Hi again.
This will likely not be that interesting of a read. I’m still learning what format I want for these posts for every iteration. I am sure the structure will evolve as I know more blog posts under my belt, and I have built up the consistency to do this regularly.
Until then, a good starting point is probably to tell you about what I’ve been up to since last time. Keep on reading to learn my rediscovered thoughts on alcohol, my future dream of creating stunning websites, and more.
Recent reflections on my alcohol consumption
The Introduction started last Monday, and we’re into the second of three weeks. It’s always just as fun to see how the LTH campus explodes in music, color, and connections and see all my friends after the summer break. I love to see all the new students try to learn each guild’s contemporary dance, hearing their stories and seeing them getting out of their comfort zone.
There is, however, a significant emphasis on alcohol, and while it may be hypocritical of me to try and distance myself from that culture, I have become a lot more self-aware these past months. I no longer feel that alcohol serves that great a purpose: the negatives weigh me more than the positives.
I also suspect that I used drinking before as a way not to be authentic and to try and fit in with my surroundings, something I guess many of my peers are still doing to fit in with my surroundings. I had never asked myself why I drink or see it as a “necessity” in social gatherings, but to each their own, I guess.
All I know is that I haven’t been this excited for my future and what’s to come since before I started at LTH, and a fundamental part of that feeling of optimism is that I found a way to be more systematic in my reflections. I got to borrow The Bullet Journal Method from a friend over a year ago, but at the end of July, I gave it a genuine shot. And I am blown away by how much of a difference it has made in my daily life.
If you haven’t heard of it before, I can describe it by giving everyday journal entries a structured approach. Ideas such as the index to find where you wrote what, the monthly reflection (my first proper one I’ve got scheduled later this week), where you go through all your notes from the previous month and find patterns in your thinking or all of the hundreds of different collections that people have developed to suit whatever need they have in their current life. A lot of it is pretty obvious: you realize that you have a problem, for example, being unable to find where in your notebook you wrote down your thoughts on your recent vacation, and you solve it by adding an index.
One bullet journal is unlike the other, meaning anyone can take the ideas presented in the book and apply them to their specific situation in life. Since all you have to work with is a blank page and a pen, you limit the number of options that I have lost myself in time and time again, trying a new app or program that I’m convinced “will solve all of my problems!” (warning: Notion takes time, effort and energy to learn 😮💨). It’s versatile, meaning that adjusting as your life changes and new responsibilities or dreams arise is easy. It’s forgiving since if you “mess up” in any way, you can turn the page and start fresh.
I love how versatile, barebone and simplistic the method gives me a systematic way of organizing my thoughts and feelings, figuring out a direction I want to head in, and breaking the path to get there in manageable steps. For anyone reading this who feels that they are overwhelmed, don’t have enough time in the day, and are just “going through the motions,” I highly recommend it. The method will probably not work for anyone, but there’s an elegance in just having pen and paper to get the first draft of my thoughts out of my head and onto paper. Once they’re there, it is much easier to analyze it objectively.
Web design tendencies
On another note, I like including a personal lesson I’ve learned. So, on that note, I’ll include a reflection on my tendency and share a goal that I have going forward.
I have been fascinated with websites that go above and beyond regarding UI and UX for several years. The combination of code, design, and how to organize information in an actionable way: the whole discipline has intrigued me for quite some time, but I haven’t gotten around to making it a priority (read: procrastinating).
That is one of the several reasons why starting a blog is a great starting point for me. Not only do I overcome my fear of putting myself out there, but it simultaneously forces me to learn more about web design, which I am genuinely curious about.
And with that, a tendency that I’ve had for the longest time made a new appearance. Basically, instead of keeping the process simple and using a web builder tool that I already have some experience with (Squarespace), I thought, “Wel, my end goal is to be able to create stunning visuals and be able to tweak and adjust any element imaginable of a web page, so Webflow is the obvious choice for me! Sure, the learning curve is a lot steeper, and I’m already familiar with Squarespace, but further down the road, it will limit my capability, and I’ll be forced to learn Webflow anyway.”
I wouldn’t say I like making things easy for myself. I’m convinced that there’s an underlying desire for perfectionism that guided that choice as well, and looking back at the decision, I’m not too sure that it was the right call. But there are several upsides to Webflow, in my case, beyond the steeper learning curve:
I’m coming up to spend over an hour writing this out, so I think I’ll stop there. This is fun; let’s do it again next week!
Till next time,
Martin