Blogging in 2015: Mindfulness, Technology and Org Culture

It’s amazing to look back at the things I’d written at the start of the year and to reflect on what I have and haven’t done. I remember that, at that time, I had a flurry of passion and desire to get back into blogging and renew the act of noting and sharing my thinking. It helps me enormously to do this and to gain clarity and insight into my own thoughts and those of others.

As it happens, 2015 has not been the year that I continued blogging! I dropped off the wagon in mid-January, not having posted since. I think a mixture of work kicking up a notch and me realizing that I would prefer to prioritize spending quality time with my family were the reasons that it suffered. I remember it being quite a conscious decision back then.

I can often be bold in suggesting the things I’ll do but often not as diligent in following through. I guess that’s just me. I’m pleased to say that two of my other goals/resolutions for the year are things I’ve managed to incorporate into my life. I wake early every day now, shaken from sleep by Edith waking up and wanting to get on with her day. I also journal often. Whilst not every day, it’s been a really great practice for me in a lot of ways and one I’m proud to have made progress on.

There’s also something else here about the difference between a practice and a goal. Earlier this year, I also set a goal to run a 10km trail run each quarter of the year. At the time, I had managed to consistently go for a couple of runs a week. Importantly, I was enjoying running. I found it freeing and liberating. So, I set myself the goal of running a 10km trail run, expecting it to continue liberating me.

No sooner had I signed up, than my joy for running disappeared. For some reason, the idea of running the 10km organized run shifted my focus. Whereas previously I would run without any digital devices, I now started using Strava to track the details of my runs, to ensure I was training well. I put pressure on myself to run more; at least 3 times a week, and longer.

All told, my seemingly exciting and harmless goal crippled my nascent practice of running for freedom and enjoyment. That was a big lesson for me and something I wouldn’t have picked up on without the astute feedback and compassion shared by Melina Chan after discussing it with her. Now, when I think about the things I’m doing, I try to think about the joy of the practice and how I can enhance that rather than a goal I can try and foist my desires into.

So, onwards into the second half of 2015.