Write it, print it, stick to it

Be gentle with the stuff you didn’t accomplish; I’ve been making plans like an accountant for years and there’s often a little thing or two I miss, be it the call I had to make or that cleaning product I should have bought. Be grateful to yourself for what you’ve done and don’t self-flagellate over what you didn’t. Small steps, small improvements, small adjustments here and there. Your routine won’t be perfect right away and that’s okay.

Here’s my routine:

After getting up in the morning I stretch for 10 minutes and then sit on a table to balance my knees for just as long. Both back and knees are in questionable shape, so I give them extra attention to keep them in condition because the warranty has been voided a while ago.

Then I practice yoga for 20 minutes. On my back, eyes closed, focusing on my breath and discarding all thoughts.

After meditation, I do some skincare. Nothing fancy, two creams because my skin is easily irritable and shaving otherwise turns into a blood sacrifice to the dark gods of old.

From there, breakfast and off to work.

Twice a day, usually during the afternoon break and in the evening, I practice cardiac coherence. 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out, for ten minutes. The scientific method would have me pick either meditation or cardiac coherence to accurately gauge which one helps me most, I couldn’t say. I ended up mixing these two somehow and it stuck.

Work is work. It ends at 5 or 6 in the afternoon.

Afterwards it’s straight to sport. Two to three days in the week, I go to a mixed martial arts club that's on the way home from work, sessions last a bit over an hour and a half. Two other days in the week I go for a run in the forest close to my place. No sports on the remaining days. I used to go to the gym instead of martial arts, but the latter is funnier to practice and easier to access.

At home I shower and take my dinner. Or cook dinner if I’m trying out a new dish.

The time left in the day is split between writing on my stories, learning a new language by watching series dubbed in said language while I do other stuff at the same time, and more recently homework to get a promotion at my job. I go to bed early because I enjoy sleeping and the comfort of a mattress is an unspoken paradise deserving of religious praise.

I have a list of classic books to read through, I flip a couple pages before sleep and during lunch break at work when possible.

On the weekend I do the social stuff. I try to plan at least one restaurant with a friend every two week, it works a lot better with single friends without kids. Gatherings with more people are hard for me, and while I forced myself to attend them for a long time, I never got used to it. Small committees are easier on me and more enjoyable. Weekend is also when I plan for the rest of the week: I do batch cooking and plan meals in advance to mix it up with the batch. Saves on time and means I’m not eating the same dish the entire week.

It’s also when I check up on events happening like concerts, spectacles, cabaret, what have you, and buy the tickets then.

I take half an hour or an hour here and there to fill my notebook. I copy paragraphs and sentences from books, movies, series and video games that impact me, be it because of humor, gravity, or any other reason. I have three notebooks full of citations and I’m filling a fourth.

What’s the aim behind that planning?

Short-term: I never liked cooking, or so I thought. Turns out, it’s a different ballpark when you make food you like. I’m fond of trying out dishes from far away with local ingredients and see what I can get away with (results may vary). I note a new recipe in my notebook each month and try to do it enough times in that month to get it right. My palate isn’t very developed, so getting the proper amount of seasoning takes a while, and I’m still doing beginner mistakes. But it’s good fun and it’s nice to taste the improvement. Eventually, I’d like a long list of dishes I can confidently say I’m good at. I’m not there yet.

I write a short story on the internet every week or so. I hop from one writing website to the next depending on inspiration. It’s a good way to keep the writing muscle primed when the larger stories start clogging my mind and I need a pause.

Running cleans the head and I notice a difference between weeks I do run often and those I don’t. Even when visiting my parents I keep sport-clothes and running shoes around to practice. I don’t intend on running marathons, but 10-kilometers jogs do me a lot of good and I like how circuits get easier in time.

What’s more? Usual stuff. Reading, Keeping myself informed. Importantly, making sure to limit my time spent on the internet. I used to be an internet and social media dweller; turns out, reading about other complaining – be it about their love lives or not – just doesn’t make things better for me in any way. I dropped off most social medias, what’s left has to do with cooking and writing.

Long-term: I want to write and publish a book. I’ve read many stories that left me wondering about life after turning the last page, a reflection going on that stopped me from opening another book for several days as I couldn’t jump into a new story before processing the last one. Clive Barker had a huge impact on me (I highly recommend the Confession of a Shroud short if you’re into horror and Galilei if you’d rather go for a longer, fantastic story with a dash of dread), and I wondered if I could also write a story to make people dream and think. Maybe I will touch the odd person here and there with a short story inspired by an internet prompt. Maybe I will get lucky and manage to get published in twenty years. Maybe I won’t. But I know what books have added to my life and believe it’s worth the effort even if nothing ever comes out of it.

The act of writing helped me express and exorcise my frustrations. I used to be very envious. Each time a friend made it big or smart, I was left wondering why wasn’t I that person? Why wasn’t I the intelligent dude with a doctorate, an interesting love life and more mastered skills than I have fingers? I wanted to be them, but I’m not. I’m a random person working a random job, like most of us, and it’s easier living life by making peace with what I see in the mirror rather than holding onto ambitions larger than I am. Writing made me take the imagination locked inside my mind and put it on paper. Anger and envy fueled the writing, and once I had a clearer mind I reread and edited the text. Writing gives me the feeling I‘m doing something that matters, and I credit it for making me a less envious person.

I’m learning a new language with a mix of Duolingo and easy to understand series. I hold a steady rhythm, but it will take a long time. I could expedite it by being more serious about it and plan a trip to a country speaking that language or turn to books in that language. It isn’t my main priority as of now, studying to get a work promotion takes precedence, so I’m content with learning a few new words here and there.

I’m a huge fan of Bradley James Allan. He was part of the Jackie Chan stunt team and led it for some years. He most prominently appeared in the movie Gorgeous and can be seen in a host of other Jackie Chan movies. Later he went on to Hollywood to choreograph and direct fight scenes like in the Edgard Wright movie The World’s End.

So, what does this have to do with anything? Welp, the movies and few internet videos of him always gave me the feeling he had the ideal martial artist physique and moves. Ripped, flexible, and fast as hell. I see him as a good physical example to aim for, it gives a reason to my training. Will I ever get close to his physique? Hell no! That man studied Kung-Fu Wushu six hours a day and had a drastically different life than mine. Even more prosaically, I struggle to eat enough to gain mass, and an accident I had as a kid left me with the flexibility of a rusty car carcass. It remains nonetheless a good motivation.

Finally, there’s my administrative job. It pays okay, gives me food and a roof which is what matters most. It also provides opportunities for promotions through exams and specialization. Being promoted allows for easier access to sought-after formations. Said formations in turn open doors for more interesting possibilities, up to and including working abroad. That last part is what I want. There’s a financial bonus to it, but that is the lesser benefit. The opportunity of moving to another country full-time, work there and immerse myself in another place, another culture, another language, is – pardon the words – pretty fucking lit. I had the occasion to do that for a couple months at a time, and without a partner or children or family members to take care of, I don’t have many hurdles for moving abroad. I want that, and I know I have the level to get there. It will take time, but I will get there.

I live a minimalist lifestyle, buying what I need and little more. Doesn’t stop me from eating out and watch good movies, just all in good measure.

A good chunk of what I mentioned wasn’t new to my life. However, fine-tuning it and adding exercises and tricks from meditation among other things is what helped me with getting over my pining for love and loneliness.

You know how to fill your daily life. Now we need to discuss what to take away from it.