Serve me with your favorite burger or breakfast special, because I am f r i e d.
My goals for this year were to read more books, watch more movies, write more, and focus on keeping my hair healthy. While my hair is looking better these days, I haven’t read much, written at all, nor have I watched many movies. My initiatives for the month of February just did not happen, and while my disappointment is felt, I more strongly feel exhausted, drained, and like I need to straight up replace my eyes. I think staring at a screen all hours of the day isn’t good for the soul, and yet, here I am, hoping to make it the rest of my life.
So yes. Eight weeks into 2021 and I already need a break.
Work has been mentally taxing; an increased amount of growing pains within my department combined with an uptick in requests from clients eager to recoup losses from lockdown have led to a lot more work being put on my shoulders. Combine that with my early rising, my regular workouts (and the overall stress of trying to eat healthier), and my near daily coding practice, and you get all the ingredients for a good brain fizzle.
I know I decided to shift my goals for the year, but I also have to give myself some flack: I can’t set aside two hours a week for a new movie? Two hours a week, at MOST, to work on my hair and makeup skills? Thirty minutes a day to read? I haven’t spoken to my grandmother on the phone in a while, and I only emailed my grandpa a few weeks ago. The guilt is real, and by real, I mean really deserved.
A few years ago, I was deep in a rabbit hole of bullet journaling, goal-setting, and completing tasks left, right, and center, with the help and guidance of Type A expert Amy Landino. Somewhere along the way, I lost my sense of planning. I need to refocus, remember those productivity methods that she and others like her espoused as the best way to be successful in anything you do.
The almost sad part? It’s not rocket science. Set aside specific time for your tasks? Write down what you need to get done? Take breaks? :Miranda Priestley voice: Groundbreaking.
Nevertheless, that is my plan for the night. I will be doing SOME coding, but my priority for tonight is to map out time, in a Google Calendar, for how I want my days to look. I know I can’t overbook myself because my brain needs time to breathe, but there’s no reason why I can’t dedicate those days to sitting and watching a movie. There’s still a pandemic, you know? Where am I going all the time? Nowhere. I am going nowhere.
Okay, I’m going nowhere physically; emotionally I’m going places! To the stars! That might even be a physical goal; apparently you can get cremated and put your ashes into a firework.
See, that right there? That train of thought? That’s proof my brain needs a break, and better planning. I’ll see you back here in May! Two and a half months is enough time for habits to form, right?