Personal Challenge Day 3

On reading and doing stuff concurrently

I tweeted earlier this week:

Sam Jordan @samcjordan_

I tend to read a couple books concurrently. Are there any books that are enhanced by reading another book at the same time? Surprising combinations preferred! Like if reading Brothers Karamazov made Asimov’s Foundation better or something like that.

Here are some of the recommendations that I plan to try this summer:

• Grit with Iliad

• The Alchemist with the Odyssey

• Finite and Infinite Games with The Master and his Emissary

• Proust with basically anything, one responder recommended Atomic Habits

These conversations made me think of other things that are made better by doing something else concurrently. Here are some things I think are made better by doing them at the same time:

• Judo and building a startup. Both require humility. Both require (and teach) confidence. Both require undivided attention. I’ve learned something about humility, confidence, and attention in Judo that I’ve applied to startup building and vice versa in startup building to Judo. I will write a separate post about humility and confidence later. For now, I will say something brief regarding attention. Since starting to build TrovBase, I have a hard time NOT thinking about building TrovBase. Even while running, lifting, or doing yoga, my mind finds its way back to TrovBase. However, while playing Judo, it is impossible to think about anything else *except* Judo (get better grip, shift weight, swipe leg…). I am fully present while on the mat and feel fully embodied. This helps me rest my mind, allowing me to focus more intensely on the startup afterwards.

• Listening to music without words or with words that are in a language I do not speak while reading. Usually classical music is best, though sometimes lofi Techno works for SciFi reading. Doing this gives helps me resonate with the emotions of the book and assign purpose to the music. One friend recommended I listen to Sergei Rachmaninov: “The Hymns of the All Night Vigil” while reading The Brothers Karamazov.

• Walking (I average 5 miles a day which is not a brag, I just happen to live in NYC) while listening to podcasts or audio books (currently, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich). I find I retain the information better than listening while doing a task like cleaning or building Legos. Since I get lost in the sauce, I forget how long I’ve been walking. While on the GMU speech and debate team, I used to walk/run while memorizing speeches. Similar logic follows.

Anything else I should try concurrently? Perhaps a workout regiment like lifting while training for a half marathon. Or perhaps doing xyz activity while traveling (xyz activity must enhance traveling, not simply distract from it). Food and drink recommendations are also interesting.