🧘 Philosophy & Principles
The foundation. Why you do what you do. How you operate.
🎯 Core Philosophy
🔥 The Non-Negotiables
1. Never Stop
The Principle: The only way to lose is to quit. Everything else is just data.
- Bad days happen → Log something anyway
- Hard days happen → Do 15 minutes, that counts
- Boring days happen → Discipline > motivation
- Nobody's watching → You're watching. That's enough.
Application:
2. Prioritize Ruthlessly
The Principle: You can't do everything. Pick what matters most. Do that first.
Rules:
- Urgent + Important → Do first (Storal, AZ-104, Job Hunt)
- Important, Not Urgent → Schedule daily time (Go, LeetCode, OSS)
- Urgent, Not Important → Minimize or delegate
- Neither → Delete ruthlessly
3. Fuel the Body
The Principle: Body fuels brain. Treat it right or nothing else works.
Daily Requirements:
- ✅ 3 real meals - no skipping, no junk streaks
- ✅ Movement - walk, exercise, stretch
- ✅ Sleep - 7-8 hours, non-negotiable
- ✅ Water - stay hydrated
Reality Check
You can't code your way out of poor health. You can't cert your way past exhaustion. Fix the foundation first.
4. Ship Things
The Principle: Planning feels productive but isn't. Code that runs beats plans that don't.
Application:
- Write code → Push it → Fix bugs later
- Take the certification exam → Learn from mistakes
- Apply to jobs → Handle rejections → Keep applying
- Open the PR → Get review → Improve
5. Stay Curious (Have Fun)
The Principle: The moment you stop being excited about how things work, you've lost the plot.
Sources of Joy:
- Linux internals - how does this actually work?
- Networking deep dives - packets, protocols, routing magic
- Go concurrency - goroutines, channels, elegant design
- Breaking and fixing things in home lab
- Reading code - how did they solve this?
The Test
If it feels like a chore every single day, something's wrong. Find the fun or change the approach.
📅 Daily Rhythm
Morning Ritual
- Wake early - Own the morning → own the day
- Move - 15 min walk/stretch - body wakes brain
- Set 3 priorities - What MUST happen today?
- Do the hard thing first - Eat the frog
During the Day
- Deep work blocks - No multitasking, no context switching
- Pomodoro when stuck - 25 min focus, 5 min break
- Take real breaks - Step away from screen
Evening Ritual
- Log the day - What happened? (daily-log.md)
- Tomorrow's top 3 - Set up for success
- Gratitude - 1 thing that went well
- Rest properly - No screens 30 min before bed
🛡️ Handling Difficulty
The Framework:
- Control → Focus only on what you can control (your effort, your code, your learning)
- Accept → Accept what you cannot change (market, recruiters, test difficulty)
- Perspective → This too shall pass (bad commit, failed interview, tough week)
- Virtue → Act with integrity (honest work, help others, keep promises)
🔄 Mindset Shifts
| From | To |
|---|---|
| Fixed mindset ("I'm bad at Go") | Growth mindset ("I'm learning Go") |
| Fear of failure | Failure as data |
| Comparing to others on Twitter | Comparing to yesterday's me |
| Seeking comfort | Seeking growth |
| Scarcity ("not enough time") | Abundance ("I have today") |
| Perfectionism | Progress ("this PR is good enough") |
| Motivation-driven | Discipline-driven |
📚 Quotes That Hit
"We suffer more often in imagination than in reality." - Seneca
"The obstacle is the way." - Marcus Aurelius
"He who has a why can bear almost any how." - Nietzsche
"You are what you do, not what you say you'll do." - Carl Jung
"Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." - Bruce Lee
🎯 Life Balance
Reality check: This is a guideline, not a law. Some weeks are all work. Some weeks need extra rest. Balance over time, not every single day.
🌊 The Long Game
🔍 Monthly Reflection (Use This)
Copy this to daily-log.md every month:
- Am I living aligned with my values? (Never stop, prioritize, eat well, ship, stay curious)
- What am I avoiding that I need to face?
- Am I taking care of my body? (Food, sleep, movement)
- What brought me joy this month?
- Who did I help?
- What did I ship?
- Am I on track for 2026 goals? (Cert, job, Go, LeetCode)
💭 The Ultimate Question
At the end of 2026, what would you regret not doing?
Do that. Start today.
Remember
This philosophy isn't about being perfect. It's about being consistent. It's about never stopping. It's about making today count.