Tag: writing

Goals (2022)

I have decided to retire the ‘less, more, none’ format1 and replace it with a simple list of what I hope to do/achieve in 2022.

  • Be as attentive as I can possibly be2
  • Exercise regularly3
  • Travel4
  • Visit galleries and museums 5
  • Read as many books as possible6
  • Take steps to support and advance my career7
  • Write regularly8
  • Upgrade our tech9.

There will be a whole host of other things that we do this year. For example, keep doing the crossword every morning and continue to buy more ‘grown up’ furniture10 but the items above are the most immediate list of personal and shared goals that came to mind when I sat down to write this.

  1. The ‘less, more, none’ approach was useful when I first started using it but I found myself shoe-horning items in to the format. I feel that a simple list is more flexible.[↩]
  2. Focus on one person / one task at a time.[↩]
  3. I failed miserably with this in 2021 yet I know how much it helps me both physically and mentally. [↩]
  4. It’s been far too long since we (Jennifer and I) stepped foot in another town let alone another country. Keeping all fingers and toes crossed that we can get back on the road this year.[↩]
  5. It’s also been far too long since we experienced art and culture without a screen being involved.[↩]
  6. Reading more books over the past two years has undoubtedly had a positive impact on my mental health.[↩]
  7. I completed an M.Ed in 2013 but as I continue to consider whether Headship is something I want, I am thinking about completing an NPQH.[↩]
  8. As noted in my review of last year, I am adding this but I need to give some genuine consideration to what I mean by ‘write regularly’? What type of writing do I want to do? Who am I writing for? What should I write about? Does it need to be published on this blog?[↩]
  9. Neither of us seek to replace our devices when the latest and greatest phones/computers are released but both our laptops and phones are really starting to show their age. This looks like it will be the year to invest in replacing them.[↩]
  10. We finally replaced the IKEA bed that we’ve had since we got married. It only took 17 years![↩]

Less, More & None (2021) – Review

Less

  • allowing my task list to build up
    • I am really pleased with the way I managed my time this year. I maintained a good balance between my day to day tasks and larger projects. There were no changes to the systems or tools1 that I use, but I did adapt the way I approached some aspects of my job, improving my delegation and making best use of mornings to get two to three smaller tasks off my plate before the day has really begun.
  • looking at my mobile phone when people are talking to me
    • This is the second year now that I have been a lot better with this. I still find that I have to remind myself to put my phone away but I have built up some better habits around my phone in general that have helped a lot.
  • reading doomscrolling the news
    • I also did well with this. While I did keep up with some of the news surrounding the pandemic as well as the current political landscape2, I managed to direct my attention towards the culture and lifestyle sections of the paper most of the time. I was far happier spending time reading about people, places and ideas that could enrich my life rather than dwelling on everything that is wrong with the world.

More

  • exercise
    • I am sad to say that other than walking regularly, I failed to make exercise a priority in 2021. I have no genuine reason or excuse for this and plan to find ways to make sure that it is a priority in 2022.
  • reading
    • I read 52 books in 2021. That is two more than my target and 11 more than 2020. I posted a complete list of everything I read on this blog.
  • saving money
    • We carried on where we left off in 2020 and added significantly to our savings. 💰💰💰
  • seeking opportunities for personal growth
    • Reflecting on this goal, I am not sure what I was considering exactly all the way back in January 2021 but I have achieved a few things this year that I am proud of:
      • I have finally achieved a sense of equilibrium at work and feel better placed to develop myself further as a leader and to be able to consider the next steps in my career
      • I have been (re)learning French
      • I have cooked regularly for my wife3
      • I have finally taught myself how to tackle cryptic crosswords, and while I am far from being an expert, I now understand the rules and can work my way (slowly) through the Guardian cryptic crossword
      • I have continued to develop my appreciation and knowledge of Jazz – in particular piano-led groups4 and the development of the be-bop and hard-bop styles.
  • writing
    • This just did not happen and I do not have an answer to how I get back to writing regularly. Maybe I am not supposed to right now? I will likely include writing in my goals for 2022, but I think I need to reflect on the type of writing I want to do and where it is published to better understand where/how it fits into my life. I enjoy writing but since I completed my M.Ed in 2013 and took on more senior roles at work, I have consistently struggled to make it a regular habit.

None

  • making excuses when it comes to exercise
    • See my response to the first item in the ‘more’ section.
  • skipping my ‘morning reading’
    • I did not miss a single day and ended up re-reading the entire ‘Holy Bible’, not just Paul’s letters as I had intended. I did not make as much headway with ‘History of Western Philosophy‘ by Bertrand Russell5 but I did re-read (again) ‘Meditations‘ by Marcus Aurelius and I also finished ‘On Writing‘ by Stephen King, which was as much a biography as a guide to writing well.
  1. See bullet point two in my review from 2020.[↩]
  2. All I see when I think about the state of the world is the ‘This is fine’ meme taken from the comic by KC Green.[↩]
  3. at least once per week[↩]
  4. Brubeck/Clark/Evans/Garland/Hancock/Monk/Powell[↩]
  5. I am going to make this the sole text for my morning reading in 2022.[↩]

Current status:

Working on my ‘inspiration list’. 💭 A great idea from Colin Devroe’s personal blogging tips.

He kindly commented on my most recent post where I had unearthed an old list of ten things I had learned after a year of blogging.

Sharing his own list of tips, all of which rang true, the following one struck an instant chord:

“In your notebook or notes app write down some topics you’d like to write about someday. Make it long. Like, 50 items. Don’t worry too much about what should be on it just start writing the list down. When you can’t think of anything to write about look at that list and simply pick any one at all and check it off.”

This is a great idea which aligns perfectly with my goal to write more this year. ✍️

Thanks Colin. 🤝

More on blogging…

https://jamesmichie.com/blog/2011/02/10-things-ive-learned-in-a-year-of-blogging/

Ten years on and most of the points in the above post still hold up. Except for number nine, that is. If I were writing the post today, I would say forget about SEO and analytics. Instead double down on point number one. All that matters is what you write.

On blogging…

This…

“Blog posts can be edited, added to, improved upon.

If you missed something, you can fix it.”

~ Kleon, Austin, Blogging as a forgiving medium, 2021

Reminded me of this…

“It’s foolish to wait until you’ve made something that’s perfect, because you never will. The alternative is to continue to move toward your imaginary ideal, shipping as you iterate.”

~ Godin, Seth, Toward Perfect, 2020

As Austin notes, blogging is the ‘forgiving medium’ because it affords you the opportunity to treat your writing iteratively; practising and learning in public. This can be a daunting notion but it can also be deeply rewarding.

No one is going to be upset if you go back and revise something you have already published. You will gain from it and so will your readers. After all, the more you ship, the more you push back against the resistance and improve as a writer.