I want to clarify a point of confusion, probably my fault. Since I talk a lot about sidchas and habits, one could conclude that I focus on habits as a big part of my life. On the contrary, though I consider them important, they are less a big part of my life than they make worry and insecurity a small part of my life. For clients that come to me[…] Keep reading →

I recently shared this experience with someone who described the feeling of suffering after beating their personal best for rowing a 2k: Your story reminds me of finishing my first running marathon. In the area where runners could get their bags and put on warm clothes, some happy-go-lucky guy, despite also having just finished, jauntily walks in saying spritely, “You did it! It hurts now, but the pain will pass[…] Keep reading →

For years I had to wear orthotics when running in regular running shoes and still felt back pain to where I gave up running. Switching to minimal running shoes returned me to pain-free running. Interviewing podcast guest Nir Eyal, he talked about barefoot running. Most people mean ‘minimal shoe’ when they say ‘barefoot,’ but Nir meant barefoot. I decided to experiment running barefoot. Switching to minimal shoe running, where I[…] Keep reading →

If you haven’t seen the pictures recently published by Charles Custer, who drove America’s route 66 with his wife in 1950-51, you’re in for a treat—and, for some of you, a challenge to preconceived notions about progress. They show in wonderful detail, composition, and style, an America now gone, replaced by uniformity, efficiency, and overpopulation. I’ll take the liberty of posting one, but there are 148 of them here, and[…] Keep reading →

Reading in one of my online groups about people struggling to keep habits without external structure—something I think I can safely claim expertise in—I offered to share what I’ve found works in 150,000 burpees, etc. I made an interactive webinar out of my experience—my most comprehensive, useful compilation of a decade of experience creating structure, discipline, and mental freedom. Most relevant now, I did it at no cost, not needing[…] Keep reading →

According to my spreadsheet that calculates my burpee count, I did my hundred-fifty-thousandth today. Actually, that would be my hundred-fifty-thousandth as part of my burpee-based sidcha. I occasionally do more, like to show people how to do them, or when I see how long I take to do a hundred, but I never do less. My total expenditures on them is still $0.00, including equipment, trainer, travel, etc. I haven’t[…] Keep reading →

Did I mention before the virus that I accepted an invitation to show how I cook my famous no-packaging vegetable stews in the Bronx? I believe cooking this way is simple and accessible to anyone. I brought the ingredients, my pressure cooker, and my knife and chopping board by subway to this community group’s potluck dinner. We met in a church, where I showed how I make the stews. I[…] Keep reading →