I am a big fan of Cal Newport's Deep Life podcast.
One of his monthly goals is to read at least five books, which he then covers in his podcast.
Fellow podcast fan Bram Adams ([email protected]) has created a database of all Cal has read here: Cal’s Five Books of the Month.
Bram's site also makes fantastic use of Notion.
Thanks, Bram!!
Here is an update to my 2023 plan.
This year, I am reading and journaling about the following two books as part of my daily morning routine:
I was wondering if I was going to do The Daily Stoic book again, as I've re-read it for the last four years. However, after the first week, it is just so good that I'm happy I am re-reading it again.
As far as last year's two other books:
I enjoyed both of them very much, and I recommend them if you are looking for something to do as part of your daily routine.
I am reading these books on my Kindle Paperwhite (which I also recommend if you want a dedicated ebook reader).
Just like last year, I have created some downloadable PDF files of "continuous" calendars for 2024:
I hopefully did the conversion from 2023 to 2024 correctly. It was especially tricky since 2024 is a Leap Year. If you find an error, then please let me know.
These were inspired by Kairos Cognition very elegant calendar:
This is what the Horizontal PDF looks like (3 copies if you print one):
And this is what the Vertical PDF looks like:
Back in this episode of Cal Newport's podcast "Why You're Always Tired & Exhausted (No Matter What You Do)," there was a funny ad read that Cal did for Jesse Skelton.
It was funny enough that not only did I try to make an audio version of Jesse Skelton saying "Get Off Your Phone" (MP3), but another podcast fan made this site for Jesse Skelton.
Enjoy!
I have been curious about the differences between artificial intelligence (AI) image creation tools, and I saw this prompt on Midjourney in the daily theme thread:
Pixar, Beautiful Korean queen focus on front with smile, Hanbok, blue, red, gold, elegant, gorgeous, cute cats, queen of the pink moon, hyper realistic, fliry vibe, fantasy, elaborate, radiant, --no moon --ar 16:9 --v 5.1 - Variations by @jingwen0404 (relaxed)
And this is what was generated:
I put the following into Bing Image creation:
Pixar, Beautiful Korean queen focus on front with smile, Hanbok, blue, red, gold, elegant, gorgeous, cute cats, queen of the pink moon, hyper realistic, fliry vibe, fantasy, elaborate, radiant
And this is what I got:
Very different outputs IMHO.
I think Cal Newport has done his homework on this topic, and I found his conclusions solid.
Here are three additional recommendations I have for "effective" mobile device use:
Photo by Frank Holleman on Unsplash
In a recent episode of Cal Newport's The Deep Life Podcast -- Episode 238: The Joys Of The Reading Life -- Cal provided his well-thought-out ideas on how to have a deep reading life and how that intersects with our digital technologies.
I agree with Cal that reading deeply needs concentration and is free from distraction. Physical books are excellent for those that want that experience.
I also agree that reading on the Kindle (or other dedicated eBook readers) can be a deep reading platform. My Kindle Paperwhite is my primary device for all my reading with my eyes. [NOTE: Listening to audiobooks is reading. Don't get me started.]
He is also correct that reading on most people's standard mobile phones or digital tablets like an iPad is not a deep reading platform.
If you do end up reading on a phone or tablet, here are my recommendations.
My phone already has very minimal alerts, but with a quick swipe, I turn on "Do Not Disturb." And in my Kindle application on the phone, I have changed the background color (Layout > Page Color) from white (default) to green. The other options are: tan, white, or black. I'd choose tan if you don't like the green color.
I find having that green background - uncommon like the tan - tells my mind that I am now in reading mode and not scanning mode (like with a white or black background). This lets me read more deeply when I don't have my Kindle and only my phone. Once I finish reading, I turn off "Do Not Disturb."
Reading on my iPad is more straightforward, as I have 'Do Not Disturb' always on. And I am only reading content on my iPad with colors: comic books, WWII books with maps, Star Wars guides, recipe books, etc. I don't change the background color on my iPad.
Thoughts? Comments? Feedback is always welcome!
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
Back in 2019, I embarked on a daily morning personal devotion and growth plan by reading these two books on my Kindle Paperwhite (no ads):
Since then, I've rotated the faith devotional book yearly, but I have kept re-reading the The Daily Stoic (it is really that good). The previous faith devotionals were:
In addition to reading these, I have been practicing journaling whatever comes to mind before my readings. Looking back over my journaling, I see some themes: what happened the day before, or what is going to happen soon; prayers; concerns/worries; and insight into how I am feeling or how I am doing professionally and personally. I also capture some thoughts or ideas that stand out from my readings. I have tried to journal both on paper and digitally. I have currently settled on paper. I am currently using a Moleskin that was given to me by Manager-Tools.com.
Another practice I have been doing is high-lighting those verses mentioned in the faith devotionals in my Bible (NIV Faithlife Study Bible: Intriguing Insights To Inform Your Faith). It is becoming very interesting to see what verses get used across different authors, and those that only get one or two mentions. An additional insight is how much of the Bible hasn't been referenced. It is also especially interesting to me when my "Faith Daily Devotional" is very aligned with the "Stoic Daily Read."
This year I am going to read in the morning:
I am looking forward to Rolf's book as I've been listening to his podcast for years, and he inspired me to take this Europe Trip in 2019.
NOTE: Links to things you can buy go to Amazon Prime.
#human_generated_content
I learned a lot about Adam Smith that I didn't know about in this three part podcast from Freakonomics.com: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Here are a few examples:
While this cup is no longer available, the quality of Skeletal Dropkick cups, mugs, etc. is excellent and uniquely designed. Plus there are great sticker options. So enjoy!