When I set my habit of dedicating two hours a week to learn something new to support my goal for this year, I wondered whether it might make learning feel like a drag, make it feel like it was something that I had to do.
I am happy to report that is has not! What it did do was keep me accountable to make sure I was looking outside my work and learn more about things that interest me.
Last month I started delving more into the wonderful world of herbs for health. A massive shout out to local libraries here. While of course I think the internet is fab and I am sure the info I have read recently in books is online somewhere, I have loved being able to read this information in books.
I have been taking notes on particular herbs from various books and pulling it together in one place (they are currently hand written notes too). I find this type of study quite relaxing compared to the feeling I get from studying online. I often feel quite overwhelmed by the volume of information at my finger tips and find it much easier to get distracted or wander off on tangents.
I have also been checking our herbal based podcasts – I love how there are pretty much podcasts available on any topic you are interested in. I find podcasts super useful on my work commutes.
I am really loving learning about herbs for health and the moment, enjoying following my energy with this and seeing where it takes me. This isn’t something I thought would happen when I set this habit, so it has been a pleasant surprise.
Have you been learning about something recently?
July monthly review
| Habit | Connection to goal - Nurture new routines to re-energise, re-invigorate and create personal growth. | Poem quote | July 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 | My home day work routine is in theory set, but it is the first thing that goes when additional load comes into my week. Wednesday is meant to be my content creation day, but some weeks, I have dropped this completely to focus on home tasks and kid organisation. I am expecting August will be a "just get by" month with work in this regard as I have significant time away from the home on three weekends. Without time on the weekends to get organised for the week and do extra housework, it is tough to keep on top of things. I am going into August knowing that it will be a maintenance month - I will do what I can and not take on anything extra. |
| 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 | I feel like I have really hit my stride with my new morning routine. As a consequence of my morning routine changing, my evening routine has changed too. So much of the success of a morning routine depends on the night before! My routine is not the same each day and I wondered how I would go with that. It takes a little longer to set habits when they are less regular but they can be done. Monday morning is the most different from my other days and it has definitely taking longer for it to get to the point where I just move from one thing to the next without really thinking about it, but I feel I am almost there. |
| 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 | As noted above, I am a learning all about herbs for health at the moment and loving it! |
| 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 | Our next book is Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life which I am really looking forward to reading. (Affiliate link.) |