I’ve finally begun to use a tool that has always seemed like a good idea, but never quite clicked.

Mind maps.

It started as a way of prepping for Camp NaNoWriMo in July, but I began making maps at work as well. It’s  really ideal for the way I think, spinning off in different directions. And it’s even better when you colour-code it all. Awesome.

If only I had a giant smart board in my room… that would be cool.

The other thing I don’t have at the moment is focus. Which is common. But it’s so strange. As a kid, I could zone out for hours on end and just concentrate on one thing I was enjoying. I’m not sure whether I’m not capable of doing that, or whether I’m not allowing myself to do that. It doesn’t seem to fit into my lifestyle. I want it to. It’s refreshing. It’s like resetting my brain.

Instead, I seem to get a theme for a week or two, and then it moves to the side. I did Slimming World for two weeks, then ate cake and got focused on Camp Nano. Once Camp starts, I’ll probably get into my other blog, or cooking, or making my own makeup or something else as left-field. That’s what happens, and I’m unsure how I feel about it.

Brain: I will complete Tale of Two Cities by September.
Action: I’m getting through a chapter each night, thereabouts.

Body: I will get my waist measurement down to less than half my height.
Action: Totally enjoyed myself way too much this week, there were a lot of work celebrations. With cake.

Soul: I will make a plan for Camp NaNoWriMo in July.
Action: Mind maps are super fun! And with them, my plans are slowing coming together.

Can this be right? It’s been 5 months since I wrote for Hermitopia? That’s horrendous!!! Actually, it’s been an crazy 5 months. There was a mini-getaway to Nice, Christmas in Portugal, snow flurries across the county, endless social get togethers, and a new car!! Now there’s another three more trips on the horizon – including Italy this weekend!

Overall, life has worn me out the last few weeks – end of term will do that. But the holiday is nearly here, and I’ll power through my work this week, hand over everything to cover me for two weeks, and then let my mind be free of work and full of espresso!

I’ve just had a look over my last goals. Not bad, but now that I’ve settled into my job much more, I need to think about what I’m doing with my time. I don’t want to spend my evenings getting too lost in escapism (usually Facebook, was also Candy Crush Saga, but it now Sims Mobile).

So I’ve had a look over what my goals have been since I started this blog.

Remember when I wanted to read 5 new books, exercise for 30 minutes every day and visit heaps of new places? I got up-to-date on the blog posts about places we went to, then we kept travelling and I’m behind again. There was the Headspace app, I forgot about that. Stretches, Asgardia, getting paid to write. And trying to wrap my head around the new job.

Some of those things can gently fade away. I love my new job, so the “getting paid to write” can be left to be a very long term goal. That will be the novel. One day. I might try Headspace again. I’m also thinking about downloaded a mood-monitoring app.

Asgardia is picking up again, I’m expecting to be interviewed for a government role. I’m too young for parliament – very disappointing! I’m reading again (currently A Tale of Two Cities), and one we’re back from holiday it will be warm enough to scoot again. The job is going amazingly! I don’t have my head around everything yet, but I have a great team and things are coming together.

So what do I want for myself for 2018? Mind, body and soul are still the way to focus, but is it time to change my goals again? Well, why not. That’s what I do, after all!

Brain: I will complete Tale of Two Citires by July.
Action: I’m going to read some evenings, and some weekends, and it’s coming with me to Italy 🙂

Body: I will get my waist measurement down to less than half my height.
Action: So apparently, this is a better way of measuring your health than the BMI. Great for me as a pear, and I now how I look like at a “good BMI”, and I look weird. But I think a health waist range will look right and feel good. How to get there will involve healthy food and scooting.

Soul: I will write 500 words a week on my novel draft.
Action: When NaNoWriMo was on, I was managing 1667 words per day. Okay, I only did it for 2 weeks, but I was doing it. At 500 words per week, I’ll hit my target in… 3 years. But I’ll be moving forward, and that’s good enough.