Day 148: starting flexible journal

After contemplating for a while, I finally decided to give bullet journal a la Sarah’s style a try. Few reasons:

1. Writing down the daily tasks help to reduce anxiety as I get to decide to include what’s feasible/important and leave enough space for non-work related tasks that bring me joy.
2. Focus. Knowing exactly what are the important tasks I need to conquer first so I can shift to fun things make me focus even more.
3. Habit tracker and goals. Writing them down every morning remind me what habits and goals I want to accomplish. I don’t track habits that are effortless to me such as workout, but those that I want to develop as second nature. Therefore, these might change from month to month.
4. Time record of this crazy time. I am surprised that we’ve survived this living condition for almost 5 months already, how did we manage? This journal and blog will allow me to remember it in the future.
5. Visually pleasing. Recently I found crafting brings me joy and calmness, and writing the journal with a cup of tea and colourful pencils for 10-15 min could also serve as a “crafting” activity.

I plan to do reflect after few weeks. Currently, I’m following Sarah’s layout as I am not very creative and I find hers a good guide start.

Reflection on meal planning

• I overestimated amount of leftovers. Realistically I only need to cook maybe 3 or 4 dishes max per week, paired with vegetables instead of 7.
• I can’t follow day-to-day meal plans as it depends on my workload and mood to prepare something fancy or simple. So I’ll go back to meal ideas instead of meal plans.
• Make only 1 or 2 new recipes per week. No matter how simple is the new recipe, the unknown part makes it sound like more elaborate thus requires more mental energy.
• I like repeated meals. I don’t need novelty everyday. i could eat the same meal over and over again and still very happy about it. A testament is my morning breakfast oatmeal bowl.

Sharing a wining combo for girls’ dinner last week that they have 5 out of 7 nights. Soup + cheesy quesadilla. Last week I made green pea soup, carrot soup, and corn chowder, all welcomed by the girls, especially Sofia. She likes to dip the quesadilla to the soup.

Sofia teaching Lizzy to do runner’s lounge 😀

Gratitude: I am grateful that my girls are adopting habits that will serve them for a long time such as joy of exercising, vegetables make us strong and we don’t need to kill anyone, reading, showing love with physical hugs. I liked a quote from podcast yesterday “we parents teach all the time, sometimes with words”.