Most of what flows into people's brains on a daily basis is pure junk. It's not worth reading or listening to. It takes up your time and makes you less productive. So you've gotta consume less information to be more productive.

Because in the end, information doesn't help you. People try to know more and more in the mistaken belief that knowing more will help you. It doesn't. Not if you know a lot about something irrelevant.

Relevant information helps you. So it means you need to identify what is important to you so that you will only take in information on that. I personally stayed off facebook for 4 or 5 months. Granted, part of the reason was that I forgot my password, it was still a good experiment. Nowadays I log on for 5 minutes every week or so. I don't need an hourly update on other people's lives unless it's on my sister and my brother-in-law who are overseas.

I don't read my emails much anymore either. It's not like there's ever anything uber urgent anyway. Whatever comes my way can usually wait one or two days at least.

It frees up a lot more time to do the things that I value in my life like bonding with people face-to-face instead of online, and being with my family, and also simply relaxing. I can't believe how tense some people's shoulders are.

And you know what it even gives me time to actually study some useful things instead.

Try it. I know ramadhan is over, but fasting doesn't just mean food; it can mean information too.

A few weeks ago, I went out with my friends to hangout. So someone said to me, "open your facebook, check some pictures I posted". So I open the facebook page and start typing in the password. I hesitate a little, unsure of myself. After all I hadn't logged in for nearly a month already. But I press enter anyway.

PASSWORD INVALID. ACCESS DENIED.

Hmmm, must've been the other password. *type* *type*

PASSWORD INVALID. ACCESS DENIED.

Whaaat?! Could it be the OTHER password?

Slowly, tentatively, I press the buttons one by one. Enter.

PASSWORD INVALID. ACCESS DENIED.

I was beginning to hate that message just a little bit.

So what did I do after that? Nothing! Facebook isn't important enough for me to spend that much time trying to figure out a password. I know I've got it saved somewhere. It's been about 2 months now and I haven't been on facebook.

There was a short moment when I used a browser that had the password saved so I popped in and approved some friend requests. But then I logged out.  And I can't be bothered to find out what the password is or to go all the way to that browser just to log in each time.

Anyway, it just means that I have more time that's not wasted. So don't find me on facebook, thankyouverymuch. I won't be there.
P.s. This was actually written last week. I've found my password now.

Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod!!!!

I think it's happening now.

Update: It happened! I'm an uncle!

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!