I am Edno Chovak, an independent author, publisher, and essayist.

I write about freedom - even when I appear to be writing about something else. I’m interested in what lies beneath the surface, especially when it is funny, contradictory, or difficult to explain.

This site is where I collect essays, observations, and questions about life, creative work, writing, thinking, freedom - and the many things freedom has to do with.


The Practical Handbook of Countermeasures

My main work is The Practical Handbook of Countermeasures.

I chose the word “countermeasures” deliberately. It doesn’t mean retreating, cowering in fear, or seeing an enemy behind every bush. It means looking a situation in the eye, naming the risks, identifying the weak spots, and developing concrete steps to remain capable of acting - and to remain free.

The Handbook stays close to the ground: practical, everyday, useful applications. It focuses on concrete problems, risks, and challenges - and on what we can actually do about them.

Countermeasures, not surrender. That’s the idea.

The Essays

My essays and articles are less well behaved. They wander into philosophical questions, thought experiments, creative writing, thinking, humor, irony, and whatever else happens to catch my attention. Sometimes the connection to freedom is obvious. Sometimes it takes a little digging.

Maybe that’s the point.

Books

Journaling for Adults

Getting Back to Journaling: 10 Practical Methods for Moving from Writing to Reflection.

Your journal does not need to be beautiful, profound, or written every day. It only needs to be yours.

In a world of color-coded pages, perfect routines, and endless self-improvement advice, Journaling for Adults offers something simpler: a practical way to get back to writing, clear your head, understand your reactions, and pay closer attention to your own life.

Edno Chovak presents ten flexible journaling methods for different situations and needs. You can record what happened during an ordinary day, empty your mind before going to sleep, prepare for a difficult conversation, write down anger or sadness, notice something good, recognize small achievements, preserve a fleeting memory, or explore what a book or movie reveals about you.

This is not a book about becoming the best version of yourself. It does not demand perfect routines, daily streaks, artificial positivity, expensive notebooks, or profound insights. Instead, it shows you how to begin with simple facts, write the sentence you have been avoiding, distinguish reflection from rumination, and separate what you can control from what you cannot.

Over time, writing and rereading your entries can reveal recurring patterns, forgotten details, personal values, and choices that remain within your reach. Not as an epiphany or a daily self-improvement project, but as a practical form of mental independence.

A flexible 14-day program, advice on setting up a journal, privacy guidance, and answers to common questions help you get started without pressure.

All you need is something to write with, something to write in, and a few honest minutes to yourself.

Journaling for Adults is for anyone who wants a practical, private, and realistic way to write, think, remember, and live with greater awareness—without turning the journal into another performance.

15 Years Younger With 15 Minutes A Day

The Efficient Program for Strength, Stability, and Cellular Rejuvenation.

You sit too much and don't get enough exercise.

You don't feel like doing sports or don't have time for them.

Symptoms:

  • Overweight.
  • Stiff bones and joints.
  • You feel old and weak.
  • Back pain. Neck pain. Chest pain. Knee pain and shortness of breath when climbing stairs.
  • When you crouch down to pick something up off the floor, you can only stand up again with a groan and by holding on to something or supporting yourself.
  • When you put on your pants, you have to hold on to something because you cannot stand securely on one leg.

Then this book is made for you.

The program described in this book will make your body strong, fit, and flexible with minimal effort and minimal risk of injury. And will rejuvenate the biological age of your cardiovascular system by 10 -15 years within a year.

This book is a practical guide for everyday life. No expensive gym membership, no complicated diet plan that you won't stick to anyway. The program is scientifically sound, yet simple and easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

I started with this program 2 years ago at an age of 60. My wife was skeptical at first - whether it would actually make a difference, and whether I would really stick with it. And as she realized that it really works, she started doing it too. Then my friends did. The program is easy to start and is easy to stick to.

The positive effect of this program on muscle tone, stability, and strength is beyond dispute: You can easily test it for yourself, at whatever fitness level you are starting from. With-in just a few weeks, you will feel real progress.

Essays & Articles

I publish my essays/articles on Medium. Some are behind a paywall, but most can be read once for free before Medium asks you to register. Medium members have free access to all my essays.

You can also subscribe to my free monthly newsletter. It includes free access to all my member-only stories on Medium and updates on my current publishing projects.

Getting Past the Fear of the Blank Page

How to start writing in your personal journal (Free book chapter)

10 minutes read - Sep 22, 2026

The Optimum Principle

Why "good enough" for me is always better than "perfect"

6 minutes read - Sep 11, 2026

How to Develop Small Ideas into Valuable Content

A Practical “Framework” how to explore small ideas

2 minutes read - Sep 10, 2026

Sloth as a Business Model

Why a trash-can deodorizer says more about us than we might like

2 minutes read - Sep 6, 2026

How to Use - and Not Use - AI When Writing

Don’t take a bigger bite of the forbidden fruit than you can chew! You can’t talk in your own voice with your mouth full!

7 minutes read - Sep 3, 2026

Buttocks On The Way To The Beach

How to Turn Any Little Observation into a Story

5 minutes read - Sep 2, 2026

My Mother Forgot Me. I Remembered a Happy Childhood.

I think I understand how it happened. I cannot forgive her for never facing what she had done.

8 minutes read - Sep 1, 2026

“Find your voice” may be the wrong advice for writers.

“Find your rhythm” might be the better one.

4 minutes read - Aug 28, 2026

A Beginner’s Guide to Personal Journaling

10 practical approaches that may lead to deeper thinking

12 minutes read - Aug 26, 2026

Contact

Edno Chovak

Edno Chovak

Independent author, and publicist
E-Mail: contact@edno-chovak.com

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