Adam Cap

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Self, Talk: On Voice Recorder Therapy (How-To, Benefits, Apps, and Devices)

↘︎ Mar 16, 2019 … 3′⇠ | skip ⇢

Along with writing thoughts in a personal, private, solitary manner, I speak likewise alone (i.e., yes—I talk to myself). I use a voice recorder to capture these sessions of self-conversation as a complementary practice to pen & paper journaling—the convention is not far out of left field. I rarely listen back to the recordings, but knowing that I’m being recorded wrenches higher levels of coherence out of me. I find self-talk helpful for working through whatever I’m stuck on. Most of life is an attempt to not become too fixated on any specific agenda and to place oneself in a continual state of adaptation, moving forward. Ideally we’d all have therapists, or be capable of telling anyone anything at any time without fear of annihilation, but self-guided voice recording is what’s doable for me, and I’m more honest speaking (and writing) alone than in the presence of another person.

I started recording with what I already had available—the Voice Memos app on my iPhone—rather than acquire anything new to begin. Voice Memos is a good app. Start there if you’re interested in voice recorder therapy. It’s free, and you already own it.1 Initiating a recording with Voice Memos is quick, playback is first-rate, and the sound quality is beyond adequate for this purpose. Plus, talking through a phone is second nature for most people. There’s a sense of intimacy speaking this way, with a familiar voice box to held your head. Which is weird. But it is important to feel comfortable enough to divulge the thoughts you’re otherwise not articulating in regular conversation.

That said, I prefer to not interact with my phone when possible (stage right: goofy quasi-Luddite), so after using Voice Memos for two months and liking it (the app, the functionality it provides) but not liking grasping for my phone even more than usual, I bought a dedicated voice recorder.

It’s okay. It’s tiny (only slightly larger than a small pack of gum), so it’s easy to carry around, which is great. If I’m going for a walk or drive, I’m likely to stick it in my pocket or toss it in my bag. The form factor is significant (because if it’s bulky, it’s staying home, and I won’t use it) and the device’s most redeeming factor. Playback is painful without the touch screen which is afforded to Voice Memos, and the sound quality is weak, too. However, I’m willing to put up with those shortcomings. The big problem with this voice recorder is that it’s slow to power on after it’s been off for a while (an hour or more). It takes ~thirteen seconds to start up cold. That’s an eternity. The delay is enough to make me not want to use it. The irony: I want to want to use this thing. It should be more responsive for how narrow a device it is. It doesn’t do all that much, so what it does, it should do well. Developing positive habits is difficult—I’m trying here!—and the start time is fatally preclusive.

What I’ve done to enhance it: I tweaked the factory settings so that the voice recorder never turns off. This doesn’t mean that it’s always recording; instead, it’s put into a pseudo-standby mode—with screen off, software on—after a short period, rather than shut off entirely. None of these specifics matter much; the takeaway is that it should be fast, nearing on effortless, and automatic (like clockwork) to get yourself doing whatever it is you’d like to establish as habit. The voice recorder could be a pen and paper or library book; it’s all the same.

To make this specific voice recorder (the Sony UX560) useable:

  • Settings > Common Settings > Sleep Timer > OFF
  • Settings > Common Settings > Auto Power Off > OFF

There are other settings you may want to configure, but those are the critical ones. This config allows you at all times to begin recording in ~three seconds, which is a lot faster than intermittently waiting thirteen. The battery lasts for days, but I recommend habitually charging the recorder when not in use, like overnight. (A long charging cable can help.) I also recommend equipping it with a large memory card (I went for 128GB), so space is seldom an issue.

Professional dictation machines (which are what doctors and lawyers use, and are slightly different than generic voice recorders) are likely more appropriate for what I’m trying to achieve; quickly recording and listening to myself. They are also way more expensive. (I figured a $70 voice recorder was worth an initial trial over a $500+ professional device because I was unsure if this habit would last. I foresee diminishing returns beyond my entry-level recorder, which is objectively worse than Voice Memos in several ways, though I prefer having the dedicated device.)


1 I’m presuming that all readers have iPhones. Whatever you have, use it.

Me

circa 2017 (29 y/o)

about adam

Jump…

  • 19 Mar 16: Self, Talk #change #DIY #journaling #self-improvement #tool
  • 11 Sep 12: I Wish You Told Me This YEARS Ago... #self-improvement
  • 10 Aug 6: The Secret To Getting Ridiculously Good #ambition #change #self-improvement

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change / DIY / journaling / self-improvement / tool

I Wish You Told Me This YEARS Ago…

↘︎ Sep 12, 2011 … ↗︎ Sep 30, 2012 … 1′⇠ | skip ⇢

I haven’t written anything here in a while, but today I got inspiration to share some of the things that have inspired ME the past couple years. This is a collection of books, links, and some quotes that have in some way shaped who I am right now.

Consider this a list of things I wish someone else had told me about YEARS ago… so I’m telling you right now: go check this stuff out!

The best way for me to sum the benefit of these resources, is that they’ll enable you to make your life better than you ever thought possible.

Biz

  • Four Hour Workweek
  • John Carlton’s RANT
  • The Gary Halbert Letter

Health

EDIT 9/30/2012: I’ve removed resources I had put here since I no longer believe in all them and don’t want to give people bad health advice. Do your own research and always keep an open mind.

Quotes

  • “The greatest skill you can master is empathy.”
  • “Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness.”
  • “Wherever you are, be there.”

Psychology

  • The Self
  • Curse of the Self
  • Your Memory: How It Works and How to Improve It
  • NLP: The New Technology of Achievement

Simplicity

  • Mnmlist.com
  • Zen-Habits.net

People

  • Rod Brind’Amour

Me

circa 2018 (30 y/o)

Popularly…

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self-improvement

The Secret To Getting Ridiculously Good

↘︎ Aug 6, 2010 … 1′⇠ | skip ⇢

Want to know the secret behind MJ’s skills? Clapton’s “slowhand”? Picaso’s brush?

If you think any of those individuals was born with a gift…you’re dead wrong.

Experts say that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice until you can acquire mastery in one area of your life.

You can bet your ass those guys put in that much time (and then some).

10,000 hours equals nearly full 417 days… I think you better get started.

Me

circa 2008 (20 y/o)

Randomly…

  • 18 Jun 26: The Other Side #DIY #light #Ray Peat #tool #warmth
  • 13 Jun 29: Getting Ripped Slowly #fitness
  • 17 Aug 3: Ketato Ketato #food #Ray Peat #recipe #science
  • 09 Nov 6: College #intelligence #school #thought
  • 10 Aug 4: How To Waste Less Time on Facebook and Twitter #internet #productivity #social media
  • 19 Feb 27: Amnesiac Web Surfing #change #computer #efficiency #internet #tool
  • 10 Jun 16: Mapquest Pranksters #clipping #comic strip
  • 11 Apr 5: NCAA Men’s Basketball Bracket 2009 #clipping #sport
  • 10 Apr 26: Steve Jobs Can Sell Like None Other #computer #from my Tumblr #marketing #video
  • 10 May 25: Full Count Jeans #clothing #from my Tumblr #jeans
  • 10 Jan 27: Colors of Success #marketing #psychology
  • 10 Aug 11: The Anti-Costanza Wallet #carry #minimalism #review #tool
  • 19 Mar 16: Self, Talk #change #DIY #journaling #self-improvement #tool
  • 11 Jan 1: New Years Resolutions #ambition
  • 10 May 4: I’m Broke #I’m broke #money
  • 09 Nov 9: WAYWT 11/9/09 #clothing #style #WAYWT
  • 18 Jul 9: Tag, You’re It #essay #marketing #movie #reading
  • 10 Mar 7: Do you know what I mean? #music
  • 10 Mar 1: Full Count Jean Contest FINAL PICS! #clothing #jeans
  • 10 May 5: I’m Broke Day 2 #I’m broke #money

More on…
ambition / change / self-improvement

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ADAM CAP is an elastic waistband enthusiast, hammock admirer, and rare dingus collector hailing from Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

My main interests at this time include reading, walking, and learning how to do everything faster.

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