My posts always start with questions

I'm glad I've finally used a statement to start my post. I was looking back at my previous posts and realize I ask too many questions during them. So, here goes trying to not use any questions in my post. Think I can do it? (D'oh! haha j/k). Anways, I just wanted to post a simple thought:

Keep yourself, mind and body, engaged as often and as intensely as possible. You feel more productive, you get more out of your life, and it keeps you out of trouble. ;-)

Goodnight

Where Does My Time Go?

So, I've recently started a new book called "Outliers: The Story of Success". So far I really like it (although I'm only about 60 pages in). Anyways, there is an interesting chapter in it called the 10,000 rule. Basically, it takes 10,000 hours to become a world-class expert. It listed a handful of examples where this was true. Interestingly enough, it doesn't matter how bright someone is or how athletic they are. It always takes at 10,000 hours to become a master. No matter how gifted they were, or for that matter ungifted, it takes 10,000 hours. There was no indication in the studies that showed talented people reached mastery in less than 10,000 hours and untalented people took longer. The fact is, if you want to be an expert, it is going to take you 10,000 hours.

This has gotten me thinking. What do I want to become a master at? What am I willing to spend 10,000 hours on? Is there anything? I can think of a handful of things I would love to become a master at. However, I realize I don't always have the desire or willingness to spend 10,000 hours to do something. I have played lacrosse for over a decade. I would love to become an expert of lacrosse. Am I willing to spend the time? I am going to start a master's program in September. Ultimately, one of my goals is to become an expert of my field, but way too often I don't want to spend the time doing my homework or other things. I look for short cuts to get through what I have to do. Yes, I'm getting by. But, how am I going to log my 10,000 hours?

One problem I have is my lack of focus. There are so many things I spend time on that I could have been spending time logging my 10,000 hours. Just thinking about today, I've wasted time on video games, facebook, day dreaming, talking on-line to friends, surfing the internet, and simply avoiding my work. I wonder if I had used those wasted hours over the last month productively, how much closer would I be to becoming an expert?

I think in the coming week I am going to make a conscious effort to stop wasting hours I could be "logging hours." I also would like to make a list of things I'd like to become an expert in. I think it would be interesting to see what happens if I log every hour on those things. How long do you think it would take me to get to 10,000 hours? I probably won't ever keep track, but it would be interesting. Maybe I'll post about what I want to become an expert in, keep a log, and update my progress here... That would be interesting...

Where Does This Stuff Come From????

So, today was a wonderful Sunday, full of church and relaxing. All day I've been planning on blogging tonight and trying to decide exactly what to write about. I've had a couple of inspirational, religious thoughts I was toying with that might be appropriate for Sunday. But.... As I was changing out my laundry I finally realized what I should blog about:

Now, for a while I was a physics teaching major and while I didn't learn too much from my classes, I felt like I had heard somwhere that matter can't be created nor destroyed. Or something along those lines. Anyways, as I changed out my clothes I went to take out the lint. And then it hit me... Where in the world does all this stuff come from? Now, I understand a lot of you might think exactly what I thought initially. "That's easy, it comes from the cloth of the clothing in the dryer." Well, my clothes don't look THAT much different than when they went in and I feel like i'm pulling out enough lint to make a whole shirt after every other load. So where does all this stuff come from? If it is from the clothes then if I kept drying one shirt would it just disintegrate after like a day of being in the dryer? I think I might have to try it....

So... Is this where all my missing socks have gone? turned into lint... dang you dryer and your thievery!!!

Why am I up?

So it's 3 a.m. I have nothing to be doing. I'm dead tired. I've had a long day. I should be asleep and yet... I can't sleep. I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while now and tonight, at 3 a.m., after a long day, while I should be sleeping, it seems like the right time. This whole blog thing is probably a terrible idea. I've always wanted to start a blog but I always feel like my life isn't interesting enough to actually fill a blog but here goes...

So I guess the question is... why am I up at 3 a.m., when I've had a long day, and I should be asleep? Well, I think its because I've found something totally productive that I really love doing. I love doing research. Currently I am doing research in a research program (who would have thought of that... research... in a research program?) where I look at the NFL Draft. I am trying to find a better way to valuate different draft picks. I have to say, for me, it's a blast. I really have enjoyed it. In fact, it's all I can think about. I want to avoid school, I stay up to late hours when I should be asleep (tonight for example), and I am constantly thinking about it when I'm doing other things. It's like a drug addiction that I can feel good about feeding. I get paid for doing something I can't wait to get back to. It's awesome. And it leads me to something I've been thinking a lot about lately.

As I see so many of my friends and family trying and struggling to figure out what to do with their lives I can only think of one advice. Find something you love doing and go do it. I'm reminded of the Harvey MacKay quote "Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life." So true...

Well I have many more thoughts I would like to blog about but it is quickly approaching 3:30 a.m. and is definitely time to try to go to bed... Goodnight