Random Walk Newsletter, Issue 22#
Observations & Insights#
Positive Numbers and Negative Numbers
Positive numbers hope to arrive quickly, while negative numbers hope to do something quickly. Sometimes, the same conditions presented in different ways can give people very different feelings.
The human mind is really worth studying. Sometimes, psychology feels very elusive, but after reading more books, I have come to understand its mysteries and discovered some of my own psychological traits. Many companies or events use common psychological factors to achieve success.
For example, the pricing of different models of some products reminds me of the precise knife skills often seen in the V2 Apple theme. 😄
Pomodoro Technique
I don't know if anyone has used the Pomodoro Technique. I started using it not to improve work efficiency, but to remind myself to take regular breaks and avoid sitting for too long.
However, recently I read an article that said concentration is similar to exercise and requires warm-up. You can't immediately focus as soon as you sit down. Research shows that it generally takes 5 to 10 minutes to "warm up" before entering a state of concentration. When I set it to 25 minutes before, the most common feeling was that I just entered a state of concentration and it was already time to take a break. Later, I adjusted it to 45 minutes (one class), and now it's 60 minutes, which is still manageable.
The typical duration of human focus is around 90 minutes (not necessarily exactly 90 minutes, it may vary for different people). From this perspective, the duration set by the Pomodoro Technique may not be scientifically accurate. For you, 25 minutes may spend half of the time "warming up" your attention. It's hard to get into a state and then have to take a break shortly after. The article also suggests that for high-intensity focused work, it is best not to exceed 2-3 sessions of 90 minutes each.
Audiobooks & Books#
Success and Luck
The main idea of this book is that when people talk about success, they often talk about how hard they have worked, while when it comes to failure, it is more common to blame it on bad luck.
Thinking about it carefully, it seems to be true. Whether it's success-related books or interviews with successful people, most of them mention how hard and diligent they are. But the author's point is that at the same time, there are many people who are equally hardworking and diligent. So why can this person succeed? Ultimately, it's because of luck. Therefore, when you succeed, you should acknowledge the existence of luck and recognize its importance.
Does this mean we don't need to work hard? Should we just lie down? After all, whether we can succeed in the end depends on luck. No, that's not the case. For example, the author's answer to this question is quite clever.
How much of my achievements should be attributed to my own efforts, and how much should be attributed to the influence of the external environment?
The author says: How you view this question actually depends on whether you look forward or look back. If you are planning for the future, you should believe that the future is within your control, and as long as you make efforts, you will be rewarded. But if you have already achieved success and are looking back, you should realize that what you have gained exceeds what you deserve, and you should be grateful for it. As a person in this world, you should know that without the support of the external environment, you would not have achieved what you have today.
This reminds me of a book I read before, but I forgot the title. It mentioned the truly successful people. For example, in recent decades, with the rapid development of the Internet, the names we often hear are basically Jack Ma, Pony Ma, Zhang Yiming, and so on. But can they succeed on their own? They rely on the Internet, so the people who invented the Internet are the ones worth remembering (I'm sorry, I don't know their names, but I agree with this idea). So when you succeed, learn to be grateful.
In summary, if it's about the future, believe that hard work will lead to success. If it's about looking back, be more grateful. In my opinion, for the goals you want to achieve, don't worry about the results, just do it.
Consistency
I finished reading this book a while ago, and this week I organized the notes that were saved as drafts and had some new ideas to share.
Life is full of ups and downs, and the author also mentioned this. Compared to highlights, it is the low points that make people grow. Looking back on the various "highs and lows" of my own and others' lives, I found that there are no highs that cannot be overcome, but there may be lows that are difficult to get out of.
Exercise is for health and happiness, but now many sports are accompanied by comparison, such as step count, distance, pace, and so on. I originally wanted to use exercise to relieve anxiety and improve my physical condition, but looking at these comparative numbers, I fell into another kind of anxiety and lost the original intention of exercise. To quote the author, exercise is meant to be fun. If exercise becomes a chore, it's not enjoyable anymore.
Speaking of exercise, let me add a few more words. Starting from June last year, I have been doing regular exercise for more than a year, mainly running. Last Friday, I completed my first 10 kilometers in my life. I felt great when I was running that day. Usually, I run 5 kilometers, and that day I finished 5 kilometers without feeling tired, so I continued running.
Since that day when I finished 10 kilometers, running 5 kilometers this week has become much easier mentally. The resistance in my mind before running has significantly decreased, and I feel that the goal of 5 kilometers is relatively easy now. Previously, every time I ran 5 kilometers, from start to finish, I was constantly focused on the information coming from my headphones that said I had completed x kilometers. I always thought, why haven't I reached x kilometers yet. Now it's completely different. When I hear the voice from my headphones, I feel much calmer. Maybe I have really advanced.
Today is the last day of September, and there will be a 7-day holiday ahead. Although we can't travel freely, I still wish everyone a happy holiday.
That's all for this issue of the Newsletter. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Thank you for reading.