Did you also start the year in good spirits? I suspect that people make just as many good resolutions at the start of the academic year as they do in January. Are you going to really start working in an organised manner this year, start with exam preparations well on time, have you set a coffee break tax, are you going to exercise more regularly and do you want to be in bed before midnight every day? Relatable. I’m also really, really going to answer emails quicker, won’t procrastinate on difficult tasks, go to bed on time (ah, we’ve got that one in common) and won’t sit still at my desk for more than an hour. Or an hour and a half. Unless I’m really in the flow, then perhaps a little longer is acceptable. Right? From now on, I’ll also start working on this column well in advance – I’m writing this with a somewhat generous interpretation of the deadline.
You can only make good resolutions if you believe you are capable of change. And it requires you to take a critical look at your own behaviour and that you want to change it. If you recognise yourself in the first paragraph, let’s pat each other on the back. We acknowledge that we don’t function perfectly and we’re optimistic about our ability to change, hurrah!
But about that ability to change. In the previous column An overwhelming world - All well and good!, stoics claimed that you can influence your behaviour, your mood, your attitude, your work ethic. I understand that perfectly well in theory. But, let’s be honest, it’s much more difficult in practice.
For instance, I’ve not been able to have a realistic attitude towards my summer holidays for more than twenty years. And I really try to be conscious of it. Time and time again. Let me show you. This is what goes on inside my mind:
Yes! Holidays! For such a long time! Now I can:
- Recover from all the hard work and do absolutely nothing for weeks.
- Finish those twelve books I started reading and have been waiting for months to be picked up.
- Read that new book that I bought for this holiday. Yes, I can hear you thinking. There are more than one.
- Finally meet up with friends and family.
- Study that Beethoven piece.
- Then I can also just play piano each day.
- Cook elaborate meals.
- Exercise regularly.
- Clean my house thoroughly.
- Tidy up! Clothes, books, the kitchen, shoes – sort through everything.
- Go to IKEA to get some handy storage solutions.
- First measure all the cupboards and rooms in the house so I know what to thrw in my trolley at IKEA.
- Go on holiday. Preferably for as long as possible.
- Tackle some tasks that I hadn’t managed to get to, but which really need to be done before the start of the academic year.
- Repot my plants.
- Help my father clean the garage and harvest something from his vegetable garden each week.
- Sweep under my balcony tiles, as I promised the landlord.
- Start a new hobby.
- Pick up an old hobby.
- Write a children’s book or illustrate a picture book.
- Go sailing with my partner. And walking. Eating cakes. Dancing in the room with music blaring from the speakers.
- Send cards to friends who could use a pick-me-up.
- Relax and do absolutely nothing.
How do I think all this can happen in a few weeks? Why do I live, every year again, in the delusion that the summer holidays are endless: a fantastic, timeless, magical world without boundaries? All the ideas, good inspirations, fun plans, necessary chores that popped up during the year and were then put on hold by me are now pressing and ready to be carried out. But how? I actually want to relax and do Absolutely Nothing!
Well, maybe this is true for you as well. I think the good news is that we’ll never be bored. I also believe that we should lower our expectations a little next year and maybe choose a few things that we really want to do. You can see that the list above is absolute madness. And those were only the things that I can think of off the top of my head. There was much more.
I came to this conclusion because of the good resolutions for the new academic year. Let’s move forward with fresh optimism, enjoying the moments you’re having fun in your work and relaxing regularly and on time. Let me now, here, make the good resolution to go outside every working day. Fresh air, sunlight and kind people around the Erasmus building can only make the rest of the day better.
Tips:
- Start on time with essays and assignments. It’s not pleasant to be under so much time pressure that you don’t have the time to proofread your work for mistakes or poor wording. That’s where I am right now.
- The Honey Bones album by Dope Lemon. The concert in Paradiso this past Monday was amazing and I want you to experience the relaxed vibes.
- Bake an apple pie. Ask your family for a family recipe (and send it to me, if you may!) or keep it super simple with a roll of puff pastry: fold the edges 1 cm inwards on all sides, top with two sliced apples, sprinkle two tablespoons of sugar on top and (optional) a pinch of cinnamon. Pop it in a preheated oven at 210 degrees (190 fan oven). If you ask me, powdered sugar, crème fraiche, vanilla custard or ice cream are also great to add.
