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I've seen an increase in popularity of 88x31 buttons on informal sites. Here's a bit of info and a list of button makers

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Starting again on my Tumblr

I'm going to start fresh with this Tumblr, which means I'll probably delete some or all of my old posts. Not sure about this - do I delete everything? Nothing? Just some of it?

I'll probably start by deleting any of my old posts that are outdated in some way, at the very least.

It's good that I can start over. I briefly debated adding either a secondary blog instead, or maybe even a new primary blog. But since I'm not currently using my Tumblr for anything else, why not start over on this one?

It would be good to get some new writing up. I guess my first "real" post isn't going to be this one, I'll come up with a sort of introductory post for my new starting-over Tumblr here. As a heads-up though, it will be a little bit experimental.

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ChatGPT writing is a parody of itself. Maybe that should be its main use

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A little disappointed in some shows

On the bright side it's good news for my productivity. I'm a little sad that season 4 of Stranger Things has turned into a soap opera / drama where they expect you to keep on top of an ever-growing list of characters. The opener was the worst in this regard, so it did get better as it went along. And Orville was a bit of a let-down - it had a few good jokes but otherwise was way too trope-y. I gave up on Orville after maybe 4 or so episodes.

But, I can't really complain too much - at least I'm being super-productive without any shows that I want to watch

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Discover new corners

If I'm bored, I like to discover new corners of the internet. Just random things. Sometimes I get to join two unrelated ideas. Sometimes not.

Some things I like to use for this:

bookmarking sites, random search terms, the last two things I thought about, the last thing I heard 2 separate people say (I mean 2 people who were not in the same conversation already).

Sometimes the result makes no sense or is a dead end

But other times, I find something interesting. Part of being human is being a little bit random. Not doing everything like a robot for a specific reason.

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How to be more motivated to complete a task

Here are some ways that I get myself more motivated to complete a task. Try these out next time you need some motivation.

Reward

Offer yourself a reward upon completion of the task. This can be as simple as just relaxing and watching a show, or it can be something like going out to get a fancy coffee as a treat, or anything you like. But you can only have it after you have completed the task

Sub-tasks

For tasks that take awhile, I will split it into sub-tasks and take a break between sub-tasks. The break can be just 5 minutes of reading (set a timer!) and this works really well. If it's something that doesn't split easily into sub-tasks, then you should just do it based on estimated time. For example, if you expect the whole thing to take about an hour, stop after every 15 minutes to take a short break (short is key here, otherwise it's too easy to get distracted).

Get on a roll first

Complete an easier and unrelated task first, with the expectation that you will go immediately from the easy task to the one you're not motivated about. Since you've already built up momentum and are on a roll with productivity, it's easier to move from an easier task to a harder task than it would be to go from nothing to a hard task.

Do it to music

If the task doesn't require use of your ears, consider doing it to music - use earbuds if you share space with other people. I use the YouTube Music app for this, since it keeps playing songs so I don't have to stop to make a playlist. Keep the volume low enough that you can concentrate on your task. It's surprising how much more fun a task can be and how easy it can be to complete it when listening to music.

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Random stuff

So tired because I woke up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep. I tried but then it was 5.30am and nearly time to get up anyway! I just need to make it through the day and then collapse into bed, I don't have anything specific going on this evening, thankfully.

I'm actually feeling my thinking slowing down. I don't even know if this post is making sense, but hopefully it is.

I would have coffee to solve this problem, but I have a headache and I think the caffeine might make it worse. Maybe if I find a pic of coffee it will somehow help via osmosis or something.

Yeah, that'll do the trick. I'm feeling more awake already!