Bali tips from a seasoned professional

I stayed in Bali for a total of two years, but I realize more and more that I didn't use the island and the surrounding islands enough.

Anyway, here are some tips I wrote after I left in 2012 - hopefully most of this still applies!


TRANSPORT
Rent a motorbike (about 40,000 IDR per day or cheaper for a month), buy a helmet (approximately 200,000 IDR) and drive yourself. Taxi takes so long because there are so many traffic jams due to the narrow roads. I rented a motorbike from a really nice guy called Ketut (+62817351828) for a year, call him and tell him I gave you the number.

It is safe to drive a motorbike as long you drive slowly and wear a helmet. Most people also drive very careful because most of you are on motorbikes and you are all in the same boat. If you are very concerned about safety you can avoid Sunset Road. If you are stopped by the police and have to pay a bribe, have 50,000 IDR ready in a handy place - do not pull out all your money. 50,000 is the standard amount for bribing cops.


PLACES TO STAY
When it comes to nightlife and culture, most of the interesting stuff happen around Seminyak, so it's best to live in that area. Jimbaran is located too far south, so check the hotel I stayed at in 14 months, Nipuri. It is two minutes from the quiet beach Batu Belig, between Seminyak and Canggu.

Also check out some 360°/panorama photos I took in Bali, maybe they can inspire. Here are two from Nipuri, the hotel pool and common room.


SOME PLACES TO EAT
Eat delicious and cheap Indonesian food at Warung Murah, either at the main shop (down Jalan 66) or at the junction by Lio Square (at the top of Jalan Batu Belig). I ate there a lot, you can get full dinner for less than 10,000 IDR.

And if you live at Nipuri Hotel in Jalan Batu Belig there is a very good and cheap restaurant across the road called Warung Sobat. And 50 meters down the same road is a cool (and hugely popular) BBQ joint called Naughty Nuri.


NIGHTLIFE
Check out the "luxury" nightlife in Seminyak at Potato Head, Ku De Ta and Cocoon. (I was DJ'ing at all three of them.) Also check out the W Hotel and Mint. All except Cocoon are located within walking distance of each other in Jalan Petitenget. Potato Head has the best music.

Also check out the club Maria Magdalena (next to JP's bar) at the top of Jalan Dhyana Pura. It's a small underground club with tech and (good) house music.

And if you want to party with gays there are four to five gay clubs in a row further down the same street. It seems Bali is one of the few places where it is unproblematic to be gay in Indonesia. Most of the country is Muslim, and that bunch usually have no tolerance for sexual minorities. Actually many Muslims actually comes to Bali to escape bullying and judgment, it's sort of their safe haven.

You gotta have at least one night where you are completely drunk in Kuta. We called it "trashing it" because it is commercial dance music, cheap drinks and tons of backpackers. Get to Sky Garden around 21.00 and start from there. Just don't get so drunk that you lose your valuables. And do NOT drive a motorbike for that kind of evening, take a taxi. The one time I crashed on a motorbike was when I was too drunk and drove home myself.


SUNSETS
Enjoy food, drinks and the sunset at La Plancha (on Seminyak beach) or Warung Pantai (on Batu Belig beach).

Experience sunset at the restaurant Warung Sawah (near Lio Square). It's lovely there, just see for yourself.


LEISURE TIME
Check out the restaurant/bar Deus on the road to Echo Beach, they have a lot of cool stuff going on. Sunday evenings are often nice, with free live music.

Get a massage every day! It is so cheap and good.


AROUND THE ISLAND
You wanna check out Gili Trawangan for two or three days, and take the fast boat, not the slow one. Be careful not to get a hotel room near the mosque, they make noise from morning to night. Dive while you're there, it's beautiful. Cycling around the island takes only 20-30 minutes, do it as well.

If you have time, go up to Menjangan for a few days and enjoy snorkeling or diving. Drive your motorbike or hire a driver with car (not so expensive, ask the hotel if they know of any). You can also snorkel down at Nusa Dua, I think. Ask anyone. See pictures from our trip.

If you want to swim with dolphins, never do it with animals in captivity. They suffer horribly, just watch the documentary "The Cove" for proof. Seriously, don't. Rather go to a village with lots of dolphins in the ocean, for example Lovina in the north.

Ubud is lovely, but many others have found that out as well, so it can be a bit crowded, with lots of traffic. But it is worth a trip for a few days, definitely. You can get a little into yoga too. Try e.g. Yoga Barn, they are a safe bet.

Go on a day trip to one of the beaches in the south, and on the way back in the afternoon, eat a fish dinner at Jimbaran beach, near the fish market. Delicious!


DRUGS
Do not buy any drugs in Bali! It can literally be a question of life and death. It may be safe to buy it, but often the dealer will report you to the police (for a reward), who will then bust you. If you have $10,000 to bribe the cop with right there and then you may get away, but if not he will take you to the police station, and you end up in prison for many years. Seriously. There are lots of foreigners in Kerobokan prison due to drugs.

But "magic mushrooms" are legal, so maybe that's a cool drug to try?

So now that you are armed with tips - bon voyage!

The best Yugo jokes

Yugo (Zastava Koral) was a subcompact car built in the former Yugoslavia. Read more about it.

It was famous for its (mostly) poor quality - there's even a book about it called "The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History". Buy it here.

Because of its infamous ability to break down, it became the butt of many jokes. Here are some of the best:

Q. How do you double the value of a Yugo?

A. Fill the tank with gas!

Q. What comes with every Yugo user's manual?

A. The bus schedule.

Q. What do you call a Yugo at the top of a big hill?

A. A miracle!

Q: What do you call two Yugos at the top of a hill?

A: A mirage!

Q: What do you call the shock absorbers inside a Yugo?

A: Passengers.

Q: Why do Yugo's have a heater for the back window?

A: To keep your hands warm when pushing. 

Q: What to you call a Yugo with brakes?

A: Customized.

Q: Why is the car called Yogo?

A: Because IT stays, and YOU go.

Where to settle down - Oslo, Berlin, Lisbon, Bali, Bucharest or Buenos Aires?

Here are some points I wrote down when I was living in Bali early in 2012, and considering where to settle down for good.

By then I had been living in Oslo, Bucharest, Berlin and Bali, and I wanted to weigh up pros and cons about each place. (At the time I hadn't been to Buenos Aires.)

As I write this it's March 2014 and I am also strongly considering Barcelona, but I hadn't thought about it in 2012, so it's not on the list. Maybe I will edit this blogpost and add it.

Here are my pros and cons, maybe they can help others also searching for a great place to settle down in.

Remember that all of this is from my personal view at the time - a 38-year old Norwegian freelancer and expat trying to avoid a regular job, and who lived in Oslo until he was 32.

Oslo

Pros:
- very familiar
- family and old friends live there
- I don't have to learn a new language
- lots of musicians to work with on my own music
- more work available for me since I am from there
- strong economy and very high wages
- civilized and functioning systems
- enough culture to be interesting
- warmer in the summer and the Oslo fjord
- could be the place I'll settle down in

Cons:
- cold in the winter
- feels too familiar and kinda boring
- not so easy to meet new people (especially around my age)
- very expensive - I would probably have to get a normal job (the horror!)
- night life ends at 03.30
- not that much food variation
- I don't really like the Norwegian self-centered mentality

Berlin

Pros:
- very cultural and artistic
- amazing music scene
- relatively friendly and social people
- tons of other expats in the same situation as me
- easier to learn German (coming from Norwegian)
- still the cheapest capital in western Europe
- lots of food variety
- very convenient
- very central in Europe
- very cheap flights
- close to lakes
- I will get many visitors from Norway and other places
- much freedom to develop creativity
- easy to visit Oslo if I need to
- 24-hour public transport
- civilized and functioning systems

Cons:
- cold in the winters
- inland

Lisbon

Pros:
- by the sea
- friendly people
- small and cute capital
- beautiful scenery
- great food
- nice light and architecture
- cultural with a rich history
- a warm country with beautiful nature
- tranquil culture and rhythm of life

Cons:
- harder to learn Portuguese
- not very cheap flights
- living is not that cheap
- bars in Bairro Alto close at 02.00 (though clubs go to 06.00)
- the sea water isn't that warm

Bali

Pros:
- very warm
- beautiful nature
- beaches and sea
- quiet surroundings
- feeling of complete freedom
- delicious food
- it's a great place to work on my self-discipline and self-development
- pretty cheap life
- easy to get around in South-East Asia and see other amazing things
- easy to learn Indonesian
- easy to meet Indonesians
- I already have some friends
- feels safe and not too boring
- I can probably get enough DJ-work

Cons:
- more expensive to rent than it should be
- no city culture
- very transient (people come and go)
- I'm not really interested in Asian culture
- long and expensive flights to Europe
- it feels more like a kind of extended vacation than "real life"
- slow and expensive Internet
- six hours ahead of European time

Bucharest

Pros:
- I know a lot of dynamic people there
- easy to meet new people
- the Romanians I meet are often intellectual and artistic
- new clubs and places are opening all the time
- many people are warm and friendly - and very attractive :)
- nice food

Cons:
- post-communism can be a bit negative
- more expensive than it should be - especially for the locals
- people can be a bit depressed because of capitalism and corruption

- a lot of traffic

- not that much international culture

- not that easy to learn Romanian

Buenos Aires

Pros:
- both European and South American feeling
- interesting culture

- warm people

- by the sea

- fairly easy to learn Spanish

Cons:
- long and expensive flights to Europe
- living is not that cheap

"The Greatest Event In Television History" on Adult Swim - all episodes

"The Greatest Event In Television History" (Wikipedia) was a series of four short specials aired on Adult Swim, co-created by and starring a very self-deprecating Adam Scott.

These specials are mockumentaries about the shot-for-shot remaking of classic 80's TV series opening credits sequences, followed by the remakes themselves and finally the original opening credit scenes.

They are all hilariously funny and definite must-sees, with many famous actors listed below doing absurd guest roles in the comedy tradition of e.g. "Childrens Hospital" and "Burning Love" - or even "Parks And Recreation" for that matter.

Below are all of the four episodes in sequence, and we start with...

1) "Simon & Simon" (October 12, 2012)

Adam Scott and Jon Hamm reenact the opening sequence from "Simon & Simon". Paul Scheer plays the role of a crazy fan, while Paul Rudd plays the abusive director.




2) "Hart to Hart" (June 6, 2013)

Adam Scott, Amy Poehler, and Horatio Sanz reenact the opening sequence from "Hart to Hart". Paul Scheer plays the evil agent, and David Wain plays the therapist.




3) "Too Close for Comfort" (November 7, 2013)

Adam Scott, Catherine O'Hara, Chelsea Peretti, Kathryn Hahn, Jon Glaser reenact the opening sequence from "Too Close for Comfort". Jason Mantzoukas plays the crazy director and Seth Morris the stunt coordinator. The ghost of Jon Hamm also appears.




4) "Bosom Buddies" (January 23, 2014)

Adam Scott and Paul Rudd reenact the opening sequence from "Bosom Buddies".

There are cameos by Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari and Billy Joel, who actually performed "My Life", which he wrote and originally recorded but was covered by another artist for the original series.

June Diane Raphael plays Adam's fictional wife.




BONUS:
Co-creator Adam Scott has also appeared on various podcasts and radio shows over at Earwolf. Check them out.

"There's no problem with freedom of speech in Russia" - says the Russian Minister of Culture

1) See this very short interview with the Minister of Culture in Russia, Vladimir Medinsky, about the situation for arts and artists in Russia:

- Q: As the Cultural Minister, how would you describe the current situation for arts and artists in Russia today?
- A: For what?

- Q: The current situation for arts and artists in Russia today?
- A: [Pauses.] Is there any problem with art and artists? [Answers his own question.] Well, the situation is wonderful, then.

- Q: Well, internationally you are seen as a bit strict on freedom of speech, for example.
- A: [Makes a face like he has no idea what the interviewer is talking about.] You're the first man who talks to me about it. There's no problem with freedom of speech in Russia, you know. [Laughs.] Thank you. [Ends the conversation and walks off.]


2) Here are 15 reasons why you must boycott the Olympic Games in Sochi, and how Russia is a very authoritarian regime.

And if you need to watch the games, AT LEAST make sure you don't provide ratings through your viewing.

If your viewing is registered in any way, you are actually a part of the problem - you are helping Russia commit violations on human rights through the sanctioning of the International Olympic Committee.

If these games receive the lowest ratings ever for any Olympic Games, the IOC cannot give future games to regimes like Russia again. You can make this happen by officially boycotting the games, and asking everyone you know to do the same.


3) The clip above is from the cultural program "Nasjonalgalleriet" broadcast 3/2-2014 on NRK, just before the Winter Olympic Games started in Sochi.

The program took a closer look at how art is doing in a authoritarian state like Russia, and how censorship is affecting free speech - and artists.

You can watch the whole program here. Some of it is in Norwegian, other parts in English.

Steve Carell + Stephen Colbert = "Even Stevphen"

Funny and satirical debates with Carell/Colbert



You know Steve Carell from successes like "Anchorman", "The 40 Year Old Virgin", "Despicable Me" or "The Office". Or his more sensitive films, like "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World".

And you know Stephen Colbert from his own satirical news show "The Colbert Report", the talk show "The Late Show", and his books.

But did you know that they both started their careers as correspondents on Jon Stewart's satirical Comedy Central news show "The Daily Show"?

One of the recurring segments on the show from 1999 to 2003 was "Even Stevphen", a short satirical in-studio debate between Carell and Colbert.

The segments were set up to be about the duo debating a recent topic, though they would often spend the time insulting each other instead. Sometimes this resulted in one of them breaking down in tears, due to painful childhood memories.

On this page I have chronologically collected all 17 segments of "Even Stevphen", for your comedy pleasure. Enjoy the humouristic brilliance of messieurs Carell and Colbert, and see them all in the following order:


"Weather" (September 20, 1999)
News analysts Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert face off to determine whether the weather is good or bad. (3:11)

"Agreement" (October 25, 1999)
Steve Carell breaks down as Stephen Colbert accidentally agrees with everything he says. (4:34)

"Negative Campaigning" (February 23, 2000)
Sure, Stephen Colbert could get a lot of attention for saying sh*t and f**k, but should our candidates be stooping to the lowest common denominator? (4:04)

"Elian Gonzalez" (April 11, 2000)
Stephen Colbert helps Steve Carell reach a breakthrough with his daddy issues by forcing him to face the fact that he's weak, just like his mother. (4:19)

"Reality TV" (June 5, 2000)
Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert debate reality television, but when the camera turns onto them, Even Stevphen becomes the Fox and Goose Show. (4:44)

"Blast-Off Buddies" (September 26, 2000)
Hey kids, stop striving for excellence and hop a jet to some cannibal's paradise to roast your hairy chestnuts on national TV. (3:53)

"Halloween" (October 30, 2000)
Steve Carell teaches Stephen Colbert how to trick-or-treat. (4:38)

"The Clinton Years" (January 17, 2001)
Every time Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert fight, it's because of Bill Clinton. (3:30)

"Should Medical Marijuana be Legalized?" (April 4, 2001)
Just because Steve Carell supports medical marijuana doesn't mean he's a dope fiend. (3:43)

"Stephen Wins!" (June 27, 2001)
A patient's bill of rights will shift the balance of power away from the bureaucratic soul-less HMOs and give it to law firms -- that's good. (4:10)

"Stem Cell Debate" (August 13, 2001)
Steve Carell would rather debate over Dutch prostitutes than stem cell research. (4:08)

"Secrets" (October 15, 2001)
Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert discuss whether the government should keep secrets about the war in Afghanistan. (3:40)

"World's Policeman or Fireman?" (May 7, 2002)
Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert debate the role of the United States in international affairs. (3:36)

"Death Tax" (June 19, 2002)
Stephen Colbert concedes the Death Tax argument as long as it cannot be traced back to him. (4:21)

"War" (August 19, 2002)
Ed Helms stands in for Steve Carell. Stephen Colbert is not surprised that Ed didn't go to Princeton, because Ed is stupid. (3:49)

"Islam vs. Christianity" (May 29, 2003)
Can the world's two largest monotheistic faiths exist without tearing each other to shreds? (04:37)

"Old Debate Revisited" (October 2, 2003)
You don't try to put erroneous information in a speech for a joint session of congress. That would be insane. (4:04)

...and a bonus:
"The Colbert Report with Steve Carell" (July 7, 2010)
Steve Carell is a guest on Stephen Colbert's show "The Colbert Report". The duo reprise their old roles from "Even Stevphen" one last time, and Jon Stewart chimes in. (06:33)

Steve Pavlina on how to take action

This is from Steve Pavlina's "Personal Development Insights" newsletter email #58, have a read:

How to Take Action

Let's say you already have pretty good clarity about which goals and projects you'd like to move forward. (If you're not there yet, visit the Archives page on my website, and you'll find numerous articles to help you gain clarity and set quality goals.) Let's also say you have good clarity about which actions you must take, at least in a general sort of way. How do you actually get yourself to take action and complete those tasks efficiently?

Let me share with you a step-by-step process for taking action. This method can do wonders when you want to sink your teeth into your work and make serious progress, especially if you've had issues with procrastination.

Preparation

Strong execution begins with intelligent preparation.

Many execution problems occur because of poor preparation. With good preparation the execution phases will flow more smoothly. If you find yourself struggling to take action, it may be due to nonexistent or sloppy preparation.

Here's the process for preparing:

• Make a thorough list of the tasks you desire to complete the next day
• Break larger tasks into smaller action steps (ideally no more than 30 minutes each)
• Select tasks based on a balance of importance to your goals and relative urgency


• Estimate the time required to complete each task, and write that estimate next to each task
• Use your time estimates to select a reasonable number of tasks that you genuinely expect to complete that day
• For creative tasks that are difficult to estimate, feel free to use timeboxing, but still specify concrete action steps when possible


• Assemble tasks into a reasonably logical order
• Group similar tasks together, such as by project, location, or type of activity
• Now you have a list of specific tasks to be done in linear order

I currently use a spreadsheet to manage my daily list. In different years I've also maintained my daily list in word processors, dedicated apps, paper templates, and spiral notebooks. Use whichever format you prefer. I find that the most important thing is that I enjoy the system I'm using, so I presently do this in Numbers on my Macbook Pro (the crisp Retina display reminds me to pick crisp action steps). I also use a visually pleasing color scheme that makes the list look very pro, so I take it seriously. And of course I can take advantage of the summation feature to automatically add up my time estimates for each task, which makes it easier to fill out my day without grossly overestimating how much I'll get done.

Be specific. Don't clutter your list with unclear, wishy-washy tasks. If a task is well-defined, it will be obvious where to begin. "Research web design" is a poorly defined task. What does that even mean? A more specific version would be: "Review the featured templates on the front page of wordpress.org/themes, and list at least 10 website design ideas I like that I can potentially use to improve my own site." You don't have to be so wordy in listing your tasks, but make sure it's clear what you're actually going to do to complete each step. "Research" is unclear. Where do you begin? When are you done? Who knows? On the other hand, going to a specific website and looking at specific pages there is a clear action step that you can begin, traverse, and complete.

I cannot emphasize this last point enough. When other people share their goals, projects, and task lists with me, I frequently see the most vague drivel imaginable. Adding tasks to your list that look like "Research business ideas" or "Eat healthy" or "Be more social" are meaningless. Why even bother creating a list if you're going to populate it with fluff? You'd be better off hiring a boss to create your to-do lists for you.

Here's a good rule of thumb for knowing that you have a quality task list: Could you hand your list to a complete stranger with the appropriate skill set and expect them to understand it and complete it? If another person would be baffled at what your tasks actually mean, perhaps you're going to be equally baffled.

A clear and specific step-by-step daily task list is motivating. A sloppy list is a recipe for procrastination. If you feel that getting through your tasks requires tons of pushing and discipline, it may be because you've created an unnecessarily murky situation. When you make a sloppy list, you postpone many decisions to the action phase. I'm suggesting that you make those decisions about what is to be done when you create your list, so that when it comes time to act, you can focus on action, not on making decisions about which actions to take. This reduces the cognitive burden and frees up more energy, which leads to flow.

Run this preparation process at the end of your workday to prepare yourself for the next workday. This is important. It's better to prepare your work for the next day in advance because then you'll preload this work into your mind before you sleep. Your subconscious mind will go to work on it while you're sleeping, which will lead to better insights and smoother execution the next day. By planting clear expectations about what you intend to do the next day, you'll set yourself up for success.

I notice a real difference in my productivity when I prepare for each day in advance, as opposed to creating my to-do list in the morning of the active workday... or worse -- trying to wing it with no clear plan of action.

How long does this preparation process take? The first time you do it, plan on spending about 30 minutes. With practice you can get it down to 15 minutes or less. (Of course there's some variation here depending on the type of work you do.) If you're rushing through the process in a couple of minutes, you're probably not breaking your tasks down into clear and concise action steps, and you'll pay the price during the execution phase. Taking the time to create a quality list of action steps can save you hours in execution, sometimes days.

Execution

The following day when you're ready to get to work, here's the process for taking action on your task list:

• Select the next appropriate task from today's task list
• Choose the highest priority task (closest to the top of the list) that you can reasonably do next
• Consider constraints of time, location, energy, mood, and alertness


• Ask yourself if you're ready to complete the task now without distraction
• If hungry then eat first to make sure you won't be hungry during the next task
• If sleepy take a 20-min nap with an alarm timer to refresh yourself
• If you feel you need a change of venue, feel free to move to another room or location to work
• If the task needs more clarity, chunk it down further to specify additional steps with time estimates
• Inform anyone nearby as needed: Please don't interrupt


• Decide and resolve to do the task now, ideally without interruption


• Prepare for the task
• Start a timer (to measure how long the task actually takes)
• Prepare your work environment for the task (materials, music, water, lighting, etc.)
• Imagine the task going smoothly and being completed successfully


• Begin the task
• Identify the first micro-step, and do it
• Once the first micro-step is completed, proceed immediately to the next step
• Continue until the task is complete


• Stick with the current task only
• Stay with the task until it's 100% complete; don't jump into other tasks
• If other unrelated action ideas arise, write them down to consider later; don't distract yourself from the current task


• Complete the task fully
• Finish the task in its entirety, so you can put it behind you; leave no loose ends
• Put away materials for the task (file papers, neatly organize related computer files, discard trash, etc.)
• Stop the timer; record the actual time for the task to mark it as done; note the accuracy of your estimate


• Take breaks as needed (ideally between tasks, not during tasks)

This is a very general action plan. Feel free to add details that are relevant for the specific type of work you do.

Daily Review

At the end of your workday, do these steps:

• Process any notes you made during the day
• Consider each new idea in the context of your current goals and projects
• Add actionable ideas to your goals or projects lists
• Add ideas that aren't actionable yet to your someday/maybe list


• Reflect on your performance
• Rate your productivity for the day on a scale of 1 to 10
• Consider what you can do to improve; tweak your systems accordingly
• Journal about your day to discover more insights (optional)

And then of course run the Preparation process to prepare for the next day.

If you didn't complete as many tasks as you expected, that's okay. Bump incomplete tasks to the next day as needed. Also use your actual task completion times to improve your estimates.

For recurring projects you may want to save a copy of your task list. Then you can copy and paste it into your daily list each time the project comes up. I have such a task list for creating newsletters. Documenting the steps makes it easier to focus on doing the steps instead of wasting mental energy remembering the steps and their proper order.

Sometimes you may find the above process overkill. For simple tasks of course you can just dive in and do them. But if you find yourself stuck or procrastinating on a more challenging or poorly defined project, this process will help you break the project down into clear, simple action steps, especially if you can get each step down to 30 minutes or less.

On a typical daily task list, I might have around 20-30 action steps. Some of these steps take less than 5 minutes. I find this motivating. I can always put in 5 minutes to get started on a project. Most steps are 10-30 minutes, long enough to make a dent but not so long as to seem overwhelming. I do my best to keep each step under 30 minutes except when I feel confident that I can flow through a longer chunk.

Lately I've been using this process to refresh my programming skills. In my 20s I was an exceptionally skilled programmer (coding several published computer games), but I haven't done much serious programming work in the past decade, so my skills in that area have atrophied. Adding the goal "Refresh programming skills" to my goals list got me nowhere. What does that even mean? Where should I begin? By itself that goal was too vague and nebulous to inspire action. I needed to chunk it down into specific projects and actions -- steps I could actually traverse and complete.

When I began listing out action steps like "Use Google to search for programming tutorials" (15 minutes) and "Complete Javascript lesson 11 from Codecademy" (20 minutes), this desire began to take shape. So far this month I've learned Javascript and jQuery, and now I'm learning Python. After that I'll probably learn Ruby, and then I expect to study app programming (Mac OS X or iOS most likely). I've already written an iPad app to draw fractals. It's way too basic to release, but I enjoyed figuring out how to do it as a personal project.

For certain long-term goals, you may find it helpful to combine the processes above with the approach from Goals Into Habits. I've turned my programming skills refresher goal into a daily habit by doing a few lessons after breakfast each morning. I've done this for several weeks now, so it's already a habit. At the end of each day, I list my next action steps for this time block on the following day. For instance, this morning my action steps were to complete Python lessons 13, 14, and 15 from Codecademy, which took me 97 minutes.

All this time I thought the Python language was named after the snake... when it actually got its name from Monty Python. :)

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