I don't have much to say tonight.
I worked all day and then came home to play hostess to several coworkers of mine for a Bachelor finale viewing party.
Yes I have been watching The Bachelor. Yes I am totally ashamed. Yes I think it is total trash. But in fairness a good friend of mine who has a degree from an incredibly prestigious university called it "TV Crack" because she watches it too. It's fascinating and horrifying all at the same time. I am not sure what possesses these people to go on these shows considering the track record, but some of the acting that transpires is actually pretty entertaining.
And now I have a buzz from too much Pinot Grigio and not enough food in my stomach to balance it out. So while I leave you with a pretty useless entry, I promise I will write something with more substance tomorrow.
Happy Monday!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sunny Side Up: Vol. 4
I no longer live in Sunnyside, Queens (and my I say thank God!) but I like the name of this "series" I started and I want to rev it back up. So fasten your seat belts, keep your eyes pointed forward, and away we go...
I have eaten this soup three times since and I definitely have at least three more days worth remaining. That all equals out to $4.86 a day! Obviously if you already have the paprika that cuts the cost even more, but if you do have to spring for the seasoning its always a good investment to have a well stocked spice cabinet!
*For any vegetarians/ non-red meat eaters out there, you could absolutely substitute a veggie or a chicken/turkey sausage for the chorizo. You may just want to play a bit with seasoning since chorizo is such a heavily seasoned sausage.
**While the homemade croutons are a nice addition and add great crunch, they aren't necessary at all for the overall enjoyment factor of the dish.
**And now a PSA from the Closing Notice Headquarters: If every one of us committed to eating just 10% of our food from local purveyors we would make a huge difference for local farmers and our environment. Eating locally is not only one of the healthiest options around there but it actually can be quite affordable. My summer CSA share for produce costs $230 and will last 18 weeks, which works out to $12.78 a week! That's no more than what you would spend at your local grocery store chain. For more information about CSA's in your area visit Local Harvest.**
This past winter I signed up for a CSA, also known as Community Supported Agriculture, through a group called Simply Wisconsin. I had always wanted to be a part of one because I have a passion for supporting local agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Thankfully Chicago has lots of CSA options but this one had come highly recommended to me by several friends so I jumped on the bandwagon and every Tuesday for ten weeks was gifted with a box of local produce, eggs and cheese. While it was incredibly awesome I must admit that living by myself made it challenging to use up all of the winter squash and other root vegetables that filled my crisper drawer. Which is why I will be super glad that once my summer CSA begins Jürgen will be back in Chicago (yay!) to help me keep any veggies from going to waste.
Even though my winter share stopped being delivered at the beginning of February, I am still laden with potatoes. So. Many Potatoes. I love a good spud as much as the next person, after all they are one of the most versatile of veggies. You can mash em, fry em, boil em', bake em'....the possibilities are endless. However I needed to find a recipe that would use a good amount of taters and be a filling and healthy meal.
Nothing pleases me more during my lunch hour than a nice bowl of soup coupled with some cheese and crackers, so when I came upon this recipe I knew I had found a winner.
Potato Soup with Kale and Chorizo
By: Roy Finamore, Bon Appétit- March 2008
This soup is incredibly easy to make. Just a little basic chopping prep and you really let the stove do most of the work. The recipe says to peel the potatoes but I left the skin on because I feel like someone told me once that the skin is the most nutritious part of a tater. Ok lets be honest I really just didn't want to deal with peeling a bunch of potatoes! I promise you it had no negative effect on the outcome.
After the soup simmers for an hour it is ready to go, but like any good soup if you can wait a night and let the flavors develop over time you will be rewarded handsomely. The only spice you add is a healthy dose of smoked paprika, which adds a really nice heat to the dish. The soup itself is very hearty with lots of big chunks of potato, which keep their shape instead of turning into mush which makes for a nice variety in texture. The chorizo swims unsuspectingly in the broth and helps to round out the the dish, while the kale, a super food, just makes you feel so healthy. Seriously whenever kale passes my lips I just feel my body say "thank you."
The other day at work my "pod-mate" exclaimed "That soup! It smells so good!" I have to agree it does smell awfully nice.
You can find the full recipe here, but as always here is an ingredients list and a cost breakdown.
Ingredients:
Total spent: $29.14
Potato Soup with Kale and Chorizo
By: Roy Finamore, Bon Appétit- March 2008
This soup is incredibly easy to make. Just a little basic chopping prep and you really let the stove do most of the work. The recipe says to peel the potatoes but I left the skin on because I feel like someone told me once that the skin is the most nutritious part of a tater. Ok lets be honest I really just didn't want to deal with peeling a bunch of potatoes! I promise you it had no negative effect on the outcome.
After the soup simmers for an hour it is ready to go, but like any good soup if you can wait a night and let the flavors develop over time you will be rewarded handsomely. The only spice you add is a healthy dose of smoked paprika, which adds a really nice heat to the dish. The soup itself is very hearty with lots of big chunks of potato, which keep their shape instead of turning into mush which makes for a nice variety in texture. The chorizo swims unsuspectingly in the broth and helps to round out the the dish, while the kale, a super food, just makes you feel so healthy. Seriously whenever kale passes my lips I just feel my body say "thank you."
The other day at work my "pod-mate" exclaimed "That soup! It smells so good!" I have to agree it does smell awfully nice.
You can find the full recipe here, but as always here is an ingredients list and a cost breakdown.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided (Had)
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups) (Had)
8 ounces fully cooked smoked Spanish chorizo or hot Calabrese salami, casing removed if necessary, chopped* ($5.49)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika ($6.99-I actually had this at home, but wasn't aware until I got home, oh well can't have too much smoked paprika apparently!)
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Had...obviously!)
8 cups low-salt chicken broth ($12.97-Bought one 48oz box and one 32oz box, both by Swanson®)
1 1/2 pounds kale, stemmed, torn into small pieces (about 16 cups lightly packed) ($1.20)
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes rustic bread** ($2.49)
Total spent: $29.14
I have eaten this soup three times since and I definitely have at least three more days worth remaining. That all equals out to $4.86 a day! Obviously if you already have the paprika that cuts the cost even more, but if you do have to spring for the seasoning its always a good investment to have a well stocked spice cabinet!
*For any vegetarians/ non-red meat eaters out there, you could absolutely substitute a veggie or a chicken/turkey sausage for the chorizo. You may just want to play a bit with seasoning since chorizo is such a heavily seasoned sausage.
**While the homemade croutons are a nice addition and add great crunch, they aren't necessary at all for the overall enjoyment factor of the dish.
**And now a PSA from the Closing Notice Headquarters: If every one of us committed to eating just 10% of our food from local purveyors we would make a huge difference for local farmers and our environment. Eating locally is not only one of the healthiest options around there but it actually can be quite affordable. My summer CSA share for produce costs $230 and will last 18 weeks, which works out to $12.78 a week! That's no more than what you would spend at your local grocery store chain. For more information about CSA's in your area visit Local Harvest.**
For the love of Notebooks...
Have you ever happened across the blog Stuff White People Like? It's incredibly brilliant, and if you are a white, urban, liberal like myself you will find that more often than not the entries apply to you in a pretty sad way. Entry #122 hits home particularly hard because it'd devoted entirely to a brand that I covet: The Moleskin Notebook.
Do yourself a favor and read #122 then jump back here for the remainder of my entry.
Done? Had a chuckle. Good, let's carry on.
I do adore my Moleskin. Or rather I should say, my Moleskins as I have multiple. For I am incredibly white if you haven't noticed. My journal is a black leather bound Moleskin and I have a mini version of the same one that I keep on my bedside table to jot down important thoughts (which for the purposes of transparency I will admit I haven't written in since probably 2008). My dear mother, at my behest, purchased a Moleskin recipe notebook for me last year, and a few months ago I bought a set of Three Ruled Cahier Notebooks in Navy Blue.
My initial intentions for these notebooks was to make customized day planners for myself, but I decided I didn't like their size for the intended purpose. To be clear, yes you did just read that I wanted to make a customized day planner, I have since made one but it was not created in a Moleskin Journal. The levels of dorkdom in my life are at a alarmingly high percentage.
However a good Moleskin is never to go to waste, so instead I created a trio of notebooks that sit to the left (naturally) of my computer, held in place by a paperweight which was gifted to me by my Alma Mater for being what they called a "Lifer" (that means I went to the same school from Kindergarden through Twelfth grade). Could this scenario get any whiter? I'm not sure.
From left to right: Money Matters, My Wish Lists and Free Time Fulfillment.
The notebooks have been created to keep organization and focus in my life. The first one, Money Matters houses my records of personal spending. I have a set budget each month and different allotments for various spending categories. Every month I create a new page with each category listed and I leave a page blank for detailed notes on where my money goes. It's a system that works for me, and I have tried more high tech approaches to money management, but this simple and relatively old fashioned way seems to be the best bet so far. I write in it almost daily in order to keep my finances in check.
The second notebook, titled My Wish Lists, is where a keep a running tab of all the things I hope for one day. These are physical, tangible items, not wishes like world peace and rock hard abs. I have a page for each room in my house and I write down all the things I would like to eventually have for that room. Items may include: A new couch, bathroom accessories or a countertop compost pail. I make note of this because I read somewhere once that people who actually take time to write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. Also, because if I ever happen upon extra spending cash or gift cards it helps me spend said money on things I actually want/need rather that impulsive non-necessities. I also paste pictures of images I find in magazines that inspire me, and I am currently using it to keep track of the money I am saving up for one of the larger and more pricey items on my wish list.
Free Time Fulfillment keeps a tally of things I could be doing when I find myself with nothing to do. Up until recently one of the tasks was "organize storage unit". So often when I have time on my hands I watch useless videos on Youtube. This helps me remember those projects that I say "some day when I have free time.....". There are a few things more satisfying then crossing things off of a to-do list. And while I am being totally open and putting my insane and neurotic ways out there, I should tell you that I never cross things off in pen, I always use a highlighter so I can still see the task that I accomplished.
Yep, I am utterly and completely uncool. And as white as they come.
Oh and I created the labels for my notebooks during Snowmageddon. Nothing like having no TV or internet to get the creative juices flowing.
Check out these entires for more Stuff White People Like entries that are a little too familiar for me: #123, #91, #88, #60, #54, #40, #24, #23, #8 and #5
Do yourself a favor and read #122 then jump back here for the remainder of my entry.
Done? Had a chuckle. Good, let's carry on.
I do adore my Moleskin. Or rather I should say, my Moleskins as I have multiple. For I am incredibly white if you haven't noticed. My journal is a black leather bound Moleskin and I have a mini version of the same one that I keep on my bedside table to jot down important thoughts (which for the purposes of transparency I will admit I haven't written in since probably 2008). My dear mother, at my behest, purchased a Moleskin recipe notebook for me last year, and a few months ago I bought a set of Three Ruled Cahier Notebooks in Navy Blue.
My initial intentions for these notebooks was to make customized day planners for myself, but I decided I didn't like their size for the intended purpose. To be clear, yes you did just read that I wanted to make a customized day planner, I have since made one but it was not created in a Moleskin Journal. The levels of dorkdom in my life are at a alarmingly high percentage.
However a good Moleskin is never to go to waste, so instead I created a trio of notebooks that sit to the left (naturally) of my computer, held in place by a paperweight which was gifted to me by my Alma Mater for being what they called a "Lifer" (that means I went to the same school from Kindergarden through Twelfth grade). Could this scenario get any whiter? I'm not sure.
From left to right: Money Matters, My Wish Lists and Free Time Fulfillment.
The notebooks have been created to keep organization and focus in my life. The first one, Money Matters houses my records of personal spending. I have a set budget each month and different allotments for various spending categories. Every month I create a new page with each category listed and I leave a page blank for detailed notes on where my money goes. It's a system that works for me, and I have tried more high tech approaches to money management, but this simple and relatively old fashioned way seems to be the best bet so far. I write in it almost daily in order to keep my finances in check.
The second notebook, titled My Wish Lists, is where a keep a running tab of all the things I hope for one day. These are physical, tangible items, not wishes like world peace and rock hard abs. I have a page for each room in my house and I write down all the things I would like to eventually have for that room. Items may include: A new couch, bathroom accessories or a countertop compost pail. I make note of this because I read somewhere once that people who actually take time to write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. Also, because if I ever happen upon extra spending cash or gift cards it helps me spend said money on things I actually want/need rather that impulsive non-necessities. I also paste pictures of images I find in magazines that inspire me, and I am currently using it to keep track of the money I am saving up for one of the larger and more pricey items on my wish list.
Free Time Fulfillment keeps a tally of things I could be doing when I find myself with nothing to do. Up until recently one of the tasks was "organize storage unit". So often when I have time on my hands I watch useless videos on Youtube. This helps me remember those projects that I say "some day when I have free time.....". There are a few things more satisfying then crossing things off of a to-do list. And while I am being totally open and putting my insane and neurotic ways out there, I should tell you that I never cross things off in pen, I always use a highlighter so I can still see the task that I accomplished.
Yep, I am utterly and completely uncool. And as white as they come.
Oh and I created the labels for my notebooks during Snowmageddon. Nothing like having no TV or internet to get the creative juices flowing.
Check out these entires for more Stuff White People Like entries that are a little too familiar for me: #123, #91, #88, #60, #54, #40, #24, #23, #8 and #5
Friday, March 11, 2011
Snowmageddon
A little over a month ago there was talk of snow. Lots of snow. Like it's the end of the world because there is going to be so much freakin snow and lets all freak out about and give it a totally absurd name such as SNOWMAGEDDON snow.
At first I thought it was all a bunch of hype and we would be lucky to see a few inches. Admittedly I did make a point to hit the grocery store a few days before the impending weather, but I was on my way there already. Certainly I was not buying into all of the media driven hoopla.
But then on a Tuesday afternoon the sky turned completely white and the snow began to fall. It fell fast. It fell hard. It fell with a purpose. It was impossible to concentrate at work because the scene that was unfolding outside the window was too gripping to take your eyes off of. I mean Chicago see's more than its fair share of snow every winter, but this was more than just snow, this was crazy insane I want to shut down Lake Shore Drive snow. By 3:00 I called it a day. This weather wasn't playin' and the comforts of home were calling.
Thankfully (even though I was not listening to the hyperbole, no sir I was not) I opted to leave my car parked in my garage that morning and trained to work, because I have some bad car karma when it comes to navigating severe winter weather. So, I waited (along with about eighty percent of my office), for the building shuttle to take me to the train, but sadly it too decided to check out of work early because there was no shuttle to be found. I decided it's moments like these when you can create cool stories to tell your grandchildren so I put my shoulder to the wind and ventured out onto the city streets in the middle of the blizzard.
By the time I reached the train my hair was caked with snow (BAD day to forget your hat) and I waited through three sardined packed trains only to finally cross over to the other side of the tracks and take it completely around the loop in order to get home. The train had to stop multiple times because of snow filled tracks. The whole city was canceling their plans and fleeing. The snow, it just kept on a comin.
Ok so the weathermen and women were right. There is a first time for everything.
When I arrived home I could not have been filled with more gratitude to have a warm, dry and comfortable place to call home. I put a pizza in the oven, wrapped myself in my super soft robe, opened a bottle of wine and I was set and ready to be snowed in.
One caveat? My cable and internet...out. Bummer.
The blizzard kept building in power, like a roaring symphony outside my windows, until it crescendoed into an incredibly elusive and rare weather occurrence...the Thundersnow. Have you ever experienced lighting and thunder in the middle of a snowstorm? It's beyond cool, take my word.
I went to bed early that night and for the first time in over ten years I got to have a snow day. They haven't lost a single ounce of their glory.
I managed to snap a few photos the following day. It's certainly a snow storm I will never forget.
The snow bank that formed against my back door (you can see that it was still snowing the next morning). I had to climb on a chair and jump over it to get out.
The view through my front windows. Not very clear I realize you but can see how high the snow is creeping up around the cars.
Needed to take out your trash? That was a process to say the least.
My back alleyway which thankfully was fully plowed two days later.
This blizzard certainly slowed down Chicago for a few days, and certainly was very dangerous. However the effects of this blizzard were nothing like what the people of Japan are experiencing right now. My thoughts and prayers are with them all.
At first I thought it was all a bunch of hype and we would be lucky to see a few inches. Admittedly I did make a point to hit the grocery store a few days before the impending weather, but I was on my way there already. Certainly I was not buying into all of the media driven hoopla.
But then on a Tuesday afternoon the sky turned completely white and the snow began to fall. It fell fast. It fell hard. It fell with a purpose. It was impossible to concentrate at work because the scene that was unfolding outside the window was too gripping to take your eyes off of. I mean Chicago see's more than its fair share of snow every winter, but this was more than just snow, this was crazy insane I want to shut down Lake Shore Drive snow. By 3:00 I called it a day. This weather wasn't playin' and the comforts of home were calling.
Thankfully (even though I was not listening to the hyperbole, no sir I was not) I opted to leave my car parked in my garage that morning and trained to work, because I have some bad car karma when it comes to navigating severe winter weather. So, I waited (along with about eighty percent of my office), for the building shuttle to take me to the train, but sadly it too decided to check out of work early because there was no shuttle to be found. I decided it's moments like these when you can create cool stories to tell your grandchildren so I put my shoulder to the wind and ventured out onto the city streets in the middle of the blizzard.
By the time I reached the train my hair was caked with snow (BAD day to forget your hat) and I waited through three sardined packed trains only to finally cross over to the other side of the tracks and take it completely around the loop in order to get home. The train had to stop multiple times because of snow filled tracks. The whole city was canceling their plans and fleeing. The snow, it just kept on a comin.
Ok so the weathermen and women were right. There is a first time for everything.
When I arrived home I could not have been filled with more gratitude to have a warm, dry and comfortable place to call home. I put a pizza in the oven, wrapped myself in my super soft robe, opened a bottle of wine and I was set and ready to be snowed in.
One caveat? My cable and internet...out. Bummer.
The blizzard kept building in power, like a roaring symphony outside my windows, until it crescendoed into an incredibly elusive and rare weather occurrence...the Thundersnow. Have you ever experienced lighting and thunder in the middle of a snowstorm? It's beyond cool, take my word.
I went to bed early that night and for the first time in over ten years I got to have a snow day. They haven't lost a single ounce of their glory.
I managed to snap a few photos the following day. It's certainly a snow storm I will never forget.
The snow bank that formed against my back door (you can see that it was still snowing the next morning). I had to climb on a chair and jump over it to get out.
The view through my front windows. Not very clear I realize you but can see how high the snow is creeping up around the cars.
Needed to take out your trash? That was a process to say the least.
My back alleyway which thankfully was fully plowed two days later.
This blizzard certainly slowed down Chicago for a few days, and certainly was very dangerous. However the effects of this blizzard were nothing like what the people of Japan are experiencing right now. My thoughts and prayers are with them all.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Me Time
I read somewhere, probably in Real Simple or something, that the happiest people are those who make a point to carve out time for themselves. Personal time. "Me time."
I have never been good at this. For the majority of my life I have lit the candle at both ends and set about the day at a frantic whirlwind pace always feeling as though I was catching up to myself. When I was a junior is high school I took the SAT's, an AP US History Exam, planned my high school prom, ran a fundraiser for this organization, and began rehearsals for a play all in one week. What?!? Why did I think that pace was maintainable and why did I think it would continually make me happy?
"I function better when I am busy". "I am more focused when I have a lot going on". These were the sorts of excuses I used to justify my inability to say no. Or my inability to spend time alone.
It's taken me the better part of 28 years but for the first time in my life I am realizing just how much I enjoy my "me" time. I have spent many a weekend night with a glass of drinking wine while I organize the kitchen cabinets. I spent a good portion of a recent Saturday rearranging my storage unit and I couldn't be happier. I cook, I take long showers, I make vision boards, I journal, whatever it may be...it's my time.
Now that I have experienced the joy and freedom that comes from having time to oneself I am kind of selfish with it. Of course I still love to be social and enjoy time with my wonderful friends, but I am more aware of when I begin to feel stretched too thin and I make a point to block out an evening for just me.
The realization of this need makes me feel wise but also incredibly boring at the same time. Is it wrong to say I love to declutter my house on a Friday night? Is this progress or am I in a slump?
Wait...don't answer that. I have a box of photos that need to be put in chronological order and labeled accordingly.
What do you do with your free time? Do you like having me time or do you go crazy? Do you feel you give yourself enough "me" time or do you need to make a point to create more for yourself each week?
I have never been good at this. For the majority of my life I have lit the candle at both ends and set about the day at a frantic whirlwind pace always feeling as though I was catching up to myself. When I was a junior is high school I took the SAT's, an AP US History Exam, planned my high school prom, ran a fundraiser for this organization, and began rehearsals for a play all in one week. What?!? Why did I think that pace was maintainable and why did I think it would continually make me happy?
"I function better when I am busy". "I am more focused when I have a lot going on". These were the sorts of excuses I used to justify my inability to say no. Or my inability to spend time alone.
It's taken me the better part of 28 years but for the first time in my life I am realizing just how much I enjoy my "me" time. I have spent many a weekend night with a glass of drinking wine while I organize the kitchen cabinets. I spent a good portion of a recent Saturday rearranging my storage unit and I couldn't be happier. I cook, I take long showers, I make vision boards, I journal, whatever it may be...it's my time.
Now that I have experienced the joy and freedom that comes from having time to oneself I am kind of selfish with it. Of course I still love to be social and enjoy time with my wonderful friends, but I am more aware of when I begin to feel stretched too thin and I make a point to block out an evening for just me.
The realization of this need makes me feel wise but also incredibly boring at the same time. Is it wrong to say I love to declutter my house on a Friday night? Is this progress or am I in a slump?
Wait...don't answer that. I have a box of photos that need to be put in chronological order and labeled accordingly.
What do you do with your free time? Do you like having me time or do you go crazy? Do you feel you give yourself enough "me" time or do you need to make a point to create more for yourself each week?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
40 Days...
It seems as though the Lenten season is upon us. It's that time of year when Winter slowly...oh so slowly...begins to fade into Spring. When the multiple layers of outwear begin to shed and the sunlight lingers a little longer. I like this time. You get the cozy Winter nights and crisp Spring days.
For years I have partaken in the practice of giving something up for Lent. I am not a particularly devote religious practicer but this has been a ritual I enjoy. It's a challenge. By giving up something you make space in your life for new possibilities. In years past I have given up Chocolate, Pizza, Salty snacks, Facebook and Alcohol to name a few (the last one will never EVER be repeated). However this year I have struggled to figure out what to give up. After much thought and some encouragement from facebook friends later, I have decided that instead of giving something up, I will take something on. That something will be...blogging!
Clearly I have struggled to get back in the game, and this feels like a perfect kickstart back to the blogosphere. So for the next forty days (and I actually think its ends up being more if you count Sundays in the equation) I will write something every day. It will be good for me to make time for writing again, and it will force me to share so many of the thoughts I have been thinking over the past few months. I look forward to sharing it all with you!
So here we go...
For years I have partaken in the practice of giving something up for Lent. I am not a particularly devote religious practicer but this has been a ritual I enjoy. It's a challenge. By giving up something you make space in your life for new possibilities. In years past I have given up Chocolate, Pizza, Salty snacks, Facebook and Alcohol to name a few (the last one will never EVER be repeated). However this year I have struggled to figure out what to give up. After much thought and some encouragement from facebook friends later, I have decided that instead of giving something up, I will take something on. That something will be...blogging!
Clearly I have struggled to get back in the game, and this feels like a perfect kickstart back to the blogosphere. So for the next forty days (and I actually think its ends up being more if you count Sundays in the equation) I will write something every day. It will be good for me to make time for writing again, and it will force me to share so many of the thoughts I have been thinking over the past few months. I look forward to sharing it all with you!
So here we go...
Monday, February 28, 2011
Five Years
It has been said that we greatly over estimate what we can accomplish in one year, and greatly under estimate what we can accomplish in five. An interesting theory, particularly when you are in a state of transition.
There are two books which sit on my nightstand in honor of the number five. Both were suggested to me by friends and they are interesting tools when you wish to gain some perspective on your life.
The first is my Five Year Diary. It was gifted to me by Jürgen as part of our first wedding anniversary, for I had always wanted one. Unlike a regular journal with blank ruled pages. this notebook has a page for every day of the year and each page is divided into five sections. The idea is that you simply jot down a few things you did that day, or perhaps a few thoughts you had. After a period of five years you can look through each day and see how life changes from year to year. Admittedly it takes some dedication, and there is a period of time from last year when I fell way behind with my journal. Now I am trying to recollect certain days to fill in the gaps, but as far as this year I am up to speed. I am excited to see how the next few years pan out and what happens.
The second is a workbook aptly titled "5" by Dan Zadra. It requires that you pull out a pen and maybe even some extra paper and leads you through a series of exercises to help you envision and create intentions for the next five years and, ultimately, your life. I am very early into this process, but I am eager to begin to dedicate more time to this work. Who knows where my life will be in five years? I do think its important to be malleable and open to possibilities that you may not have thought possible, but at the same time it's important that we take control of our own personal journey. This is a great tool to oil the mind and get the gears working.
All things considered it's also a good idea not to dwell too much on the future but be present and take things one day at a time. It's a delicate balance, one that we all struggle with I imagine. However I don't think it's ever a bad idea to do some self work and question asking.
Do you think it's a good idea to think about your life five years from now, or do you prefer to take it day by day?
There are two books which sit on my nightstand in honor of the number five. Both were suggested to me by friends and they are interesting tools when you wish to gain some perspective on your life.
The first is my Five Year Diary. It was gifted to me by Jürgen as part of our first wedding anniversary, for I had always wanted one. Unlike a regular journal with blank ruled pages. this notebook has a page for every day of the year and each page is divided into five sections. The idea is that you simply jot down a few things you did that day, or perhaps a few thoughts you had. After a period of five years you can look through each day and see how life changes from year to year. Admittedly it takes some dedication, and there is a period of time from last year when I fell way behind with my journal. Now I am trying to recollect certain days to fill in the gaps, but as far as this year I am up to speed. I am excited to see how the next few years pan out and what happens.
The second is a workbook aptly titled "5" by Dan Zadra. It requires that you pull out a pen and maybe even some extra paper and leads you through a series of exercises to help you envision and create intentions for the next five years and, ultimately, your life. I am very early into this process, but I am eager to begin to dedicate more time to this work. Who knows where my life will be in five years? I do think its important to be malleable and open to possibilities that you may not have thought possible, but at the same time it's important that we take control of our own personal journey. This is a great tool to oil the mind and get the gears working.
All things considered it's also a good idea not to dwell too much on the future but be present and take things one day at a time. It's a delicate balance, one that we all struggle with I imagine. However I don't think it's ever a bad idea to do some self work and question asking.
Do you think it's a good idea to think about your life five years from now, or do you prefer to take it day by day?
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