Hello again! I am -again- really surprised to see that building a habit is hard. Writing consistently for your blog is hard. And it’s no surprise that I write again on this blog after New Year’s 😅 And, to be honest, I am not ashamed. I have a busy life and I try my best to do what matters to me (like writing a blog). And beginning a new year brings out the energy in me, like most people. So I decided to get the best of this energy.

I know that I may still struggle with consistency, maybe in a week or a month, but it still feels good to at least try. And I’m sure my readers also have lots of plans for this year that will make them happy. And they might be anxious like me because they are scared that they won’t follow through. Or they are scared because of the fear of failure.

Eisenhower Matrix

This is a popular method I learned a few months ago, and I use it from time to time when I have too much at hand. You divide the tasks into 4 groups:

– Important and Urgent

– Important but Not Urgent

– Not Important but Urgent

– Not Important and Not Urgent.

It gives you an idea of how to plan your time. For example, when I have too many tasks, now I start with the ones that are both urgent and important. But before I used this matrix, I realized that I was doing tasks that were urgent but not important because they were easier to do than both urgent and important ones. Having this matrix in my mind helped me to manage my time and overcome burnout. (Note: Importance is a subjective concept, and I think it is much more helpful for your well-being to tag tasks “important” according to how much they give you meaning and joy.)

Journaling Prompts

I cannot emphasize this enough, but journaling really made me a happy person. It helped me to actually get to know myself more, and you know what they say, know yourself. It’s the first step to search for meaning in this life. You have to know yourself before getting to know others or the world. And I wanted to share my favorite journal prompts for starting a new year. I hope you like it.

Journal Prompt #1

What fills me up and makes my life more meaningful?

Journal Prompt #2

2023 was the year that I…

Journal Prompt #3

In 2024, I want to create more of …

Audiobooks

I know that reading more books is a New Year’s resolution for many. I’ve decided to read more this year as well. I do have a former blog post about how to read more. I must admit that even though the tips I shared worked for me, I still didn’t read as much.

So, this year, I decided to give a shot at audiobooks. I was very skeptical about them, because what is the meaning of listening to a book, doesn’t it take the whole point of reading more? But, as I listened to my first audiobook, I realized that it was very different from listening to a podcast because you needed to give your whole attention to the audiobook to really enter your imagination. And when you do that, you are incredibly mindful of now and actively engaging with your imagination.

I really had fun because not only I was enjoying the book but also I was being mindful of the moment. Soon, I realized that it was way easier to listen to an audiobook than to read one while on public transportation or while walking in a park. And with these advantages, I listened to 2 books in 1 week which was surprising since last year I only read one book in a month.

I am not saying that I completely choose listening over reading. I still read before bed and enjoy it, but I’ll definitely listen to audiobooks during the day, and I highly recommend audiobooks to people who want to read more this year. (Especially busy people who are out of home most of the day)

I hope you enjoyed this week’s curation. I really hope you have an amazing week!

Ceren