Wandering at the Shadows' Edge

exploring potential and possibility

Archive for the month “November, 2019”

12 Nov 2019

2020 Planning

I mentioned my bullet journal a few posts back. It’s the form of paper planner that works best for me. One of my issues was finding a way to carry all my pens and stencils with me. I’ve solved that one. And I’ve made some adjustments to this year’s journal for the last couple of months of the year. This gives me a chance to test some of the things I want to try for next year.

I can’t try all of them right now but I’m making some notes. I have a gridded notebook that I use to work out the kings of things – the look and layout of trackers and pages and calendars. It helps me figure out if my ideas are logistically viable. It’s time to pull it out to start brainstorming what and how I’m going to track things in 2020.

It’s going to be different for 2020 because the planner is twice as big as the one I’ve been using. So I have to replan everything. I can fit more on a single page for some things, but there are other things that will use more space. the reason for the bigger planner is because my current on feels cramped in many ways.

I didn’t do too well tracking some things this year, though I’ve gotten better at it as I’ve fine tuned my journal. But I got way behind on the annual tracking. I’m not happy about that. I know why. I didn’t set time aside each week and month to update the journal pages. It’s something I need to block out time for going forward. It’s not something that takes a lot of time. I just need to sit down and do it.

I need to find an overall theme for 2020 – I’m not sure yet what tack I want to take with that yet. But it is something I need to do. And I need to start looking for quotes and pictures that fit whatever that theme ends up being.

My journal is important, but it’s fun too. I look forward to using it. It makes me more productive in the areas I make priorities.

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08 Nov 2019

New Adventures in Food

Part of the health and physical fitness journey I’m on is adjusting how I eat. I’m adjusting not only what I eat but when. It’s been interesting.

The easy part has been the when, but that’s because I’m currently prepping to teach and not on my regular work schedule. Since I’m not on phones, I can eat anytime I want to. It makes grazing through my day easy – and eating this way is about the only way I can eat the volume of food I need to.

I’m going to have to adjust somewhat while I’m actually teaching, since I can’t eat while I’m in front of the class instructing. But I have co-instructors so I won’t be in front of the class most of the time. It’s adjusting when class is over that I’m worried about. I’ll probably be going back to my day shift at that point and be back on the phones. I can’t eat while I’m taking calls and two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch aren’t terribly conducive to my eating plan. I’m worried about making the adjustment.

Now the adjustment to -what- I’m eating has been fun. It fits my appetite because most of the stuff is fruits and vegetables, nutes, legumes, and grains. There’s not a lot of cooking involved. There is some, but I can do most of it in one day and it only takes a couple of hours. If I decide to make something specific and on-the-spot, it’s generally fried or scrambled eggs, or a smoothie. Almost everything else can be cooked for multiple meals.

Cooking may be getting easier too. I got an Instant Pot on sale. The model I got can be used as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and for sous vide, sauteing, and making yogurt. I haven’t done much with it yet, but I have two chicken carcasses in the freezer waiting ot be made into stock. And cooler weather is coming, so stews and chili will be in order. With the pressure cook option I won’t have to start them eight hours in advance. I’m excited to try making yogurt too. I wonder if you can start cheese in it?

What kind of experimentation are you doing with food?

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05 Nov 2019

Making Things Happen

I’m working on doing rather than wishing. I’m good at planning, at seeing possibilities, and dreaming. I’m not so good at following through. But I’m getting better.

I started with my writing and publishing. I’m making deadlines. I’m writing at least a blog post everyday. I’m getting had written stuff into the computer. I’m even writing and revising short stories for submission to anthologies.

It means I’m not watching much TV. I’m not reading as much as I’d like. I’m playing games on my phone less often. I’m making time to do writing and writing related things.

I’m making time to get in better shape, to get healthier, too. It means setting an alarm instead of sleeping until I wake up. It means taking walks during my breaks at work. It means taking the time to prep vegetables and fruits, to cook grains and meat or poultry. And packing lunch to take to work instead of going out and buying lunch.

As making time for these things becomes habit, rather than something I have to think about, I’m starting to find myself with more time. I’m organizing and scheduling things better and getting more accomplished with my time. I still don’t have time to do everything I want to do, but I’m getting to more of it. Can I keep it up when I go back to a day shift? I don’t know, but I think I can keep closer to it than I have been able to in the past.

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01 Nov 2019

Mapping a New Path

I always make my session with my personal trainer. I’m not so good at working out during the rest of the week. So I’m making progress, but very slowly.

It’s my own fault. I choose to turn off the alarm instead of getting up and taking a walk or going to the gym. I chose to do other things around the house instead of making use of the fitness equipment I have available.

It’s not the only thing I fall down on. I’m getting better about actually writing every day. getting that writing into the computer where it needs to be is another matter. I have several things that are half-done. It probably wouldn’t take much to finish them if I’d just dive in and start.

I have time to do these things. I’ve just been choosing not to. Telling myself I’ll do it tomorrow or on the weekend. And then I don’t follow through.

It’s starting to stress me out. Not that things aren’t getting done. Or at least not that so much as I’m making choices that aren’t aligned with who I want to be.

So I need to make some changes. I need to make the choices that align with the person I’m striving to be. Even if it means taking one baby step at a time.

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