I'm really feeling my nerves currently with the upcoming Chinese New Year and the start of the year of the horse. I have decided to attempt to grade this year, which is terrifying for so many reasons.
Looking at the list of requirements and evaluating how I did in the year of the snake, I realize that while I'm still miles away from the numbers I need to achieve next year, I can see how I could be successful for the most part. I'm very aware of my patterns throughout the last 3 years, and I have been thinking of ways to prepare and how to keep more of the momentum. Not that I think it will be easy, but like Sifu Brinker says: its not easy but it's simple, you just have to do it.
The biggest problem I have and worry about is blogging. I'm not getting better at it. It's not even the blogging itself, or the writting I can come up with something every once in a while. The main issue is the insane time I require to write an entry, which is just not sustainable if I'm trying to succeed with posting every week. And even more worrisome is that I'm struggling with this even now.
Right now, I have more time or let's rephrase that to fewer competing and pressing priorities. This is the time of my year when these things should be the easiest. I train enough to have insights or discover difficulties I didn't even know I had, yet writing about it is already daunting and I haven't even started my black belt year, nor have I entered my busy season.
I need to find strategies that work for me, and if anybody has advice or prompts, please share.
So far, I'm thinking about:
1. Finding a sustainable bulletproof routine, a designated and limited time slot.
Sounds easy, the issue is what do I do if I get a blog only partly done in my time slot? Come back to it and finish later? Post it as is? Or do I ignore my time limit?
2. Making a list of topics and prompts!
3. Worrying less about spelling, grammar
4. Defining and understanding why I'm writing these and who it is for.
(That's a big one, obviously I write them because it's a requirenment but as someone who used to journal almost obsessively, it is puzzling to realize it's such a struggle now.
What's the difference now?
-Well I have to share it publicly, so there is the cribbling thought of being judged one way or another.
-My life got busier. (back then I was a student in university basically a whole different life)
-Its a different language (but truthfully, I really don't think that is an issue! yes it slows it down more because I correct and rephrase more but it's the language I live, think and train in, so it would actually be even harder to write in German I would literally haver to start translating back.) and lastly
-I'm not obsessed with it, meaning there is no internal drive, it's only external pressure so my mind wants to resist.
5.When I have time and bandwidth, prewrite some bloggs to post when my priorities start to pile up and things start to slide. (I'm not sure this is "legal" or realistic as it would require me to write more than the bare minimum which is 1 blog a week right now or at somepoint)
6.When struggling with topics and or time, keep it extremely simple and just treat it as a basic journal and recap of the week.
What have I trained?
What did I struggle with this week?
What was an insight, or success?
What have I failed to do?
What felt good?
What hurts this week?
Question of the week?
What are my goals for this week?
7. Get the "I am..." prompt list
8. Remember the 2 min blog!
9. Just post your numbers. (that one should make it easy, but i
t really doesn't feel helpful at all to me)
Anyway, I have to find tools to tackle this sooner rather than later, and then I guess
Just do it!
I don’t know if there is such thing as a “bulletproof” routine, life is going to get in the way, and then what? Best thing to do is have a routine, but be prepared to be adaptable. Maybe that’s doing extra reps when you feel like you can, or you find a day that you have more time than you normally do and get some reps in then. Point is, don’t rely too much on one set routine, because something else always comes up at some point.
ReplyDeleteThe blog is first and foremost for YOU. You’re the audience, it’s about documenting your journey. Everyone else benefits because they can relate to the journey, or you generate questions that they haven’t, or something you say helps them put two and two together.
I also suggest blogging more than once a week. Just because Sunday is THE day when you blog, if you have something you really want to share on a Wednesday, write and post that blog, and when Sunday comes around find something else to write about or at the least, post your numbers.
You got this. Ask for help whenever, you’re not alone on this journey.