Turns out, building a life around three pillars doesn’t stop the whole structure from leaning. Here I am, writing my 2nd blog post of this year. While I should be writing maybe the 4th or 5th already. Considering the goals, or specifically the pillars I set up at the end of the last year, how am I tracking them? This is my quarterly review of my life, where I reflect where I am, and where I maybe should be.

Last year I set out to build my year around three pillars:

  1. The Spongia Project
  2. Self-development
  3. Travel

My principle was, as I stated out in the post is that one single pillar may be weaker, if the others support it. The Spongia Project, while not completely forgotten, has been the weaker pillar. While I have multiple articles in the pipeline, I simply haven’t had a time or energy to finish them. Why? I’ve been traveling quite a bit, unfortunately mostly for work.

Work Travel vs. Creative Energy

I’ve repeatedly hinted about my new normal, including my previous post where I tried to formulate ways to stay productive on the go. How bad is it? Well, last year I mostly traveled to the UK and spent 19 days away from home, over 5 months. This year, nearing the end of April, I’ve been on the go for 45 days already—meaning roughly one third of the time. And not just UK anymore, but also multiple trips to the USA. It’s not just the travel days anymore, but the added toll of recovering from jet lag. Also, the airports don’t really give that sense of adventure anymore—shame. It’s not the lack of blog posts that stings—it’s how easily I let my own rules slide.

The second pillar, self-development has been slightly stronger, but at the same time lacking. I’ve implemented my own version of a habit tracking system (a slightly whimsical one, that I’ll present at a future article), but regardless of tracking I’m not where I’m hoping to be.

Third pillar is travel. I’ve certainly spent my fair share of my time abroad, and while I’ve enjoyed some free weekends away from my usual environment, it doesn’t quite count towards the pillar. I actually had planned my first proper vacation in ages, and extended weekend in Washington D.C. after a long business trip to USA, but that unfortunately got canned as the trip ended abruptly. Gotta check out the Smithsonian museums at a later date.

The Next Big Adventure Is a Deadline, Not an Escape

Now here I am wondering, how to go forward and claim the lost time? I’ve written about my previous month long soul searching trip South East Asia, and how it changed my perspective on my life. I’ve certainly decided that I need a proper vacation, a long one again. Where exactly? I’m thinking Medellín, Colombia. And the reason why? I think I need both the freedom away from routine, but also a timeline for the near future.

I’m planning on leaving on the trip around August, so that would give me roughly three months to collect myself together. So what should I actually do with those three months—besides maybe picking up some Spanish and learning to salsa without panicking? I don’t want this trip to be an escapism, like my trip to Asia may have been. I want it to be a break between two chapters that actually connect. Which means the next three months aren’t just about planning a getaway—they’re about making sure I’m happy to come back.

Designing a Simpler Operating System

One practical goal is changing my daily rhythm. Far too often I’m too drained after work, and spend my time with YouTube or Netflix. Basically staying up late for nothing. What if I were to go bed early, and work on my personal goals in the morning? I would be prioritizing my goals over work. If I’ve learned anything this quarter, it’s that my life and personal productivity has an input problem, not an output problem. I work a lot, and there’s no room for personal goals.

I’m going to actively limit my decision fatigue, by setting some default habits for myself. For example:

  • Walking every day
  • Eating similar meals every day
  • Writing every morning for 10 minutes

The idea is to build some mental automation. Making an exception should be conscious decision. So here I am again, repeating myself about building habits. But this time, it’s not about changing everything. It’s about making fewer decisions—and letting those few carry me further.

I don’t expect to solve my life in three months. But I do expect to show up for it. And that’s probably just fine.