The ramblings of Aprazeth, an recent convert to minimalism, enthusiast of computer technology – with an outspoken opinion about everything and everyone.
Posts tagged burnout
Letting go of the numbers
May 22nd
For a while I was using infometrics to measure my caffeine-intake, my hours of sleep a given day, the amount of sugar I consumed – and even how happy I was on the happiness ratio-scale. Recently as you may know, I was and am in the process of moving into a new place – and my girlfriend moving in. Some might call it a major change, others a minor one.
During and after the move I no longer tracked or kept track of all of those infometrics. Why would I? It has served it’s purpose; I am aware that I need to watch the amount of sugar I consume, I stopped drinking caffeine completely – and well, my sleep is what it is. I learned a lot from tracking all of it though.
Throughout the last few months I have begun to shift my focus away from trivial matters and started focussing more on the things and people I care about. I have become more protective of those important items, and dropped anything that wasn’t important or mattered.
One of the other ‘casualties’ that I no longer use, is Google Reader. I have un-subscribed from all of my feeds (par my friends) and am quite happy with it. Why would I need to know everything that happens all the time? I stopped watching news and reading newspapers a long time ago but yet was still reading it via RSS. Granted, it was news from sources that I found interesting – but still.
In this hectic life with information, data and charts flowing around us all the time I stepped out of the noise – and into the calm. What I see, read and watch is about what I want to – when I want to. And it’s not backlogged, saved or stored. I jump into the stream of information when and how I want, and get out – when I want.
If anything, I am more happy and content with what I have, get and give. And about what I don’t see, hear or get in my inbox.
Wednesday is the new Sunday
Aug 26th
In succession of my previous posting I am no longer working on Wednesday. This for the time being.
Why Wednesday? It breaks the week, and not the just the working week either. It’s a break from everything, all chores, work, obligations, appointments – everything. On these Wednesday’s I do everything I want to – as slow as I want to.
If I feel like watching (recorded) TV, or reading a book in my hammock I just do it. No inhibitions, no reservations.
As weird as it may sound but for a long, long time I haven’t had one of these days. It’s good to not to worry over obligations or appointments or work or… you get the point.
I only had 2 of these days so far, but the outlook of one coming helps me through the week. Of course during the weekend I do fun stuff as well, but this? This is different. It almost feels like meeting up with a long-lost friend.
Today I spent a big chunk playing around with photos and iPhoto. Nice little app, and it was fun. Between iPhoto and Google Picassa, I’d still pick the later though.
Having said that, I do like the integration with Facebook in iPhoto. Let’s hope Apple steps up the paste in Snow Leopard, which I have in preorder :-)
And I must admit, I’m anxious to see it. First time in a long time that I have been anxious, in a good way, about technology. I missed that. I missed being able to tinker with things, figuring them out, breaking them and then fixing it all back together.
Even as it all may sound like a big step forward, I’m realistic. It will be a long, strenous road back. But I took the first steps.
And that’s always the hardest, the first step.
Take care and be safe.
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