I write about sidchas and standard procedures a fair amount. I don’t remember how often I clarify the main reasons for doing them. You might think the point of fitness-related ones to be fitness. I’m proud of fitness results, but they’re more a side effect. One of the big benefits is mental freedom. I think many people consider diet and exercise sources of stress, never knowing if they’re doing enough[…] Keep reading →

I don’t pretend to be operating at the level of a top Olympic athlete in one of the most grueling sports (though my resting heart rate of 38 bpm probably indicates something) but the words of Jessie Diggins quoted below have resonated with me. Who is she? According to Wikipedia: She is the most accomplished cross-country skier from the United States in the sport’s history having won three World Cup[…] Keep reading →

In Monday’s post, Today’s blizzard, February 2026, I wrote how the blizzard led to another day when I could find no litter in Washington Square Park. As usual, even with over a foot of snow, I found plenty of litter and garbage elsewhere, but at least not in the park, which is like my back yard. That post shows several beautiful pictures of my neighborhood covered in virginal snow. In[…] Keep reading →

Everyone has a camera, so anyone can find wonderful pictures of anything online, but I couldn’t help take some pictures of today’s blizzard. It started yesterday and is forecast to run until this evening. Many places see more snow all the time, so I’m not saying we’re experiencing a lot of snow. It also isn’t that cold, slightly below freezing. I tried to take pictures that show the city before[…] Keep reading →

A few of my sidchas involve lifting weights. I don’t lift to get big or strong, though I like that those results happen. I might like attaining those results more for their being side-effects rather than specific goals. My two main reasons are 1) because our ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years didn’t eat by just walking to the fridge, they had to climb trees, dig up roots, and[…] Keep reading →

Two days ago I posted My first time since starting not finding litter in Washington Square Park, because over six inches of snow covered it. Since I committed to picking up at least three pieces per day until three days pass when I can’t find three pieces to pick up, I wondered if the snow would make it possible. I also offered to take any bets that people would litter.[…] Keep reading →

I lead a meditation group that meets in person a couple times a month. We’ve found we can get a laugh if we talk in the group about talking about meditation to others who don’t meditate by saying, “I can’t meditate. My mind is too crazy to empty it of thoughts,” or words to that effect. Why does it make us laugh? Because it’s like a knee-jerk reaction that betrays[…] Keep reading →

I’ve committed to picking up at least three pieces of litter from the northwest corner of Washington Square Park since it became overrun with fentanyl, meth, and all that results from it during the pandemic. I decided I’d keep up the sidcha until three days passed in which I couldn’t trivially find three pieces of litter, as I wrote three years ago in On when I should stop picking up[…] Keep reading →

If you want to reach your potential simplify your life live by your values create mental freedom create more free time save money build a community of people doing similarly You can achieve all of the above more effectively with a sidcha than any other way I know. I created the sidcha concept inadvertently by creating each part, step by step. The first major step came on this day in[…] Keep reading →