Back in January, I publicly announced to the blog world that I had three goals for 2018. Now that it’s the sweltering heat of July, I thought it might be a good time to check in and see how they are going (or in some cases, not going).
The Goals
- Make More Interesting Plans
- Say “No” More
- Cut down on technology
Goal #1- Make More Interesting Plans
Photo by Autumn Studio on Unsplash
Goal #1 is going well. I can’t take complete credit. G makes this incredibly easy. Back when I lived by myself, I would routinely work until 1 or 2 in the morning (#startup life)– and count making it outside as an interesting break. G does not approve of working every night. Instead, he drags me to crazy things like the Secret Science Club or whatever the latest movie is.
I still want to branch out. New York has hundreds of museums to explore, as well as amazing free stuff to do.
Goal #2- Say No More
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Taking personal time is hard. Much harder when you live with someone. Much harder when you work for someone. Much harder when have family and friends that you love (or hate…I don’t judge). Truly doing things that matter to you and not adjusting to someone else’s schedule can feel (and truly be) impossible. As I mentioned back in my 2018 goals declaration, I do a lot of things. One thing I’ve realized in assessing my goals is I’m definitely an extroverted introvert. I’m outgoing and love being around people, but also desperately need my alone time. Without it, I get stressed, hangry and generally am the least fun to be around. I’ve started trying to carve out Sunday mornings to do things that are 100% for me– finishing the NY Times or the latest book. I’m not doing an amazing job saying no. But I’m definitely saying “yes” to lot more things that interest me.
Goal #3- Disconnect
Um yeah. Remember how Goals #1 and #2 are going well. Yeah, Goal #3 is well…not going at all. I had no idea how hard it would be to cut down on my morning phone time. In fact, I think the week after my post, I became….dare I say….even more addicted. It started to feel like every free pause in life, waiting for the subway or my kettle to bowl, I’d instantly start scrolling through Pinterest/Instagram/Facebook. I quickly realized that I would need to create a much stricter policy if I’m actually going to switch. I read a couple articles…ahem on my phone…. and I’m going to try the following for the next month.
1.Physically move the phone away
I’ve found when I physically plug my phone in (conveniently across the room), I don’t pick it up as much.
2. Leave my headphones at home.
Usually by the time I hit the pavement, I’m into a podcast, sending off my last text or writing my next instagram. I live in NYC. There are cool and weird stuff happening all the time, and I miss it because I’m stuck to my phone. Yes, it comes in handy when I need to ignore the creepy sexist and/or racist cat calls. But I think giving some phone free time, when I leave the house, will do wonders. Let’s see. I’ve public announced it so hopefully I can be held accountable.
I’ll do a check in during the Fall. Let me know how your goals are going.
Cheers,
A
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