Day 12 - I love fridays

So it's quarter to 3am and I'm super sleepy.

Before I sat down in front of computer to read some psychological articles (it was around 10pm) I took Munja for a long walk. We usually have long walks in the evening but this one was specially long. First, she needed it since she was full of energy today and secondly, I felt like walking after sitting on my but the whole day.
We made a tour to the city center, then went to the river, sat there a bit, smoked a cigarette and watched young seagulls (or rivergulls?) play just above the surface. She was surprisingly calm considering the birds being  so close, but still she is a smart girl, she knows they are out of her reach, so she didn't ignite the fire. Then some guy came to us with his pitbull called Serb (!) asking for a lighter. I found the name for a dog very odd, but I figured out that if I start a conversation about it it will take me to a discussion I didn't really want. I decided we are going to go back home walking by the river but then something made me want to run. I don't really like that sport and I never, ever do it. I find it boring and I go rollerblading instead. But I felt like running tonight so I let myself run. Munja was running beside me and of course she liked it. Since I'm not in a condition to run a long distance, I cut it to 200 m and then walked 200 m...and so we passed about 1.5 km. I didn't feel so good in a long time and I have to say I really missed the sweat. So I decided that from next week, I'm gonna spend more time being physical.

In the afternoon I worked.

In the morning I let myself sleep longer since I went to bed really late last night.

I woke up happy and I'm going to bed happy. I love Fridays.


Have a good weekend,

Cheers!

Day 11 - Having fun working

Today was one good day :)

Half an hour ago I had finished the work (on this project of mine) for today. It's slowly moving and I'm happy about it. I feel good after working the whole day. It really IS liberating.

I made a break giving Munja a shower. She doesn't like it as much as she likes rubbing her coat with a towel, but she absolutely hates hot-air-drying. She gets scared, more of the sound than anything else and I have to calm her down like a baby every time. She managed to escape from my hands in the middle of it and hide underneath the bed collecting the dust. That was nice. Didn't want to come out until I totally ignored her for half an hour. And here she is now all fresh and clean and bit confused in my bed :)

Munja's favorite sitting position

I said I worked the whole day and the thing I like most about it is that I really enjoyed it. I guess this boring work that I had to do at the beginning of the week was a true downer and  that made this one so much more appealing. AM part of the day I spent on the site and the PM part in front of a computer and it's a balance of different working environments and focuses that is working good for me.

I managed to have a coffee with friends and take Munja for a long walk to and from her vet, where I buy food for her (she eats this special kind of granulated food since her guts operation in October last year), between works out and inside. 

She was almost hysterical there, I guess she has had enough of that space, but this was the first time she's behaved like that. She begged me to go out, whimpering and giving me The Look. Luckily, we didn't stay long and she was happy again just outside the door. Some really nice people work at that ordination and I like seeing them and chatting but this time it was impossible.

After I woke up at half past seven, ON MY OWN!, I took Munja for a quick walk and went to the registrar to BUY two peaces of paper that prove my birth and citizenship for something like 12 euros and it's all taxes and it pisses me off.  I read somewhere that there are more that 400 different taxes in Serbia and they are sky high for a low economical standard like this one here. I see it as country's legal way of robbing people to pay huge and unnecessary administration which works slowly anyway, or more-than-it's-worth for whatever can smear your eyes to look good. It just raged me this morning! But the Sun was shining and the day was too good to be ruined by politics so I didn't let it.

Till tomorrow,

Cheers!

Day 10 - Tird of the time passed

So it's half past 11pm and I'm getting ready for bed.

Last couple of hours I spent in a deep and meaningful conversation with a dear friend. I did not meditate, did not study anything, but the knowledge about matters that are important to me I gained in this conversation is priceless.

Before that I worked on my project for 4 hours after I came back from my daily job. I even cooked today. In the meantime I was arranging some meetings for tomorrow and solved some dilemmas I had with my accountant. I also updated my photo blog .

Sometimes it's hard to say if a day like this was productive or not. Maybe not so much in a sense of the quantity of work I did, but considering the quality of time I spent in that conversation I don't really mind that I didn't work so hard.

True, I could have organized my time better today and manage to squeeze everything in a day, but today it just wasn't the case. Again.

I am still not consistent enough...

Tomorrow will be more.


Good night.

Day 9 - Upsidedown day

I didn't write last night, at the end of the ninth day, but I'm writting now, at the beginning of the tenth. 

Must say that there is nothing much to write as I was feeling not so good yesterday and wasn't able to do much. 

Didn't go to work, I read some psychological articles and meditated a bit. In the afternoon I somehow managed to do some of that boring work for couple of hours and then went to a friends place for a dinner and a movie. And it kinda saved this horible and boring day.

There.

Day 8 (after the weekend of 6 an 7) - work and pleasure

Hey, hey, a new week has begun! And it started well ;)

I spent my weekend being a bit busy and a bit resting and there was this pleasure trip to Belgrade yesterday which prolonged to today. So this day was totally out of the plan but I got to be productive at the end but that is not so much important in comparison to what I've learned yesterday.

Sometimes when you get off the road and let yourself do things you didn't plan to do - it turns out you've spent a more quality time than you would otherwise. Hanging out with interesting and smart people is always rewarding and yesterday spontaneously happened that I had a valuable art lesson from one of the most creative people I know, while looking at and commenting on some great photos a friend took, as well as listening to his comments of the photos I took that day. I also learned something more about myself and all those things kept me awake till morning. I can say it was one of the best days I had in months!

So I was in Belgrade for the bigger part of the day today and when I came home a lot of work waited for me. Boring work, but it brings some extra cash and I need it now so can't really refuse to do it.

Now that I have finished it, I feel like the day is practically over (it's 11pm) and it's time for bed.

ps. I miss meditating today...

Cheers!

Day 5 - A good day!

As you see, I am writing this post on Saturday morning (if half past 11am is still morning :). The reason for it is that I was soooo tired last night and just didn't have enough concentration to write.

The day was full of activities and I was very efficient in doing them.

Before I took Munja for a walk and had dinner, I finished making around 70 magnets for an order I got this week. It took me about 3 and a half hours to stick the print and cut them.

Prior to that, I meditated for a half an hour and read about photography for a half an hour as well.

It was after I made myself a big lunch and walked with Munja to my internet provider to pay the bill.

Before that, and after my work time was finished, I went to pick up the print.

The time I spent on a job was filled with work I enjoyed and I even got some time to do some research for my own project.

I woke up at 8, but arrived to work around ten. It took me two hours to get ready, have breakfast, take Munja for a walk and make a plan for the day while having a coffee.

So, I guess that this system is working better for me and I think I will continue with it on the second week.

Have a great weekend :)

Cheers!

Day 4 - Like there is no plan, but not a bad day at all

Ok, I suck at this and I admit: IT'S HARD AS HELL TO DISCIPLINE MYSELF! But I got to do some things that keep my dealings move forward so I can't really say I'm dissatisfied.


So, it's ten to nine pm and I spent the last hour networking and chatting with a friend.

Three whole hours before that I spent with a great friend of mine whose company I always enjoy. We had lunch and I wanted to be around while he finished his big art project since I followed it from the start. I took some photos of the process and recorded it with his camera so I was a bit of a use there plus I had some photographic practice. And that was The excuse for not meditating and studying today at the time planed so I kinda felt guilty for not being more consistent with my plan.

Around 4pm I took Munja for a walk, after I came home from work. The job I did today was mostly of technical nature, no brainstorming, creative design or theoretical research whatsoever, so I felt pretty empty there. Before I got to work, I had to do some other things concerning my private work so getting at least some important things done is ok.

I woke up and hour later than I intended to and it was, again, due to the fact that I went to bed late.

As I just read what I wrote - I remembered how I used to spend the first week of the time intended for preparing an exam in my Uni days. I wasn't studying at home but at my mother's office and I used to go there every afternoon and stay until late night with intention of studying, but instead I would read newspapers, play a piano and draw a studying plan. I needed that time to fix my mental energy on the job I had to do, so I guess that is what is going on right now with this project. I know what I have to do and it's hanging above my head.

All I need is more will tomorrow.

UPDATE:

After I posted this, I went with Munja to see my parents and sister and have late dinner. Saw a TV series with my sister and then got back home not feeling much better about the day.
But then I realized that the day is not finished yet and I still have time to meditate, which is exactly what I needed and did. My energies are lighter now and I feel better.

I think that I might have to make a change in the project. Maybe it's not the ritual of doing the same things at the same time according to daily schedule (like in the army) something I need or should force myself to do. Maybe it will be enough to find my own time for doing them during the day (or night) but be sure to DO THEM. Because, I know how much more creative I am while working alone till late at night and as much as I have tried to switch to the daily hours in those endeavors (specially in the morning) I have never managed to be as creative or productive as in the evenings. It was like that during my studies, it was like that during my job with the design studio where I worked before (I worked from noon till 8pm) and it is still like that. I am not even sure I can change that even if I want to. All creative people I know work during the evening and night and I do belong to this category. See, now I feel like working!

Now, the question is: Am I just trying to explain myself for not being consistent or did I just got an insight that can help me be more productive? I know that the key is in everyday work and that is not something I want to sidestep, I just want to make sure I come up with the plan that can actually work. Feel free to share your opinions in comments, I'd like to see them.

Thanx :)