Do the Opposite - #100DaysWithout Coffee, April's Books and More
Hello everyone,
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#100DaysOfX and #100DaysWithout Coffee
I've noticed lately that I tend to drink way too much coffee (occupational hazard for programmers haha), and that no day passes without me having at least 2 coffees. The problem is that I love it. I've always thought - if you have to have a sin, let it be coffee, since it's relatively safe compared to others (like smoking).
Nevertheless, I want to try going without coffee for the next 100 days, starting today (Today is April 1st, but it's not a joke, I promise :) I love challenges, but this one sounds like it's going to be a little tougher than some other ones I've done recently. I will be tweeting my progress every day on Twitter - @ka11away. If you want to join me in this challenge, or any other 100 Day challenge, check out the www.100DaysOfX.com website.
It's a framework for challenges where you can choose one that suits you and your goals. For example, you could do #100DaysOfWriting or #100DaysOfMeditation. For example, with #100DaysOfMeditation you could decide that you would meditate for 15 minutes every day for the next 100 days. To make sure you stick to the challenge, let your friends and family know you are doing it, and post your progress updates on Twitter every day. (details are on the website)
Books:
These are the 2 books I've chosen to read in April. If you have recommendations for great sci-fi books, let me know!
1) Audio-book: "The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi.
I usually choose my sci-fi titles by going through the lists of Award Winners, namely Hugo, Nebula and Arthur C. Clarke Award winners. The Windup Girl has won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. It takes place in the near future, affected by multiple ecological disasters, with "Calorie" companies making genetically "hacked" products, highly adaptable viruses destroying entire crops of fruit, vegetables and plants. The oil age has passed and that dictates new different ways of producing energy, and more. The book is set in Bangkok, Thailand. From its description: "There, he encounters Emiko...Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. " It sounds very interesting, and after I finish it, I will make sure to share my thoughts on it with you.
2) "The Go Programming Language" by Alan A. A. Donovan and Brian W. Kernighan
Now, I know that this book is very specific. However, there are some thoughts I want to share regarding technical and programming books like this. I usually never get through them, because I am trying to do all the exercises after each chapter, and then around 6th or 7th chapter life gets in the way, and I think "I can't continue to the next chapter until I've solved the exercises of the previous one" and that blocks me and leads to slowly abandoning the book.
This time I am trying something different. Instead of doing all the exercises, I will just read through the whole book. This way I am making sure I finish the book from beginning to end.
I've decided on this particular book because this year, professionally, my priority is to drastically increase my knowledge/experience of Go (Golang). Reading it is a supplement to what I am currently doing (project, work, exercises) which is why I am ok with not doing the exercises in the book this time. I might even read it again in a year or so, to 'layer on top' of the knowledge I will have by that time and to understand the intricacies of Go on a different level.
Articles:
"How to Eat Healthy Without Thinking, Backed by Science" by James Clear
An amazing collection of tips on how to modify your environment (your workplace, your home) to help you make healthier food choices without having to exert willpower and make decisions each time you choose what to eat. Pro tip: if you are interested in changing habits, check out James's book called "The Atomic Habits" It's one of the best books on the subject.
Videos:
"That Time It Rained for Two Million Years" by PBS
An interesting account of a climate change that happened 234 million years ago - with the climate going from very hot and dry to wet with lots of rain - which led to the longest rain in history. Next time your friend complains it's raining, show them this video :)
Quote:
A year from now you may wish you had started today.
– Karen Lamb
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Keep doing the opposite,
Alexander Kallaway
https://twitter.com/ka11away