2025-01-05
tags: none
Words: 838 (3 minutes to read)
My first weeknotes of the new year! (and, entry 62 of #100DaysToOffload)
Being the new year, I have now started to use the Hobonichi Techo for a lot of my journalling. I still use a notepad as well for longer form, scruffier writing, but am sort of summarising the day in the day's entry in the Techo. Also using it to track tasks I have to do, etc.
We went out for breakfast, and then I basically spent the day studying etc., as I had it off of work as I booked in holiday.
I had work during the day, then I went to my grandma's for the New Year's celebrations. I know I decided on that day also to practice hara hachi bu for the new year. I got home late from the celebration - about two, and then took a while to get to sleep too.
I had a fairly productive day. I did ten minutes of skipping, some weights, some reading, some guitar and mando practice, and finished my module 5 for the RHS horticulture course, sending it off that evening.
My legs ached like absolute hell on earth from the skipping (I could barely walk) and so I took a break from that. I had work anyways. I mostly read, and practised some guitar (printing off Prelude no 3 to practise on).
Work, and saw a friend online.
A fairly productive day: I degreased and oiled my bike in the morning (first time in forever), went to my usual cafe, studied RHS (taking a mock exam), read some Sense and Sensibility, then went to go to the music shop but couldn't find it as it has moved. I wanted to buy new guitar and mando strings.
I came home, did twelve sets of weights, skipped for two minutes, ironed my shirts for work next week, practised Prelude no 3. I realise that I need to practise barre chords, as invariably the D string gets a bit muted and I've no idea how to stop it from going like that.
I slept terribly (was still awake at about four), got up late, lazed about a bit, then got some porridge for breakfast, with some tomato soup my dad made yesterday. My sister came round and gelled my nails on my right hand: she did my left on Christmas Eve, and it's stopped me biting them to the point that now they even are developing whites - so I want the same for my strumming hand too.
I did five minutes of skipping (in three sets of about 1m30s), refactored kmd (the script for building the website) a little to improve it and dedup the code a little. I also used the examiner's notes to sort-of mark the paper I did yesterday, but for some reason they don't actually have the answers available. I'll need to do a lot more study, and I've identified some areas I could look over.
It's been a good week. I'm actually enjoying the mode of living that I have at the moment: it is slower (possibly aided by the fact of it being winter) and I am less stressed out. Work will be busy next week so maybe I won't be feeling that next week, but still I think I enjoy this way of life. Barely any phone use is amazing, and sort of relieves a pressure, or a speed, from me, I think.
I've got until the 14th when I can begin to use my phone for more than 25 minutes, but honestly I don't think I will. I really like this slow pace of life.
I'm reading more too. I'm studying (which, well, I don't really enjoy the RHS course that much, but it is good to learn. I'll be glad to be shot of it when it's over, but also it is quite nice for the moment. I just hope the exam won't be too stressful!) more, I'll probably going to make decent gains on the guitar over the course of the year. That kind of thing. And general I think I feel more well-rested in this mode of life.
This is still quite focused on productivity, which might be unhealthy. Yet, I am sort of doing things that can actually benefit me, will eventually get me where I want to be, and which, by way of being more creative, actually engender a sort of calm in me a lot of the time. We'll see how it is six months down the line. The only two blog posts I have written are about taking things day by day, and life feeling like a perpetual work-in-progress, so I think that is sort of the spirit I have at the moment. It arises from wanting to do well, and thinking I may have found a way that I can do well by, but also being tired, generally quite unhappy at the moment.
I'm hoping my sleep improves from next week when I'm forced back into the office, and have to get up six each day. Maybe I'll get a good sleep schedule again.
Ok, rambling now. Have a good one!