Last week I was on vacation where I spent Monday on Edisto Island, Tuesday on Daufuskie Island, and Wednesday in Beaufort. We drove home on Wednesday afternoon. The rest of the week I spent playing golf in my usual Thursday game, and the rest of the week swimming, watching movies, and biking the swamp rabbit trial. I did not respond to any email or Teams post but spent some time on Friday replying to some with needed a response due to production issues. It is the first time wherein I did not work during a vacation as most of the time was a workcation in the past.
During my off days, I read Tiago Forte's 'Building a Second Brain' and watched his videos. Learning his process to offload work from my brain and make notes in a structured way will be the key to my success in my new role and make me succeed in my other projects like writing a book, learning a new language, and traveling abroad. I also spent last week clearing out my garage. Like my father, I am a pack rat who likes to buy things in the hope these purchases would help me grow as a person. In fact, I realize it is a disease of affluence, to spend money on useless stuff like buying dreams or a new life.
Shifting through the clutter, there is no mistake in realizing that something has gone wrong with my thinking process to allow myself to buy all this stuff. Clearing the garage and organizing my work will de-clutter both my physical and mental space. It is a wonder that I could function in such disorganized circumstances; which I attribute to my youthful intelligence and habit of journaling (which is a brain dump) but which one can no longer sustain as one age. Creating a second brain will allow me to succeed in my later years plus allow me to work on several projects at the same time.
We enjoyed our vacation at the beach in Edisto and the bike ride exploring Daufuskie Island. I watched a movie based on Pat Conroy's 'The Water is Wide' which was set on the island when he was a young teacher. The vacation allowed me to step away from the pressure at work and think of ways to be better and more organized. I feel the wind behind me as I catch a new wave bringing me forward. I have been practicing meditation; by counting my breaths, listening to guided meditation, and, recently, chanting meditation where I recite affriming quotes.
In my last session, my therapist said that I am managing better in my life; the difference is like night and day compared to several months back. Interestingly, my golf mates also made the same remark about my golf game. I have been taking golf lessons but I think it is my mindful meditation that allows me to focus and avoid distracting thoughts. I now have a 14 handicap as compared to 21 a few years back. Last year, my handicap was about 19. In fact, I am starting to enjoy my golf game now that I have more control. I hope to have the same feeling at work now that I am beyond the youthful drive and intuitive gut feeling that has driven me to success.
