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How Audible Made My Chores Fun

Hello, dear readers,

Today, I’d love to share a little secret that has completely changed how I do my daily chores. It’s Audible! Every morning, I slip on my headset and listen to an audiobook while making breakfast and taking medicine. It’s not just mornings, either. If I’m running, mowing the lawn, cooking, or cleaning, you bet I’ve got an audiobook playing in the background.

Before my stroke, I was an avid reader and could quickly lose myself in a book for hours. Unfortunately, one of the lingering effects of the stroke was double vision. Thankfully, that has improved thanks to some eye exercises; another hurdle was that my concentration took a hit. I found it frustrating to read because I got easily distracted.

But you know what? My love for books never died. I still had a long list of books I wanted to read. And this is where Audible became a real lifesaver for me. I’ve worked through that list with Audible while getting other things done. It’s been a win-win situation!

Here’s the cherry on top: Audible makes my chores enjoyable! Imagine that. There have been times when I’ve started a task I’d been avoiding to listen to another chapter of the audiobook I’m enjoying.

I understand Audible may not be for everyone. Still, I encourage you to find whatever tools help make your daily tasks easier and more enjoyable. If you’ve been avoiding your chores or have a reading list gathering dust, why not try Audible? It might improve your life, as it did for me.

That’s all for today. Until next time, happy listening!

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The Journey to Our Perfect Sunday Pizza: A Tale of Taste and Health

Greetings to all you lovely readers out there!

My wife and I cherish a ritual that has become near and dear to our hearts: our Sunday Pizza Day. The festivity kicks off on Saturday. It’s a little intro that involves feeding our sourdough starter, usually right after I wrap up my kombucha bottling process. This two-day routine has become a weekend culinary symphony for us, each step harmoniously leading into the next.

Our venture into homemade pizza began as a necessity rather than a mere food experiment. After being diagnosed with kidney disease and hypertension, salt went from another seasoning to something I had to be wary of. And let’s face it: store-bought or restaurant pizzas are generally sodium havens. Thus, my wife and I embarked on this home-cooking journey to balance taste and health.

My sister, a prodigious baker, laid the cornerstone of our pizza adventure. She bequeathed a tried-and-true crust recipe, a sourdough starter, and instructions on how to keep it thriving. We eagerly started our experimental phase with this foundation, fueled by necessity and culinary curiosity.

Our kitchen soon turned into a laboratory of taste. We dabbled with an eclectic array of toppings, some of which I had never even dreamt of putting on a pizza. Think potato, cauliflower, and zucchini! The crust, too, underwent a few incarnations. We introduced rosemary to the dough and switched to garlic-infused oil for that extra layer of flavor. The result? A pizza that’s both nutritious and delectable, albeit divergent from what we used to consider ‘classic’ pizza.

We’ve been so obsessed with our creation that on the rare occasions, we’ve ordered pizza since we found ourselves comparing it unfavorably to our homemade variety. What we once deemed scrumptious now pales compared to the personalized, health-conscious pies we whip up in our kitchen.

As we’ve navigated this gastronomic expedition, we’ve moved from problem-solving to perfecting. I can safely say we’ve reached a point where our pizzas no longer need ‘fixing.’ However, I highly doubt that this marks the end of our culinary creativity. From now on, any modifications we make will be born out of the desire to experiment for experimentation’s sake—to see how a new topping or tweak in the recipe melds with our now-beloved baseline.

Our Sunday Pizza Day isn’t just about the final product on the plate; it’s about the love, health, and creativity that go into every slice. And trust me, that’s the real topping you can’t buy.

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The Art and Science of Homemade Kombucha: A Weekly Ritual

Hello, dear readers,

You know, self-assigned chores often require that extra push to get done. But guess what? I nailed it yesterday, completing my entire to-do list! And one of those tasks was bottling our weekly stash of kombucha for my wife and me. You can dive into our kombucha journey on my wife’s blog. Still, lately, I’ve been the one piloting the bottling operation now that we’ve got our system down to a T (pun intended).

Let me walk you through my Thursday-to-Saturday kombucha ritual. Thursday starts with a sterilization spree of the 8 bottles we’ll use. I fill them with water and add a teaspoon of detergent. These bottle buddies then hang out on the kitchen counter overnight. Come Friday evening, it’s tea time! I bring a half-gallon of water to a rolling boil and plop in 8 tea bags for steeping. Once it’s nice and flavorful, I stir in a cup of sugar. After it hits boiling point again, off goes the heat, and it’s left to cool down overnight.

Now, while the tea is brewing, I return to my sterilized bottles, rinse them, and line them up on the counter. They’re all set for their starring role on Saturday. Come the weekend, I fill each bottle with 6 ounces of our favorite juice blend from the store. Next, 10 ounces of fermented kombucha tea is poured in. I then do a quick SCOBY check (that’s Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast for the uninitiated), set aside a cup of the fermented tea, and clean the fermentation jar. Once it’s spic and span, in goes the cooled tea from the previous night. I add back the SCOBY and the saved cup of fermented tea, and voila! The jar returns to our storage room, where it’ll ferment in peace until next week.

Oh, the bottles? They also head to the storage room for a week of conditioning. Post that, it’s straight into the fridge they go, awaiting their moment of glory.

Getting the timing right for each of these steps took some doing, but I’ve got it down. A little pro tip I swear by is optimizing wait times. Identify those stages where you’re simply waiting around—like waiting for the water to boil. Use that time to knock off other tasks—like rinsing the bottles in my case. It’s multitasking without affecting the quality of any single task. You’ll find this especially useful in cooking, too. Ever notice how most recipes kick off with “Preheat the oven”? Yep, that’s optimization in action.

Till next time, folks! Stay fizzy.

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The Struggle of Practicing My Own Advice: Coping with Loss and Self-Care

Hello to my cherished readers,

Today, I grapple with the tricky endeavor of heeding my counsel from just a day ago. As some may know, my long-time furry companion, Gambi, passed away yesterday at 16. Acknowledging the weight of this loss, I allowed myself to step back from my routine. Sure, I managed to pull off a single exercise set and even went for a run, but sitting down to write eluded me. Yet even as I mourn Gambi, who meant the world to me, I must acknowledge the importance of sticking to my other commitments. While I did fall short in some areas yesterday, I feel a sense of pride for pushing myself to do what I did manage to accomplish.

Yesterday was tough, no doubt about it. However, a surprising solace came in the form of exercise. It wasn’t a magic cure; emotionally, I was still shattered. Still, something about the physical activity provided me a slight reprieve. Reflecting on that experience has made it easier to muster the energy to exercise today. Slowly but surely, I intend to get back in the saddle. I’m not naïve enough to think that I’ll swiftly move on from the absence of Gambi in my life. Still, through sheer will and effort, I anticipate that, eventually, I’ll come close to being the person I was before.

Arguably, the most challenging part of this transition has been grappling with how ingrained Gambi was in my nightly ritual. For years, my bedtime routine commenced with calling Gambi into the bedroom. As I nestled into bed, I’d tell her I was ready for our usual evening snuggles. She’d promptly saunter over, perch on my right shoulder, and start purring, a comforting sound that had become as essential to me as a lullaby. The gaping void left by her absence makes me wonder how I’ll adapt my routine to compensate for this loss. Although uncertain about what will fill that emotional space, I am optimistic that something will eventually.

For now, the most I can do is heed the advice I’ve been doling out all along. It’s challenging, but if I expect to encourage others, it’s vital that I also live by those principles myself. Self-care and maintaining routine might feel like climbing a steep hill. Still, they’re crucial steps toward navigating through this emotional labyrinth.

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Turning Setbacks into New Beginnings: The Art of Maintaining Streaks

Hello Dear Readers,

As you strive to build successful routines and habits, there will inevitably be days when obstacles throw you off course. The weather, unexpected emergencies, or simple fatigue disrupts your meticulously planned performance. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I recently faced such a challenge when I could only complete one set of exercises instead of the scheduled two. While you can’t rewrite the past, you can control how you navigate the future.

A Chinese proverb wisely states, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time is now.” This aphorism reminds us that although we can’t undo our failures, the next best thing is to act immediately to rectify them. Resilience isn’t just about avoiding loss; it’s about your recovery speed. Dusting yourself off and getting back on track is what truly counts.

Losing a streak can be disheartening, especially when you’ve invested significant time and effort into maintaining it. For example, I’ve consistently practiced Japanese language exercises on an app for over 250 days. Although I take immense pride in this achievement, I must acknowledge that this isn’t my first streak. It is, however, the longest one I’ve maintained. While I aim to continue without interruptions, life sometimes cooperates with our plans. Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can disrupt even the most entrenched habits.

When setbacks occur, the key is not to dwell on them but to take them as learning opportunities. The first step is to evaluate the reason behind the break in your routine. Once you identify the root cause, you can develop strategies to prevent similar interruptions in the future.

The art of maintaining a streak lies in its renewal. A broken streak isn’t a dead end; it’s a junction that points you toward a new path, offering you a chance to build a longer, more robust streak. It’s like planting a new tree in your garden of habits; the more you nurture it, the more resilient it becomes, capable of withstanding future storms.

So, the next time you find your routine interrupted, don’t see it as a setback but as an opportunity for a fresh start. Learn from it, adapt your strategies, and continue your journey toward self-improvement. Plant that new tree today, and watch it grow more potent than the last one. With this mindset, you transform every end into a new beginning, turning setbacks into setups for future success.

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The Power of Mental Triggers: An Effective Technique for Remembering Things

Hello Dear Readers,

If you’ve ever found yourself forgetting something important, you’re not alone. Forgetfulness is a common human experience, but it doesn’t have to be. Today, I’m excited to share a nifty memory trick that has worked wonders for me. Initially, I used it to remember to stick to my exercise routine. Still, I soon realized its applicability extends to almost anything.

The Mental Trigger Technique

The technique involves setting up ‘mental triggers’ to help you recall information or tasks at specific times. Here’s how it works:

  1. Set a Clear Goal: The first step is clearly defining what you want to remember. It could be a task like doing exercises or something informational like a grocery list.
  2. Choose a Time or Situation: Identify the time or situation when you want to recall this information. This is the ‘trigger event’.
  3. Visualize the Scenario: Next, create a vivid mental image of what you’ll experience during this trigger event. The more detailed the picture, the better.
  4. Link the Goal to the Imagined Scenario: Connect your Goal to this mental image. When you encounter the imagined scenario in real life, it acts as a trigger to remind you of your Goal.

Case Study: The Grocery Store

Let’s consider a relatable example. My wife often asks me to remind her of something once we get home. In this scenario, she has already set the Goal and the trigger event for me. My job becomes easier; I only have to picture us walking through the door when we get home. I then linked her request to that mental image. The visual trigger helps me remember what she asked when we walked through the door.

The Limits of the Technique

Of course, no technique is flawless. The success of this memory hack largely depends on how closely your imagined scenario aligns with reality. For instance, I often use this technique to remember grocery items. The trigger can fail if the grocery store has a new display or a rearranged layout that diverges from what I had visualized.

Conclusion

While not infallible, this technique has proven highly effective, surpassing other strategies I’ve tried. It’s incredibly versatile and can be tailored to suit a variety of situations and tasks. If you often need help with forgetfulness, give this method a whirl. It’s precisely what you’ve been looking for to enhance your memory and simplify your life.

So, go ahead and set those mental triggers! See if this technique can become a valuable tool in your daily life, just as it has in mine.

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A Journey to Improved Oral Hygiene: Rising from Health Challenges

Embarking on a journey towards improved oral hygiene was not initially a matter of choice but a necessity born from a health crisis I never expected to face – kidney failure. Finding myself on the organ transplant list was a wake-up call, and one of the prerequisites I encountered was obtaining a certification from a dentist confirming the absence of any infections. This unexpected requirement ignited a newfound motivation, compelling me to view oral hygiene as an essential aspect of self-care that deserved my undivided attention.

 

As I navigated through this unfamiliar territory, I initiated a fundamental yet diligent routine, ensuring that my teeth were brushed thoroughly every night before drifting into sleep. It wasn’t long before I expanded my regimen, incorporating a water pick and mouthwash to further enhance my oral care. Eventually, adding dental floss completed my comprehensive suite of oral hygiene practices.

 

The journey to establishing this routine wasn’t without its challenges. I found myself in consultations with my dentist, delving into discussions about the sequence in which each task should be performed for optimal results. After numerous conversations and some trial and error, I solidified my pattern. The process commenced with dental flossing, followed by brushing, proceeding with the water pick, and culminating with a refreshing mouthwash swish.

 

Establishing this rigorous oral hygiene routine has been a source of immense satisfaction for me. My wife, a constant pillar of support, has openly acknowledged the visible improvement in the appearance of my teeth and gums. Her affirming observations serve as gratifying validations of my efforts, albeit with a hint of shame reflecting on my previous negligence. However, I continually remind myself that the past, with its failures and oversights, is unchangeable, and the future holds the potential for transformation and improvement.

 

This realization has been instrumental in maintaining my commitment to my enhanced oral care routine. Every step, every brushstroke, and every flossing session is a testament to my resolve to do better, not just for the sake of meeting medical requirements but for my overall well-being. The journey hasn’t been merely about avoiding infections or ticking off a box on the transplant list; it’s been a holistic exploration of self-care, health, and personal growth.

 

Reflecting on this transformative journey, I’m enveloped by a sense of accomplishment and a renewed sense of responsibility toward my health. The shame that initially accompanied my efforts has gradually transformed into empowerment, fueling my determination to maintain and further improve my oral hygiene. Despite the challenges, this experience has been enlightening, underscoring the importance of proactive health management and the profound impact of seemingly simple routines on overall well-being.

 

In embracing this change, I’ve discovered that our past failures do not define us. Instead, they present opportunities for growth, learning, and improvement. While my journey toward improved oral hygiene commenced from a place of necessity, it has evolved into a voluntary and gratifying pursuit of better health. It serves as a poignant reminder that it’s never too late to change, adapt, and thrive.

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Unleash the Power of Mental Triggers for Better Memory

Hey, wonderful readers!

Let me pull back the curtain on an ingenious technique I’ve been using to improve my memory. Initially, I began honing this strategy to keep up with my exercise routine but soon realized its potential for aiding memory in many situations. You may already be familiar with setting triggers for remembering routine activities. This strategy works similarly and employs mental cues to help you remember anything you want.

Here’s the low-down: It starts with identifying a specific goal you want to remember. Next, you choose a particular moment or setting to recall this goal. The last piece of the puzzle is creating a vivid mental image of what you’ll see or experience at that moment. This mental snapshot serves as your trigger—when the real-life scenario mirrors your imagination, it prompts you to remember what you intended.

Let me give you a slice-of-life example. Often, while out and about with my wife, she’ll mention something she wants to be reminded of when we return home. In such instances, the heavy lifting has mostly been done by her; she has already chosen what should be remembered and when it should be recalled. All I have to do is visualize us arriving home and walking through the door. This imagery then acts as a mental anchor, linking the envisioned scenario to what my wife wants to remember.

Now, I won’t sugarcoat it—this strategy isn’t foolproof. The accuracy of your mental trigger is crucial for the technique to work. If the actual situation diverges significantly from what you’ve imagined due to an unforeseen circumstance, the mental trigger might not go off. For instance, I’ve tried using this approach to remember items we must pick up from the grocery store. Suppose the store has decided to rearrange its layout or introduce a new display. In that case, the disparity between my mental image and reality can throw a wrench into the works, causing me to forget what I intended to purchase.

But let me tell you, even with these occasional hiccups, this memory trick has proven to be far more effective than any other method I’ve attempted. So, give it a whirl and see how it enhances your memory game. Think of it as fine-tuning your mental GPS to help you navigate the labyrinth of daily tasks and commitments. If done right, this little hack could become a life-saver—or at least a memory-saver—for you too!

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The Art of Routine Building Through Mundane Chores Like Cooking

Hello, dear readers,

Today’s post is dedicated to the unexpected but delightful art of routine building through what we often consider mundane chores. Take cooking, for instance—a chore for some, a passion for others. I’ve always had a soft spot for cuisine, an affinity that traces back to my childhood learning to make pancakes with my grandmother. I didn’t realize back then that cooking would later become a tool for optimizing complex, multi-step procedures in life.

The Complexity Behind Simplicity in Cooking

In culinary arts, one of the most essential skills is mastering the alignment of various tasks to be completed simultaneously. Even a simple dish like scrambled eggs or a sandwich requires a calculated sequence of steps, each executed at the perfect time. The difference between a skilled chef and a beginner often boils down to the knack for optimizing this workflow. It’s about knowing what to do, when, and how to do it.

Embracing Reflection: The Japanese Concept of Hansei

One powerful concept I’ve come to rely on for improving my cooking skills is the Japanese practice of Hansei, which involves deep self-reflection after completing a task. The core idea is to analyze performance, understand mistakes, and strategize for future improvement. If you’re repeating a specific recipe, it’s a golden opportunity to employ Hansei. Taste the food, ponder what you like and dislike, and consider why those elements turned out the way they did. The objective is to refine the recipe each time, adapting it to align with your taste preferences.

The Case of Mapo Tofu: A Personal Experience

To provide a real-world example, let me share my experience of making Mapo Tofu, which my wife taught me. When we first tried the dish, we found it too salty despite not adding any table salt. That led to a Hansei moment—time for some culinary detective work. After scrutinizing the ingredients, I switched to reduced-sodium chicken stock instead of the Chinese-style tori gara I had initially used. The change was adequate but not quite enough. I then dived into the sauce ingredients, reducing the quantity of one while substituting it with another, less salty ingredient. And voila! The saltiness issue was resolved, all thanks to the iterative process of self-reflection and adjustment.

Conclusion

Something as ordinary as cooking can be a playground for honing essential life skills like routine-building and problem-solving. It’s a space to practice, to reflect, and most importantly, to improve. So the next time you dread life’s ‘mundane’ chores, perhaps try to approach them as an opportunity to cultivate better routines. You may discover a newfound appreciation for the everyday tasks that make up your world.

Happy cooking and happy reflecting!

Until next time.

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The Power of Consistency: One Week of Daily Blogging and the Journey Ahead

Hello to all my wonderful readers,

Having successfully written on this blog every day for a week, I’m feeling increasingly optimistic that this latest endeavor will become a long-term habit. The methodology I employed to get this far isn’t new or complicated; it’s the same advice I’ve been sharing with you in my previous posts. To summarize, I established a clear objective, which in this case was to write a brief blog post each day. I designated a specific time to pursue this writing goal, opting for the early mornings before my day officially begins with breakfast. Lastly, I anchored this new practice to an existing daily routine—finishing my first set of pushups is my trigger to start writing.

Writing a book has always lingered at the periphery of my consciousness, but until now, it remained a vague idea that I’d yet to embrace fully. I would wait for that elusive ‘perfect’ concept to strike me like a bolt of lightning. I don’t know if such a perfect idea is even a reality. Still, my ongoing recovery journey since experiencing a stroke seems like a fitting subject to delve into for the time being. While I might venture into fiction at some later stage, the habit I’m nurturing now will undoubtedly help any future writing projects.

On this subject, one author I particularly admire is Brandon Sanderson. He is often generous with his wisdom for those looking to become writers, and one piece of advice from him strikes a chord with me. His counsel is straightforward but effective: write and do it consistently. The emphasis isn’t necessarily on the volume of words but on the practice’s regularity. Even if it’s a modest 200 words daily, the results will accumulate over time, and before you know it, you could be sitting on an entire book series or more. This principle mirrors the philosophy I’ve tried to incorporate into achieving all my life goals: Start small, maintain consistency, and the results will follow.

I look forward to seeing where this new habit takes me. Not only is it providing a platform for me to share my ongoing life experiences, but it’s also laying the foundation for potential future literary endeavors. So, whether you’re an aspiring writer or have other goals you want to pursue, remember this: Start, even if it’s with something small, but keep at it regularly. After all, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.