The kind of rituals I’m talking about here are habitual activities I’ve created to make it through the week. I’m not exactly sure what this says about me, but right now, most of my rituals involve food. For a while, my wife and I had takeout from my favorite Mexican restaurant every Wednesday night. ItContinue reading “Ritual”
Author Archives: Justin Meckes
Bookmarks
When it comes to bookmarks (and a few other things), I often find that less is more. The primary reason is that auto-fill has usurped its purpose. Typing the first letter of a website is always faster than mousing over to a bookmark. But I do use bookmarks, on occasion. And I have them brokenContinue reading “Bookmarks”
It took me a long time to get a handle on my inbox. I tolerated many things I wouldn’t stand for now. The reality is I may not have realized I could do anything about it. Or that decluttering my email would make checking my messages a much more pleasant experience. Now, on a fairlyContinue reading “Email”
Inspiration
You don’t need inspiration. Being creatively stimulated is… well, it’s necessary. But some people believe they should wait for inspiration before they begin writing. Inspiration needs to be stoked, prodded, and probed. It should not be your muse. Inspiration should be your therapist. Go to it for answers or, at least, for a sounding board.Continue reading “Inspiration”
Space
When it comes to organization, space is essential. I mean space in the same way that the artist refers to white space. I’ve never thought of it this way before, but organizing a home could be—at the risk of sounding extreme—like curating a museum. There are probably people who would abhor this idea and haveContinue reading “Space”
Murakami
The interplay between mood and tone is what always brings me back to Haruki Murakami. I can see how some might complain that it makes his books too similar. But I don’t see a whole lot of people complaining about his writing. I admire the fact that the work carries a similar attitude throughout hisContinue reading “Murakami”
Flash
Writing flash fiction was one of the ways I trained myself to write a book. I made a few attempts at writing a full-length novel just over ten years ago and failed on multiple occasions. The problem was I hadn’t fully prepared myself to write a book. First off, I hadn’t created an outline. Secondly,Continue reading “Flash”
Cardio
At present, I’m trying to work HIIT (High-intensity interval training) back into my regular workout regimen. I’m currently in the “failing up” stage. In other words, I’m failing to make it a habit but getting closer with each attempt. In the past, my workouts involved a bit of jump roping and a few sprints aContinue reading “Cardio”
