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Every expense is an education fee

Every expense is an education fee

Have you ever had second thoughts about whether it was the right or wrong decision to buy a product or a service? Or have you been lying awake at night, trying to read up and learn as much as possible about your potential coming purchase? I sure know that I have. However, some years ago I changed my mindset and approach to these questions. Just look at it as education and the price you pay is a course fee. Don’t think about the costs. Think about what you learn instead. Knowledge is invaluable. And that makes it a LOT easier to accept a business decision or investment that didn’t turn out the way you wanted.

Computer, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistAugust 9, 2021education, investment, learning, purchase, decision, RGBComment

Time to rediscover the world

Time to rediscover the world

When you become a parent, you will discover the world again through your child. You cannot understand how fascinating and amazing it is when the wind rattles the leaves in a tree. But your two-year old sees it instantly and his mind is blown. And you stop and think for a second: “Yes, that is quite amazing actually. I had forgot about that when I became an adult”.

Parenting, Music, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistJuly 26, 2021parenting, podcasts, books, humanities, reading, listening, musicComment

Enjoy it while it lasts

Enjoy it while it lasts

When I was a kid, our family used to go to a summer house in the archipelago. And old fisherman hut, far out with no running water and no electricity. There was no shortage of mosquitos, however. I have always kept that summer house in the back of my head as a reference point of how bad the mosquito situation can be. And there hasn’t been any motivation to revise it. At least not until me and my wife moved to our current home.

PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistJune 7, 2021summer, carpe diem, present, time, mosquitoComment

The definition of insanity

The definition of insanity

The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expect different results, a wise man once said. However, there is an exception to that rule: Computers. From my experience, trying the same thing and expecting a different result is usually the first thing I try when my IT gives up. And the success rate is high enough to keep doing it. Technology is wonderful when it works. I love technology. It might also be the thing that most effectively can send my pulse to 300 bpm while I am screaming on the top of my lungs (my kind of anger management). I suppose my family is grateful that I am often in another building when the glitch gremlin strikes.

Engineering, Habits, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistApril 19, 2021technology, it, glitch gremlin, linux, tools, writing, bloggingComment

Everything changes, everything stays the same

Everything changes, everything stays the same

Social interaction while wearing a face mask is kind of like joining an online meeting without enabling your camera. Even though the eyes communicate a very large part, probably most, of our message, it just feels extremely awkward to me. There is so much information lost with the subtle facial expressions and especially the smile. I do not like it at all. That’s why I am grateful to my past self that I listened to my gut feeling some years ago. My gut told me that we had to get out of town and move to the countryside, as soon as humanly possible. Which we did. Out here everything is exactly the same pre- and post-Covid. Nothing has changed. Mother Nature does her thing regardless of what goes on in the human world. It is a blessing to be reminded of that every single day. She is my immovable, solid foundation to which my life is anchored.

PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistMarch 29, 2021nature, virus, news, lifestyle, countrylifeComment

A little every day goes a long way

A little every day goes a long way

A couple of weeks ago I upgraded my computer screens to a triple 4k setup. When I was working with CAD drawings on my old lo-res (1680*1050) screens, it felt like looking at the world through a telescope, and my productivity suffered. The new screens are wonderful. I can now fit my entire old triple monitor screen real estate on just one screen! But anyone who has ever considered a triple monitor setup should also consider cable management. LOTS of cable management. Every screen requires a displayport cable and a power cable, so that’s six cables right there just to turn them on. I did some other upgrades as well. Let’s throw in a couple of active loudspeakers, camera, sound card, USB hub, conference speaker, mouse, keyboard, mic, Stream deck… the list goes on. And all this should be mounted on a sit/stand desk with a flexible length. This weekend I spent several hours doing cable management. And oh boy, did it turn out great! I was also reminded of a crucial life lesson.

Habits, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistMarch 22, 2021declutter, cleaning, cleanyourroom, it, 4k, productivityComment

Should you diversify or focus?

Should you diversify or focus?

For the past 216 days I have created a painting/sketch every day. For the first months I used a timer set at 60 seconds, no more, no less. In the beginning I tried out some different techniques and tools, and I quickly settled with Autodesk Sketchbook on the iPad pro. Simplicity was the key. You can just fire up the iPad, grab the Apple pencil, choose an object to draw and then you do it. Indeed, extremely fast, and simple. But there is a drawback: When you are travelling, the iPad is too cumbersome. That’s why I went to Panduro and bought a small artist sketchbook, some graphite pens, an eraser and a sharpener. As an artist, my kit is perhaps as portable as it gets, considering the infinite possibilities on offer. I was planning to use it only when travelling and go back to my iPad when I got home. As it turns out, I haven’t used my iPad for weeks now. I stayed with the pen and paper.

Education, Habits, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistDecember 5, 2020learning, painting, sketching, art, graphite, apple, ipad, growth, focus, openness, creativity, schoolComment

Practice mind control with livestreaming

Practice mind control with livestreaming

The last week, I have been experimenting with livestreaming instead of vlogging. I have played various musical instruments on FB live. When I play music on a livestream, I have noticed that my mind runs the same program as when I am playing a concert in front of an audience. Time stops. I am so hyper-focused that I am not aware of my surroundings anymore. The best example is when I did a livestream and decided to play Bleed in the original tempo (230 bpm). Bleed is arguably one of the most difficult songs there is. I have been practicing the song for over a year on drums and now guitar, so I knew it well, but I have never been able to play it in the proper speed, only slower. I started the livestream and just played. And I got through the whole song with only minor mistakes. I was NOT expecting that! But because I did it as a livestream, I activated the “live concert program” in my mind which gave me access to untapped potential. I can still hardly grasp that I managed to pull that off.

Philosophy, HabitsRikard ÖqvistNovember 21, 2020mind control, mindset, focus, growth, productivity, trance, hypnosis, livestreaming, musicComment

Build your Ark before the storm

Build your Ark before the storm

We had a storm last week; the worst one I can remember. I had read the forecast and knew that it was about to rain a lot, but I did not notice the wind prediction. I was just expecting a very wet day. Monday came, it was mostly business as usual. However, as I was working, I heard a noise from outside. It was my little façade flagpole that snapped and was thrown to the ground by the wind. Shortly thereafter the power was cut. I realized that I need to go and get my son from kindergarten ASAP, because when darkness falls it could turn ugly. When I stepped outdoors a gust of wind threw my off my feet. The winds were approaching 30 m/s. I got in my car and drove off but I was quickly stopped by a fallen tree blocking the road. And I could see more fallen trees behind it. We were isolated.

Philosophy, HabitsRikard ÖqvistNovember 7, 2020storm, neighbors, community, ark, countrylife, chainsaw, prepper, preparation, relationshipComment

How do you over-book yourself, while keeping space in your calendar?

How do you over-book yourself, while keeping space in your calendar?

One thing that I have clearly noticed as a self-employed consultant is that you always need to over-book yourself. Because even if your schedule is at 125%, things get cancelled, deadlines are moved, and most of the time, my 125% schedule becomes 100%. This has worked fine for me for the last year. However, you also need to allocate time for unforeseen events, which runs contrary to the above statement. Your kid might get sick, your dog needs veterinary treatment or urgent mistakes come to the surface with your clients. These instances may bump your 125% schedule up to 200% if they coincide. These past weeks has been some of the worst ones so far. And it traces back to problems about a month ago. So, what can I do to avoid similar workload explosions?

Philosophy, HabitsRikard ÖqvistOctober 31, 2020motorcycle, racing, racetrack, scheduling, analogy, planning, consultant, parentComment

Erhan the taxi driver

Erhan the taxi driver

Last Tuesday I went to Stockholm to do field measurements. I took the first flight down and had booked the last one home. I wanted to minimize the time away from home, but I learned the hard way that it is not worth it. When you are leaving with the first flight, your night sleep is severely disrupted. I woke up before my alarm clock at 04:00. Isn’t it funny how we tend to wake up without an alarm when we have some important appointment in the morning? Anyway, the trip went fine, and I met up with my colleague at the construction site and we worked all day. When at a building site, you are obliged to always wear protective helmet and glasses. I am not used to that. After lunch time, the slight pressure on the sides of my head in combination with the sleep disturbance had set off a headache. A really bad one, that got worse by the hour.

PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistOctober 24, 2020travelling, taxi, kind, kindness, love, potential, headache, migraine, karma, coffee, authenticityComment

Embrace your weakness

Embrace your weakness

Last week I bought a secondhand computer monitor for the home studio that I am creating. It is a huge Philips 43-inch 4k monster display, one of the very best on the market. I had been looking for a computer monitor for a long time when this behemoth showed up in my feed, close to where I live, for a fraction of the sticker price. However, the ad stated that the previous owner had damaged it by dropping a tool when installing it, which resulted in a big bright dead pixel with white light in the middle of the screen. Here’s the catch: I find dead pixels extremely annoying! My eyes are drawn to that sucker constantly. Even though the price was a bargain, the dead pixel disturbed me so much that it was a no-brainer to walk away. And that is precisely the reason that I bought it.

Engineering, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistOctober 17, 2020perfection, focus, productivity, it, growth, mindset, engineer, 4kComment

The one-minute method

The one-minute method

A New Year’s resolution is a good example of a (commonly) failed commitment. Many people promise that they are going to do this and that on a daily basis, and then they do it a couple of times and then they give up. I believe the problem is that they set the bar too high. The solution is to define a daily activity and set your bar so low – I mean extremely low – that you cannot find an excuse not to do the daily activity, no matter what happens. Read that last sentence again. The habit must be performed Every. Single. Day. Because the moment you stop doing it, it is not a habit anymore. And if the bar is too high, the habit forming can be very difficult, because we all have bad days.

Art, Habits, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistSeptember 19, 2020consistency, habits, discipline, progressnotperfection, growth, routineComment

A change of tool changes your perspective

A change of tool changes your perspective

One of the things that I HATE is to solve a task using an incorrect tool. The perfect example is to use a Phillips screwdriver bit on a Pozidriv screw. Or when you don’t have the bit of the right size. It makes my blood boil! But what if there is a smarter way to complete the task using a different tool? Certain tasks are more inclined to have a “right” and a “wrong” way of doing them, but if we get locked in our minds that there is only one way to solve a problem, we risk stagnation. However, it makes a lot more sense to try out different guitars to play the same song, than to use different screwdriver bits for a given type of screw. The latter would be the equivalent to play death metal on a Harp. If your desire is to play the harp, you are probably better off choosing a different musical genre than death metal.

Art, Engineering, Philosophy, MusicRikard ÖqvistSeptember 5, 2020tools, productivity, wacom, drawing, speedsketching, screws, drawing tabletComment

A beautiful home gives a beautiful mind

A beautiful home gives a beautiful mind

Yesterday I had an epiphany when I realized that I haven’t changed the air filters in our ventilation system since we moved here a year ago. The thought had never crossed my mind, even though I have lived in a house before and I should have known it. It was not until the rooms had been decluttered and made beautiful, that I could see what had been in front of me all the time. It is a testament to the power of cleaning one’s room.

Philosophy, Style, Habits, ArtRikard ÖqvistAugust 1, 2020cleaning, cleanyourroom, jordanpeterson, beauty, focus, productivityComment

Maintenance is about sacrificing the present for the future

Maintenance is about sacrificing the present for the future

When something has been left in disuse for a long time, mother nature will reclaim it and return it to chaos. The longer left unattended, the more energy will be required to restore it. And leave it for too long, it might be beyond salvation and must be rebuilt. To keep something working properly, you must maintain it regularly. This is also the approach that will require the least amount of total time and energy and yield the best result. A complete restoration of something that has decayed, will require a lot more time and energy. Do a little every day is the way to go. Regular maintenance is about sacrificing the present for the future. However, there is also something extremely satisfying with cleaning and restoring disused things to their former glory.

Habits, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistJune 27, 2020tennis, consistency, restoration, diy, maintenanceComment

Beneath the three pillars of sustainability

Beneath the three pillars of sustainability

Sustainability is often said to rest on three pillars: 1) Ecological, 2) Economical and 3) Social sustainability. When supporting a structure with pillars, we also need a solid foundation, or the pillars might sink into the ground. In today’s post, I explore what this foundation might look like. The foundation should consist of eternal values. Two such values instantly come to my mind: Beauty and Education. The primary difference between these two eternal values and the three pillars, is that the three pillars need to be optimally balanced against each other over time as the facts on the ground varies, whereas beauty and education unconditionally strengthens all three pillars at once.

Education, Art, PhilosophyRikard ÖqvistJune 20, 2020sustainability, educationforall, beauty, transformingeducation, architecture, future, equality Comments

What “less is more” really means

What “less is more” really means

I believe that the most effective way to achieve massive change in any domain is by incremental improvement. By doing a little every day, you will do a lot in one week, as my grandmother says. There is a lot of wisdom in these words. I am currently in my seventh year of learning new musical instruments, using my own motto: 15 minutes per day. The results of consistent practice every day have been stunning. Other musicians have told me they use the same technique with equally powerful results. A common recommendation seems to be that you should practice for at least 15 minutes every day, never less than that, and if you are in the zone, you can keep going. I am currently conducting an experiment to see if I can go even lower, and learn to draw with only one minute (60 seconds) of practice per day for a year. I want to know what effect the upper time restriction has. Some days ago, I discovered something that will change my life, if it is true.

Philosophy, Habits, ArtRikard ÖqvistJune 13, 2020hypnosis, trance, incremental improvement, growth, discipline, consistencyComment

Done is better than perfect

Done is better than perfect

A trait that is common among engineers is the desire to make things perfect. We find beauty in a system that is well-designed and optimized so that nothing is there that shouldn’t be there. The system does exactly what we want it to do. This desire is a blessing and a curse. Without it, buildings would probably collapse, and airplanes would fall from the sky. But the strive for perfection can also be the reason a building never gets built or an airplane that never flies. Have you ever worked on a project where you have done a perfect design only to realize when you are finished, that you have made incorrect assumptions regarding the foundation? Like proof-reading your doctoral thesis without detecting a spelling error in the title?

Philosophy, EngineeringRikard ÖqvistMay 30, 2020perfection, motorcycle, electrical, design, conscientiousness, personalityComment

Do you believe in God?

Do you believe in God?

As I learned more and more about physics, mechanics, mathematics, electronics, fluids, optics, etc, I became increasingly convinced that science could find the answers to our difficult questions. But later, when I started my PhD education and encountered the courses in philosophy, especially Philosophy of Science, something changed. When I got my PhD degree in 2017, I had found my way back to God again. I realized that God was the only rational, logical and coherent answer that would explain everything I had learned. Since then, every single area of my life that I can think of have improved. Massively.

Philosophy, HabitsRikard ÖqvistApril 18, 2020religion, god, sustainabilityComment