SIDCHAs

Is the only way to reduce litter and garbage anywhere to overhaul American culture, maybe global? I guess we’ll have to do it then.

Habits / Pollution and Depletion / SIDCHAs

Is the only way to reduce litter and garbage anywhere to overhaul American culture, maybe global? I guess we’ll have to do it then.

Regular readers know I pick up litter every day, in particular in Washington Square Park, effectively my back yard. It's one of my sidchas. Today I must have arrived in the park just after a cleaning crew's shift because I saw almost no litter. Was I excited that the park might be clean for a day, even if just for when I happened to be there? No. Experience taught me not to be disappointed. I went with my computer to work. I knew if I sat and worked, then by the time I left, even a few minutes later, plenty of litter would arrive. I'm sure if I asked anyone if they littered, they'd all say no, but within a few minutes of sitting, I…

August 24, 2026

What I love about expensive gyms

Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

What I love about expensive gyms

I love walking past Equinox gyms, or any other luxury gym. Or any gym for that matter, though especially the expensive ones. New Yorkers commonly pay $300 to $400 per month for Equinox memberships. Why do I love walking past them? Because almost guaranteed, someone will be walking in or out who is less fit yet spends more per month than I spent in probably the last decade on fitness. and I know that I got my full workout in less time than they took commuting or possibly even just changing clothes. The friend I mentioned yesterday in More Personal Bests: floor press, single-arm row, Turkish get-up also once told me he could show me how to get a full-body workout with two kettle bells.…

June 4, 2026

More Personal Bests: floor press, single-arm row, Turkish get-up

Exercises / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

More Personal Bests: floor press, single-arm row, Turkish get-up

Personal best 1: floor press Regular readers know that when I bought my 70-pound kettle bell, I almost couldn't use it (though carrying it from the person I bought it from, used from Craigslist, to the subway, down the stairs to the subway, up and down stairs to transfer, and up more stairs home was a farmers walk). A few months ago I reported reaching personal bests for reps for floor presses. Well, last Thursday I reached eleven reps for my first set. When I got it, I may not have been able to do one rep. I'd been doing 10, 9, 8 for my three sets on my lifting days. Last Thursday I hit 11 for the first set. I didn't plan to. I…

June 3, 2026

Discipline Equals Freedom: Two years no hot showers

Awareness / Exercises / Habits / Pollution and Depletion / SIDCHAs

Discipline Equals Freedom: Two years no hot showers

If you don't get that discipline creates freedom, this post will make no sense to you. If so, probably best not to read it. Regular readers know I found value in taking cold showers. Maybe five years ago, after watching podcast guest Joel Runyon's TEDx talk on cold showers then reading his conversation with his readers on his Cold Shower Therapy Guide, which I recommend, I experimented taking a cold shower. I learned a lot from the experience. It was December in New York City, and very cold, but very invigorating and any discomfort ended the moment I ended the shower. There was no risk of injury. I got most of the value I get from a workout or practicing anything challenging with no cost…

April 15, 2026

Rediscovering “The bigger your achievement, the more it’s a beginning” through Turkish Get-Ups

Awareness / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

Rediscovering “The bigger your achievement, the more it’s a beginning” through Turkish Get-Ups

Almost a decade ago I wrote a post The bigger your achievement, the more it’s a beginning. The effect applies all over in life, but my usual way of describing it is with marathons. Today, I'm posting about completing Turkish Get-Ups, but I'll give context with marathons. Context with marathons Before you finish a marathon, it seems like a superhuman feat, even knowing that millions of people have run them. You don't know if you can do it. At least in my case, I expected that once I finished it I could say "I've done it, I'm exhausted, I've achieved something big, and I don't have to do anything like it any more." Instead, I felt something like, "Now that I know I can do…

April 2, 2026

Why consistency? Self-awareness and integrity

Awareness / Fitness / Freedom / Habits / SIDCHAs

Why consistency? Self-awareness and integrity

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 or if they're doing them right. Making sidchas for the most important parts of your life means you always know they're taken care of. You never have to worry about them. The most important parts of life are easy to put aside here or there, then soon you've lost them. I consider the three pillars…

March 7, 2026

“All it is is pain”: Skier Jessie Diggins on discovering her potential

Awareness / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

“All it is is pain”: Skier Jessie Diggins on discovering her potential

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 overall titles, four Olympic medals, seven World Championship medals, and numerous other event championships. Her words that resonated with me The New York Times profiled her in a piece titled ‘All It Is Is Pain’: The Olympian Testing the Limits of Endurance: Jessie Diggins has become the best-ever American cross-country skier because of what she…

March 4, 2026

More heartbreaking garbage

Addiction / Doof / Habits / Nature / Pollution and Depletion / SIDCHAs

More heartbreaking garbage

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 that post, I also wrote something that breaks my heart that a lifetime of experience prompts me to express, and with confidence: I didn't see any litter in the park this morning so I'm one day into a potential release, but tomorrow is forecast to be sunny and Tuesday is forecast to be warm, so…

February 25, 2026

Today’s blizzard, February 2026

SIDCHAs / Stories / Visualization

Today’s blizzard, February 2026

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 the beautiful snow turns to slush and reveals the larger accumulations of litter and garbage when the city pauses picking up the mess people leave. Recall that sanitation systems are socialist. Whether you like socialism or not, sanitation systems motivate more pollution and depletion. I'll start with the park across the street with my local…

February 23, 2026

Another personal best: (floor/bench press)

Exercises / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

Another personal best: (floor/bench press)

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 hunt animals, along with many other activities, so I do various exercises to keep mentally and physically healthy and 2) for the self-awareness and discipline that comes from a regular ritual that is challenging and beautiful. Despite getting strong not being a primary goal, I like when I find I can do more than I…

February 5, 2026

Another time garbage nearly brought me to tears

Addiction / Doof / Habits / Pollution and Depletion / SIDCHAs

Another time garbage nearly brought me to tears

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. Nearly everyone is addicted to doof. Few Americans can eat breakfast without depriving others of life, liberty, and property based on plastic, shipping, etc that pollute and deplete. Then yesterday I happened to go early in the morning. It was still snowing and I saw no litter again. Two days. Maybe I shouldn't have offered…

January 27, 2026

Meditation thoughts: What is meditation?

Awareness / Doof / Freedom / Habits / Hands on Practical Experience / Nonjudgment / SIDCHAs

Meditation thoughts: What is meditation?

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 a misunderstanding of meditation closer to its opposite. Everyone's mind is full of thoughts we can't help. Meditation doesn't empty your mind. Meditation can do many different things for different people, but a common goal is to find comfort with the eternal state of all human minds: scattered like yours. We know that what they…

January 26, 2026

My first time since starting not finding litter in Washington Square Park, because over six inches of snow covered it.

Addiction / Doof / Habits / Pollution and Depletion / SIDCHAs

My first time since starting not finding litter in Washington Square Park, because over six inches of snow covered it.

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 litter in Washington Square Park. I wish I could believe that outcome should be easy. No litter is necessary. Yet in about five years, I've never been unable to find three pieces trivially. We should collectively cry. Today, over six inches of snow have fallen, covering the ground and making the benches not places anyone…

January 25, 2026

Year 16, day 1: posting here daily

Creativity / Habits / SIDCHAs

Year 16, day 1: posting here daily

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 2011, when I started posting daily to this blog. I haven't missed a day since. The result? See the list above. Want to do it? Many of my leadership clients and students have done so. I don't think any have spent a penny developing and implementing their sidchas. You can too. Watch the video on…

January 23, 2026

A sidcha and self-awareness update

Awareness / Choosing/Decision-Making / Fitness / Habits / Perception / SIDCHAs / Stories

A sidcha and self-awareness update

Doing things consistently and daily for a long time enables you to notice nuances, which increases self-awareness. Since I have a six-day exercise cycle that I begin on the first of each month, in months with 31 days, I like to vary what I do with the extra day. In December I did two things. Sorry for the long post, but what I describe below felt like a meaningful experience of aging, contemplation, risk, and humility. Longer meditation Some background on one: I've meditated daily for about five years and counting. Normally I set my timer for 31 minutes and sit for that long. Why 31 and not a rounder number? No special reason. I worked up from shorter times and ended up there. A…

January 2, 2026

Year 15, day 1 of my burpee sidcha

Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

Year 15, day 1 of my burpee sidcha

I was 40 years old when I did my first burpee in 2011. Today I'm 54 and haven't missed a day. Now I do more than burpees in what I call "my twice daily burpee-based calisthenics." Daily burpees helped me develop the sidcha concept, which I consider one of the most important developments of my life. I've come to see sidchas as the most effective way to reach one's potential. My recent resting heart rate of 38 beats per minute is evidence of not missing a day. It's hard to fake. I wonder when I'll decrease my daily number of burpees or other parts of my calisthenics sidcha. The most annoying part There is one very annoying side effect of sidchas: the near-universal reaction to…

December 22, 2025

New resting pulse: 38 bpm

Doof / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

New resting pulse: 38 bpm

I got my annual checkup yesterday. They took my vital statistics. Reading 1: the blood pressure machine As usual, my resting heart rate was lower than they're used to. The nurse taking my blood pressure saw my pulse was showing 42 bpm while the blood pressure machine was doing its pressure cycle. I was looking forward to taking a picture of that rate, when she started asking me questions, the ones they always do: if I run marathons, bike, or swim. When I answered, the rate increased to 45, I think from my talking. That number stayed on the screen after finishing the blood pressure cycle. I guess because I said I don't run, bike, or swim, and that even rowing I only do once…

December 13, 2025

Sketch for my next book’s opening

Creativity / SIDCHAs

Sketch for my next book’s opening

I'm constantly thinking of how to make my next book as accessible as possible. How do I write something so people want to read more, want to change their lives. Usually I write ideas by hand on paper, a mode that feels like there's less between me and what I write. Then I transfer it to my files by typing it into the computer. I also write here as a sidcha. Today, I'll combine two processes and type my ideas here. I'm not sure if the following will make it into my book, but even if it doesn't, it may help share my thought process. It feels more vulnerable to publicize something less edited, but maybe seeing into it will engage some of you or…

November 28, 2025

Book idea: How Not to Fly

Creativity / SIDCHAs

Book idea: How Not to Fly

I've thought of several book ideas lately. Since I can only work on one at a time and don't want to distract myself, though I'll keep up the sidcha of posting daily here, I'll post some titles, sketches, and outlines here when I think of them. I welcome feedback. Draft ideas Title: How Not to Fly: How to make your most harmful activity feel repugnant and easy to quit Chapters (unordered): My initial journey: From seeing problems as environmental therefore not acting to seeing them as hurting people and acting From starting acting to thinking of avoiding flying for a year and freaking out From committing to a year with fear to, within a few months, finding more of what I feared losing and committing…

November 27, 2025

A new personal best (bench/floor press) and a failed attempt (Turkish Getup)

Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

A new personal best (bench/floor press) and a failed attempt (Turkish Getup)

I wrote in August about a couple personal bests in my lifting practice, Two personal bests in a week: Freedom, and last month about the risk of injury in exploring your physical limits. Why form is important in lifting weights, especially Turkish Get-Ups. First, the personal best on the bench press, or more accurately floor press, since I don't have a bench. My last personal best was to do three sets with the 70-pound weight per arm, 8 reps, then 7, then 6. Earlier this year, an injury lowered my ability to max out at three reps. When I bought the kettle bell (used from Craigslist) I don't think I could do one rep. Six days ago, for the first time, I did three sets:…

November 4, 2025

When I mess up doing a sidcha: I get to practice integrity

A recent morning burpee

Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs

When I mess up doing a sidcha: I get to practice integrity

I'd been meaning to write a post like this since what I'm about to describe happens every now and then. Part of the value of a sidcha is developing the skill of integrity. As with any performance-based activity, we learn to practice integrity through practicing the basics. There are probably many basic practices for integrity, but sidchas are a good one. I can think of few things more valuable to learn than to live with integrity to one's values. My evening burpee-based calisthenics usually involves 27 burpees. How I do them depends on my six-day exercise cycle. On rest days, I do three sets of 9. Tonight's set was four sets of 6 followed by a set of 3. Today was busy. My mind was…

October 28, 2025

I missed a sidcha yesterday: picking up litter in Washington Square Park

Addiction / Doof / Habits / SIDCHAs

I missed a sidcha yesterday: picking up litter in Washington Square Park

Regular readers know my sidcha to pick up at least three pieces of litter from the northwest corner of Washington Square Park. While most of my sidchas I haven't missed, that one I've missed, maybe one or two times per year. The park could use more people picking up litter. No, the point of picking up litter isn't just the temporary removal of litter. Picking up litter makes not buying packaged food and doof easy. People act like avoiding packaged food and doof is hard. Partly they're addicted. Even if not, they still like that stuff and their jolt of a reward. Picking up litter daily leads you to feel repugnance and disgust toward those things. It's not hard to avoid things I find repugnant…

October 16, 2025

The easy and hard parts of exercise and another value of sidchas

Awareness / Fitness / Habits / SIDCHAs / Stories

The easy and hard parts of exercise and another value of sidchas

This morning's calisthenics involved four sets of burpees. I noticed a funny thought as I started the third set. I had barely done a tenth of a burpee in that third set when I thought, "Only one set left." That's an odd thought. Since I had barely started the third set, I had closer to two sets left. Why did I think I had one set left when I actually had closer to two? Because of an effect nearly all of us have experienced. One version is when you planned to jog or go to the gym but you're sitting on the couch relaxing. It's hard to start, but you also know that once you start running, you're likely to keep running, or once you…

September 20, 2025

Another 70-pound Turkish Get-Up, also more lifting personal bests

Exercises / Fitness / Habits / Hands on Practical Experience / SIDCHAs

Another 70-pound Turkish Get-Up, also more lifting personal bests

You may remember me posting about Two personal bests in a week: Freedom, in which I jumped 8.4 pounds (3.8 kilograms) in my Turkish get-up to 70 pounds, plus lifted more in my presses. I think I commented that part of why I tried it when I did was because it was the end of a month with 31 days. I do a six-day exercise cycle starting on the first of the month, so several times a year I have days to experiment. Well, last month had 31 days, so I tried my next 70-pound Turkish get-up. I had a few wobbly get-ups in August so even though I had done it before, I treated this attempt with respect. I concentrated on form. I was…

September 1, 2025

Two personal bests in a week: Freedom.

Choosing/Decision-Making / Exercises / Fitness / Freedom / SIDCHAs / Stories

Two personal bests in a week: Freedom.

When I started doing Turkish Get Ups, I struggled with a 25-pound kettle bell. Over the years, I worked up to where I comfortably do them with a 28-kilogram one, which is 61.6 pounds. My next heavier kettle bell is 70 pounds, which is a big jump. I wondered if I would ever be able to do it. I dented my floor when I lost control of a kettle bell and I once injured a rib that way, so I respect the exercise's potential for injury, or rather, the need for safety and form. Personal Best #2 Today I did my first 70 pound Turkish Get Up, one on each side. For those who don't know what they are, here are many posts. In a…

August 1, 2025

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