A reader asked, about my post “Three years of burpees,” Integrity is a interesting concept. Its the same thing for me, after having developed some strong daily habits, which are different from yours. It has made developing harder habits, much easier. How is integrity different from self-control? Isnt self-control the same as doing something when nobody is watching? The way I think about it is, that developing any habit requires[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on the Self-Imposed Daily Challenging Healthy Activity (SIDCHA). If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Here are two videos of people who learned to dance by doing it every day. So much more photogenic than burpees and writing here daily. I don’t know[…] Keep reading →

I almost missed the anniversary of starting my thirty days of cold showers last December, followed by taking cold showers every fourth day since. That comes out to about 75 cold showers, the coldest reaching 39.9F, the first thirty being at least five minutes long. Most people, thinking about the physical discomfort of a cold shower, dismiss the activity as crazy. Some sincerely ask about it. A small number act[…] Keep reading →

A question today: What are you doing that’s exciting? Or rewarding, satisfying, fulfilling, invigorating, or whatever you want out of life? Is your life purely reactive, in that you only have time and resources to do what other people tell you to do, to pay rent, etc? If so, maybe you have no choice. Or do you have time for other things? Do you watch TV, play games online, etc?[…] Keep reading →

If you don’t eat meat, people ask you “Where do you get your protein?” a lot. It’s been so long since I ate meat, I don’t think about protein. I eat what I like. No problem. After nearly a quarter-century including competing at Nationals for Ultimate, running six marathons, getting a PhD in physics, and doing about 50,000 burpees, and various other mental and physical achievements, if any problems haven’t[…] Keep reading →

Since my post, “The smallest effective difference,” I’ve meant to list habits and practices I do to reduce my unnecessary effects on things. I plan to add to the list over time as I think of new ones since I feel like I act on the philosophy all the time and it seems short. If you have similar habits and practices, please let me know. The point of them is[…] Keep reading →

I finished the 2014 New York City Marathon with my best finishing time for the race and my second best time ever! Philadelphia, where I got my best, is flatter and has fewer people, which makes faster times easier. New York, with its hills, crowds, and turns, never gives great finishing times—just an unparalleled running experience, with dozens of bands, hundreds of neighborhoods, and probably over a million fans. My[…] Keep reading →