Time to get up!

Arg. I hate the way I manage my time. I use it like it’s this unlimited source when, even in one day, it’s not; let alone across a whole life time.

I’m more than half way through my own life time without having put any practical effort in maximising my time management.

Sure, I can get myself to work every day -  not the same time every day - but I do get there. I get things done (mostly) at work but I could be better and more proactive and onto it. But that’s not where my angst is because that work time isn’t MY time. That time belongs to my employer and it really grinds my gears that I put effort into making my time at work a priority over my time management of home.

So in the time tested, always-starting mentality I have - let’s get my shit together and make the most of MY time after the 9-5 weekday stuff.

I was recently asked to define an ideal day for myself. The first thing I wrote down was “rise early”. I Quietly scoffed to myself because when, apart from an airport pickup have I ever, voluntarily, risen early. Yup - never. 

Well maybe once, but I had a nap afterwards. 

I simultaneously love getting up early (when I do it) and never get up early (all the rest of the time). I can even wake up at 5:30am on a Saturday, check my clock and say to myself “That’s awesome; I love waking up early.” and go back to sleep like I’ve accomplished my goal.

I really have a messed up couple of personalities.

So as I sit here after sleeping until 11am on a Sunday (stupid dark room) I am going to rise up against the worst of my own self, and get a plan that starts now - not Monday - NOW!

  1. eliminate procrastination by doing my chores: housework, laundry, grocery shopping - by the time I get to dinnertime, everything will be in as much order as the time has allowed (MVP)
  2. move: apart from the moving required for step one, I shall take the dog for a walk and get some fresh (so long as I don’t catch a whiff of her stickiness) air
  3. tidy up and prepare for bed from 8:30pm: stack the dishwasher, sweep the kitchen floor, straighten the couch cushions, brush my teeth, shower, and get ready to be in bed by 9:30am
  4. read a book in bed: sleepiness will arrive within 10-15 minutes of beginning to read so get a few pages done before then
  5. Lights out at 10pm

Part of me wanted to stop typing that list whining about it being Sunday but you know what? Screw Sunday - days are a human construct and while my time on this Earth is finite, the actual length is unknown so let’s get on with it!

What time do you rise on a weekday? Does it change in the weekend? 

Repairing Kindle keyboard screens

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I fell over and smashed some of my tech: Kindle included.

I've had my Kindle for a long time - it's one of the early keyboard ones - so thought it would be worth trying to fix it myself. 

New screens can be ordered on eBay. Be careful to order the correct screen; there are a number of different Kindles and eInk readers out there. I took my time to be sure I'd ordered the correct screen. It wasn't until it actually arrived that I was 100% sure I'd got it right.

I read the instructions and watched the video along with my dismantling of the Kindle. I kept track of my screws and washers. I also took careful note of some of the parts such as the earthing cable which had a fiddly way of fitting together.

It took about an hour and a half due to my inexperience and clumsy fingers. I had to back-track a couple of times when re-assembling the Kindle because I'd missed this thing or that. But in the end, after concentration and paying-attention-ness, my busted Kindle looks like a brand new one!

Kindle keyboard with new screen - broken screen on the right had a big crack  down the back of it.

Kindle keyboard with new screen - broken screen on the right had a big crack  down the back of it.

Highly recommend giving fixing your broken Kindle a go. I feel very proud of myself and have given my old tech a new lease on life.

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