Technique
Power, technique, strategy. Which one should come first?
I've been taking up rock climbing recently. It's only been twice but it's really fun. Like all physical sports though, those three components are there. And the question that comes up is, which do I need the most first?
Power is the foundation of any physical activity. Without it, you simply couldn't do much. Even with great technique, you still need power to pull off those techniques. It's said that in martial arts, it's 70% power and 30% technique.
But of course, without proper technique, a lot of that power would be wasted. Technique provides efficiency that minimises the power used. It doesn't remove the need completely, it just minimizes it. Technique is about the right way to climb.
But what about strategy? If technique is the right way to climb, strategy is about the right place to climb. Imagine climbing the hard way when there's an easier route just beside you? Strategy is about choosing what to do, which technique to use and where to use it.
So which training method should I adopt? Luckily, my short exposure to magic has given me the proper quote for this. "Practice doesn't make perfect, proper practice makes perfect."
And I'm a huge believer in that.
So I'm gonna go through the top down route. Strategy first. I'll practice my strategy by visualizing my climb completely before making it. Technique second. I'll practice my technique by trying the "only features for hands" training drill. Power third. Only after I've done these will I practice my upper body power more by doing static hangs.
Would this work?
After looking around a little more, it seems that forearm pump is the biggest problem for beginners (besides technique). So I'll also incorporate some endurance to ward that off.
There, that sounds like the start of a reasonable training plan!
Unfocused
Focus is a big thing for me. I've always felt a bit special because I could do things with full concentration. If I watch a movie I'll probably be intensely concentrating on it, even if it's bad. And if I'm reading a book, I'm gone to the world. You'll have to call me multiple times and shove me too for me to acknowledge your existence.
But recently, I've been unable to focus properly. I even had a whole hour when I just sat and stared at trees. Not because I was enjoying the scenery (which I do once in a while), but simply because for the life of me I couldn't decide what to do next!
I'm one of those people who firmly believe that you should plan out your life, especially the big things. The little things sometimes aren't worth bothering about. If things don't flow according to plan, then it's not your fault, but you still need to plan anyway.
So when I feel unfocused like that, it feels to me like I'm floating with nothing to hold on to. I don't like it. I don't like not knowing what to do next and not feeling sure of my life. It's a bit alien to me.
It's not like I've always planned every second of my life. Most of the time I don't know what the best thing to do is. But I promised myself a long time ago that I'd try to live a life without regrets. So I thought a long long time before deciding on a few principles that I would always hold firm to. As long as I stuck to those, I could never regret whatever I did.
Yes, quite a few of those principles are based on religion. Quite a few more are based on family bonds. And the rest are pretty much based on common sense. And so far I haven't yet regretted any decision I made using them. The very few that I do regret are all the times I forgot my principles.
But right now I'm in a quandary (always wanted to use that word!). Because sticking to my principles still leaves me more than one option.
So should it be another of those times when I just randomly pick? I'm pretty sure I won't regret it, but I'm pretty sure that there's a best choice here.
It needs more research, more questions. But I don't know who to ask. Why can't life be like a game, where you can google strategy guides?
The Smaller Home: Less is More
I was looking at house designs the other day (I enjoy looking at beautiful designs) when I had a sudden thought.
"Why not make your house smaller instead of bigger?"
I've always been a minimalist. I prefer less stuff instead of more and I prefer to get items that can serve multiple uses. So the thought of a house that was just the right size for me (and no bigger than that) sounded very appealing.
I googled "smaller homes"
I googled "smaller homes" and... someone already beat me to it. A lot of someones actually. It turns out there are a whole group of people who try to use up as little space as possible in this world. Almost as if they're planning to live in space and all they've got is a tiny box the size of a bathtub to live in. They cram a kitchen, living room and dining room into a 100 foot square area (link here).
That's just a little bit bigger than my bedroom.
That's a little too much for me.
Advantages
It turns out there are some distinct advantages to living small. Which is why these guys try so hard.
1. The cost goes way waaayyy down. All those loans you take to buy a home? Cut them in half.
2. Easier to clean. With less things to clear up, it takes a lot less time too.
But they're trying too hard!! Some of these houses look too cramped to me. They can't be comfortable.
Disadvantages
And it's true, there are some disadvantages to living small as well.
1. You don't have a cupboard to throw junk into. This means you have to think very hard before buying anything. It just might not fit...
2. In a small space, even a tiny mess can take up your whole house.
3. Your mother-in-law won't have space to stay over anymore (Or maybe this is an advantage?).
Whitespace
Then it hit me! That's why it didn't look comfortable to me. There was no whitespace! Some people call it negative space but the meaning is the same. In minimalist philosophy, you take away the clutter and add plenty of whitespace. This will focus the mind and the eye on the few things which ARE there (which are suppose to be beautiful).
Cramped spaces DONT have whitespace. It turns out it's not minimalist at all (at least not design wise. Maybe space wise).
Living small doesn't have to mean living in a small space
So now I'm thinking of a compromise. Using the ideas and lifehacks I found to help minimize my clutter while keeping my space large. Make corridors smaller and rooms huge! Cut away the useless rooms and make the remaining rooms more huge! Have closets to hide away the work office in and keep the room empty to make it LOOK even more huge!
Yes. Yes, I see it now. Living small doesn't have to mean living in a small space. It just means removing everything that's useless in your life. I could live with that. I could definitely live with that.