Monthly Review: August 2022
What I read
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Currently: Writing Without Bullshit by Joshua Bernoff
What I watched
The third season of Never Have I Ever! I love this show, and I’m bummed that the next season will be its last. I tried watching the newest season of Indian Matchmaking after enjoying the first season, but dropped it after a few episodes. I finally started watch Extraordinary Attorney Woo after my book club recommended it. It’s possibly the best Korean TV show I’ve watched!
What I listened to
Depending on my mood and the task I’m doing, I’ve been listening to episodes of Cal Newport’s Deep Questions, Soul + Wit, and NPR’s Life Kit.
What I focused on
Using a habit tracker. I re-downloaded the Habits app and have been diligent with tracking the habits I want to stick. It’s been motivating to recognize patterns and see how often I’m doing certain habits.
Being active. I signed up for an unlimited pass at a nearby studio and have been attending classes at least 3x/week. I’m glad Paul suggested I hold off on getting a Peleton. I’ve come to realize that I prefer low intensity group classes, like yoga, barre, and pilates. I’m also more likely to attend a class if a studio is close to home.
Making time to read. I’ve managed to read more books in August than I have in the first half of the year. I think this was possible because I watched less TV (Is Love Island burnout a thing?) and am experimenting with deleting social media apps on my phone.
What I’ve been thinking about
The role of social media in my life. I deleted social media off my phone at the beginning of the month after reading Deep Work. My activity has decreased significantly, and I do think that removing it from my phone has given me more time to do other things. That said, I haven’t deactivated my accounts and I do allow myself to check my accounts on my laptop.
I still haven’t decided whether or not I’ll re-install the apps on my phone after my experiment has ended. It’s still something I’m thinking about.
September Goals
Everyday
Walk
Read
Journal
No screens after 9pm
Weekly
Workout 3x
Personal review
Misc
Fully disconnect during our vacation! (aka. don’t bring my work laptop!)
Carve time to complete tasks for my new role as Class Rep at my toddler’s preschool