Decisions Decisions

If I want Giac to lose interest in what I’m about to say, I simply have to start a sentence with “I decided that”. Apparently, I decide a lot of things. Also – apparently – I never follow up on my decisions.I will admit that sometimes I do make impulsive resolutions mainly based on seeing somebody doing something that I think I could do, and pledging to do that for the rest of my life without having any skills or idea how to do it, OR not realising how hard it would be (see: learning Japanese).

Sometimes I candidly forget I even decided to do something. Most of the time I simply change my mind. Yeah, I do change my mind. So what? Maybe it’s because most of the decisions I make are about irrelevant stuff. Or about things that don’t work for me. I obviously didn’t change my mind on things that actually matter (i.e. marrying that little doubting Thomas). The way I see it is that I’m trying out things, and well yes, my “I decided that” is merely the way I choose to announce the next thing I want to try.

Clearly the whole point of this blog post is to promulgate my latest life choice, which I conceived last night at 3.09am (contrarily to popular belief, the best decision-making time for me). Now the thing is, I go through phases where I try to do things that make me feel good, and then I can't be bothered anymore and I go back to being a lazy couch potato and I feel crap about myself, so I force myself to get back on track in an endless circle of self-destruction and recovery. I perfectly know what makes me feel good, but it seems that knowing it is not enough to make me do it as much as I would like to. So what’d better than writing it all down I say.

1. Wake up at 7am, drink a liter of water, and do some stretching while watching a TED Talk

2. Incorporate some fruit in my breakfast

3. Get some fresh air

4. Work up a sweat every day (gym, run, longboard)

5. Look presentable

6. Keep the house clean

7. Be creative (write, draw)

8. Drink a litre of water before bed

9. Go to sleep at 11pm

I don’t know what it is, but I love setting rules for myself. Even if most of the time I don’t even remotely start to do what I planned to do. But writing down what I think I should be doing makes me feel empowered, no matter how general or specific the guidelines are. This might be just another list. But mental clarity is very important to me, so hopefully this is going to be a decision about something that actually matters (see above). These are all things that make me feel better on the inside, and I’m 100% confident that if I manage to stick to that list for say at least a month or so, I will reach a balanced mental state, and hopefully by then they would have turned into a constant routine.

Now let me tell you something else: You can do this too. Science tells us that sleeping, eating and exercising are basic needs that change your hormone balance, which consequently affects your mood. It really doesn't take much to make you feel good. For me personally, it's more a question of being consistent - but I'm making a point of persevering.