Last Week's Latest
This week has been more overcast and not as sunny. Damn, there was even thunder and lightning at times. As the old folks would say after a few hours of sunshine, we need a good downpour (we probably didn't, but we can't argue with old wisdom/stubbornness).
I found this week long, and to be honest, shit. I couldn't honestly say why. I think a combination of little annoying things can just lead to an overall feeling of mundane and annoyance. 5pm on Friday was the best thing about this week. I try not to wish the week away, but I was wishing some days away at work this week.
And that's ok too. It's ok not to enjoy every day as though it was a wonderful day. It's ok to have 'meh' days. It's ok not to be looking forward to going to work each day. And it's ok to not be ok.
I was reminded this week about the importance of habit building. Habit building is the building of habits on top of other pre-established habits, and it's from James Clear's book Atomic Habits. An example in my life is right after showering, I put sunscreen on my face. This might sound rather a rather simple thing to do that it requires no thought. But before when I tried to remember to put sunscreen on my face before I went outside, I usually forgot. Now, as I'm washing my face in the shower, it's already on mind. And so, when I get out of the shower and dry myself, I apply the sunscreen. And now I've stacked more things on top including SPF lipbalm and eyecream. It's honestly the best way. James has many more examples in his book. Check it out, or simply search for 'habit stacking ideas' on Google.
What have I been up to this week?
📚 Reading - Boy Like Me by Simon James Green. CAUTION: This is a gay book. A very gay book. 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈This book is a great coming of age novel by Simon James Green. It's the first book of his that I have read and it's written wonderfully. In it, he has various notes to him and to the future creators of the TV show on which he hopes the book will be based. It's semi-autobiographical, which makes it all the better. The plot revolves around a questioning teenage boy who stumbles upon a book about two male lovers in his school library during the time Section 28 was in place (This was a Tory law that prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools). Fantastic, easy read.
🎙️Listening - The Big Green Money Show with Deborah Meaden. I've been listening to this podcast since the beginning. Having a Dragon from Dragons' Den gave the podcast an audience at the beginning, and for those who have lots of questions of the best way to spend your money in a green, more environmentally friendly way, this is the Podcast for them. It touches on a vast array of topics including green period products, how to save for you pension by investing in green options, and why we really shouldn't flush wet wipes or put cooking oil down our drains.
📱App - JustPark. As someone who almost never has paper cash, and never ever has coins, this app is a solution to a problem I didn't know I had. Previously, I would have drove specifically to a free parking area on a random street, or taken public transport. Now, if I really need to, I can drive, knowing that with this handy app, most of the parking stations run by the local councils let me pay with this app. What I really love about this app is that you pay for the length of time you stay. I hated paying for car parking with coins because if you paid £1, but only stayed for 50p worth of time, you just lost the difference. Now, with the app, this is no longer a problem.
🎮Playing - Final Fantasy XVI (Demo). As I'm typing this, I actually have the full game now in my possession. The reason I bought the game is because I downloaded the demo from Playstation Store and was blown away by it and knew I needed to get it as soon as possible. Unlike more recent Final Fantasy games, this is set in a medieval era, which I always prefer over more recent sci-fi-esque settings. The animations, both story driven and battle driven, are insane, and thanks to the PS5, load times were non-existent. I can't wait to get stuck into the rest of the game.
Thanks for reading my newsletter this week. I hope you have a great week incoming. And remember, it's ok to have a shitty day or a shitty week. Some weeks are just a bit shit.
Aaron