it was compelling for my intended use-case.
The one I got boasts a fair number of capabilities and a pretty decent screen, but I can also render it un-smart, having it silently capture basic data (heart rate, steps, blood oxygen level) and nothing more than that.
After several days of wearing it, I’ve realized that while the data-tracking thing is indeed great, I don’t actually need (or want) the smarter features built into such devices: I prefer an unobtrusive, subtle little wristband that does very little and which I often forget I’m wearing at all.
I like to check in with myself on these sorts of things periodically, as there’s a chance that at some point a pricier smartwatch (or other wearable device) will be exactly what I’ll need; I’ll want to be plugged in all day, every day, because my life will require it, or my state of mind will benefit from that kind of always-on connection.
At the moment, though, a persistent internet umbilical is not what I’m after: I like being able to focus uninterrupted, so a nicer smartwatch (with all its notifications and other whizbang features) would be a wasted investment for me.
I kind of already knew this about myself and my preferences, but I like to check my assumptions about what I want and need, from time to time, to see if they’re still relevant.
These sorts of little experiments help me prod my presumed norms, beliefs, and necessities, which in turn allows me to either reaffirm or discard my current priorities.
I’m pretty sure that focusing on freeing up time (so I can spend it however I want) and increasing my range future options (as opposed to focusing exclusively on earning more money) will make me happier, more fulfilled, and more productive than the alternative, for instance.
Unless I test that belief periodically, though, there’s a chance I’ll make important decisions and plans based on an outdated sense of who I am—wrongly assuming nothing has changed, and only realizing something’s different after I’ve invested in a life path that no longer makes sense for who I’ve become.
It wouldn’t be the end of the world to buy a gadget that’s overpowered (and overpriced) for the purpose to which I ultimately put it.
But this kind of self-understanding informs countless decisions we make everyday, and the cost of having to step back from pivotal but ill-informed work, relationship, or health-related decisions can be substantial.
If you enjoyed this essay, consider supporting my work by buying me a coffee or buying a book.
Interesting Links
The Clever Glass Box That Reshaped the World
Glass, timber, putty, paint - it was essentially a sealed mini-greenhouse. It let the light in. It kept the soot and smoke out. And it kept the moisture in, so there was no need to water the plants.
This was no feat of technology but the result of a questioning mind. It was commonly assumed plants needed the open air. Ward wondered if perhaps they didn't.
Why You Should Always Look Down In London
Coal hole covers can be spotted in the pavements of London's older streets. Back when everyone had a coal fire, these small holes were used by delivery men, who could tip the black stuff straight into a cellar without having to carry it through the house.
She steers us to one more Madonna with Child, the center of an altarpiece painted by Bernardino di Betto, better known as Pintoricchio, in 1495 or 1496. It is all glimmering blues and reds and golds. “Look, there,” she exclaims, pointing to the bottom of the painting. At the Madonna’s feet, just off the gold hem of her azure robe, are three gnarly looking apples—oddly shaped varieties you’d never see in a market today.
(If you want more links to interesting things, consider subscribing to Aspiring Generalist.)
Question
This week’s question is about taking breaks.
Specifically, how do you decide when to take breaks? And do you have any rules or guidelines for yourself when you do?
Consider sharing your thoughts in the comments (or you can share them with me directly by responding to this newsletter) :)
I’ve long been hesitant to take breaks, thinking of my ability to persist and persevere through even extreme (and extremely exhausting, even painful) circumstances as an advantage.
Reader: my life, health, sanity, and (I think) work improved as soon as I realized making time for intentional rest (mental and physical) is far better (and more sustainable) than grinding oneself to dust.
I try to make sure that I differentiate between recovery and actual free-time (recovery being the return to equilibrium after some kind of strain, and free-time being completely orthogonal to anything else I’m doing—so time set aside for hobbies, for being bored, for lounging or testing myself or exploring or whatever else).
Beyond that, I don’t have any hard-fast rules for how I spend such moments. Though I do try to make sure I get away from screens as much as possible, and that I’m able to do things with friends and other loved ones (as otherwise my inclination leans toward just reading books and isolating to a probably unhealthy degree).
Outro
I’ve got a fair bit of work to do before my end-of-year break, but I’m feeling pretty good about the pace I’ve set for myself and my work load this year, so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming.
I truly can’t believe it’s going to be 2025 in just a few weeks. What the what? That’s a sci-fi future-sounding year!
I’ll talk to you again next week; in the meantime, tell me something about what you’re up to for the holidays!
Send me an email or leave a comment—I respond to every message I receive and would love to hear from you :)
I like the question of when to take breaks. My current practice is to follow the Jewish Sabbath relatively strictly: no screens, phone off, though I'm not a stickler about not ripping toilet paper :). I like the distinction between rest and free-time, though sometimes the two blend into each other (e.g. while reading a book on a sabbath). Kevin Kelly said "I think goofing off, wasting time, sabbaticals, Sabbaths, taking a Sabbath, are all essential to the creative life." I couldn't agree more. Fallow periods are awesome. Yesterday, I went into the ocean and just zoned out and looked at the water for a long-ass time. Time seemed to disappear. One thing that I'm wondering about is whether the top-down way of categorizing all this may be too much. Maybe we just feel like we need a break, and take one? Whether we call it free time or rest, doesn't matter. For example, today I'm a little sick, and we got invited to a bunch of social gatherings on christmas. Do we stay or go? We'll see how we feel! Thanks for indulging the ramble!
If I feel tired because I've completed a lot of items, I'll rest with some self isolation. I like people, but they're exhausting. If I feel tired because I have a lot to do, I throw myself into crossing off as many of those tasks as possible so they are no longer looming over me.