I've been trapped in this cagey state of restlessness since I've gotten back. I suspect that it's a combination of factors. Firstly it's been incredibly cold since I've gotten back and my day to day has been briskly running from one indoor place to another. Aside from a couple driveway shovels and a game of hockey, I'd say I've been outside a total of 4 hours in the last three weeks. That can't be good for you.
Trips to the gym have kept me sane-somewhat, bur after doing some of the greatest mountain biking on the planet, intervals on an indoor bike hardly holds my interest.
Since I work from home, i'm realizing it's imperative to keep a regimented personal schedule. Becoming overly flexible is has some serious drawbacks. My work times have been all over the place the last little while and it's making my life feel chaotic! Combined with being in my apartment for far too many hours a day, things have gotten messy, misplaced and disorganized.
So today I decided to amend that. Operation 'Reorganize my life' started this afternoon.
Step 1:
Clean my apartment top to bottom. I mean everything. I rearranged my room and closet. Made a donation pile of clothing I no longer wear. Threw out anything that was useless. Then swept, mopped and cleaned everything. My room hasn't looked so good since the day I moved in.
The kitchen received the same treatment. You could eat your dinner out of my sink right now.
Step 2:
Compile that list of 'Need to Do' things. My apartment is small and optimized for my life of bikes and DJ'ing. I'm very transient during the summer, and I haven't established my apartment as well as I'd have liked. Time to address that. I've decided to build a table as a fun little February project. It'd be cheap, and I'd learn some woodworking along the way!
Step 3:
Make a schedule. No more sleeping in til 10, and no more staying up til 4 in the morning. I've always wanted to be a morning person. It makes sense for cycling, my job and winter (since the daylight hours are short) It makes zero sense for my DJ schedule... but my DJ schedule has been slow lately, so it shouldn't be a problem.
I made this so that I feel terrifically guilty when I reach for the snooze button in the morning. It sits beside my phone/alarm clock on my bedside.
Step 4a:
Time to start planning my days and keep on top of a personal journal. If I have things planned out, I'm less likely to procrastinate, it's the way I'm wired.. On the note of procrastination, if you want the end all solution to procrastination (Seriously) check out the chart my good friend Alex Vermeer did. It's meticulous, well thought out and should assist you!
I've maintained a journal in the past off and on through university, however I haven't really done so in the last few years. It's time to bring that back. Day to day reflections may help process some of the inner demons and clear up my mindset. Minimum one paragraph about how I feel, what I am happy about, what I am unhappy about, interesting anecdotes from the day and more.
Step 4b:
In the past I haven't been the best at scheduling things ahead of time. I will script out a weekly schedule with all the things grown ups should do. Laundry, groceries, bills yada yada yada...
Being spontaneous, having a non 9-5 job and living alone makes it very easy to slip into bouts of disorganization and chaos. This disorganization permeates into the way you think and suddenly everything feels off. Add a dash of cabin fever and you've got a recipe for disaster. I'm hoping over the next week I can get back into a regimented schedule and this will clear up my way of thinking and tap into the productivity that I'm capable of.
That's all for now. I'll report back soon.
