💫 Productivity, Procrastination and Perfectionism

1 Year Newsletter Anniversary + 100 Posts Written 🎉

I recently adjusted my newsletter schedule a few months back to give myself more free time. As a result, my Friday posts have no longer been weekly. This means that if I have a busy week, I can choose not to write. This Friday was one of the ones I was choosing to skip. However, I’ve decided to sit down, write, and send it out.

My goal for Friday posts is to provide slightly more informative content compared to my weekly recaps. However, this intention often leads me to engage in additional research and cross-referencing before publishing. Consequently, I find myself with drafted ideas and posts lingering for weeks or even months¹. Essentially, my perfectionism kicks in every time I sit down to write something.

🗯️ A Little Venting Session

Regarding this current letter, there are a few reasons I had to justify not writing and sending it:

1. Computer Troubles²: Unfortunately, my computer decided to throw in the towel as soon as I returned from my week-long trip. I spent many hours since I got back attempting to troubleshoot and update it, but the progress has been painfully slow, and my computer is still unresponsive. I reluctantly gave up on Wednesday, when it took 3 hours for my lock screen to show up and allow me to enter my password. I was left with a black screen after it took an hour to process my password.

2. Dependency on PC: I do, or should I say, I did everything on my PC. My phone screen time has never been high because my PC has been my go-to for all of my tech needs. Tasks like creating cover images for my posts using Photoshop, and the convenience of multitasking while immersing myself in content for learning my target languages, have become challenging.

3. Lack of Energy: After a day at work, I often find myself drained of energy, making it challenging to use my free time efficiently for language learning. While my usual routine involves working on my Friday letters throughout the week, lately, I've been spending Friday evenings editing and finalizing them, just like today. By the time I’ve wrapped up the editing process, several hours have flown by, leaving me mentally exhausted and unable to focus on my language study.

4. Lack of Sunlight: The early darkness that sets in during the winter season doesn't help either. Being a morning person who thrives on early starts and sunshine, I naturally gravitate towards sleeping and waking up early. I once heard that staying up late can be a sign of procrastination (a phenomenon known as Revenge Bedtime Procrastination). It didn't make sense to me until I found myself resisting bedtime because I felt I didn’t have enough personal time during the day.

Lou

‘s post “6 steps to beat the winter blues today” came at the perfect time to help me procrastinate a bit less this season.

🌞 Today Was Different

I made a decision the night before to set my alarm for 5:45 am to get an early start at work to tackle my admin tasks with focused energy. However, when morning came, I found myself awake at 5 am. Knowing I hadn't slept enough, I attempted to catch an extra 30 minutes of rest.

At 5:30 am, I officially rose from bed and kicked off my day by immersing myself in a French YouTube video while getting ready. Over breakfast, I took the opportunity to journal in French, and during my commute to work, I spent a few minutes doing vocab reviews.

Surprisingly, before even reaching my work, I had already logged an hour of French language practice without consciously realizing it. Typically, I don't engage in language learning activities before work due to feeling constrained. I focus just on getting ready and leaving on time.

Today, I found myself surprisingly energized, having already invested time in something for myself before my workday started. Now, after work, I feel motivated to do even more. Hence, I'm writing this letter instead of convincing myself that I lack the time or energy.

I began drafting this letter during my commute home and am currently using a computer that isn't mine. It's slow and laggy but it works unlike my PC. Luckily, I can use my keyboard, making the typing experience feel a bit more familiar.

✔️ Perfectionism

My perfectionism is still around, just like the uncertainty I felt when I wrote and shared a list of reminders to language learners. I’m worried that this letter might be pointless or not all that interesting.

But hey, I'm working on not letting the small stuff get to me and procrastinating less on the things that truly matter to me.

Is it annoying that my computer stopped working and now I can’t work in the ways I used to? Yes.

Is it annoying that I can’t be creative in the ways that involve using Photoshop and other editing programs? Yes. 

Might this letter be pointless and uninteresting to someone? Yes.

Still, am I glad I sat down and wrote it? Yes.

🥳 1 Year Anniversary

It's been a whole year of writing this newsletter, and it just hit me—I've shared over 100 posts! This post is the 101st.

Whether you've been on this journey from the beginning or you're just hopping on board, thanks for sticking around or joining in.

While my newsletter primarily focuses on language learning, I've come to realize that it has reignited my passion for writing and tapping into my creativity. Thanks for being a part of this creative adventure!

1. I currently have 20 in my Substack drafts and over a dozen more in my task manager app

2. If you have any computer recommendations that can handle video editing and gaming, let me know! I may even build my own if I can decide on which parts to get.