Hello comrades and welcome to the fifth improvement megathread of August! 
It’s the last day of August. Tomorrow brings a new month to conquer!
Some discussion ideas:
- How was your week?
- Do you have some plans for next week?
- How was your August?
- Do you have some plans for September?
Poster caption
The socialist camp is unprecedentedly united, prosperous and strong
社会主义阵营空前团结富強
Shehui zhuyi zhenying kongqian tuanjie fuqiang
Good luck with your goals! 
My self study is going well, understanding chillers and their components, my old teacher was right once you understand the refrigerant cycle everything just builds off it. The online thing I’m doing idk might give me a certificate for each course I complete, probably jack shit but the completionist in me wants to get them all.
Also just been like spending time outside touching grass is nice. Means I go home fulfilled sleep and eat. I’ll try to do some studying during the weekend since I do think I got something lined up in HVAC hopefully
roll call
@SeventyTwoTrillion@hexbear.net
@TraschcanOfIdeology@hexbear.net
@LGOrcStreetSamurai@hexbear.net
@Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net
If anybody else wants to be added to the roll call, just let me know
Can I get added to the roll call?
Gamers of the world, unite!
I have added you to the roll call, we are happy to have you with us!
Btw what have you been playing recently?
Modded Minecraft, mostly. Pirated, obviously, because fuck Microsoft. I pick a lot of different mods, but Create is one of the best. Despite not being super realistic, I’d say it’s arguably more realistic than 99% of “tech” mods because instead of just having processes done to items, it actually animates the items getting smashed / crushed / pressed or whatever. If you wanna mess around with Modded Minecraft, I’d definitely recommend Create as one of the best tech mods.
Stickied good luck
Does anyone have any tips for reading books? While I’m not illiterate per say, reading is difficult for me. My issue isn’t vocabulary or anything, it’s just that I see a ton of paragraphs / pages and my brain just goes information overload. Might be some disability stuff or my brain just doesn’t mesh with it. Tried audio books, and while I can sit through them, they distract me in a way that means I can’t do other stuff, and I don’t really find myself internalizing it that well. While I mainly want to read theory, it could also be useful for any other books.
Are you opposed to an ereader?
I have a kobo and make the font gigantic and I usually get less than one paragraph per page
I also keep a small notebook with me so I can take notes on the non fiction I read, I use A6 lined leuchtturms
Are you opposed to an ereader?
No, but for the time being, unless I get some good money, the only electronics I’ll have are my old laptop and maybe a cheap phone or two.
I have a kobo and make the font gigantic and I usually get less than one paragraph per page
$229.99 for a “Koba Libre Color”
Sheesh. I like your idea about the gigantic font though, I’m going to try to use that on my computer.
I also keep a small notebook with me so I can take notes on the non fiction I read, I use A6 lined leuchtturms
I keep forgetting about the concept of taking notes. Thanks for reminding me.
I’ll think about it, but thank you comrade for giving me some ideas!
Ereaders haven’t changed all too much over the years so you’d be surprised what you can get from an e waste recycling bin or thrift store
Yeah, I’ll probably see about going to one soon. My laptop, as good as it is and as proud as I am for getting it at such a discount price, isn’t really doing all that great. So, I’ll see about getting both an e-reader and one of those mythical ThinkPads I hear about all the time.
They do have cheaper models and some are refurbished but yeah, ereaders are definitely an investment
Glad to help otherwise though
What works for you is going to be different for what works for others. For me I listen to audiobooks while doing other work that I can split my focus doing. Long drives, for example, are perfect for me to listen to books. On the other hand, if I take ADHD meds I can’t really listen to books while I work because my focus on meds doesn’t let me really split my attention. I definitely can’t listen to “heady” works like theory while working because I won’t absorb it properly. Some people can’t really split their attention while doing something like driving either, it’s really going to come down to a lot of factors.
I’ve often found that reading physically is something that I have to build a habit for. If there’s a book I want to read I may put it off for ages until I finally lay down before bed and dedicate an hour or two to reading, and generally (unless I really don’t enjoy reading said book) that inertia will carry over into subsequent days. So you may need to self examine and think about how you focus personally and work with that.
Here are some of my tips:
- Read paperbacks instead of reading on a screen. I just find it easier to focus on paper than screen.
- Set a time to read and put it in your schedule. For example, you can decide to read from Monday to Friday from 10:00AM to 10:20AM. I like to read before bed because then I get the added bonus of falling asleep more easily.
- Find a quiet place where you can read without distraction, like a library. I like to read in the park. Listen to some some white noise on headphones if you can’t find a quiet environment.
- Track your progress. Write how many pages you’ve read or how many minutes you’ve spent reading every day. Write it in your journal. Write some notes about what you’ve read and what are your thoughts about it.
- Start with short and simple books. Try to gradually improve your attention span. I recommend starting with something simple like Atomic Habits, which is a short and simple book about building good habits and breaking bad ones.
- Join a book club or similar community. There are some reading groups on Hexbear. I’m sure there are discords or subreddits for this. Sharing your thoughts with others will make reading books more interesting and engaging. If you can’t find a community, feel free to write in the improvement megathread about anything you are reading.
- Listen to podcasts about books like Overdue, If Books Could Kill or Rev Left Radio (not a book podcast but has some great episodes on important leftist books and authors).
- Make a Goodreads account. You can track your progress, write reviews and read other people’s thoughts.
Thanks for the advice! I’m not in a position to obtain lots of paperbacks, but I’ll definitely make sure to follow all your other advice.
One life hack I often used is to download a PDF from Anna’s Archive and print it in a copy shop. It’s much cheaper than buying a book, especially if it’s a shorter book
Still working on State and Revolution, daily chess and language is going again, planning my first run since my minor injury today.
Get it, comrades!
10k was a lot harder than I hoped. The minor injury didn’t nag at all, but I’ve lost more fitness than I expected in the ~2 weeks off 😢
I sadly lost my job, it was a seasonal one so I didn’t get fired but it’s back to the hell that is unemployment and I was too chickenshit to sign up for any college classes….again. It was rough. I’m sick of only having to settle for seasonal roles because I’m “not qualified enough” for an entry-level adult job, despite them being…you know….entry-
I hate all the pressure to figure out everything but actually taking any steps? Sorry, rich people only!
On the upside, I bagged myself a breadmaker and a slow cooker on my last journey to the thrift store. Both of those things I can expect will save me some money when I finally do make it out.
I have a kid in ABA therapy and those places are ALWAYS looking for new people. My recent HS grad daughter just got a gig at one and it came with paid training.
This week I was on vacation. I completely logged off for a week and touched sand.
I did a lot of swimming and reading on the beach.Next week I want to get back into my improvement routine and continue running, meditating and reading every Monday to Friday. That’s my plan for September. I also want to make plans with friends at least once every week
I’m gonna be doing that thing where you live a good life after a break up to spite someone except there is no someone and I’m just doing cool good things for myself for the hell of it. That’ll be my self improvement going forward.
I had a solid week. I hadn’t been running as much as I want because it’s been cold at 4am and I’ve been kind of a wimp about it.
Work was slow one day, so I did a daytime run. It was great. I haven’t been able to do singletrack trails in a while because it’s hazardous to do them in the dark. Decided I’m going to go back to daytime runs even if I lose out on some money by not working mid-day. I was going to have to do that anyway once it gets really cold out, since I can’t use the treadmill while my partner sleeps.
I don’t know if this counts as self improvement to anyone else, but I’ve been making electronic music(poorly). I don’t make time to do art very often and I want to do it more. I’m having a lot of fun with it, and it’s surprisingly relaxing.
Making music is not only improving yourself but you’re also making the world better. One of my improvement goals is to spend more time finishing and recording my songs. What software are you using?
I’ve previously dabbled with Ableton, but it’s hard to use a DAW in my space because I don’t have room for my midi keyboard near the PC. I was rearranging everything in the room every time I used it, which meant I had to have a lot of time to dedicate to make it worth the hassle.
I recently got an MPC key 37. It’s obviously not as powerful as a full DAW, but it’s nice to just sit wherever and work on a song. The limitations are actually helpful in a way. When i havea hard drive full of pirated vsts and a full DAW I get overwhelmed sometimes with the choices.
I’m really trying to get better about my internalized fat phobia, but damn is it hard. Mostly because I’ve never been able to wholly get on board with fat acceptance. A vocal minority often use their very valid medical trauma to ignore overwhelming evidence that shows you put yourself at risk for future ailments/diseases if you continue to gain weight, and I’ve seen this happen to people in my life. It’s certainly not easy to do in this capitalist hellscape and it is of course their choice, but it sucks. It really fucking sucks
Not trying to dismiss your valid concerns, comrade, but there was a whole struggle session about this and comrade khizuo posted some links about it, if you need help getting on board.
Otherwise, good job on giving yourself goals and improving your self image.
Taking advantage of some NATE training my energy company is offering for HVAC. Signed up for some classes and been doing some online learning through them also. I’ll get a chance at it in october I might be to ambitious signing up for about 2 courses per week in october but if I can get at least one NATE certification that that’ll be worth it in my eyes. Trying to make my HVAC career a thing even if the job market means it’s gonna be a while before I can do anything.
I’ve not posted on here in a while, I’ve been kinda spinning my wheels for a bit. But I do have some things to share
I quit weed at the start of summer, and relapsed about a month in for a couple weeks. Then I quit again and for over a month have been weed free. It doesn’t feel amazing, it just feels normal. I’m sober most of the time now, I don’t drink much and I’m able to think about who I want to be. My mind feels sharper - not that it feels better than average, but I felt a lot stupider when I was on weed. I had barely any capacity to control myself or make long term plans or socialize. I’m not opposed to having weed again some day, but I think if I don’t get high for the rest of the year I’ll be just fine.
I have to start looking for a new job, and I really, really don’t want to. I finished college, but about three years in I realized I didn’t want to work in the field I studied. Now I have a degree that I don’t know what to do with that doesn’t actually qualify me for much. I’m planning on working in a kitchen if I can, hopefully getting an apprenticeship for cooking. But my parents are expecting me to orient my entire life around building a career and becoming a middle class professional, and I can’t think of anything that appeals to me less. I want my work to support my life, not the other way around. I’d like to flex my creative muscles with work too, but I haven’t had any opportunities.
Speaking of flexing muscles, I started running and absolutely hated it. It made my teeth hurt for some reason. I’ve only done one run because I got covid the day after I started and the weather has been shit since I recovered. I want to improve my cardio and have a skinnier body shape but I hate running so much, it feels awful. I’ve lost about 8 kilos this summer, which is less than I was hoping but a significant amount nonetheless. Most of it came from May and June, when I was on a regular workout schedule for my core. Then I finished that schedule and haven’t bought a gym membership yet so my only exercise has been walking my dog. I also have two very ingrown toenails and a sore shoulder so I haven’t been able to go building, but I really want to.
Recently the biggest thing for me is that I’ve been reading. I’ve read six books this summer, the Return of the King as well as the five serialized Witcher novels. The Witcher books are overall like a 6 or 7 out of ten, if you want some fantasy genre fiction they’re nice, but they’re nothing mind blowing.
Oh one other thing! I finished the first act of my fantasy novel, coming in at 22,000 words. It’s the most I’ve ever written, the most I’ve ever committed to a project. The first bit is very sloppy and I already want to go back and edit, but I just want to have one complete, first draft.
I don’t know if I’ll ever publish it, since it’s ballooned in my head to a six novel series, and I’ve never even entered a writing program or won any contests or anything. Publishers won’t look twice at me, but I don’t really care. I might just post it online once it’s in a condition I’m happy with
