Last year I came across the concept of writing a personal list of 100 dreams you would like to achieve in your lifetime. Being a list writer, I loved this idea. The list isn’t meant to be full of only huge, audacious things like travelling to far off places, but can include anything that would be a meaningful achievement to you.
It is amazing how hard this activity was to do. The first 30 or so were easy to write, but it really took some thought and time to come up with 100. I can see the point of making yourself go to 100 though. Once you have passed 50 you have knocked off all the places you want to travel, people you want to see and adventures you want to take. Then you start thinking more deeply about what brings you joy and what you can do to bring joy to others.
It was at this point I listed things like:
- make my own sour dough
- learn how to sketch notes
- learn more about the culture of the indigenous people of this nation
- read Crime and Punishment
- take our kids to the town where my dad grew up
So for my habit this year of allocating at least two hours a week to learn something new, I went through the list to see if there were activities that I could choose from this list. At this time I also came across a free sour dough making workshop at Brunswick Library, so decided that would be my project for February. I went along with two of my best friends to learn the basics and take home some sour dough starter.
What I love about making sour dough is it really is part of the original slow food movement. It takes time to make the starter, it takes time to let it proof and it takes time to let it rise.
And there is definitely an art to it! Having made numerous loaves during February I am yet to truly nail one, but I love the challenge and the process of making the bread Here are some photos of my sour dough bread making journey to date!
The workshop we attended was such great value – thanks to the Brunswick Library for putting on such a great free session.
Rookie error not to put a tray underneath my jars of sour dough starter and after a particularly hot summer’s night I woke up to the starter making its way down my kitchen cupboards.
These were my first loaves. The dough was super runny and hard to shape, but I managed to get some rise out it. It was far from a good loaf of sour dough, but it did still taste good and even the younger kids liked it.
After a few more loaves, I was soon working out that I needed to take into account more than just the starter, water and flour. Temperature plays a part in the formula too.
I am still working on getting better at baking sour dough, but happy to have ticked off an item on my 100 dreams list!
My monthly review for February
| Habit | Connection to goal - Nurture new routines to re-energise, re-invigorate and create personal growth. | Poem quote | February review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establish a new work routine | I have been working from home for the last 10 years and the last couple I have had less connection with others. In 2019 I want to change the way I work to re-energise the way I feel about work. | “Don't let your life goals fall victim to the allure of comfortable routines.” ~ Zero Dean | I am doing something with my work days referred to as theming. What this means is that for example I am allocating Mondays for content writing, Thursdays is for social media etc. There is of course some other activities that occur on those days, but the bulk of my workday (80%) is spent on that key activity. So far I am really liking this was of working. It takes quite a bit of the thinking out of what I am to do and is giving a nice rhythm to my week. |
| Establish a new morning routine | I have had the same morning routine for about the last 5 years. It has served me well, but with the changes in ages of the kids there is now greater flexibility and it is time, I tried some new routines to re-invigorate the start to my day. | “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ~ John C. Maxwell | In February I changed my morning exercise routine and am now attending a running group twice a week which I am loving. |
| Dedicate two hours a week to learning something new | I read, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, but I haven't taken the time to really learn something new for some time. This habit may change a little along the way, but the aim is that I learn something that helps me grow or gives me a new skill. | "Change is the end result of all true learning." ~Leo Buscaglia | February was all about sour dough. I have had on my wish list for many years that I would like to learn to make sour dough and I did it. You can read more above 🙂 |
| Create a bimonthly non fiction book club | Starting a book club has been on my list of things to do for years and by making it non fiction, it will support my goal for personal growth. Yes I could read the books on my own, but I always get so much more out of a book if I know I have to discuss it with others. | “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss | The first meeting for the book club will be at the end of March. We are reading the book which I reviewed recently on the blog The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff |