My sidchas, standard operating procedures, and preferences
I meant just to list all my sidchas in my post Freedom exists in structure; it’s not chaos, randomness, or luck. Here’s my structure and freedom, but I made a mistake. I included standard operating procedures with sidchas.
I didn’t think of the distinction. One is habits. The other is the best way to do something. I’ve written about sidchas. What about operating procedures? If there’s a better way and worse way, why do the worse way? Choosing a best way saves mental effort on top of the benefits of doing something better. Doing it consistently allows for continual improvement and increasing self-awareness.
For example, living on the fifth floor, I could take the elevator or stairs. I decided once and for all to take the stairs. The result: mental freedom in the moment every day I’m at home and the benefits of extra exercise.
Without further ado, my sidchas, standard operating procedures, and preferences, kept separate.
Sidchas
Morning
- 1 minute: wake up, make bed, cross room, turn off alarm
- Morning 20-minute burpee-based calisthenics, synchronized with 6-day exercise/mindfulness cycle
Evening
- Evening 20-minute burpee-based calisthenics, synchronized with 6-day exercise/mindfulness cycle
- Clean countertop of all books, work, etc before sleep
Writing and Podcasting
- Post to blog or podcast daily
6-Day Exercise/Mindfulness Cycle
- Days 1, 3, 5: meditate for 45 minutes
- Days 2, 4, 6: meditate for 15 minutes
- Day 2: Turkish Get-up, Kettlebell swings, Farmer’s walk
- Davy 4: Mop floor
- Day 4: 3 cycles: Kettlebell single-leg deadlifts, Single Arm Kettlebell Floor Press, Single-arm bent-over rows, Split-Squat, Arnold Press, Curl
- Day 6: Cardio, at least 300 calories rowing or meaningful effort plogging, biking, walking, or climbing stairs
- Day 6: Cold shower
Community
- Volunteer Monday, Tuesday, Thursday to bring food donations from stores to community center
- Pick up litter daily: at least 1 piece from anywhere plus 3 pieces from northwest corner of Washington Square Park
- Disconnect apartment from electric grid (can plug in phone and computer at NYU, though minimize)
Standard Operating Procedures
Morning
- 1 hour: before connecting to internet
- Monday and Thursday: shave
- Start shower in stream, not after it warms up
- Turn off shower when done washing, usually a couple minutes
Evening
- Put phone on airplane mode before sleep
Diet
- Salvage when clean from farmers market scraps, compost, volunteering, found
- Avoid waste
- Compost scraps
Computer
- Minimize apps on phone
- Remove pictures and other files after use
- Unsubscribe from most mailing lists
- Block ads and javascript as much as possible
Community
- Line dry clothes
- Don’t fly
- Call or email to avoid unsolicited mail
Symmetry/simplicity
- Put wallet and keys where they belong on entering
- By odd-even days:
- Half-lotus upper leg left-right
- Put on clothes left-right leg-arm
- 31st or 29th day of month odd-even day by odd-even month
Preferences
Diet
- Eat no animal products
- Avoid doof
- Avoid fiber-removed foods
- Avoid packaged food (some allowance for salvaged and defatted peanut flour)
- Screens off while eating
- Favor CSA, farmers markets, coop, salvaged
Computer
- Avoid proprietary software, especially Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon
- Avoid buying equipment
- Avoid sites that update faster than daily
- Set videos at minimum resolution, prefer to download and watch outside browser
Community
- Avoid elevator at home
- Favor public transit over cars
- Avoid buying clothes, favor used
- Minimize shower water flow
- Avoid buying or owning books, favor library
Read my weekly newsletter
On initiative, leadership, the environment, and burpees