Posted: Sun 29 September, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Introspective, Thoughts, Weirdness, Writing |
At the moment I’m thinking a lot about identity – it’s primarily related to an idea I’ve got for a writing project, but it’s just a process that keeps bouncing round my head. Are we really who we think we are? And if not, which is the true identity? The one we live, the one we think we live, or the one we dream of being?
As an example, I’m pretty sure of who I am, but other people see a different person to the one I see. They see personality traits – good and bad – in me that I don’t see in myself. So which is true? Or are both true?
There’s probably more to be written on this, I’m just bouncing things round in my head, seeing what shakes out in the long run.
Posted: Tue 10 September, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: D4D™, Domestic, Writing |
As regular readers may have noticed, I’m making an effort with D4D™ to write a bit more again, and get back into the routine of writing here.
Things have trailed off here a fair bit in the last two or three years – and how the hell has it ended up being that long?!? – but I do want to keep on writing it, so we’ll see how it goes.
As things stand, I want to get back to writing more anyway. Having a routine with D4D™ is no bad thing for that – sure, it slightly affects the time I have available for the other writing projects, but it’s always better than avoiding doing any writing at all.
With luck I’ll get back into having at least one thing a day for the most part. Time will tell.
Posted: Mon 2 September, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2012/13, Creativity, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Health, Own Business, Web Development, Weigh Less, Weight Loss, Work-related, Write More, Writing |
So here we are, the start of September. Which means we’re two-thirds of the way through the year. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?
For me, the first two thirds of the year have been more about staying stable, getting stuff done, getting things in place and ready for whatever comes next. It’s been pretty successful: I’ve got through the bankruptcy period,, I’m pretty settled on location and house for the moment, and I’ve changed jobs, with all the fun that entails. (Oh, and got some pretty good contacts and future opportunities from people within ex-employer) It’s looking pretty positive.
But now it’s time to step things up a bit. There are things I want to do, or at least want to start, and see how they work out. The plans and ideas are there, but now it’s implementation time. (Yeah, I know, heard it all before) I’m not saying they’ll all work, I’m not even saying they’ll all get out of the starting gate – but I want to at least try.
For this next period there’s really three main projects going on, alongside the general gradual development/sorting of finances, which is now just an ongoing process. The other three are :
- Health / Fitness
- Project Development
- Writing
Pretty self-explanatory, I think. But a bit more detail…
Health / Fitness
One of the goals for 2013 has been to improve fitness, improve health, and lose weight. So far it’s kind-of happened, but not properly. I’ve been going to the gym, but it’s not really working for me – and even less so when it’s now in the exactly opposite direction to where I’m going for work… So it’s time to rethink (again) and get back into doing something. I’m not yet sure what it’ll be, we’ll see. There’s a couple of ideas, anyway.
Project Development
As always, I’ve got some ideas for some web-based businesses. I think I’ve now got the overall plan, so it’s time to see how things work out. The primary ideas are all based round a particular theme this time, so who knows, it might actually work out. I’m aiming to get the main sections for the first significant project written by the end of the year. Maybe more, with a bit of luck, but I’d like to be ready to get it launched in early 2014 and see where things go from there.
Writing
Similar to the above, I’ve got two ideas that I want to get into some kind of shape over the next four months. I think that’s a reasonable timescale. We’ll see.
So yeah, the next four months ’til the end of the year should be quite interesting. That’s what I’m hoping, anyway…
Posted: Mon 5 August, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2012/13, Bankruptcy, Change, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Thoughts, Work-related, Writing |
This last week has involved getting quite a lot of stuff organised, and it’s felt pretty successful, to be honest.
Among other things, this week I’ve
- Sorted out the Car Tax for the next 12 months
- Paid a power bill that nPower had totally screwed up (and that’s the subject of an ongoing fight/complaint)
- Halved the cost of my car insurance from the start of September (and raised a complaint regarding the amount I’ve been paying for the last six months)
- Sent out CVs and organised interviews for the coming week
- Organised myself (and a fair amount of my life) for the coming month
- Started a couple of new projects, both techie ones and writing ones
- Generally sorted out a whole load of things, most of which aren’t overly relevant to D4D™ or worth writing about, but are worthwhile for me to sort out
- Even made time for lunch with the parents!
So all told, it’s been a pretty good week. In some ways the last twelve months has felt like being in Limbo, waiting for things to pass/happen, and that’s been OK. But with the changes of the last couple of weeks, as well as things that’ll be coming to pass at the end of this week, it’s now time to get my ass back in gear, and start figuring out what’s next.
Posted: Thu 11 July, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Media, Pedantry, People, Writing |
Today in the EDP (well, on their website at least) there’s this headline
Murdered Wisbech pensioner’s niece makes emotional appeal six months after she was brutally stabbed to death and set on fire
Now, you know they mean “Niece makes emotional appeal six months after her pensioner aunt was brutally stabbed and set on fire“, but that’s not what it actually says.
So instead I’m going to be impressed at the moral strength of someone so distraught that she can make an appeal about a pensioner six months after being brutally stabbed and set on fire.
Yes, yes, I’m a bad person.
Posted: Wed 5 June, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: D4D™, Domestic, Geeky, Technology, Writing |
One interesting side-effect (currently) of the new laptop is that it seems to have caused a resurgence in writing, or at least the desire to write.
I don’t know why though – although I guess some of it is down to having a nice new clean (and reliable) keyboard that makes things a bit easier.
I’ve also installed a couple of bits of writing software – Scrivener, and my old fallback, CeltX – as well as the LibreOffice package. (an open-source version of Microsoft Office, and much better in my opinion)
We’ll see how things go with a potential writing resurgence, but at least it’s starting off pretty well.
Posted: Mon 29 April, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Domestic, Getting Old(er), Getting Organised, Health, London, Own Business, Sleep - or lack thereof, Thoughts, Time, Work-related, Writing |
This week (and some of next) I’m actually on leave from the job. This is A Very Good Thing.
I don’t have much in the way of plans, the main thing is just Not Working, and taking the much-needed time out.
Of course, there are things I want to do, or at least get onto “paper” and out of my head, but that’s all going to be done on my terms, rather than within the demands of an office.
I’m sure there’ll be a couple of days out and the like along the way, but really the main thing is just time out. It’s been a pretty hectic first third of the year, and the next one isn’t looking like it’ll be any quieter, so downtime is definitely a good plan.