So it is that time of year for resolutions, to evaluate our habits and lifestyle and decide what changes we want to make for the better.

Without jumping straight resolutions, I will start with taking stock of the last year and detail the good and bad parts.

At the beginning of 2022, reading, writing, and exercising were non-existent. But today, I beat my reading target for the year, and the quality of my reading improved, and I can focus on plot, conflict, and character of longer and more in-depth novels.

I resumed writing towards the end of the year but it is not a regular habit, although I am trending in the right direction. For now, I am not focused on quality but rather living by the maxim of 200 sh*tty words to get me started and then develop my style from there.

Now exercise . . . or lack of it . . . nothing sustained has been achieved and compared to twelve months ago, my weight has increased, and my cardio is far worse.

Therefore, my baseline for reading and writing is better today than it was last January, but my fitness is worse. However, none are at their former peaks.

It is clear, I need to continue to improve my reading and writing but I need to give extra emphasis to my fitness.

Analyzing why I was able to sustain a reading habit. I sub-consciously built a schedule for my reading where I made sure I read every Saturday and Sunday for at least two hours, in addition to one or two shorter sessions throughout the week.

I did set the goal of running every day, but I was unable to sustain it while travelling and the regime quickly fell off.

It takes more motivation for me to put on a pair of running shoes and get out the door, than it does to pick up a book.

Therefore, I need to schedule it when I am not feeling depleted or conflicts with work/social life can interrupt the routine and the best time to do this is first thing in the morning.

Developing this into a vision of what my daily schedule should be:

5am: Wake-Up

5:30am-6:30am: Run

6:30am-7:30am: Refresh / Commute

7:30am-12pm: Work

12pm-1pm: Lunch / Walk / Refresh

1pm-5:30pm: Work

5:30pm-6:30pm: Commute

6:30pm-7:30pm: Dinner

7:30pm-9:30pm: Evening Activity (Read / Write / Strength Train / Develop Business).

9:30pm: Sleep

Reviewing this schedule, my current level of work is not conducive to achieving my other goals. Intrinsically, I know this, but I need to start setting boundaries to make space for my other goals.

The first is that I want to work, but my current level of work is not conducive to the schedule I have outlined. Intrinsically, I know I must make a change. I need to set my boundaries to be able to make space for my other goals.

This means I must negotiate my current job role.

In a previous post, I said that this would be my last job in Silicon Valley because I wanted to start my own business. And I need to ensure that it remains my target and devote time to this pursuit.

This means jumping in feet first and going full time or ensuring that I have space in my schedule to develop that business.

It could also be a hybrid where I take a couple of months off to kick start my business idea and then take a job which gives me the scope to be able to continue to develop my business.

Therefore, I have three scenarios:

• Remain in current job but renegotiate my role/location.
• Quit job and find another role which is more conducive to establishing my own business.
• Take 3 months off to develop business idea and then seek out new role while continuing to establish a business.

What is common about all three points is that I need to re-negotiate my work boundaries, it is just the level to which I negotiate them to.

Over the past 18 months my rules around work have become blurred and this is ruining the rest of my goals.

I allowed myself to start early and finish late every day that in the little time I had to myself I did nothing and this if the biggest change I need to make in my life.

Throwing yourself into something can be good, but life cannot be filled with extremes for too long. We are the sum total of our relationships, our work, our interests and our responsibilities.

At times, one of these requires more focus than the other but I have focused on one thing too long and now it is time to course correct.

Until next time. . . .