Tag: Reflections

I’m very lucky.

I have a small but loyal group of friends and a small but loving family. I’m guilty at times of taking these easily, if not for granted, nor making the time to see them when I should.

This time of year highlights these facts of course, and I take some solace that I’ve seen a little more of my friends this year than I’ve managed previously. As for my family, well I sometimes fear that I’m becoming something of the ‘absent son’. My parents are very independent but each time I visit, about once a month these days, I notice more and more how things are changing.

And don’t ask me the last time I saw my sister.

These thoughts are not new, they always surface at this time of year along with promises to do more, take more time, see more of everyone.

However they are definitely coinciding with other thoughts around materialism and my ongoing and growing lack of desire for ‘things’. I’m in the middle of de-cluttering my flat, throwing out (or passing on) the things I’ve accumulated that I don’t need or don’t want, and generally have a desire to make life as simple as I can.

My hope is that simplicity will allow me the energy and time to focus on the important things, the people I love and care for.

The past couple of weeks have been somewhat hectic. It’s part and parcel of my job and these times aren’t the norm but they do happen and no matter how far in advance I know of them they always hit me pretty hard.

My stress levels and working hours rise, sleep decreases and I end up in a mostly grumpy/stressed mood. I try to keep a lid on all that when I’m dealing with my loved ones of course, which takes some effort which adds to the tiredness and… so on and so forth. It’s a short brutal cycle that veers from grumpiness to out and out anger, quickly followed by a ‘how do I sort this’ bluntness which can be useful but which I find hard to shake. Once that mood sets in I can be very very productive both at work and at home.

None of this is a complaint. For the most part I enjoy my job, but I need to find better (easier/quicker) ways to get out of ‘work mode’. I know how my behaviour changes when stress hits, I become very very focused and goal oriented, and tend to take a very direct, sometimes provocative, approach to things. Basically, it boils down to ‘shit needs to get done so do it or get out of my way and let me do it’.

It’s not good and it’s definitely not healthy!

It’s also no real wonder that I’ve also had a doozy of a cold for the last three weeks that just does not want to die.

Thankfully I have two very very lovely and understanding girlfriends who have been very accommodating of my moods and needs, despite having their own stuff going on. Not that that excuses any of my bad behaviours but it has helped my stress levels dramatically.

They’ve helped me pause, relax and find my feet again. Those moments allow me to realise just how lucky I am these days.

And just how much I’m looking forward to being on holiday soon!

File this under ‘so obvious it hurts’.

I recently signed up for Yelp, prompted by both the rise of people in my Twitter timeline using it and the number of local businesses on Twitter starting to smartly engage with customers. I’ve been following some of these businesses and it’s great that they ‘get’ how the interactions work, bringing a real sense of the people behind the business, as well as insights into how they are working, where they get their produce from and so on.

Top tip: If you have a recognisable profile photo on Twitter, you may find you walk into a restaurant and one of the owners walks up to introduce himself because he recognises you.

Since then I’ve found Yelp to be very useful as a tool to discover new places, restaurants, cafes and bars to visit in Glasgow. Despite it being my home city, there are parts of it I don’t know well and, given that I tend to stick to what I know, it’s a great way to break that habit.

Of course the reviews are where the value is and, being the sort of guy who likes to give back I started writing up short reviews of the cafes, restaurants and pubs I’ve visited. Not only has this allowed me to see how often I eat out (too often!) it’s also brought to light the simple fact that, when it comes to writing, if I have a specific topic to write about I can be very efficient.

Since joining Yelp I’ve written 23 reviews, the bulk of those in the past few months. They don’t take me long, but I enjoy the process.

The question is, why the hell don’t I apply that thinking here?

I frequently struggle with what to write about, so much so that I end up not writing anything (or, more likely, starting several things but losing my way and giving up). So I’m going to do some thinking and find some topics to cover here. Suggestions are welcomed.

I’ve written about this type of thing before but I recently read the phrase “overcommitment cycle” the other day and it reminded me of a realisation I had about such cycles.

Turns out, and I know this will not be a shock to anyone, I am very much a product of my parents upbringing and environment. I know, what a revelation!

My Mum and Dad have many similiarities, one of which I have inherited/learned is the drive to be involved and contributing to things, be it projects, clubs, events and such like. I have mostly definitely inherited their ‘get things done’ mindset and added in my own level of focus and drive.

What I realised the other day was that I’ve also inherited a few things from each parent that kick in specifically during such overcommitment cycles.

From my Dad I’ve inherited a sense of what I hesitate to describe as ‘easy boredom’ as it’s more of a ‘I should be doing something’-ness that can end up having me whirling through my flat tackling several concurrent chores at once, or multi-tasking (well) like a man possessed. Yes, men can multi-task (when we want to).

From Mum, I’ve definitely inherited a slower side, the part of me that recognises that somethings just aren’t important and that I need to slow down. Purely as an example (sorry Mum!) I’ve inherited her disdain of chores, like dusting, so they are always last on my list of things to do.

Mash those two sets of characteristics together and, when I hit an overcommitment cycle, I’m suddenly tackling all those things at once, instead of keeping on top of them as I go along. A manic period at work becomes a manic period at home, so at the end of the cycle whilst I’ve achieved everything I needed to, I’ve usually also managed to rearrange my spare room, or clean out my wardrobe or some other ‘might do it someday’ kind of task.

Which quite clearly makes no sense whatsoever! Surely during times of high stress and pressure I should be avoiding doing things I don’t need to do? Well apparently I’m not wired that way. I blame my parents 😉

Ultimately, when I’m busy I like to make sure I’m VERY busy, doing everything I can all at once and can end up over stretching myself. But when I stop, I stop dead.

So when pressures inside and outside of work collapse into the same timescale, I find myself reaching for one or other trait, fluctuating between operating at 1000 miles per hour (with a fair bit of collateral damage generated by my behaviours) or completely switching off and retreating to my cave (AKA sofa and movies).

Most of the time life continues at a manageable pace and one day I might learn a better way to cope when the next overcommitment cycle hits but if I’m being honest, part of me likes them. The energy and drive, the hint of chaos and ‘teetering on the brink of disaster’ allows me to look back with a small sense of achievement, ideally from my sofa with a cold beverage in my hand and the latest blockbuster movie flashing across my eyes.