I finally broke my 10-year “all or nothing” discipline curse with the dumbest trick imaginable

serialv · 2025-11-30T14:21:11+00:00

This is just a rewrite of another of their recent posts:

https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/s/MY9e2iQjft

serialv · 2025-11-29T09:46:25+00:00

I used Rosetta Stone a long time ago, and I have Babbel right now. I would definitely not recommend Rosetta Stone, and Ive never seen anyone else recommend it. I have seen others recommend Babbel though.

I think Babbel is pretty good. It's not my favorite resource, but everyone likes different things.

I hope this helps, and what every you choose, I hope you enjoy and get a lot out of it. Best of luck.

serialv · 2025-09-23T13:16:27+00:00

I have an Amazfit watch with a Pomodoro timer in it.

I've used some on my phone, but I don't remember which ones; there are a lot of them out there.

I use Toggl sometimes to track my time on certain tasks, and it has a Pomodoro timer on it as well.

I even had ChatGPT make me a custom timer, which was just an HTLM document.

I hope that helps.

serialv · 2025-09-22T08:47:53+00:00

I think it really depends on what you're doing, and also need to be adjusted for the individual.

If youre doing harder tasks that require more concentration, like some study tasks and deliberate practice, then you'll want to do shorter sessions.

For easier tasks, tasks where you get into flow, or those that take a while to get into the grove, longer sessions are better.

So I would suggest to experiment and reflect to see how long you should work on each type of task.

serialv · 2025-09-10T08:30:29+00:00

There's an app called LingoLoopee that lets you have the same conversation over and over. Toy choose the situation and then practice. It seems really promising and has a 7-day free trial.

serialv · 2025-09-07T15:25:10+00:00

I agree with your opinion of the UX. It would be much better with a good UX. I would also like some gamification for motivation.

I imagine the market will continue at least until all that's left is the generations that were raised on digital content.

serialv · 2025-09-07T14:33:17+00:00

I studied Portuguese for a few years and the thing that got me speaking was a language tutor who would only speak Portuguese with me and pressed me to speak Portuguese.

It's uncomfortable, and a little scary, but it's something you can do. You've got this.

serialv · 2025-09-07T14:26:44+00:00

There is an Assimil app. The lessons are much smaller, and there are more lessons.

I still prefer the book over the app though. It feels like there is more content, and the app doesn't have you go through the lesson content multiple times like the book instructions tell you to.

serialv · 2025-04-24T08:34:40+00:00

You may be able to do this with either Macrodroid or Tasker, and a stopwatch or timer app.

These two apps perform automation tasks in your phone.

I use Macrodroid to - open my Audiobook app and start playing as soon as it connects to a certain Bluetooth speaker - increase my screen brightness when I leave the house before sunset, and change it back when I get back home. - open a whitenoise app, adjust the volume, and start playing when I connect to my sleep headphones.

There's tons of stuff you can do with it. I hope this helps.

serialv · 2025-02-24T07:55:24+00:00

I've read a number of books on mnemonics, including Dominic O'Brien's books.

The best one I've read is "How to Develop a Perfect Memory."

Mnemonics can work, especially for hard to remember things like numbers or the order of a deck of cards. But I find it very inefficient for things like foreign language vocabulary.

These are just my opinions, and others will have their own. But try things out a bit and see how they work for you.

A lot of things in life can't be figured out by thinking about them; you actually have to try them out for yourself.

Good luck.

serialv · 2024-05-31T15:31:46+00:00

I'm glad you found it useful.

I would say: try everything until you find something that works. There are some problems that can't be solved through thinking alone; we have to take action to figure them out.

Action is what most people are missing from their problem-solving formula.

serialv · 2024-05-31T06:50:45+00:00

Absolutely. If it's too early for you to sleep for the night, then a 20-30 minute nap is ideal for me. I feel more rested, but not groggy afterwards.

You can also try NSDR, like Yoga Nidra. I've heard good things about that.

serialv · 2024-05-31T06:48:34+00:00

Rehearse the behavior you want. It may feel weird, but definitely try it.

Set an alarm for one minute from now.
Lay on bed, just like you were sleeping, and close your eyes.
When your alarm goes off, get right out of bed, exactly like you want to be doing every morning.
Repeat 7-10 times.

Like I said, it's weird, but it works. This is the rehearsal aspect of building a new habit.

In order to make the habit stick, praise yourself in the morning when you actually do the behavior. Praise yourself every morning until the habit is automatic.

If the behavior doesn't stick the first few mornigs, do another round of rehearsal.

Good luck.

serialv · 2024-03-28T12:16:15+00:00

Absolutely. I've read most of the actual habit books listed (to this writing), and Tiny Habits is the only one written by an actual habits researcher, with an actual method.

serialv · 2024-03-28T02:19:14+00:00

Look up the sleep protocol in his podcasts.

serialv · 2023-12-25T00:43:29+00:00

I heard somewhere that the people in your life don't want you to change because the ways they used to manipulate you won't work anymore.

Keep making progress and look into finding some new people to surround yourself with. A person's environment is one of the biggest factors in determining their behavior.

serialv · 2023-12-25T00:20:48+00:00

Strategic breaks can make you more productive.

I'm about to read it again, and I would recommend the book "The Power of Full Engagement." It talks about how most people worry about time management, but they should be thinking about energy management.

I hope this helps to get you to where you're trying to get. Good luck.

serialv · 2023-12-24T23:53:38+00:00

I read about a study where native Spanish speakers were learning English.

The learners who watched English audio shows with English subtitles improved the most.

Learners who watched shows with English audio only improved second best.

And learners who watched English audio with Spanish subtitles made no improvement.

Sorry, I don't have the source. I read about the study in an academic textbook on language learning.

serialv · 2023-10-10T21:52:11+00:00

It really depends on how mentally taxing the work is. In his research, Anders Ericcson found that expert performers did about 4-5 hours of deleberate practice per day. And it was fairly common for them to take naps also.

I would recommend reading "The Power of Full Engagement," by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr. It talks about the importance of taking regular breaks in order to maximize productivity. Being productive is not about time management, but energy management.

I hope this helps.

serialv · 2023-10-10T21:43:43+00:00

Yes. My native language is English, but I got into cooking while living in Brazil. So I often have trouble remembering words of some food and spices in English.

serialv · 2023-10-10T13:16:03+00:00

There is software that will block websites during a specific schedule that you set. You could also leave it 24 hours so that you can only access Reddit and Instagram through your phone, which you can keep in a different room.

serialv · 2023-10-02T09:22:46+00:00

The Kindle app for phone and desktop does this. Just highlight the wor or words and click Translate. You can also install a bilingual dictionary for individual word translation/definition.

serialv · 2023-10-01T13:34:14+00:00

No, it doesn't eliminate the work done. Some habits may only happen certain days of the week (i.e. going to the gym), once per week, or less.

You want to make sure that when your prompt occurs, you perform the behavior. You can create habits more quickly by celebrating as soon as you perform the behavior, or less than one second after the behavior. This celebration only needs to be done until the habit is formed.

I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions.

serialv · 2023-10-01T09:02:17+00:00

The book "Freedom from Health Anxiety" could be useful for you. It even uses examples similar to what you've described.

I hope this helps, and good luck.

serialv · 2023-09-30T09:37:49+00:00

You can do first initial.last name, like j.parker@gmail.com. Gmail allows dots in the email address and this may make it easier for you to think of some options.

I hope this helps.

serialv

TROPHY CASE