Welcome to Tortoise Knows Best 2.0

Written by on March 4, 2011

Hello and welcome to Tortoise Knows Best 2.0. It has taken me a little longer than hoped to get everything done. It is still a little rough around the edges and in particular the “Buy Stuff” page still needs a bit of work. I have, however, added an eGuide page and a Guided Meditation page, both powered by e-junkie. I haven’t added the specific product pages yet, I am still writing them, so if you want to know any more detail please contact me.

A Note On Comments

I have switched comments off as I was sick of spam, idiots and self promoters. I am comfortable enough to blog without needing the reassurance of kind comments from you lovely and intelligent readers. If you have something you would like to ask or say, please contact me via twitter, facebook, or if you would prefer to do so privately via my contact page.

Simplified Categories

The previous site lost focus a bit and posts became excessively random and a bit too eclectic. So, to refocus on the true raison d’être of this blog (strategies to help you cultivate your “Tortoise-Mind”), I will be simplifying the categories to:

The Journey
These are meandering posts of my thoughts, musings and ideas. Things I have been contemplating, or something I have read, seen or been introduced to that has triggered some insight that I think it would be useful to share. They are more personal. I ramble. It is about the journey after all.

The Knowledge
These are your classic “how to” posts, they will give you an idea, technique or strategy for you to try out to help you cultivate your “tortoise mind”, sometimes they will be linked to the journey post. Sometimes not.

Suggested Reading From Version 1.2

Older posts are not organised in this way and are all now listed as “uncategorised”, so please feel free to dip in and out of those. I have done my best to link back to older posts where relevant (with a related post link at the bottom of each post and the most popular posts on the right hand sidebar), but if you are new here I would recommend you start with these posts:

  1. This is a Slow Blog
  2. The Slow Philosophy
  3. Slow Down From the Inside Out
  4. The Businessman and the Fisherman
  5. Hare Brained or Tortoise Minded?
  6. Meditation Makes You Cool
  7. Four Physical Ways to Slow Down
  8. International Day of Slowness
  9. The 3 Keys to A Slow and Happy Life
  10. Learn to Let Go
  11. The Overflowing Tea Cup (and your own list here)
  12. Life is A Journey Not a Destination
  13. Manners Maketh the Idler
  14. A Beginners Guide to Slowing Down
  15. Can I?
  16. The Little Things

To get a daily dose of Slow Wisdom please follow me on twitter, or if you don’t use twitter try my facebook page (which seems more popular anyway, I don’t think Slowbies/Idlers like Twitter too much…)

All this is repeated (with a bit more detail) in the “About” page.

Things being as there are here, as everywhere else, are in constant flux, so more changes will occur off and on. Some large, some smaller. Please contact me via twitter, facebook or my contact page if you have any thoughts or comments.

Matt

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Tortoise Knows Best 2.0

Written by on January 27, 2011

My apologies for the silence over the last couple of weeks (well, this is a Slow Blog…), after my last blog post about the story so far and what I plan to do in the future, it planted a seed of an idea of how to proceed, a slight change in direction and new, more focused blog.  Which will also involve a facelift.

The idea is still gestating (creativity, after all, takes time. Just ask Archimedes), hence the current silence. I don’t want to rush at this.

So, please bear (or is that bare? I am never sure) with me, I will be back soon with Tortoise Knows Best 2.0.

Until then, I will continue to do regular updates via twitter, so please feel free to follow and interact with me on there.

Matt

PS. Due to the incredible amount of spam I have been getting, I have currently disabled comments, if you would like to contact me, please use twitter.

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This is a Slow Blog

Written by on October 8, 2009

THIS IS A SLOW BLOG. It is updated when I have something to say, rather than trying to say something just to update the blog. Learn more about Slow Blogging here. Since this is a Slow Blog, may I suggest you subscribe by RSS by clicking here, or subscribe to receive email updates by clicking here (to learn more about RSS click here for an FAQ).

This is a Slow Blog

Slow Blogging applies the slow philosophy to the blogosphere. It eschews the current blogging paradigm of “faster equals better” and that posting blog entries frequently is necessary, or in fact, that posting frequently is the “right way” to blog. This blog “happens when it happens” and will be updated as and when I have something I think is really worth sharing, rather than just writing something to get an entry in (often just to keep the search engines happy!). Which means you may get an entry a week, a month, or even several a day, depending on what I have to say and what I am up to.

Because this is a slow blog and by its very nature not updated regularly (I aim for once a week, often I miss), may I suggest you subscribe by RSS by clicking here, or subscribe to receive email updates by clicking here. If you are new to blogging and RSS and not sure what all that means, click here for an FAQ.

A Slow Blogging Manifesto

Inspired by Todd Sieling, below is my Slow Blogging Manifesto (this is only a first draft and may, or will, change). To read Todd’s own manifesto click here (and I can’t help but have some of my manifesto very similar to some of his, one I have quoted directly, as I cannot say it better myself…).

1. Slow bloggers blog for people, not search engines, page ranks or technorati authority.

2. “Slow Blogging is a rejection of immediacy. It is an affirmation that not all things worth reading are written quickly, and that many thoughts are best served after being fully baked and worded in an even temperament.”  Todd Sieling

3. It is a willingness to keep quiet whilst all other bloggers are shouting “listen to me, listen to me!” It is about not trying to be the loudest voice out there.

4. Slow Blogging is not about chasing the news or Google hot trends just for a few hits. It is about not sprinting to a response or reacting to this rush of information in our world of 24 hour rolling news. The world is moving fast and trying to keep up means often that you sacrifice quality for speed. Slow blogging looks at the bigger picture not at micro-trends.

5. Slow Blogging concentrates on one thing at a time.

6. Slow Blogging is about substance to posts, not just banal clichés and one-line sound bites that sound good but are ultimately vacuous. Think. Study. Consider. Write. Then post.

7. The posts won’t rush to get to the point; they will take you on a journey. Some entries may be rambling and long winded (that is, in fact, a good thing. James Joyce didn’t rush Ulysses…).

8. Slow Blogging re-establishes technology as the agent of human expression, rather than technology as the master of human expression. It is about reclaiming the internet and creating an island of calm reflection and consideration in this stormy ocean of information…

To learn more about other slow bloggers, follow the links below:

Todd Sieling: www.toddsieling.com/slowblog

NY Times:  Blogging at a Snails Pace:

Barbara Ganley www.bgblogging.com

Russell Davies’ Dawdlr blog:  dawdlr.tumblr.com

A “Slow Blog” Or Rather, A “Bright Blog” Manifesto

SlowBlogs @ Blogspot slowblogs.blogspot.com

The Guardian: The bloggers who take it one post at a time

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Saint Monday

Written by on August 10, 2009

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As as become custom now, with this Slow Blogging. I am celebrating Saint Monday, will be back tomorrow with some news and changes around here. Stay tuned.

Matt

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The Best of Tortoise Knows Best So Far… (Part 3: The Podbean Days)

Written by on June 12, 2009

In the final instalment of this “Best of So Far… (up to June 09)” series is the Podbean days. Remember I will be continuing to be using Podbean for podcasts…

Save Your Money, Save the World!
Being Slow is not just about appreciating the time we have, it is a philosophy built on reducing waste. Wasted time, wasted resources, wasted money…

Finding the Space to Be Slow
The slow life is the simple life, is the easy life. To be able to slow down you need to create space to do so.

Slowing downing with the pressure of family and work.
I often here the “reason” that people can’t slow down is because of pressures of work and family…

De-clutter your mind to give you space to slow down.

Part 1: Capture

Part 2: Chunking

Part 3: Why?

Part 4: Lets Get Creative!

Part 5: Needs

Part 6: Shoulds

A Time Out, Practical Idling Number 1 – A Tea Break
The first (and so far only) entry into an infrequent series on “Practical Idling”…

2 Surprisingly Slow Books

1 – “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey

2 – “Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity” by David Allen.

How Slowing Down Can Make You (Appear) Psychic
The title says it all!

Mindfulness

Part 1: An Introduction

Part 2: Do Nothing

Part 3: A Simple Meditation

I will be continuing this series very soon…

Well, that is it for the “Best of So Far…” series and new posts will start again next week.

SC

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The Best of Tortoise Knows Best So Far…(Part 2: The WordPress.com Days)

Written by on June 11, 2009

Continuing the best of theme. Here is the “best of” the WordPress.com days (running from October ’08 – January ’09):

The Little Things
Where I muse on how it is often the little things that we don’t really pay attention too that makes us the happiest in life, not the big bucks stuff we would expect.

Tempo Guisto
About how Slow doesn’t always mean ‘slow’…

Slow Time Part 1

First (and so far only) entry in an occasion series discussing time…

Secret Agent of Slow

How, by slowing down you will start to help and inspire other people to do the same, just by your actions.

How to Be Slow in Fast Environment Series

Part 1:  Centering

Part 2: The Key Traits to be Slow in a Fast Environment.

Part 3: Breathe!

I started this series again and continued it  in the SlowCasts (see yesterdays “Best Of”)

Cleanliness is Next to Slowliness
About how being slow isn’t about being lazy or slothful (a re-occurring theme) and how disorganisation and mess is “anti-Slow”.

Slow Odes Part 1: Public Transport
First (and so far only) post in an occasional series praising Slowness.

Twittering Nonsense.
Being rather critical of Twitter. I have been experimenting with it recently here and will post a follow-up entry soon.
Part 3: The Podbean Days will be up tomorrow.

SC

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Slow Blogging

Written by on June 9, 2009

Slow gets everywhere!

Whilst surfing the net the other night and doing a spot of research on blogging and the Slow movement, I came across this article:

http://www.blogherald.com/2008/03/17/are-you-a-fast-blogger-or-a-slow-blogger/

Blogging traditionally is a “fast” activity. People demand constant and fresh, regular, relevant updates and bloggers often rush to be the first to break or comment on some news or event.

But slow blogging rejects this ethos, Todd Sieling on his slow blog (http://toddsieling.com/slowblog/) proposes the following manifesto:

Slow Blogging is a rejection of immediacy. It is an affirmation that not all things worth reading are written quickly, and that many thoughts are best served after being fully baked and worded in an even temperament.

A bit more digging and I came across this piece in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/fashion/23slowblog.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1244549158-bRwn+Up3i5HP+Vl/5iLtfw

Now, I am not saying that (ironically) I am a bit slow, here, but notice that Slow Blogging was first mentioned in 2006 and the news stories I have highlighted were from last year!

So, taking Tod’s lead, I am working on my Slow Blog Manifesto and will post it up here when it is done. Any thoughts on what is should include? What is an “ideal” slow blog and slow blog entry?

Let me know your thoughts

SC

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