Creating something new is always fun to do! You can look at a great photo, but it will make it even greater when you’ve made the photo yourself. You can listen to a great piece of music, but it will make it even greater when you’ve played the music yourself. I find my personal creativity best in writing.
I still have a lot to learn about writing, but just writing several blog posts a day for some of my websites makes me feel incredibly creative. When you write you have to think what you’re going to write down. You have to organize you thoughts, do some research, write down the whole stuff, reorganize it again.
If at times I’m somewhat unclear how to tell something with great passion and clarity, I first write down a small article about the subject and afterwards the clouds are gone. Clear sky from here on. It then becomes so easy to tell with passion and clarity about the subject. And one of the main objectives to have while telling, is that people hear your passion in your voice, which you can’t have without clarity.
All in all it comes down to a simple thing: once you written an article, you’ve made something that didn’t exist before. Therefor you’re a creator! Powerful stuff isn’t it? And yet oh so simple. Now go an write something!
In Rule 84/3 Train Mind I talk how I can improve myself. One of the ways is to read. As an autodidact I read a lot. 2 books a week is normal, but I try to read around 500 pages a week, but for sure there are some weeks that I read more then 1000 pages. Why do I read? Mostly to learn. Because when I learn I get new knowledge and I can use this knowledge in my own life for improvement.
If I look at my own library which consists of around 500 books I’ve categorized them in the following main topics:
- Sports: Weight training, Track & Field, Running, Cycling, Swimming, Triathlon, Scubadiving, Freediving, Stretching, Coaching/Training, Martial Arts (around 200 books)
- Nutrition (around 50 books)
- Autobiographies (around 50 books)
- Psychology (around 150 books)
- Travel/Topography (around 50 books)
One of my favorite things to do is searching for new books to read. I can spend hours in a library or book store. Books are a good investment! If I could choose to do a psychology course of 5000 euro or to buy 2000 euro worth of psychology books, my choice would be easy!
If you want to improve, you just have to read books! Knowledge in its best form.
Not many people know this about me but nothing gives me more focus, concentration and relaxation at the same time as making music. Since I was 6 years old I started making music. In the first years I learned a lot of different instruments like Piano, Flute, Xylophone, Violin and some other basic instruments.
After that I started with the harmonica together with two other guys. We formed a group that was quite successful in the Netherlands and Germany winning many prizes. Some years after that it was time to add another instrument: The Guitar. Again I took some lessons and it’s just a great instrument. A plan was made to go to the conservatory for further guitar education, but somehow I ended up doing some boring ICT education. 
All in all, music has been in my life since forever. During hectic times it’s easy to forget to play, that’s way I created this rule, to remember to make some music a few times every week, if only for a few minutes. Good thing is that my son wants to start learning the keyboard, so we’ve borrowed the keyboard from Sanne and as well as my son as me are playing around with the thing. Maybe when my son starts with his private keyboard lessons at home, I listen in and try to practice it as well.
What an appropriate rule to write about. Currently I’m on vacation with my family. Nothing gives me a bigger reset and rest then being in another environment. The Take Rest rule is of course referring to a well deserved vacation, but also to a lot other things. Lets list some rest moments in my life.
Nightly sleep: pretty clear of course. My 5-6 hours of sleep that include falling asleep and waking up- Power-nap: sometimes I take 20 minute mini sleep half way the day to energize me
- Night out: going out for dinner and/or see a movie gives my mind a quick fix
- Day away: visiting a zoo or fun-park is always fun. Most of the time I come back tired and need to relax in the evening after this
- Night away: not sleeping in your own bed gives you always a vacation feeling.
- Weekend vacation: Even when I have to work from Monday to Friday. I can still take a small vacation by leaving on Friday evening and returning on Sunday evening
All the above are pretty obvious rest moments, but don’t forgot my micro rest moments:
- 2 minutes rest between different exercises during fitness
- 1 minute rest between sets during fitness
- 2 minutes rest between static attempts or constant weight dives during freediving
- 10 minute rest after every 50 minutes I work or study
All in all, you need rest for recovery. Recovery for the mind and recovery for the body. Processing all the stimulus mind and body receives and preparing for the next battle.
In the last few weeks I’m doing a lot of writing again. Writing can be a lot of fun and rewarding if you can find the passion in it. And I’ve found it again. I thought I would give an overview of all my current writings and where to find them.
www.jorgjansen.com
My personal website with my own ramblings about the stuff I find interesting. I’m currently splitting up some stuff between personal and professional interests. So the current blog where you read this post will be personal from now on. Like an online open personal diary of my live. Think Jorg’s Lifestyle archive, or something like that.
www.shark-freediving.com
The Team SharkBait website with entries from our personal freediving experience and trainings. Sanne Buurma and I mostly alternate to write something for the blog as long as it has some of the following keywords in it: personal, freediving, training
www.shark-freediving.com
My website for your daily portion of freediving news. Competition coverage, record stories, national news, etc. Loads of stuff going on over there.
My Book
Inspired by Sanne after some talks I decided to write a book. I’m just in the first months of it, but for me it’s an interesting project by itself. I’ve never written a book before, so lets see how far I can come. What’s it about? Can’t tell yet, but I will let you know as soon as I know it for myself.
New Blog
As we speak I’m setting up a new blog on my personal website. It’s a blog were I write about my professional interests. At the moment I really want to focus on there, so I’m wrestling a little bit about the topics, because I’m interested in so many things. I’m also still deciding if I should write in Dutch or English on this blog. As soon as it goes online I will announce it here as well.
That’s it with regards of the writings. I hope to put my writings to higher speed when my new home office is finished. Concentration is key in writing, especially with my distracting mind.
Live like you will die tomorrow, learn like you will live forever
I’ve made my choice to improve, improving by training many aspects of life. Training my mind to improve is a very important part of it.
A friend of mine once said; “Jorg, I sometimes wished I was just happy with a beer and watching TV, that would would make live so much easier.” So true in many aspects. One of the things that come with a great sense of self reflection is the fact you want to improve in what you do.
So how to train my mind, one of the parts I want to improve? My learning comes from several ways:
- Experience
- Observe
- Read
- Discus
What makes us human is that we have the ability to look at ourselves from an outside perspective. No other species can do this. My experiences during my life and self reflection that happens afterwards are therefor what makes me human. I experience something and then I can observe this experience from another view. The precise reason why I can improve and learn from what I’m doing. Furthermore I can add knowledge to fill in the blanks of my own observations by reading and by discussing.
So what exactly am I training my mind in at the moment?
- Language: I’m fluent in Dutch and English, but I also have 7 years of French lessons behind my belt. I didn’t do anything with it since school, but I really want to pick it up again. Got some other wishes on this front, but first focus on French again.
- Human Physiology: I was and still am very much interested in the human body. Learning new stuff about it is always interesting
- Psychology: Everything about human actions.
- ICT Technology: Especially interested in innovations with regards to cloud computing, social web, augmented reality and some other high tech stuff
- Business skills: stuff like how to manage, how to give a presentation, how to be a good salesmen, etc. The basic skill set you need to have to be a good leader.
- Sports: Especially weightlifting, cardiovascular work, stretching, underwater sports, periodization, training methods, coaching, etc.
Nutrition: The latest nutrition developments and general knowledge are always interested.- Others: everything that will keep my mind at work is interesting, think autobiographies, quantum mechanics, history, topography.
There is always something interesting to train my mind with. In general I try to read 2 books a week, which normally isn’t really a problem.
If anybody got any good book recommendations in the above categories, please let me know. Always looking for something interesting to read!
Creating something new is always fun to do! You can look at a great photo, but it will make it even greater when you’ve made the photo yourself. You can listen to a great piece of music, but it will make it even greater when you’ve played the music yourself. I find my personal creativity best in writing.
