18. Holy Grail

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At some point, I became acutely aware of the need to type without looking at the keyboard.

The usual "two-finger" method had run its course and started to annoy me. I clearly understood that I needed to type faster, but the physical reality wouldn't allow it.

Since I had been typing with "two fingers" for many years, retraining was daunting.

I didn't believe in the outcome.

It seemed like pure fantasy, something that couldn't possibly exist. Like it only worked in American movies. I hadn't seen a single living example around me.

16. The Need to Preserve

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Tracking my activity during working hours has become almost a physiological need, like brushing my teeth. Outside of work, I don’t track anything: not chores, not leisure, nothing. Those things aren’t important. Only labor has value.

V.S. Vysotsky, for example, despite his turbulent, disorderly daily life, treated all his manuscripts with great care. He recorded everything and preserved everything. He felt he had no right to do otherwise.

15. Hurry to Do Good

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After turning 40, I felt a strong need to move from the category of consumers to the category of producers. It doesn’t matter what—but instead of taking, to give. Otherwise, life feels unfair. As if you’re not holding up your end of the bargain. The life of a drone.

Not to deprive myself of ordinary pleasures like eating and sleeping, but to add the pleasure of a clear conscience and peace with myself.

14. Pomodoro

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1 tomato = 25 minutes of work + 5 minutes of rest.

Only with me, it’s always either the rest drags on (at the start of the day, before I get into the groove) or I do 2-3-4 pomodoros in a row without a break – usually after lunch, when I’m already rolling and need to finish the daily quota. It’s very important to count how many pomodoros you do per day.

13. The Desire to Work

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Past

In the late '80s, I watched Cold Summer of '53 in a cinema. I was deeply struck by Anatoly Papanov's final words: “I only regret one thing… Time. How much I want to live like a human being… and work, yes, work.

It was specifically the word “work” that resonated with me. As a child, it seemed completely unclear how anyone could desire work, although it did evoke respect. It left a lasting impression on me.

9. The "Religion" of Labor, Part 2

Submitted by laborgit on
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"Only free, meaningful labor, performed for a purpose that in itself represents an undying value, can be joyful."1

It is a great happiness to have one Goal for a whole lifetime! The path is clear, even if shrouded in mist; you wake up and you go. A Lighthouse burns ahead. Not peace, but certainty, harmony with yourself, and much joyful Labor.

How do you discover your Goal, what you were born for?