Tag: dailyprompt

What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

~ Veselin ~ Leave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?
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My goal is to sleep between 00:00 and 07:00. 7 hours of sleep per day keeps the doctor away.

  • I read before bed. Not always the planned 2h but even 30 minutes can make me sleepy
  • I believe that if something isn’t important enough to do first thing in the morning, then it’s not important enough to do last thing in the evening. This belief eliminated doom-scrolling from my evening routine
  • I drink decaf and keep the Coke Zero under 330ml/day
  • I don’t watch TV

Overall, this works for now. I feel it’s getting harder to sleep long hours with age.

What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?

~ Veselin ~ 6 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?
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  • Minimalism – my wife is a minimalist and I enjoy the simplicity of that concept, particularly about clothes, electronics, and furniture. I also apply it to books and only keep the ones I love.
  • Sleep – if something is not important enough to be done first thing in the morning, it’s not worth doing last thing in the evening. This helps me go to bed sooner.
  • Reading – I try to read for about 2 hours per day. ~~10pm to ~~midnight is reading time. Helps me sleep better.
  • Walking – my goal is 10k per day and I do that for cardio fitness and meditation. 2 hours of walking per day requires sacrifices but then I found hacks – if a 30-minute drive can be replaced by a 1h walk, that’s half of my daily walking at the expense of 30 minutes. So I walk to places that people would normally drive to. Also, playing football with my kids counts as walking and family time.
  • Calendar – if a task is important enough, I put it on the calendar, personal or professional. This forces me to complete important tasks better than a to-do list. Less important and not-time-sensitive tasks still don’t go to the calendar.
  • Blogging – I try to blog daily and participate in the community.
  • I drink sugar-free sodas and eat chocolate. I can probably do better here but it increases the present-day comfort at the expense of my future self.

What’s your definition of romantic?

~ Veselin ~ 5 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s your definition of romantic?

Do more chores than necessary and appreciate every kind gesture. Remember birthdays and family holidays. Pay attention and listen. Cheesecake.

Nice writing prompt! Thanks for asking, Mr. Cronjob 🙂

Describe your most memorable vacation

~ Veselin ~ 13 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Describe your most memorable vacation.

It has to be my trip to Alaska, which took place in 2004 or 2005, when Bulgaria was not yet a member of the EU, and our passport strength was quite limited. At that time, I had never visited another country, and out of all the places in the world, I traveled to the USA, and from all the places in the USA – to Anchorage and Fairbanks. The trip was memorable enough that a photo from it remained a header of my previous blog for about a decade.

It had to be Alaska because my girlfriend went there for a work-and-travel trip and I missed her, so we had a vacation at the end of her work duties.

Things that made it memorable:

  • First visa, with the interview process and all the uncertainties around it
  • First airplane ride. I was dressed like for climbing the Himalayas because someone told me it would be cold on the airplane. It wasn’t. I probably smelled like a skunk
  • Excessive security checks. I was checked far too many times for a trip perhaps because of my Himalayan look. Have you ever seen anyone be checked at the gate past security? I was.
  • One of the legs got delayed for 12+ hours
  • Someone with the same last name told Delta they were me, got my ticket on the way back, and managed to change it to another location. This resulted in me flying first class (and sleeping all the time)
  • Saw glaciers, big mountains, big lakes, big cars, big plates with lots of food, and all you can eat buffet
  • Saw many drunks and experienced a culture of alcohol and weed

All of that doesn’t sound too exciting now that I’m older but it was a great adventure for my younger self. Basic things like airplanes, car rentals, motels, and diners felt like magic.

Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

~ Veselin ~ 4 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

Here’s a rough list of things I would tag with “sustainability”

  • I try to walk 10k/day on average. It improves my mental health for a whole lot of reasons. I barely use the car so it reduces my family’s carbon footprint
  • Eat less meat. I’ve tried vegetarian but it doesn’t work for me. Less meat is still better than other options
  • I read from about 10pm to when I get sleepy. Once I get sleepy, I go to bed. In case I can’t sleep, I read more
  • I have an 8pm limit on work, even if I want to do overtime, I try not to exceed 8pm. Remote work comes with risks, one risk is blurring the line between personal and professional, and putting a strain on family
  • We adopted a liberal minimalism at home. I wouldn’t buy clothes if I don’t need them, or if I don’t have empty space in my 2 drawers. I still buy paper books though, shame on me.