weeknotes #39: skateboarding 🛹 and personal projects

Hey. I’m around. I wanted to write on my blog but every time it came to having time to, I just went and did something else instead. Or I was so tired that I wanted a break from work, exercise, and personal projects. I’m trying to change my language around productivity and getting things done. I tend to use language like “I’m so lazy, I’ve done nothing”, “I’ve done nothing useful today”, and so on. But as I’ve been sharing with my friend Pauline, I’m really trying to catch myself every time that happens and change my wording.

It’s not true that I’ve done nothing, and although we have our own measurements and definitions of what constitutes laziness, some of us just have a lot going on. Commitments like work, family, sports, fitness, cooking, travelling, whatever we have – can wear us out – and sometimes lying on the couch at the end of a day is the rest we need and truly deserve. Screw this culture of hustling and always having to be productive. How dare I say I’ve done nothing when I have done something as simple but necessary as doing the dishes or putting on a load of laundry. That does not fit the definition of laziness. Most of my guilt seems to come from not finding the motivation or doing the work when it comes to my personal projects, namely this blog and the Toast & Roast podcast with my friend Geoff. So I’m trying to rephrase what I say and be explicit by saying, “I haven’t worked on my personal projects”.

Now that I’m reading out what I’ve written, I think that in some way, specifically calling out my blog and podcast (and whatever else) as personal projects, and when I haven’t worked on them, might subconsciously be motivating me to pick up the slack.

My plants are going well. My peace lily has five blooms. I’m thrilled!

The past week I have been trying to skateboard. It’s something I wanted to do when I was younger but definitely felt too dangerous for my parents to be OK with at the time. I was a little afraid myself, I guess! I had talked to my friend Chris about it a couple of years ago because I know he used to skate when he was much younger, and he had been teaching his son during the lockdowns. I asked if he could teach me as well, although things didn’t quite come to a head until the Black Friday sales encouraged us and another coworker to purchase some skateboards. I’ve always just wanted to travel on a board and be comfortable with rolling down the street in it. I don’t much care for doing too many tricks, though knowing a few is useful.

A woman in a black shirt and black jeans, mid-push off a skateboard on an elevated concrete path around a soccer field.
Getting used to pushing off and then transitioning my feet

I’m obviously not that good yet, but embarrassing videos are over on my Instagram account where I post to my Stories (that expire after 24 hours). If you have an account you can see the Story Highlight I created for my short videos, as you need to be logged in to watch.

On top of that, I’ve had to train really hard at the gym lately – one might think that things taper off towards the end of the year, but not for me! After discussing with my personal trainer, we are going to try and do strength testing early next year, and one of his clients (who has done a couple of powerlifting comps before) is going to look for a powerlifting comp we can do together. 🫣 I mean, I don’t wanna be that person, but there are 30 days until next year and I am going to fucking crush it – whatever “it” is. Hah.

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I know what you mean. I often feel like I’m not doing enough, or wasting time on things my body needs like naps. But it is important to rest and stuff.

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It is sooo cool kewl that you are learning to skateboard! I want to learn how, but def need to get my nutrition up so I can start getting fit (which I define as muscle toning + strength).

The way people change over time really amazes me. Like, I never would have thought of you skateboarding, but you are and it’s sooo cool, both because I consider skateboarding cool and because ?? Amazing personal development 🤌💖

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