2024: Week One

Monday, January 8, 2024

Welcome to the first in a (hopefully) ongoing series of posts reviewing the week that was.

Two big themes spring to mind as I write this:

Wellbeing

One week into the new year and I’m attempting to undo some of the damage of a very lazy and overindulgent last few months of 2023. I’m really happy with the amount of exercise I was able to do this week, whether it was running, walking or using our much-neglected gym downstairs.

I made it to the gym three times, went for a cople of 4km runs, and this afternoon walked a loop of the Isle of Dogs - which is about 6km. Combined with a complete absence of alcohol, snacks or junk food, I’m hoping this is setting me up for some wins in the coming weeks.

I may be in the minority, but I’ve always found ‘Dry January’ to be incredibly easy. So why do it? A significant drop in empty / unneeded calories. Yep, beer is full of calories this little body doesn’t need. But it’s not a magic wand. So I also need to get this body moving more.

One week in, I’m already sleeping better and my skin is looking much clearer. No weight loss so speak of (a tiny drop on the scales) but I’m setting up some helpful habits that’ll

Work

The highlight of this first working week was my office move. I’m now in a nicer building, in a nicer neighbourhood, with a better commute. It’s win/win. And while the day itself was stressful - about as stressful as any other move I’ve experienced - there were no disasters.

I’ve spent most of the working week setting up shop, making plans for this calendar year, and catching up on some simple admin I’d simple set aside in the run up to Christmas. The week ahead sees my first client-facing work for the year, and I’m really looking forward to it.

In other news

• I started playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder and it’s simply amazing. My first game was a co-op with a friend who has already completed it, so it was great to benefit from his experience. I anticipate many pleasant hour spent on this in the months to come.
• I did some more planning for next month’s trip to Tokyo and I’m excited with the list of experiences and destinations I’ve come up with.
• I finally got round to watching ‘Saltburn’ and starting the last season of ‘The Crown’. The latter is being consumed while I’m on the elliptical trainer in the gym. The former was a lot better than I’d imagined. A cross between ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ and ‘Brideshead Revisited’.
• My partner and I also watched ‘Fool me once’ on Netflix and I freely admit we hate-watched the final three episodes. Such drivel. Overly complex, plot holes you could fly a plane through, and acting so wooden you could replant a forest with it. Ugh. I only finished it because I wanted to see how they cold wrap up some a convoluted plot. The ending was worse than I could have imagined.
• I’ve been really getting into Noteplan as an app for my project notes and time-based planning. Everyday tasks still live in Things, but Noteplan gives me an accessible and instantly synching place to keep the information that supports my projects - personal and professional. I think I need to wrote a post on it in the coming weeks.

So that was week one. If the other fifty-one of 2024 are equally positive, fun and productive, I’ll have one hell of a year.

#Technology #Work #Running #Travel #Wellbeing #The Week That Was