Mind-Manual

Technical Crap

Howdy. I just updated wordpress to version 2.5. This is one of those updates that if all goes well, you will not notice any changes. Almost.

I made a few behind-the-scenes changes and I’m about to improve accessibility and navigation (cause my site sucks for that right now).

I’m making these changes and I’m going to start marketing this site more after that.

Edit: I’ve added a Related Posts plugin, a Recommended entries section with a Random Post link and an archives page. Here are a few more changes to keep an eye out for:

• Update the search function. It came with the theme and it r crap. I think it actually searches for phrases and not keywords.
• More recommended posts on the right there.
• More changes to the ads, including one or two more adblocks.
• Email to friends link. Apparently there have been people sharing my posts through email and I’d like to make it easier.
• A few other random things. Some of these may later be removed. Have I mentioned that I really like Wordpress plugins?

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Welcome to Mind-Manual!

In this blog, I will be writing about personal development. Personal development, most simply, can be described as improving yourself and your life. I’ll be focusing mainly on the area of mental development, but I may write about anything. I could write BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA and you couldn’t do a thing to stop me. I’ll try not to do that too much, though.

One of my major goals is to become a better thinker. This, for me, involves gaining a deeper understanding and more accurate model of the world we live in. One of the main tools I use to become a better thinker are Mental Models. I’ll be writing more about mental models and mental development later.

I want to be extremely clear in my writings, and I want my writing to be fun on some level. That’s because I know that no one wants to read blocks of boring text, and because I’m just a fun, happy go-lucky kinda guy anyway and that just sorta comes through in my writing. While I am writing about mental development, I will try not to come across as an intellectual elite (read: asshole). I have fun with this stuff. I love improving my mind and learning new things and I want to connect with people who share my passion.

So, those are just some thoughts about what I intend with this site. My next entry will focus on why somebody like you might want to get into personal development, if you’re not already, and if you are, then why you might like to improve your mind.

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First Post!

Woot! I got first post!

Those of you who much be interested in archiving, here was my placeholder page while I got this blog up and running:

This is the future site (get it? Site–website? HAHAHAHAHA! I’m a comedic genius…I’m so lonely) of Mind Manual. This blog/site will be used to inform its readers about personal development. “Yay, another Steve Pavlina-inspired blog”, you might say. “What makes you so special?”

Well, dear reader, Mind Manual is special because of four reasons:

• The generic reason: Every new site that is dedicated to personal development increases the possibility of some wayward surfer stumbling on personal development and deciding to pursue it. This reason doesn’t necessarily make this site “special” among other PD sites, but it does create value.
• To develop a strong understanding of the world, especially humanity. If you have been reading Steve Pavlina’s site, then you might be aware that his main interest is in understanding the nature of reality and consciousness. Worthy pursuits (and ones I try to learn from with great interest), however I have a strong personal interest in the physical world, and in humanity. I want to know what makes humans tick, from a scientific angle, rather than a spirtual one. And I want to share what I have learned with others. I will talk about many different things related to PD, but my main focus will be on creating a mental understanding of the world we live in.
• To provide a very practical and hands-on guide to personal development, by utilizing the unique properties of the Intertubes. If that sentence sounded like marketing double-speak to you, do not be scared and run away. I will explain what I mean when Mind Manual is formally launched.
• To organize the massive amounts of information available on PD into a cohesive, flexible system. I also want to use the best available methods of organizing this material. I also want to be exceedingly clear, and that will become obvious once I start writing.

My purpose with this site is to help people in their pursuit of Personal Development. If you believe in the Levels of Conscious scale, then you could say that my focus will be on the level of Reason. To develop a better understanding of the world, in such a way as to utilize that understanding towards our goals, and actually get into the nitty-gritty of all this.

Now that this page is up here, I have lots of work ahead of me including and in particular order:

• Finishing my site proper, according to my brilliant vision.
• Improve my writing skills. I like to think I’m a decent writer, but I believe I have some work left to do before I can write with the clarity I want.
• Learning to market a site like this. I have little experience in marketing, so this will be a wonderful learning experience.
• Hammer out my long-term visions and mission statements related to this site.
• Learn how to monetize a blog like this. One of my goals is to become financially independant, with multiple streams of income. I want this to be one. At the same time, I want to create real value for this blog’s readers, otherwise I will not feel right about making/taking money. I will pull the ads or whatever else I have here if I don’t feel that I am providing enough value for a sustained period of time.
• Have fun! This is really important. I want to do something I enjoy, otherwise its just a part-time job.

Now then, we’re off to a whizbang start. Hold your breath, Mind Manual is entering the hyperweb and will be here next week.

Cheers,

RT Wolf

I decided to keep it, here.

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