Spontaneity

Those of us accustomed to making life livable by superimposing over its inherent chaos various control mechanisms — habit, routine, structure, discipline — are always haunted by the disquieting awareness that something essential is lost in the clutch of control, some effervescent liveliness and loveliness elemental to what makes life not merely livable but worth living.

~ Maria Popova from, https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/05/07/erich-fromm-escape-from-freedom-spontaneity/

I spend significant time swerving between the two extremes of schedule-and-organize “all the things,” and running around like a dog fascinated by everything. New item on my list of 42 things (all numbered “1”)…

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Stop hacking your life

Many people have had success using these life optimization tools and tricks, and they’re not necessarily a bad thing. Their effect all depends on which of two relationships someone has with hacking:

Hacking approach can be beneficial; every man should have a little MacGyver in him and keep some duct-tape solutions in his back pocket. And if there’s a better way to cut an onion, by all means, go for it.

But hacking approach invariably leads to a life that’s less optimal, not more. The damage results not so much from the actual hacking practices themselves, but from the mindset their pursuit and adoption begets.

~ Brett McKay from, http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/04/13/stop-hacking-your-life/

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Stop pissing people off

. It’s Not What You Said, It’s What You Didn’t Say
. You Accidentally Asserted Power Over Them
. They Think You Owe Them
. You Wasted Their Time
. You Assumed That Because You Were OK With a Situation, Everybody Was

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-youre-accidentally-making-everyone-hate-you/

Cracked.com is not what I’d call a bastion of insightful commentary. But then, they do occasionally bust out pieces like this, which … well. Uh, yeah, note to self.

But you definitely want to click through to read the why/how/what-for’s on that punch list.

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