Tag: writing

Perfect weather

Today was the most perfect weather in Cape Town. High of 25 Celsius and not a breath of wind. The air is clear as crystal. Maybe it’s because of COVID19 slowing the pollution levels. Maybe it’s just a nice day.

I can see hawks circling the forest below the mountains from my garden. They must have some great views up there.

We made the most of it, swimming, working on the garden, playing with kids.

Even though there is always the thought of the big world out there on a lovely day like today, everything (even lockdown) is a little better with the sun shining. I hope there are more sunny days than not for the duration of the pandemic.

Happy Saturday chimps.

Worthwhile exercise…Don’t let the habit end

I think I’m on 25 days straight blogging, or something like that.

I have so far written some absolute rubbish and a couple of posts I am actually quite proud of.

This streak has helped me rearrange the menu on my blog website, now including a Kenya and South Africa section because I find the comparisons interesting to write about.

It hasn’t made it any easier to write well. If I write every single day it just removes some of the fear of writing badly.

I don’t care about a bad post because I know I’ll have another chance tomorrow.

Happy Friday chimps.

This still counts

It’s nearly the end of the day and I haven’t yet managed to write a blog post.

I’m on about 22 posts in my bid for 30 straight. I nearly laughed it off today, but I will be damned if I am going to let this very difficult day get in the way of a good writing streak!

That’s the thing about streaks, once they start you are less likely to quit.

This still counts, and the streak goes on!

Happy Friday night chimps.

This still counts

It’s nearly the end of the day and I haven’t yet managed to write a blog post.

I’m on about 22 posts in my bid for 30 straight. I nearly laughed it off today, but I will be damned if I am going to let this very difficult day get in the way of a good writing streak!

That’s the thing about streaks, once they start you are less likely to quit.

This still counts, and the streak goes on!

Happy Friday night chimps.

Struggle on day 10

My note from yesterday refers. After ten days of writing every day, and with the family responsibilities dominating life on the virus lockdown – I am a little short on ideas for writing. The thrill is gone (as BB said) and the seven year itch has itched me good. I’m tempted by Netflix, video games, the day job, ANYTHING other than writing a blog post.

And yet – here is another post.

It is always the way – a post comes from the sheer act of writing. You need to start with writing to get the idea, not the other way around. Well…rarely the other way around. Stream of consciousness writing can be whittled away. We are lucky to live in the digital age where drafting is so very cheap.

When in doubt, do something. At least if your doubt is related to writing – if so, then just write.

Onwards to the next post tomorrow – hopefully more inspired and thought through than today.

okaythanksbye.

Going for thirty

In my long quest for productivity, I have downloaded an app called coach.me.

It lets you set goals and then track progress day by day. I set myself the goal of thirty days consecutive writing on this blog.

So far I am on day 9. I have started writing streaks before, and around about day 10 it feels like that Marilyn Monroe movie “The 7 year itch”. The excitement is gone and the grind is real. This app certainly helps, though.

This is nine, tomorrow is ten. And on we go.

Habits in pandemonium

There are many methods to create new habits. If you create and persist with these new habits, you alter your longer term behavior.

At first these changes in behavior are hard to keep up. They feel wrong, and difficult and like hard work. But over time, if you persist, then they become second nature. What was difficult becomes manageable.

In this time of pandemic, panic, pandemonium – it makes sense to me that you could find yourself a method to create some new habits. Persist with the new habits even as you hit a trough of disillusionment. Even as you are tempted to take the easy route. Once you pass through the dip, you will find the new behavior easier to manage. It will normalize.

Company

If we wanted to do something worthwhile – and it almost doesn’t matter what it is – we would likely find it easier to do with someone else as a guide, a teacher, or just as company.

There’s always an opportunity for creating a welcoming venue for birds of a feather to come together and practice, discuss, create, define what they want to get good at.

The best websites do this. Podcasts too.

The best restaurants, clubs, churches, offices, parks, homes and companies do this too.

Dining Room (a study)

This wasn’t always a dining room. In fact, like a pimply-faced teenager this room is not quite sure of what it is yet. The dinner table gives some structure and purpose, but there are also bedside tables in the corners, a bean bag at one end, and what was designed to be an office cabinet along the wall. My fish in his tank greets me each morning for food. I assume he is a he, and not a she. More confusion in an adolescent room.

The light in here is lovely in the mornings. While the air is still cool, the sun pours in to light up the dining table for breakfast time. Strangely we never take advantage of this as we are generally in too much of a rush to sit down and eat in the morning.

There is also a door in one of the walls, next to the bean bag. This leads straight onto a flight of stairs and is remarkable for not having a landing. Instead one has to step up into the open door at a different level to the room. Perhaps not the best design, and apparently illegal for health and safety reasons. Oh well. The teenager stumbles through life until it figures out what it wants to be.

When we first moved in, this was my music room. My favorite room at the time, I filled it with jazz, rock, blues. There were movies and computer games. Speakers and amplifiers. A turntable and cds littered the floor. These days my beautiful children turn it into something different every day. Sometimes it is a race track for scooters, sometimes a camp site, a beach, a mountain top for epic adventures. Sometimes we even eat at the table. I’m just glad my amps and speakers are not in here.