Sharpening the mower →

Published May 18, 2020  ·  All posts on May 18

As I write, I’m listening to my neighbor who is gas-powered-rotary-mowing the rocks in his yard…

This is a frequent topic on my blog: I have an old-school style, reel mower. It’s a modern mower; light, and maintainable. It has no motor; you push it and the blades spin. (Thus it comes with an unlimited, free gym membership and exercise program.) It really matters that it be kept sharp and correctly adjusted. A reel mower is basically 6, precisely adjustd, helical scissors. If you hit even a single twig or piece of mulch, it matters.

Yesterday I spent an hour sharpening and adjusting the mower. This is also a manual process where I have to take apart the wheel-drive-setup, and put the mower body in a little stand, (which I built years ago.) Then, using a manual hand-crank arm, and lapping compound—think: grey peanut butter with stuff that cuts steel in it—I can adjust and sharpen the mower. Anyway. I spent an hour on it.

Then I went back out into the lawn like a hero… only to discover I had done it wrong and really messed it up. Now it cuts way worse— Actually, now it mostly doesn’t cut, is impossible to push, and I need to redo all my adjusting and sharpening.

So yesterday, precious little lawn go mowed. But holy shit did I get a workout!

Sometimes my posts are metaphors for life about “sharpening the saw.” Not today. No, yesterday I simply messed up the mower and busted my ass to no avail.

Nope. Definitely no life lesson here. Nothing to see here. Move along.

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The process of reflection →

Published May 17, 2020  ·  All posts on May 17  ·  , ,

Much of the power of the Movers Mindset podcast’s signature question, “three words to describe your practice?” comes from thinking about one’s personal understanding of the word practice. In the podcast episodes, sometimes the guest’s discussion of that understanding is a profound part of their interview. Sometimes their surgical statement of three words is its sublime culmination.

In 2019, we posed the three-words question of the project itself. This turned out to be a surprisingly fruitful exercise. We came up with three words to describe our practice, and I subsequently adopted them as the three words to describe my practice:

Discovery. Reflection. Efficacy.

If those three words describe my practice—the journey of my whole life—then what is the purpose of this web site? Why go through all this work? It’s taken me 9 years and the previous 2,499 posts to understand:

It’s a vehicle for my process of reflection.

I used to think I wrote because there was something I wanted to say. Then I thought, “I will continue to write because I have not yet said what I wanted to say”; but I know now I continue to write because I have not yet heard what I have been listening to.

~ Mary Rueflé from, Madness, Rack, and Honey

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Not spinning out of control →

Published May 16, 2020  ·  All posts on May 16  ·  

Because, like you, like seemingly everybody, I have also felt as though the world is spinning out of control and there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m exhausted from all the stories of shootings and attacks and bombs and the constant stream of awful stuff that is happening out there. I, too, feel desensitized and dejected from the seemingly constant carnage raging across the planet.

~ Mark Manson from, The Paradox of Progress

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There was a period of time when I felt that the world was spinning out of control. It is not.

Over a couple decades, as I spent less time on dysfunctional social networks, less time on instant gratification, less time on consuming mindless media, less time on bite-sized tripe posing as information, less time on pre-digested opinions… Well, over a couple decades I’ve come to realize that humanity is awesome. Sure, we progress in fits and starts, with setbacks small and large scattered about. But progress we do none the less!

If you see an issue that you think needs addressing, then please do set about affecting change. But do so sans hysteria, sans hyperbole, sans click-baity mindless louder-just-to-get-attention fluff.

The way you make the whole world better is to make one piece of it better; Then repeat.

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Fear is a friend →

Published May 15, 2020  ·  All posts on May 15  ·  

You must understand fear so you can manipulate it. Fear is like fire. You can make it work for you: It can warm you in winter, cook your food when you’re hungry, give you light when you’re in the dark, and produce energy. Let it go out of control and it can hurt you, even kill you… Fear is a friend of exceptional people.

~ Cus D’Amato

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Focus on what you do best →

Published May 14, 2020  ·  All posts on May 14

My suggestion? Let more qualified people or tools tackle the “stuff” that forces you to slow down, lose productivity, and create something less than what your clients deserve. Sure, it’s scary to think about how much it will cost to outsource … anything else that isn’t in your wheelhouse. But think about how much momentum and overall quality of work you lose whenever you let that fear take over. I say: focus on what you do best, outsource the rest, and be happily surprised when you see how much your business soars as a result.

~ Suzanne Scacca from, Focus on What You Do Best and Outsource the Rest

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This is just an awesome point. The article is set in the context of freelancers who build web sites. Strip off the context, and it’s still perfectly true.

But also, I’ve been searching for an excuse to link to A List Apart. It’s not at all obvious from their web site, but they’ve been doing what they do since 1998. It started as a mailing list that was being separated off from I-forget-what… it was to be a “a list apart.” Then they unassumingly began leading discussion and pioneering best-practices for 20+ years.

Also, they have a nice web site chock full of great reading and resources. If you think you have an interesting or challenging problem related to a web site—A List Apart probably covered that 10 years ago.

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Stephen Leung | Growth Hacking your Parkour Business →

Published May 13, 2020  ·  All posts on May 13

On Castbox.fm — Stephen Leung | Growth Hacking your Parkour Business

How can growth hacking techniques help small Parkour businesses compete and succeed in a market dominated by larger competitors?

The key to building a successful Parkour business lies in understanding and addressing the real needs of the community through product-market fit.

[I]f you want to build a business, you want to build a brand. It’s a little meta— but it’s having a clear understanding of your product-market fit. And I spent the beginning of the session there, even teed it up… that some of you may not want to hear this. It’s a really big thing, going back to the tech startup world.

~ Stephen Leung (4:38)

The conversation explores how growth hacking techniques from the tech industry can be applied to small Parkour businesses. A core focus is the importance of identifying product-market fit, emphasizing that no amount of marketing or tactics will succeed without a real understanding of what the market needs. The discussion highlights that Parkour businesses may need to rethink their identity, realizing they are not simply competing within their own community but addressing broader lifestyle needs.

Another topic discussed is the idea of “jobs to be done,” suggesting that businesses succeed by identifying the fundamental problems customers are trying to solve. Parkour businesses could benefit by addressing tangential needs like community building, after-school care, or personal growth, rather than solely promoting physical training. Collaboration among Parkour businesses, rather than competition, is emphasized as a key driver for collective growth.

Takeaways

Growth hacking — Small businesses can leverage creative tactics to compete with larger companies.

Product-market fit — A Parkour business must align with real market needs to grow sustainably.

Jobs to be done — Understanding the broader needs customers seek to fulfill is critical to success.

Community focus — Parkour businesses can benefit by emphasizing the community aspect rather than just physical training.

Collaborative competition — Growth should focus on lifting the entire community rather than outcompeting peers.

Market adaptation — Parkour businesses must adapt to serve evolving market needs rather than clinging to narrow identities.

Resources

Art of Retreat

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Unrestrained moderation →

Published May 13, 2020  ·  All posts on May 13  ·  

I’m finding myself draw to this phrase. It’s clearly messing with me; At first brush it might seem to be an oxymoron. However it depends on which definition of “moderation” I choose. If moderation is something I have—say, I am moderate in my opinions—then that moderation simply is. That moderation is neither short nor tall, slow nor fast, and neither restrained nor unrestrained.

But if moderation is thought of as an action—something I am doing continuously, like running or living or talking—then it can clearly be done to different degrees. My running can be slow or fast. (Technically, my running is uniformly slow, but bear with me for this simile.) My living can be conservative or outlandish. And so my moderation can be restrained or unrestrained. Currently, my moderation dial is turned to about, 2; Picture me knocking on the control panel asking, “Hello? Is this on?” I need to twist that moderation up to 11.

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Update Oct 2020: See also, Festina Lente.

Bryan Riggins: Awareness, process, and books →

Published May 13, 2020  ·  All posts on May 13  ·  

Bryan Riggins: Awareness, process, and books

What can be learned from training parkour and engaging with challenges of height about composure, awareness, and personal growth?

Bryan Riggins discusses his motivation, goals, and process of training descents, and his experiences and relationship with fear. He shares how it relates to his love of coaching children, and the challenges he personally works on. Bryan unpacks his reasons for training parkour before delving into the many books that have influenced him and what is on his reading list.

I think that fear has a place always. I think that if people think that it doesn’t exist or that they don’t have it, they’re lying to themselves.

~ Bryan Riggins (14:18)

The conversation discusses the lessons drawn from parkour, particularly training descents, and how these experiences shape personal awareness and composure. Central themes include managing fear, the importance of intentionality, and the application of these principles in teaching children and coaching others. Bryan reflects on how parkour serves as a means for self-discovery and resilience building.

The discussion also drops into the philosophical aspects of parkour, such as the value of breaking challenges into manageable parts and the role of journaling in tracking progress. Broader reflections on teaching emphasize equipping students with tools to manage emotional responses, fostering a growth-oriented mindset, and creating meaningful connections between physical practice and personal development.

Takeaways

Awareness in training — The importance of being present and intentional in physical practice.

Fear as a tool — Fear is acknowledged as a constant presence, offering opportunities for growth rather than avoidance.

Coaching children — Effective teaching strategies involve mindfulness and providing tools for emotional management.

Challenge breakdown — Success in parkour often depends on dividing large challenges into smaller, manageable steps.

Journaling for reflection — Documenting training helps reinforce learning and track progress.

Social media’s role — Social platforms are seen as both an opportunity for connection and a potential distraction from meaningful practice.

Mindset in challenges — A fixed mindset can limit growth, while a focus on adaptability fosters resilience.

The influence of books — Literature and philosophical insights inform both training and teaching methodologies.

Resources

The Rock Warrior’s Way —  Arno Ilgner’s book that discusses awareness, attention, and intention in training.

Parkour Visions — An organization where the speaker coaches and develops programs.

Momo — Michael Ende’s’ magical realism book mentioned as inspiring.

A Thousand Plateaus — by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, a philosophical work exploring complex ideas.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Presuming, of course, you actually know of something better to do →

Published May 12, 2020  ·  All posts on May 12  ·  

“If you don’t dedicate your time and attention to working with this roto-mill,” the clerk warns, “you might miss out on some benefit that we’re not thinking of now. I don’t see how you could afford such a risk in today’s age of modern yard tools.”

~ Cal Newport from, Would You Buy a Yard Tool if You Had No Idea What to Use it For? So Why Would You Sign Up For Snapchat?

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Maybe I’m going about this all wrong? We—me, Newport, everyone that I’m following and reading—keep saying things like this. (Read the article, it’s super short.) I keep talking about how engaging in certain things is a waste of one’s precious time. But it occurs to me that maybe for some people it is not a waste of time. Maybe for some people, playing Nimecraft, scrolling through Bacefook or Twettir is actually the best thing they’ve yet found to do with their time. (Data point: I do remember when that was the case for myself!)

Today, I have a list of things that I want to do—that I enjoy doing, that yield benefits, and which make me and the world a better place. I also have a list of things which I find pointless which I do not want to do. Maybe it would be far more useful for me to be asking, rhetorically, of the world at large:

What do you want to be doing with your limited time here?

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Tell me if this sounds crazy →

Published May 11, 2020  ·  All posts on May 11  ·  

All of our books have a small dot on their spine.

It’s one thing to try to keep your books physically under control. It’s another task for Sisyphus to keep track of your books in general. Here’s how I do it:

  • Create a free account over on LibraryThing. Set up three collections: One for the books currently in our possession; “Library.” A second for books we’d love to have join us; “Wishlist.” A third for books that have passed through; “Previous.”
  • Get some small stickers, (1/4″ round ChromaLabels work great,) and some sticky notes.
  • Add each book to your “Library” collection in LT and put a sticky note inside the cover marked “LT”. I also track digital books, so I tag all the books in LT with “physical” or “digital”. Then put a dot on the spine so you don’t have open the book to check if there’s a sticky note inside.
  • Why both? Some books can’t accept the spine sticker, and sometimes the dot falls off. So the sticky inside the cover is the definitive mark that a book is in LT.
  • New book arrives? Add it to LT’s “Library” collection, tagged as “physical”, insert sticky note in the front, and add a dot to spine.
  • Book leaving my possession? Remove the dot and sticky note, and shift the book to the “Previous” collection in LT.

As you come across books you might want to read, add them to your Wishlist collection in LT. My Wishlist contains hundreds of books. (That’s not a brag, that’s a confession.) LT has a notes field and I often leave a clue about where/why I’m adding the book. When I later—having forgotten all about that book—go into LT to add it, only to discover it’s already there… “Hmmm, that’s twice now I’ve ‘discovered’ this book. Maybe I should read this book sooner than ‘some day’?” Such books I then tag, “priority.” I’ve about ~20 books tagged priority at the moment.

Yet another reason this is useful is that you can search via the LT website, or the mobile app, to see if you have/have-had any book. You can even wander through a bookstore, and know that your Wishlist is always in your pocket.

Does that sound crazy? Dammnit, that does sound crazy now that I typed it all out.

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