2021 flew by. It feels like i wrote my last blog post just a few weeks ago. How has it been a whole year since then? After having an enormous productivity boost in the first and second quarters of last year – i hit a slight slump which led me to focussing all my energy into my studying, my books and my part-time job as an optometrist. I managed to do decently well in my first year of medical school, however, there is always room for improvement. Balancing my work, studies and social interactions were all major adaptations for me – but luckily most of my friend group is in the same boat. There are a few things I’d like to share about my experiences last year, which may or may not help you after reading this:
1. 🏔“Be brave, take the hill” – After reading Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights, this insert stuck out in my mind for a while. It’s important to define success for yourself. What is your hill, and how are you going to climb it? Ask yourself what success is to you, and continue asking yourself that question over time to see how your answer changes. Don’t ever let your answer to this question jeopardise your soul or your character. Prioritise who you are and who you want to be.
2. 🗣✅ Saying ‘yes’ always reaps greater rewards than saying ‘no’ (well, nearly always). Take the opportunities when they present themselves. Whatever you where doing before will most likely be there when you get back, chances are you’ll be better off for it.
3. 🎯 Live with intention. Don’t be a wasteman. Start with writing something in a journal at least once a week, and moving from there. If your intentions don’t match up with your actions, don’t beat yourself up about it. We are all human after all. Treat your life, or even just your mornings like a system. I get up, shower, make coffee and (try) start my day on the front foot. One small habit that has really helped me is placing my cellphone on my bookshelf away from my bedside at night. What this did for me was firstly reduce the amount of time i spend on it before bed, and secondly it forces me to get up in the morning without snoozing my alarm.
4. 🧏♂️ How supportive is your support system? We hear it all too often, get yourself a good support system and you’ll be happier etc etc etc. How often do you stand back and reassess whether or not those around you are really supporting your growth and happy for your success when you do reach your goals? Be selfish with your time, only share it with those that are going to propel you forward. I am a strong believer in never saying no to a cup of coffee and a chat with a friend, but be mindful of who you’re sharing these encounters with. I absolutely adore the friends i have made in the last year, and I’m so glad I was selective when it came to who i would be spending time with.
5. 🧗 Learn a new skill, try new things! Skills are so underrated. They are the ultimate form of self-improvement and an incredible way to be productive. Skills make you a more holistic human being, and they fill your time with incredible new experiences. From when I was about 16 years old, or form 3 at school I started this habit. When I left school, I learnt how to fly an aeroplane and I picked up a few new “ratings” on other aircraft. Unfortunately last year, I didn’t do much flying. However, I did try my hand at some indoor rock-climbing which sent me into a slight obsession with the sport. From reading The Push by Tommy Caldwell, to watching the Dawn Wall on Netflix. I was fascinated by these human beings, and how they were pushing themselves to achieve these super human feats. I really enjoyed the mental side of the sport, having to solve challenges while maintaining your cool 5-10 meters up with every muscle in your body burning. There is just something awesome about trying new things.
6. 📲 Get yourself a kindle, if you don’t have one already . It takes the hassle out of buying a new book, it takes the chore out of transporting books with you wherever you’re going and well… the highlights feature is pretty great too. I made a habit of reading every night before I sleep a few years ago, and it dramatically imProved my sleep quality.
7. 📊⏱ The busier you are, the more time you have. This is something I live. Fill your time with meaningful tasks and interactions, and you’ll end up making time outside of that for the things you enjoy most. If you only have 3 things to do in a day, you will most likely use that entire day only doing those 3 things. If you are over zealous with assigning yourself some tasks to get done in the day, that’s also okay because that just means you have something to do tomorrow. I’ll state it again, we are all human, we can’t be productivity beasts 100% of the time.
8. 🏄♂️ Enjoy yourself, you’ll never experience today or even this second ever again. Take that afternoon or that weekend off. I got so caught up in a toxic productivity cycle last year that I forgot about rest for a while. Rest is so important, and we tend to forget that. I always felt so guilty taking some time off to enjoy time with my friends or family. Go out for that burger with your mates, or the movie with your significant other – you’ll be better for it.
📝 These thoughts have been floating around in my head for a while, and I’m so glad I finally decided to put pen to paper. I am by no means a productivity guru, but I shared things that would have been of value to me a year ago.
Have a smashing year friends. You got this!
Over and out.
Journey with J 📝 