Yay, I have a little more energy and time to write this week! 🎉
The AWWA ACE 2019 conference came and went, and with it so did my frustration at the fact that during those three days there wasn’t a single talk on service reservoirs (well, maybe one, but it wasn’t useful)! This was annoying as I really wanted to learn something new about the asset that is the sole focus of my work. However, this was also quite appeasing as I evidently don’t have much competition in the field. 💪
The last couple of weeks I have had an awesome opportunity to bond with my primary supervisor. This person is an incredibly busy individual, so having so much time with them here has been a really welcome, albeit nerve-racking experience; they’re my boss after-all. 😅
The busyness of the last couple of weeks led me to discover two new flavours of red bull: Peach-Nectarine 🍑 and Summer Breeze. 🏖 Yum. Nevertheless, the classic sugar-free is still my first choice. Cheers.
Photo: What’s not to love? Source: Google.
Upon jetting off on this 5 week trip, I mentioned that I was hoping the time away would “give me the opportunity to reflect on my life back home and on my values”, and I can now confirm that it most certainly did. I thought a lot about the changes I need to make in order to prioritise my work, improve my focus, look after my well-being, and be mindful of where I distribute my energy. ✨
One of my biggest struggles is overcoming an invisible stupor that I always hit whenever I am faced with a really big task like writing a journal paper, starting a thesis chapter, learning a new coding language, carrying out data analysis, putting together a presentation for a really important meeting or conference, even writing a blog post etc etc etc. The list is never-ending. I mean, I get all of those things done, but only just, and that’s just not good enough.
The difficulty is that things are never clear cut in a PhD, there is no step-by-step fail proof plan to follow. This means that mostly everything you do requires jumping in, head first, into freezing water, at the deep end, when you’re still not 100% sure how to swim. Oh, and you’re usually shattered before you’ve even started. Needless to say, it’s very overwhelming and can, quite forcefully, stop you in your tracks, which happens to me A LOT. Nevertheless, you have to snap the fork out of it and just do it, which is a hell of a lot easier said than done. However, I definitely think there are actions I can take to make this process less painful for myself. It’s getting to the point where I not only know I can, but need to do better.
Photo: Not hard enough. Source: Google.
So, here’s my list of actions, which applies to both work and whatever life is left outside of it:
Work comes first - I mean, I have said this from day one, but haven’t done enough to make it such. I have been waaaay too lenient with myself, abusing the fact that I manage my own time. I have also let too many people take advantage of my flexible schedule, which is my fault as I haven’t taken it upon myself to make it clear how vital it is that my PhD comes first. This needs to change, as hard as it may be. After all, “Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind” - B. Baruch.🌿
Saying “no” - This is in conjunction with my previous action. I agree to so much and give so much time to things that do not add value to my life. As Derek Sivers once said “If it’s not a ‘Hell Yes!’ then it should be a ‘No’”. Admittedly, sometimes saying ‘yes’ is necessary when it’s really important to someone else e.g. helping a friend move house, or compromising on a movie choice with your partner. Either way, I need to be stricter with my agreeances, even when considering exceptional circumstances.
Another form of ‘yes’ is a digital one; constantly replying to emails and a variety of different messages; basically being ‘available’ all the time. It’s exhausting.
I have actually noticed that a lot of my fellow PhD students/other busy (typically successful) people are literally off the grid, and I think I need to take a page out of their books. This leads me onto my next action...
Turning my phone off - Not on silent, but OFF, or on airplane mode. I have been meaning to start doing this since the beginning of 2017, and I still haven’t managed it. Therefore, I’m going to force myself to turn my phone off for the entire duration of time I’m at work. This is going to be hard, therefore I am going to start small, e.g. 2 hours a day, and slowly build up. But I genuinely believe know that my phone is one of the greatest hijackers of my time, focus, and energy. 📵
Focus - On one thing at a time. I try to do so many things at once, or jump from task to task. I just need to start whatever it is I’m doing and not do anything else until it’s finished, or until I’ve had enough. And if I need to give my attention to something else in the meantime, e.g. a meeting, then I need to stop whatever it is I’m doing and focus on that instead. Otherwise, I get overwhelmed, my head becomes hazy, and I cannot concentrate, which means I am unable to do things properly first time around and end up wasting time and energy on a half arsed job. Even as I write this I am replying to WhatsApp messages! Oh the irony, goddammit!
Photo: Literally me right now. Source: Tumblr.
Think - I clutter my mind with so much outside noise; music, Netflix, phone-calls, voice messages, TV programmes etc. It’s like I’m scared of silence... but silence is the only state in which you can properly think. I have gotten better at avoiding noise since being in the US, but nowhere near enough. 💭
Routine - So much of the above comes down to having a proper routine. I have mentioned many times before that with my style of work it’s very difficult to have one. However, that’s just an excuse as there are plenty of things that I can control on a daily basis: what time I wake up, what time I go to sleep, how much time I dedicate to work, what I fuel my body with, how much exercise I get etc. 💤
Admittedly, at the back of my mind I had thought about all of these, but always put them into the ‘I’ll address this later’ pile, which I can no longer do if I want to succeed. The reason for this ignorance is that all of these actions are miles outside of my comfort zone, but this is clearly where I need to be if I am to grow. I think that is the point of a PhD to be honest. 🌳
I need to actually make sure I put the above actions into action as I have a million and one responsibilities waiting for me when I get home, both at work and in my personal life. ☕☕☕
Photo: I used this as my wallpaper throughout my masters. It helped a lot. And it’s even truer now. Source: Tumblr.
I am leaving the beautiful city of Boulder this week, and although I truly felt how much I love the UK whilst being here, I am also going to be a little homesick for this incredible place. However, it looks like I may be coming back in Autumn! 🍂
I have included a few photos from the trip at the end of this post. 💛
A little on minimalism & sustainability...
The other thing I realised whilst being here is that I am nowhere near as minimalist as I thought! I have found it very hard to resist the urge to buy unnecessary items and have probably (definitely) overspent on material things! However, I am trying to replace a lot of what I own with high quality items that will last, so there has been an element of that behind my purchases. Either way, I am struggling to remember all of the items I have back home and am starting to acknowledge that regardless of my recent de-cluttering I still own too much for the kind of lifestyle I want to achieve. So that will need my attention when I return.
I have ordered three books that I hope will help me challenge myself and broaden my understanding on how I can transform my lifestyle to better match up with my values. They are:
The Year of Less by Cait Flanders.
The More of Less by Joshua Becker.
Expedition 196: A Personal Journal from the First Woman on Record to Travel to Every Country in the World by Cassie De Pecol.
A bit ironic for this section, but I would like to recommend an item I purchased recently, it’s called a soap-lift. These are awesome little soap holders made from biodegradable material, which help keep soap dry and slip-free. These are super useful considering I’m transitioning to soap, shampoo, and conditioner bars instead of bottled products. 🛁
Right, ladies and gentlemen, this week I have established that I am a majorly flawed human being. Nothing like a good dose of self-reflection. And on that note, I would like to wish you all a pleasant week and recommend Bastille’s new album, which has been keeping me sane. 🎵
Photos: From top to bottom: (1) Bacon pancakes from a proper American diner; (2) Interior of the beautiful Boulder Dushbane Teahouse; (3) Mountain at 12,000 ft; (4) Union Station in Denver, and; (4) Some awesome Western State flowers!
Source: My camera.
