I used to see the passing of each month as a time for reset and reflection. At the beginning of 2020 I worked out that each of these four-week blocks represent a third of a percent of my likely lifespan assuming I live the average 24 years of someone aged 60.
I neglected to reset and reflect at the end of June and we’re already three days into August. Is that a good or bad thing? Maybe I’m getting a bit more chilled, maybe I’m just getting lazy or maybe it’s all to do with the dreaded Rona throwing everything off course.
I’ve certainly stopped setting goals, my to-do list is more don’t than do and some of the projects I had in mind have stalled.
In those early months of lockdown I felt a bit manic, everything from going on needless walks to taking on new gardening and decorating projects. That all came to an abrupt end a couple of months ago, the garden fence never got stained and the pressure washer will stay locked away until the next pandemic.
Instead I’ve dabbled with setting myself a new life purpose. To that end I’ve started work on my CV and have put out a few job feelers but I can’t see anything much happening any time soon.
I’ve definitely felt more at peace, more relaxed and being able to travel has helped. In July alone we had a week on the Loire and a weekend in Oxford – plus there’s our annual three-week trip to the south of France set to start on August 15th all being well. Getting away and knowing that more travel is on the horizon makes a big difference to how I feel.
Apart from holidays the big change in my life has been the level of socialising. We spent virtually all of Saturday and Sunday afternoon playing host to the two sides of our family. We’re planning to see a friend for dinner on Thursday and I’m going to meet up with another friend next week who lives in north Wales, someone I’ve not seen now for nearly a year.
Now I’m back at the gym I’m also having more meaningful chats with like-minded people of a similar age to me. Until now I never realised that gyms were as much a place for boosting mental health as physical. For people of my age they’re somewhere to go, a key part of the daily routine, an all-important chance to converse, engage and interact.
I am though going to set myself a few realistic goals before we go away in just 12 sleeps time:
- Lose a bit of weight, it’s creeping up ever slightly
- Cut back on the alcohol, lockdown and the good weather has given me excuses to drink more. A few days off wouldn’t go amiss.
- Complete that CV and have it ready for when I get back from holiday
- Get ahead with work, gladly it’s started to get a bit busy again and I want to be on top of things before I go away
- Sort out my computer files, I finally bought myself a new laptop – a Lenovo Yoga C930 – and I now want to get my emails and OneDrive organised
- A couple of insurances need renewing about now, I want to make sure I get the best deals.
- Make sure the LoveBus campervan is in tiptop condition for the 2,000 mile round trip to the south of France that awaits.
Thankfully these last couple of months have seen normal life slowly opening up again. I know the door could slam shut again with a moment’s notice but I’m ready for that, know I’ll cope and make the most of any opportunities in the meantime.