Time and energy

Getting unstuck.

Somehow this wants to be written right now. I don’t question the process. I notice it and since I’m still feeling majorly bloated and sorry for myself, I might as well.

I’ve had people ask me how many hours my days have because I’m doing so many things. I can confirm that my days have 24 hours like everybody else’s. I do enjoy the luxury of only working (that’s employed work) four days a week.

Also, a lot of the things I do don’t take that long. For instance, most of my paintings I did in under 30 minutes, some even in under 15 minutes. I’m just fast at whatever I do. And I have decided to do things now and not when I’m ready to do them. Or when I have the time.

None of us know how much time we have left.

The perfect writing café does not exist … oh, wait!

Granted, attempting to write a book in five months was a stretch and still is. Granted, starting to paint while writing a book – bit crazy. Granted, getting up at the crack of dawn to go for a hike or to the Rhine Falls to be back home around 10, totally nuts.

But you know what I’ve noticed. Spending those four or five hours on something I enjoy gives me so much energy. Yes, I could have slept in and gotten up at 10. Of course I could have. But you know how much energy I would have had to spend to get started on writing, painting, cleaning or whatever else? Too much to get anything done.

I don’t like going for hikes for several days in a row, spending the night. I’m more of a “one and done” kind of person. I might hike on two consecutive days, but only when I hiked across the Gotthard Pass did it ever occur to me to actually spend the night. I walk shorter distances and come home full of energy instead of being depleted of it.

Also, no blisters. NONE.

I shared this before but I’ll mention it again, I let the fact that hiking guides tell you what the stages of a certain long distance hike should be or even just in which order to hike certain routes keep me from hiking for way too long. You only have three hours? Okay then – make it work. You can make each stage as short or as long as it has to be to fit your schedule.

Similar with clothes. I don’t have to fit into them, they have to fit me. Liberating, I tell you. Make things fit into your schedule. They won’t mind. And you will enjoy those activities more.

I know that there are people who can hike for weeks and still feel energized. That’s not me. For me it’s all about deciding what I have the energy for or which activity will actually give me energy. Some days it’s reading a book that has interesting facts, some days it’s going to the sauna, some days it’s writing, some days it’s painting, some days it’s organizing a closet or kitchen cabinet, some days it’s watching funny YT or IG videos for hours.

Somehow writing this has helped me get myself unstuck ever so slightly. I know I need a shower and then I’ll go explore. That’s a plan. Wonder what I’ll find. And there will be ice cream. Smurf ice cream. Have you ever tried it? It’s blue and yummy.

And please do me a favor. Never lose that sense of curiosity that we are all born with. Ask questions, learn stuff. The world is a truly fascinating place. And in 2024 we can even go explore virtually. How cool is that? VERY!

If you wanna start with something weirdly wonderful look up Hieronymus Bosch. That’s all I’m gonna say.

Have a lovely day everyone.