PROGRAMMING MYSELF FOR A BETTER LIFE
       
       I introduced a journal-writing habit into my daily routine a
       number of months ago. I believe I am now seeing the gains
       that come from the rich intrapersonal dialogue I've
       strengthened in myself through quiet written
       contemplation. The efforts put into rendering my feelings,
       thoughts, and desires into words has led me towards
       conclusions about how to make myself a better me.
       
       Two parts of my life hold the keys to my happiness: what I
       do from 9 to 5, and what I do from 5 to 9. Namely, my
       work-life balance. To feel happy day after day I need to
       arrive at each phase as my best self and I need to maintain
       myself as my best self day after day.
       
       The guts of work and life are sometimes messy and
       irregular. But I believe I can achieve some predictability
       in how I arrive home from work and to work from home. How?
       By treating my lifestyle as a programmable machine that
       makes outputs from inputs. For instance: a blue screen leads
       to a late night and a late night leads to a groggy morning;
       or, a poor diet leads to foul moods and foul moods lead to
       lack of ambition. Obviously, there are inputs that produce
       favorable outputs. But it is the negative inputs that are
       most disruptive.
       
       I can achieve favorable states of living by identifying the
       areas of my life that cause the most disruption if lived
       unbounded. For me, that's computer and television. I will
       consume both in large quantities if given the opportunity to
       do so. The effects of too much of either is bad, even if it
       sometimes seems good. For instance: a marathon computer
       session that takes up an entire evening will exhaust me from
       programming for a few days, and it will disrupt my sleep
       schedule, my eating habits, and my work.
       
       Endurance--this is what I'm after. I want to do my favorite
       things in smaller amounts over a longer time range. I want
       to be programming for enjoyment everyday, even if it's not
       for very long. I want to be getting really good sleep every
       night, even if it means making social sacrifices. In another
       way, I want to have boundaries surrounding each precious
       event in my day. Television should not interfer with
       programming, programming should not interfer with sleep,
       sleep should not interfer with work, and work should not
       interfer with life. In effect, my aim is to protect each
       part of my life for each other part of my life. I act kind
       of like a hypervisor managing a number of virtual machines
       on one host: me.
       
       The outcome of my lifestyle changes have produced a
       surprising result: I get more done! I read more. I program
       more. I learn more. I am more often carrying a positive and
       relaxed mindset. This all amounts to a very favorable
       output: I've never been happier, and everyday it feels like
       I'm making larger strides towards nearing the attainable
       happiness of my life. In other words, I am getting better at
       being my best me.
       
       
       The programming thus far
       ------------------------------------------------------------
       Below I gather three perspectives that have contributed to
       my better work-life balance.
       
       
       Computers
       ............................................................
       The work I do with computers in my free time to do one of
       two things:
       
       - Bring me joy
       - Make my life easier
       
       With this aim I let go of any notion that I might ever build
       something really cool or really important. Instead, I hold
       onto the precious ambition to build things that make me
       happy and help me keep my life in order. I don't need to use
       the latest language or writing perfect code any doorknob
       could understand. I can use what tools I'm comfortable using
       and write in a way I understand. Computers should help me
       maintain my life's balance.
       
       
       Rules
       ............................................................
       I establish and follow rule that keep boundaries around
       areas of my life that--if lived unbounded--would descend me
       into chaos. I live more consistently predictable days by
       following the following:
       
       - No screens after 9:30PM
       - Wake up an hour before work
       - Weekday TV on noon hour and between 8:00PM to 9:30PM only
       
       
       Weekends
       ............................................................
       I let go of any notion that weekends are for making great
       achievements. Instead, weekends are for:
       
       - Enjoying a relaxed brain however I please
       - Preparing food for the week ahead