How I work

Not particularly well it seems. I’m a classic procrastinator-I’ll leave any task no matter how big or small to the last possible moment, then if there really is no way to avoid getting started, it absolutely must be done and done now.

Then I’ll take a quick walk to think about it.

I have been tempted in the past to think that this is only because I don’t really enjoy or care much for the work that I have to do. However the unpalatable fact is that I have not yet got round to doing the work I’d really like to do i.e. writing, despite spending many an hour reflecting on how much I really would lit to.

I suppose if I carry on in this fashion six months before my death, a switch will click internally and I’ll churn out some passable first novel, screen play or similar and then on receipt of the first royalty check pop my clogs.

Herein lies the procrastinators real problem.Whilst putting off work(related to employment) is fine provided you remain in employment and able to feed yourself-generally there is an eventual deadline you must meet and the work gets done, or senior management changes and the work gets forgotten.

Putting off life ambitions though is exceptionally dangerous. There is no deadline for realising our real goals except death itself. Unfortunately we don’t know when this day will come and spend a great deal of time attempting to trick ourselves into believing that we are in fact immortal. The real risk is that the deadline will hit one day unanticipated and, well, that’s it, failure, we never even got close to doing what we set out to do. Of course even if are a lifetime of devoted procrastination we manage eventually to realise our goals we still will have spent most our lives putting off the one thing we actually wanted to do.

Perhaps I should get on with that first novel / screenplay / whatever. Well maybe tomorrow.

I'm back

And I'm living in Cambridge

I'm back

AND IM ENGAGED

I need more friends

So spent another weekend reading, watching tv, walking around London. I enjoy all of these things, I also have strong preference for keeping my own company.

Still I've been increasingly feeling fed up with the fact that I don't seem to have many people to talk with or hang out with. I can't believe in a city as big as London there are not more people I can get on with... So how the hell do I find them.

GRRRRRR

30 day trial, day 15

Ok so the trial is going ok.

The last week has been really brutal at work. I actually managed to make myself ill-predictably it didn't hit till the weekend.

Anyway on the trial front-not smoking is ridiculously easy during the week and I'm really glad I've stopped-surprisingly the day goes a lot faster now I don't smoke. This is because (I think) I don't spend half the day counting down the minutes until my next cigarette break. Instead I just get on with my work and the day seems to fly past.

The weekend has proved killer though. I smoked a pack last weekend and this weekend had two cigarettes one on Saturday night and one this evening. I think it is simply because I haven't had as much practice avoiding cigarettes at the weekend.

It quite upsets me because every time I go for a cigarette at the weekend I set back my progress in quitting significantly. Still I hope that next weekend I'll be able to remain firm in my resolve not to smoke. Whats great is that I am absolutely sure I won't smoke all week.

I was feeling really down this weekend. Work was simply so brutal that I was completely beat up come Saturday. To try and cheer myself up I bought a Mocha today-the first the entire trial. I had a sip and I must be honest it tasted like crap. I managed to get through two more sips and I had to throw it away. The strange thing was that they actually had prepared the Mocha perfectly! I think I have just managed to lose some of my sweet tooth.

The illustrative moment will be in a week and a half when I get paid. I'll then have gone a complete financial month without smoking or drinking starbucks (regularly that is). I'm excited about seeing the results.

Great science videos.

Wired have posted some fantastic science videos here

If you want more an extensive collection is found at this great site...

Amazing...

30 day trial, day 8

So day 8 of the 30 day trial, i have not ordered a single take out coffee-I did get a coffee to go with my bacon sandwich this morning but I don't don't count this because the coffee was incidental-by which I mean I wasn't going to the place to buy coffee and had a sandwich on the side-so it is unlikely that buying coffee from this particular restaurant will become a daily habit unless I also make it a daily habit to buy bacon sandwiches-not impossible I admit.

Not Smoking is progressing in a mixed fashion. After my lapse on Tuesday the week was pretty easy and by Saturday I was feeling fantastic-nicotine free, definitely feeling the benefits to my health and general well being. Then I got smashed on Saturday night and smoked a 10 pack.

Obviously drink is the problem here. Still not smoked today, nor felt like smoking-do have a mildly irritating headache which I guess is a repeat of the nicotine withdrawal. I know I can beat this and I think if I avoid bars for the next 22 days I'll be completely free of the desire to smoke.