During all of my challenges, I have to keep reminding myself to find middle path. At the very least, this means that if I miss a day, I need to let it go and focus on starting afresh the next day (instead of trying to make up for it by adding more time the following days). It also might mean I need to restructure my challenge if it proves to be too much. Accomplishing less is always preferable to accomplishing nothing.

Things I learned from this past month:

• Hands-free reading. I love it! I prefer not having to physically hold a book when reading – carpal tunnel and all. Plus, it is better for my back. It’s difficult to read a handheld book ergonomically; if you don’t believe me, try it!
• Accessible highlights. It is very handy being able to browse highlights without having to flip through a book to find them. I don’t generally reread books, mainly because however great a book might be, there are so many other books out there – I can’t justify too much time on any one tome. However, I love skimming through the highlights I made; they encapsulate the most important elements or quotes that I gleaned from the book.
• Eyestrain. I would prefer using some type of paper display technology to cut down on eyestrain and give a more natural reading experience. If I intently read on my laptop for under 20 minutes, I am totally fine, but after that point I start noticing that reading becomes slightly more difficult the longer I stay.
• Interest. Reading philosophy texts can be one of the most exciting or most boring activities depending on the author and subject matter. I could do a book study on Hume’s Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, and be totally engrossed. Augustine’s City of God, on the other hand, was probably one of the most pedantically boring reads I’ve ever endured.

How I would like to incorporate this challenge into my life going forward:

• Kindle Unlimited membership. I signed up for a 30-day free trial of Kindle Unlimited when I started the challenge. I intend to keep my membership at least until I finish with the philosophy books I elected to read on my challenge. After this period, I will reevaluate and see if I believe the $10/month cost is worth the service, or if I want to switch to borrowing from libraries.
• Screen display settings. I am not interested in buying an E-reader at this time. However, I will research the optimum display settings for extended reading on a laptop. Also, there are several apps I would like to test out, such as f.lux.
• Daily non-fiction reading. I want to incorporate some non-fiction reading (even if just for 5 minutes) into my daily routine. If nothing else, I will place some books on the nightstand next to my bed to read for a few minutes before I turn the lights out for the night.
• Engaging fiction on stand-by. Always having a couple fiction books on hand, both via audio and hard-copy, is a great way to productively use down-time. As I am already a science fiction aficionado, I will definitely start with more of that genre.

If you have read my latest blog posts, then it will go without saying that I will continue to incorporate intensive exercise into my daily routine. In Dialectical Behavior Training (DBT), there is one section of skills focused on distress tolerance. These are used when we are in emotional overload and need a way to reset and regroup. I would like to compile a similar arsenal of skills that I can use when in physical distress, which unfortunately, is fairly often.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
– Socrates

Namaste.