A few favorites to keep myself busy and learning
With some extra time on my hands, I’ve had to keep busy. I would be out riding my bike, but Texas weather is brutal. I do as well in extreme heat about as good as a Dairy Queen ice cream cone. So, to stay out of the summer heat, here are a few things that kept me occupied while staying stuck inside the house: books, videogames, and YouTube. See below for my top choices for each section.
Books:
Funny enough, it took me two years after grad school to even go near a library. Grad school = reading. End of story. However, I got over that hurdle and usually have a library book at home at all times. With the extra free time on my hands, I needed to keep busy and reading became a daily escape/point of inspiration. Here a few books that stood out amongst the rest:
Without a Job, Who Am I?: Rebuilding Your Self When You’ve Lost Your Job, Home, or Life Savings by: Twerski
When I first got laid off from my former position, I had no clue with what to do with all this free time. So, I went to the library. Not looking for anything in particular, I found this book while browsing the isles. I guess my brain knew what it needed. This book was a wonderful companion during my first few weeks of forced vacation. For me, it really helped to work through the feelings of who am I when I am not doing anything. And, it helped me realize that I am me based on my hobbies and interests, not where my paycheck comes from. All in all, I highly recommend this book.
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by: Kondo
After going through my own decluttering journey…almost done now, I never read Kondo’s first book. I watched several YouTube decluttering videos and got the gist of how to get through all the junk I had. About a year later and several car fulls of just stuff, I decided to see what the fuss about Kondo’s books were all about.
So, Spark Joy is the second Kondo book. It’s helpful. With the free time I had, (while reading/after reading the book) it was really easy to spot the not’s in my home. Spending the majority of my days at home, I got an opportunity to really stare down the remaining junk I still had. And, the book provided the skills to donate or recycle even more stuff. At this point, I may have to go back and KonMari my donation receipts.
The Small Big: Small Changes That Spark Big Influence by: Martin, Goldstein, and Cialdini
About half way through the book, I realized that just about every chapter was incredibly short. In hindsight, the short chapters were super clever. Small chapters with big ideas on how to make small changes grow into big changes in perception and influence. The chapters were a perfect metaphor. Brilliant.
The biggest influence I gleaned from this book was that I didn’t have to beat myself for not finding my next position right away. Instead, I should focus on making small changes in my life instead: getting up and out of pjs every morning, spending time to read and get inspired, updating my resume, and change how I search for new job opportunities. Overall, this book was a nice mindset reset and a good reminder that there is no use in making your goal to run a mile if you run it in the wrong direction.
Videogames:
Most of the books I’ve read were non-fiction, lots of knowledge but little creativity. In order to keep my brain from getting bored, I played videogames.
Pokemon: Ultra Moon
Pokemon Sun/Moon came out a while back. Pokemon Sun was the first new DS game I bought myself in a long time. I played through Pokemon Sun twice, not consecutively. It’s just a fun game for someone who grew up playing Pokemon, collecting the cards, and watching Ash, Misty, and Brock foil Team Rocket’s plans every TV episode.
Then, Ultra Sun/Moon came out. A number of reviews and Reddit commenters stated that the Ultra titles were more complete games. I agree. I also agree that it would be better to bypass Pokemon Sun/Moon and just play Pokemon Ultra Sun/Moon, because the story is more fleshed out and just feels more completed.
Final Fantasy IX (FF9)
Now, I’ve watched my fiance play through Final Fantasy 12 and 15. I love me some chocobros in FF15. But, I never played a Final Fantasy game for myself.
Final Fantasy 9 is my fiance’s favorite in the series. He purchased the remaster for the PlayStation 4 and pretty much said, here, you have some time right now, play this. At first I was lost and confused. I never used a combat system similar to FF9 before. There is no voice acting, only text bubbles. So, after a steep learning curve, I got into the game.
For the time when the game came out and even now, the game plays like an interactive story. There is fabulous character development. The pacing is spot on with the right amount of action and breaks for storytelling.
YouTube:
Here are a few of my favorite channels:
Muchelle B – nice, soothing content, and is one of the channels that jump-started my decluttering journey. This channel focuses on ways to live more mindfully and intentionally.
Abroad in Japan – as an otaku, I love watching how it’s like to live in Japan. One day, one day I will make my way over there. This snarky but lovable Brit makes me feel a bit more prepared for whenever that vacation happens.
Jim Sterling – some of the most honest review and discussion about videogames and videogame culture. Yes, this channel is rather eccentric but the content and commentary is solid.
LA Beast – years and years of laughter and gross out moments. Need a good laugh, I recommend this video.
Rowena Tsai – quirky but relatable. This channel focuses on creating the right mindset and environment to be more awesome. I recommend this playlist on self care.