17 | 📝 Making up for lost time (half year goals)

Hi everyone,

July has absolutely flown by which means we are well and truly into the 2nd half of 2021. This scares the shit out of me. Time really is flying - so, to push off the existential threat of regretting wasted time, I'm going to figure out how to make the most of the rest of this crazy year.

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As always - this email is a way for me to think out loud about ways to make life better. It's also a great way to distil the things I've read/watched/spoken with others about.

Something I've seen a lot of people talking about over the past month - one which feels like the busiest month in forever - is that now we're past the halfway point.

We have less than 6 months to achieve our 2021 goals.

I didn't set any goals for 2021. But I want to set 10 things I'd like to achieve within the next 5 months, so here we go. Mainly so that I know I am making the most of my short time on this planet.

And yes - they'll be SMART goals... ish. What are yours? What do you want to achieve by the end of this year?

1. Read 24 books in 2021 📚

I'm sort of on track - I currently have Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro (it's alright) and Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (incredible) on the go. If I finish these by the end of next week, I'll have read 12 books, leaving me with 12 more to read in the space of 4.5 months. Probably a bit of a stretch, but reading is absolutely the best way to unwind and learn so I'm going to push for the full 24. Any recommendations - let me know.

Side note - I do think it's important not to read books just for the sake of ticking them off. I've put down quite a few books this year already - Where the Crawdads Sing being one of them.

2. Run a 20 minute 5k, and a <1h45m half marathon (October) 🏃🏻‍♂️

I've learned to love running. And with that, my confidence has increased, meaning I can push myself harder and aim for harder goals.

I ran everyday in June and felt amazing by the end of it, especially as I ran my fastest 5k (21:05) and 10k (44:13) to date. A 20min 5K won't be easy for me but I know it's manageable. 1h45m half marathon? Let's see come October...

3. Work with MH therapist 💭

Counselling and therapy are available to anybody as part of the NHS. Talking about life, issues and anything in between is a brilliant, proven method to improve mental health.

It has been difficult to apply and go through the process, but I'm looking forward to getting started. I will also share my experiences, as I know I would find it helpful to have read other's.

4. 15% Body Fat % by 31/12/21 💪🏻

Currently my BF% is 20.5%. A 1% drop each month is very doable, providing my diet is good enough and I don't forget to exercise. 2/3 runs per week (incl. 5-a-side football) + 2/3 days resistance training. Easy.

5. 50 subscribers to my weekly email 📧

I want to share what I am learning with as many people as possible. Then, you share back what you know, creating a sort of feedback loop. Then we all get happier and smarter. 🙂

6. Make 16 more YouTube videos 📹

This works out at 1 per week from September - end of the year. It's easily doable, but my main obstacle at the moment is finding the time. Here's how I'll make more time:

• Batch things at the same time: write several videos at once, film several at once, edit several at once

• Identify the main evenings I'm always free - at the moment this looks like Monday, Tuesday, either Friday or Saturday

• Sacrifice a few nights out/social events - there's always more

• Work out what I waste most of my time on - getting up late (plenty of time to take advantage of before I start work), hangovers, procrastinating

7. Reduce my 'stuff' by at least 25% 🗑

I identify with minimalism but I can't quite say I am devoted just yet.

Reducing my belongings by 25% is quite a hard one to pin down, mainly because it's hard to envision all of my 'stuff' in one place. But here's the basics:

• I know that I don't wear or don't like 50% of the clothes and shoes I own

• I own a lot of books that take up room and don't serve a purpose

• I have lots of electrical rubbish - spare wires, old cameras etc

• Paperwork and documents - the essentials can be scanned and stored online, the rest can be recycled

• Be more considered with my purchases - higher quality, longer lasting, timeless (e.g. quality Oxford shirt vs Adidas's latest trainers. Supercourts are the 🐐 anyway)

8. Make something cool 🔨

After reading The Millionaire Fastlane - MJ DeMarco, it's clear to me now that to make money, you have to make things. But this is the hardest goal of the lot, because I haven't got a clue where to start.

Why make something?

You can get a pay rise, but ultimately there's only so many hours in the day, so you can only earn so much until your next pay rise. You can't work more hours to get more money (on a salary), and pay rises are few and far between.

Making things that provide value to other people, such as tools or information, have unlimited leverage because they aren’t limited by time. People can download or buy things whenever they want - the limiting factor is: How much value does it provide?

9. Become a morning person ⏰

How the hell does someone become a morning person? Any tips?

10. Watch the first season of The Wire 📺

This might seem daft, but it's been top of my list forever. But, for whatever reason, I have never got around to it! Which is crazy given it's meant to be the best show ever made.

And there we have it - I'll look back to this post to judge how successful the final 5 months of this year are. I haven't ever set out yearly/half yearly goals before, but I have found it a great way to reassess my priorities and the things that are important to me. Even watching The Wire.

We spend far too much time working, and then trying to dull our senses after work (drinking, watching too much TV etc). Having a good think can be really helpful. I'm figuring this out just like the rest of us. Hopefully this can inspire others to do the same 👍🏼

Thanks! 😎

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Share 🚶🏻 Weekly Wharmby

This Week’s Recommendation 🔝

Audiobook 🔈 - Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

I'm not even halfway through yet, and this book is turning out to be one of the best I've ever read. The Martian was/is the best book I've read to date by Andy Weir so it's great to see him follow up with another banger (ignoring Artemis).

What Have I Learned This Week: 🤔

"Shade" is a term used to signify the addition of black to a given hue to darken it. Whereas "tint" is used to signify any hue made lighter by adding white.

"Tones" are created by adding both white and grey to create ranges of color within the shades and tints. [source]

This Week I’m: ⬇️

• Reading 📚 - Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro (Kindle)

• Listening to 🎧 - Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (audiobook)

• Visiting ⚽️ - Wembley Stadium on Saturday to watch the mighty Man City in the Community Shield

• Thinking about ☀️ - Where the sun at?

• Looking forward to 🏃🏻‍♂️ - running the Ealing 10k on Saturday (followed by a MCFC @ Wembley)

This Week’s Quote 💬

This Week’s Video 📺

How to simplify your life - a good reminder that less is more (apart from sleep)

There we have it!

Looking forward to catching up next week.

In the meantime, find me on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and have a look at what I’m reading on Goodreads. Ciao!