A forgotten cup of tea
A forgotten cup of tea

I recently picked up my old habit of painting. Several nights in a row, when the kids have gone to bed, I bring out my trusty old iPad pro with the pencil and start sketching. I bring a cup of tea to the table to complete the little ritual. It’s been over three years now since I stopped painting regularly and sometimes it is perhaps a good idea to take a break, because I am having a ton of fun now when I picked up the pencil again. I have entered the magical flow state many times lately. I know this for a fact, because I have found myself time and time again with a cup of cold tea next to me.

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HabitsRikard Öqvistflow, focus, habits, painting, attentionComment
Without hope, there can be no meaning
Without hope, there can be no meaning

This is an image from the 1950’s of how they envisioned the future. It looks pretty awesome to me. I would also love a flying car. I think this image also is quite telling. How would a future vision look today? My first guess is doom and gloom. The trajectory is so different. This old picture can only be created with a positive mindset and hope. Without hope there can be no meaning. Society is so weird nowadays. When riding a motorcycle, the very first and most important lesson is that you go where you look. You control the bike with your eyes first and foremost. The same goes for civilisation. If our society is unable to come up with an equally nice picture of the future, where do you think we’re going to end up?

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Family, PhilosophyRikard Öqvistfuture, hope, meaning, children, familyComment
An antidote to stress
An antidote to stress

A week ago, we christened our daughter. We had just left for the church with not much extra time to spare when I realized that we had forgotten an important detail – The christening gown… After the child, this is perhaps the second most important thing for the ceremony, so forgetting it at home is quite the achievement. In a case like this, you better make sure that you left too early because doing an unplanned detour back home to pick something up costs a lot of time that you do not have. At least that is the obvious solution; never leave at the last minute but instead wait a while at the destination. That will give you the margin you need. But i think there is another way that is even more important, at least for me.

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Diary, HabitsRikard Öqviststress, preparation, habits, efficiencyComment
What is the best screen size?
What is the best screen size?

I have been experimenting with various screen sizes for many years, especially triple monitor setups or very large single screens. In this post, I will try to figure out which one has worked the best for me in various scenarios. Choosing a monitor is not just about the size, but about the screen resolution i.e. your pixel real estate. Personally, I think the number of pixels is just like horsepower. It is impossible to have too many. Another very important factor is the refresh rate. Currently, I am running a triple 4k 27” setup, and for engineering purposes I think it will be all but impossible to back to anything less than 4k. Still, I am not satisfied because this setup has some serious drawbacks.

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Computer, EngineeringRikard Öqvistergonomics, screen resolution, computers, workplaceComment
Period correct hardware and friends
Period correct hardware and friends

Last weekend we did a trip down memory lane; a LAN party using period correct Windows 98 hardware and four old (also) period correct friends. I played a ton of LAN parties back in the day and was often the organizer of large ones, sometimes up to about 20 people. Then there was a big gap when everyone was busy building families and careers for a decade or two. But rest assured, it is still just as fun today as back then. It might be even more fun today, because grumpy old men like us have now learned to value time in a completely different way. I am hard pressed to come up with any better way to spend time than an event such as this.

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Computer, DiaryRikard Öqvistfriends, retro computers, gaming, tinkering, cultureComment
The 3-point list
The 3-point list

Even though it is still vacation, as a house owner it is important to keep the momentum going with regards to long-term improvements. It is not enough to just deal with the daily upkeep, one also must invest some time in improvement and development of the property. I have a long list of things that I know should be done, because they will bring about many quality-of-life improvements. However, they are not mission critical like moving the lawn, house cleaning or buying groceries. A method I have used to great success is to define three special tasks that deals with development, and make sure that I execute them the next day. It brings about a very good gut feeling when I tick off these three boxes, because they are clear progress towards a larger aim.

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HabitsRikard Öqvistfocus, habits, priorities, productivity, vacationComment
The weakest link
The weakest link

When I practise musical instruments, I always select the most difficult song I can imagine. The primary reason is that it will ruthlessly reveal your biggest weakness to you. Then, enlightened, I simply focus on that specific weakness for weeks, months or even years until I discover the next weakness. This past month, I made a wonderful discovery in my drum practice (I started in 2019). Finally, I could easily tell that my left hand was my weakest link.

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Music, HabitsRikard Öqvistdrums, practice, habits, improvementComment
Revisiting Minecraft with my son
Revisiting Minecraft with my son

I will never forget my first night in Minecraft. It is one of the defining moments in video game history. The sheer terror of trying to find a source of light and a roof over your head before the sun sets was epic. I didn’t succeed at first so I just dug a 1x1 hole in the dirt and hid inside it so the monsters couldn’t spawn with me or hurt me. That was when the game was still in alpha version. A lot has happened since then. But the game is still just as epic today, as those first days back in 2010.

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Computer, ParentingRikard Öqvistminecraft, parenting, father, gamingComment
Difficult problems are also Easier
Difficult problems are also Easier

Two months ago, I became a father for the third time. I have heard countless times that “when you become a parent, you will never have any more time of your own again” or something similar. Which is a big fat lie, of course. It just requires priorities and planning. A very good approach to a problem that seems too difficult is to realize that the reason you are stuck is because the problem is too easy. By increasing the difficulty level, you eliminate more of your options, until only a handful or preferably only one option remain. If you only have one choice, then the path forward becomes rather obvious.

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Diary, HabitsRikard Öqvisthabits, routine, consistencyComment
Wife approval factor  -999
Wife approval factor  -999

I recently bought a flight simulator seat for my VR rig. I have been thinking about buying one for many years, but I couldn't really justify the expense due to the exceptionally narrow use case and all the downsides that comes with such a product. Nevertheless, once this thing is properly installed with a throttle, rudder pedals and a flight stick, the experience is mind-blowing. This is what VR was made for. The immersion got a huge boost, primarily because all of control surfaces are exactly where they should be in physical space, and I can now finally calibrate my head position to be exactly in the pilot’s seat.

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ComputerRikard ÖqvistVR, mixed reality, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Nex level racing, immersionComment
Vacation crescendo
Vacation crescendo

The usual pattern again. Everyone wants to deliver important projects before the vacation and the final weeks up until the last Friday feels like a metronome that speeds up exponentially. Let us also throw a couple of urgent surprise problems that require you to drop everything and hyper-focus without interruption for 8 hours straight. No, we are not saturated enough, we also need sick kids that must go to the emergency room, dogs with wounds, and a computer that blows itself up in the middle of an important delivery. Then I went outdoors, the rain started pouring and I inhaled a mosquito and almost puked. What a wonderful day!

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Habits, Family, Parenting, DiaryRikard Öqvistpreparation, parenting, computers, mindfulness, focusComment
To-do lists and vacation
To-do lists and vacation

Vacation is rapidly approaching, and there are 10X more things to do compared to available time. The usual approach has been to go for the more boring list and as a house owner there is an endless supply of things to attend. I have things on that list that has been there for five years. But one has to prioritize… Me and my wife just tried a new approach. We wrote both a “chore list” and a “fun list”. Consequently, this shall be our best vacation ever, Inshallah.

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DiaryRikard Öqvistscheduling, vacation, planning, habitsComment
A grumpy old gamer
A grumpy old gamer

I have been playing a lot of Diablo 4 these past months. Overall, it is a very impressing game, especially with regards to the production value. I don’t think I have seen anything like it before. The graphics, artwork, audio, cutscenes, atmosphere, mechanics, story, music… the list goes on and on. However, there is one thing that annoys me more than anything. The difficulty level. Why on Earth is the game so extremely easy? There is no challenge whatsoever and it is almost impossible to die, and I can dispose of most enemies, including bosses with one or a couple of actions. It becomes rather boring after a while.I have been playing a lot of Diablo 4 these past months. Overall, it is a very impressing game, especially with regards to the production value. I don’t think I have seen anything like it before. The graphics, artwork, audio, cutscenes, atmosphere, mechanics, story, music… the list goes on and on. However, there is one thing that annoys me more than anything. The difficulty level. Why on Earth is the game so extremely easy? There is no challenge whatsoever and it is almost impossible to die, and I can dispose of most enemies, including bosses with one or a couple of actions. It becomes rather boring after a while.

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ComputerRikard Öqvistgaming, blizzard, challengeComment
Hands-free baby
Hands-free baby

I recently discovered how great baby carriers are. Our little girl is by far the clingiest one yet. Pacifiers hardly work but I have noticed that attaching her on my body and going about my business as usual seems to get the job done most of the time. It is kind of like getting a hands-free mode on your newborn, which can come in very handy. She even joined me at work this Monday for around two hours.

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ParentingRikard Öqvistbaby, father, love, familyComment
Less is more
Less is more

After finding my destroyed Airpods a week ago, I did a little experiment and dug out my unused pair of cable headphones that came with the phone. Now I have been using them for a week and I have made some interesting observations. In a full week, I have used them only two times. I took a phone call while walking, and I listened to some Youtube stuff tonight for around 10 minutes. And it is not that I have improved my self-control. Simply put, the cable headphones are lightyears worse than wireless Airpods. They are extremely bad from a usability perspective. Paradoxically I can now confirm that it is also their greatest strength.

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Diary, HabitsRikard Öqvistapple, airpods, focus, habits, disciplineComment
Good riddance!
Good riddance!

Some months ago, on a dog walk this winter in a rough snowstorm, I dropped my Airpods. I didn’t notice they were gone it until I got back home. I instantly returned and backtracked to look for them. But a white Airpod case is near invisible in snow, and even though I was back in the same place just a couple of minutes later, they were already buried. They were gone. And that turned out to be a very good thing.

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Habits, DiaryRikard Öqvistapple, airpods, habits, coffee, attention Comment
The greatest gift
The greatest gift

One week ago, we were blessed with our third kid, our first daughter. The first few days are magical and there is a saying that an infant is the closest thing to seeing the face of God. That one is absolutely true. There is nothing that can come close to it. I have managed to check out temporarily from work these two weeks and for that I am very grateful. It is a rare occasion to have something in front of you that is important for real and not just a misplaced priority.

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FamilyRikard Öqvistfocus, children, kids, lifeComment
Contrast keeps you sane
Contrast keeps you sane

While talking to a colleague last week, I went on a rant regarding cognitive work. I sometimes have a strong urge to work with something where I can just turn on the autopilot and cruise for a while. But it seems like that day never comes to me. I am a specialist consultant, and I find my work very difficult most of the time. And every time a palette drops, and I finally figure out how to solve a specific problem, you might think that life should get a little easier. But no… the only thing that happens is that the difficulty setting increases even more. It feels like mental tractor pulling.

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Engineering, HabitsRikard Öqvistwork, job, engineering, health, musicComment
Kid routines
Kid routines

Routines are critical for a successful life. They are the foundation upon which the house of your life is built. With a solid foundation, the house can endure tougher challenges than were it built on clay. When we got our first son in 2019, we had to build new routines. It took about two years to iron out everything. Then, son number two arrived in 2021 and all routines were blasted into smithereens, and we had to restart the routine building process for another two years. In about a week, it is time to destroy the routines once again.

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Family, HabitsRikard Öqvistchildren, family, habits, routinesComment
Sleep habits in the land of the midnight sun
Sleep habits in the land of the midnight sun

I listened to a long podcast about the importance of sleep and to keep a solid routine for your circadian rhythm. It was nothing new under the sun, except for a couple of eye-opening facts such that shift workers die 15 years earlier on average (!). A proper sleep habit with enough hours in bed gives massive, massive health benefits and reduced risks for just about everything. It all sounds great on paper, but to apply it up here in the north of Sweden is slightly frustrating…

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Diary, HabitsRikard ÖqvistComment