sci-fi author, beatmaker

Category: Metaprogramming Page 3 of 28

Superpower Habit: Learning How To Not Self Reject

Recently I submitted some beats to Timbaland. He’s been reacting to beats live on his Twitch stream. Anyone can submit. I picked a few Momu tracks that my friend Mark and I have been working on and submitted them via the app. I knew chances were slim that he would like any of them. It took weeks for Timbaland to get to our tracks. But he finally listened.

And yeah, he didn’t like them.

But I don’t regret submitting the tracks. Rejection doesn’t feel great, but it’s a minor discomfort that every creator needs to learn how to handle. Just as you can’t get stronger without the temporary discomfort of physical effort, you can’t make progress as an artist without the temporary discomfort of rejection.

Same goes for finding a romantic partner, a job, etc. Rejection is a part of life.

Clean-Up Days vs. Build-Up Days (in physiology and life)

Over the past few years I’ve been trying to put on some additional muscle. Overall my progress has been slow. This is due to genetics, my inconsistent training, my distaste for eating large quantities of protein, and my age (though gaining muscle wasn’t much easier in my twenties).

There’s another factor though: supplementation. Many of the anti-aging and disease-preventing supplements I take boost AMPK and inhibit mTor. MTor is required for muscle growth, so inhibiting it on a daily basis isn’t helping me gain muscle tissue.

So going forward, I’m going to try to line everything up for more effective results, as follows:

Why Small Repairs are Important

Last week I fixed two things in our house:

  1. A drawer that wouldn’t open and shut smoothly
  2. A gate latch that tended to catch and get stuck

Each repair took less than twenty minutes, including cleanup and putting my tools away.

Both problems had been bothering me every single day, for months on end. Now, I revel in the smooth action every time I open or close the drawer, or latch or unlatch the gate.

Why did it take me so long to complete both repairs?

What Is the Limiting Factor?

In terms of reaching your goals, or progressing in a given area of your life, what is the main limiting factor?

I think it’s worth spending some time and effort to consider this question. We might have assumptions about what’s limiting or holding us back that aren’t true, or are no longer true. And we might be missing problems that could be easily addressed, thus accelerating our progress.

Time and money are common limiting factors. If you want to pursue an artistic calling, how do you find the time? And since most art doesn’t pay right away (if ever), how do we survive and support our loved ones?

These are real issues for people who want to pursue artistic ideas, start a new business, contribute to their community, or do anything that doesn’t immediately pay the bills.

So sometimes people are surprised when life provides a window of time, with ample funds to boot, and the creativity or entrepreneurship doesn’t immediately materialize. Maybe the lack of time or money wasn’t the limiting factor after all.

Low Risk, High Reward, Lots of Dice Rolls (or Act Smarter)

Nothing in the universe is truly random; reality is governed by cause and effect (at least on a macro scale). But many aspects of life appear random because we don’t have infinite knowledge or perception. There are also domains that we understand but are unable to choose or influence (such as the genes we’re born with or the interests we’re drawn to), so they might as well be random.

Sometimes we refer to the random-appearing events that happen to people as luck. Everyone has good luck and bad luck. Bad luck might manifest as illness, relationships gone sour, unemployment, investment losses, or freak accidents. Good luck might manifest as marrying well, gambling winnings, a perfect job offer, an abundance of friends, or great genetics.

Looking at these lists, it’s obvious that at least some of these things are partially within our control. Good health habits can prevent or mitigate many illnesses. Good communication skills can save a marriage.

On the other hand, bad things do happen to good people making good decisions. People are born into bad situations (war-torn countries, abusive families, etc.). Natural disasters can occur out of the blue. A drunk driver might take you out on the freeway. Some things are just completely out of our control, like the DNA within our cells (at least until we enter the science fiction realm of genetic self-determination).

So how can we best navigate the realm of luck? How can we exploit that wiggle room between “clearly within our realm of influence” and “completely out of our control”?

Page 3 of 28

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