With the rain bashing the window overlooking the garden, the holiday slowly nearing its end and a new year starting, it is time to make plans for the next year.
The last half of 2024 I started to make up my mind about how I want to spend my time.
My problem has always been that I feel that there isn’t enough time to spend on all my interests, dreams and wishes. Starting with playing chess as a young man, to painting landscapes for many years and writing whenever I am in the mood throughout my life, I build up an interest in many things. I can easily name 10 things more I would like to do.
But in the last 10 years, this probably meant that I didn’t really choose the one thing I wanted to concentrate on. And with my attention being spread out throughout the week, my personal space being filled with stuff from this or that interest, and having a job and family, this actually meant that I sometimes can feel lost in time. Both time on the clock and times long gone.
The plan that has been taking shape for the last 6 months is very simple: Just concentrate on what I am doing now and clean up the rest. Because no matter what I tried, I always went birding, looking for insects or checking birding apps or sites anyway. So I might as well give in: I will concentrate on Birding and nature around me as THE thing I do besides family and work. And I will try my best to do it as “Deep Work”. That is, as Ali Abdaal explains the key points of Carl Newport’s concept. Deep work is focused work where you don’t want to be disturbed. And that you can do for, at the most, 4 hours.
As Carl Newport puts it:
“the act of focusing without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.”
Deep work also means chasing the goals that are most meaningful. Work that brings us closer to our goal.
In my case, I find that I am at my best, and that I have an opportunity to concentrate on Birding and nature, in the mornings. Some days I even might have 4 hours for that.
And -on a sidenote – I actually think I need time spent on nature to mentally function well in the other parts of life.
So, there you are. My intentions for 2025 and some Todo’s for Deep work Birding and Nature:
- Create a deep work environment and aim for the best in 4 hours.
- Time block my mornings in my Calendar (no deep work on weekends and during holidays).
- Have a plan ready at the start of my day (as not to lose time planning and doubting).
- Clean up my working space and only allow things related to Nature.
- Organise my computer.
- Write on my blog to document outcome and track progress.