I love the feeling of never being bored. When we lived in Toronto I had to really put a lot of effort into not being bored - and it rarely worked. Most of my "boredom time" was converted into something between escapism and disassociation.

There is a flip side - you know how the universe is with balance and green grass. Here on the homestead/hobby farm (similar to growing up back home) I'll never be bored again. The list of to-dos is not only endless but often feels overwhelming and mildly suffocating.

I may never be bored but I often find myself on the (or just past) the verge of burn out.

Unacceptable. We moved out here to enjoy life more, spend more time together - a better life. I can't participate in that if all my free time is spent either working or mindlessly exhausted - mentally and/or physically.

In the months we've lived here I feel caught, like I'm in a web being pulled in multiple directions by hungry spiders. Chores - as is their nature- always feel urgent. Whether its the everydays or the big projects. They always occupy a position of priority and there is problem with that and its that they never end. The "no-end-in-sight" stress of a never ending list of tasks leaves no time for other activities and wears my mind into exhaustion.

This is the first thing that needs to change. It seems silly at first to think that the best way to get to thrive is to stop prioritizing the tasks that feel the most urgent. Framing and context change perspective and I'm going into this with the most impactful lesson I learned from one of the most perspective changing books I've read recently - The Richest Man in Babylon. It's a simple lesson but takes discipline and effort in practice (and I find a little faith necessary at first). Pay yourself first - you will always spend all your money and if you wait to pay yourself, you'll have nothing left.

So I am going to apply this to my time. At the end of everyday, there will be no more time left. Not everything will get done no matter what, so why am I not prioritizing the things that bring me the most joy? That fill my soul? I have been experiencing this feeling lately, where my head feels like it's full of smoke and a mumbling chorus of ideas and thoughts. This is the result of not allowing space for creative expression for me, my head feels full and my soul feels empty. Sure I have been making lots of short videos but they are for the most part a form of documenting what I am already doing - I miss making long form content and I haven't been writing consistently. Truth be told - it feels like my guard is up and that prevents true expression.

The solution: for now - start small with a series of almost guaranteed wins. I will write a publish on the mumbler at least once every two weeks. Typically I write the first draft by hand and then allow myself one round of editing while I type it up - that way its not a rambling blabber but is also not over thought and in-authentic.

My hope is that my writing will bring me back towards a more creative centered life which I think will bring me more peace and less burn out.

The second side of the coin is the physical - I work as an operator so in the winter I'm basically consistently sitting in either a truck or a machine sometimes six or seven times a week. In the summer we work 4-10s which are long days especially with all the homestead-hobby farm chores and projects. Honestly - I find sitting all day exhausting and the days that are really labor intensive are also tiring since I'm not as used to it anymore.

Easy solution - I try to periodically engage in micro mobility sessions throughout the day to keep my body moving so it doesn't stiffen up. I definitely notice a big difference doing this - which is a great first step into building consistency and habit. The next step is to get back into consistent training. I was super consistent with my strength and mobility training for years before we moved here. Not so much since, We have decided to cut out the biggest hurdle - going to the gym - and will hopefully in the next few weeks have a home gym set up. To keep it simple and easy and to avoid burn out and falling off, I am going to train 15 - 20 minutes a day - that's it. Just enough to get moving and energize my body.

Once I am consistent in paying myself first, I'll be rich - I'll have more mental space and physical energy for the things that matter most - living a good life with the woman I love.