That’s a very literal translation of something we say in Germany “Im neuen Jahr wird alles anders”. It’s actually the title of a satirical little book. But it’s something we say at the turn of the years and since this one is still pretty new, it seemed appropriate.
I was very appalled to realize that I have only written 4 posts during all of last year. I had other writing to do. Lots of it.
Freelancing has been going pretty well, so I have no complaints. But I’m a little bit bored with the stuff I’m currently doing and wouldn’t mind a new project. On the other hand the bills are being paid and I actually have plenty of time to do my own stuff.
The problem is, I am not doing my own stuff.
I am procrastinating. Big time.
I follow every little distraction that is available to me. I do try to be productive to a certain degree, as in: what I allow to distract me has some value. But there’s no relation to me doing what I should be doing. Writing my own stuff.
That makes me frustrated and a little bit angry at myself.
I’m not a believer in New Year’s resolutions. Most people can’t really stick with them anyway. But I also know that I need to change a few things in my daily routine and force myself into a discipline that gets me where I want to be with my work.
So, I decided I’ll make a promise to myself (I’ve done this before, mind you). I need to keep this one, though.
There are a few things I want to do. Some of them have to wait until I have moved, but I can start on a few other things right away. And even though it’s Sunday, I’ve already started.
1. Make a work schedule and stick to it.
I tend to get up at a reasonable time, but I then take an awful lot of time to get going before I start work. I can definitely cut down on that purposeless fussing about. When I do get an early start, I’m always pleased to have most of my work done before noon.
And I can get most of my work done by early afternoon as it is. That leaves the afternoon to do things for myself.
2. Write for myself.
That includes working on actual projects that interest me, either creatively or content-wise. I am not producing content for my clients that I am particularly interested in. I just happen to be good at it. But there shouldn’t be anything keeping me from writing stuff I’m interested in. I started some of that in November after the Paris attacks. I’ll get back to that as of tomorrow.
3. Move more.
This is kind of a big deal. Working from home is awesome in many ways, but it doesn’t get me out of the house beyond what’s necessary. I don’t get enough fresh air and I don’t move enough. I feel unfit. I’ve bought a bike to counteract that, but the area here is hilly and everything is within walking distance, so there’s no point biking there. Once I move, however, I’ll have flat ground everywhere and reason to cycle everywhere.
I also want to get back into Yoga, for real.
4. Eat better.
I’m a vegetarian, but I need to cut down on sugar. Every time I overindulge I realize once more how bad it is for me. I try my best to eat healthy, but I can always improve.
5. Learn Spanish.
This will have to wait until I move. I want to properly attend a language course. It also allows me to meet new people. Funny enough my brother inspired me, because he moved to The Netherlands, where he needed to learn Dutch. He made friends in his language courses and since I won’t have workmates to socialize with when I move, it’ll be a good way to meet new people and finally become more proficient in another language.
These are the main things I need to change/work on. None of it is very difficult. I just need to manage my time better, make sure not to let myself be distracted (often by social media) and simply stick with it. I have plenty of time to achieve all of the above in a given day.
There are a few things changing for me this year and I am looking forward to them. More about that in my next post. Of course, not everything will be different this year, there’ll be much of the same as last year, but some things I will change. Breaking bad habits is mostly a matter of making new habits, preferably good ones.
2clouds 