31-Days-of-Journaling on A Geek's Life

31 Days of Journaling, Day 31: Wrapping Up

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 11:15:40 +0000

It has been a fascinating month going through the Art of Manliness Jump-start your Journaling 31 Day Challenge. I suppose the key is in the challenge bit because for what it is worth it wasn’t the easiest of things to complete. A few themes came at me time and time again, mainly related to my relationships with people and how much (or how little) I ave allowed others into my deepest space. That (friends and brothers, mentors, my romantic relationship and a few others) is one of the key focus areas for the next year, which I have captioned The Year of Living Intentionally.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 30: Thankful For...

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 20:03:58 +0000

Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash

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For the Day 30 prompt. Thankful for:

Life: Given how many people I know who died during the course of the year, both young and old
S: Who chose to accept me, warts and all
T&M: Who continue to hold down the fort on the family front through what have sometimes been testing times.
Books: For the opportunity to slip into them away from the world
Friends: Who have stuck with me through the years
Work: Which in spite of a growing sense of dissatisfaction still pays the bills.
Travel: The chance to get away from it all from time to time.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 29: Something I am Proud Of

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 19:46:25 +0000

The prompt for Day 29 is to write about one thing that brings you great joy. Here goes.

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A few years ago I would have said that my job was the one thing that gave me great joy, seeing as I felt very strongly that I was contributing and saw my future being very much intertwined with corrosion and materials. For a variety of reasons, including the sense of coasting that I have struggled with over the past year, it is beginning to feel like something I just do, that pays the bills.Trying to suss out the underlying reasons and getting back to a place of excitement about my current role (or something else) is something I have to focus on resolving in the new year!!!

31 Days of Journaling, Day 28: Tools of The Manly Life

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 18:39:38 +0000

Day 28 of the Art of Manliness 31 Days of Journaling Challenge is to gather my tools for a better life. Here goes:

A Mentor: One of the clear gaps I have identified from the past year has been a tendency to isolate myself from people, both at work and in my personal life, one of the impacts of which has been a lack of oversight of my decisions. Mentors, in both my personal and professional lives, are a priority for me over the next year. Two people, EM and CG, come to mind as options for both domains. Engaging them with a view to seeing if this is something they’d like to help me out with is something I have added to my list of things to explore and conclude over the next year.
A Mastermind Group: The AoM folks boil down a Mastermind group into a collection of similar irons which sharpen each other. Through my interactions with my friends in the corrosion business, I’d like to think the intent of this tool is being met already. Carefully selecting a mentor with corrosion expertise who also help provide coverage of this need, I believe.
A Pocket notebook: My evolving journaling practice is loosely aligned to Austin Kleon’s (which is in turn inspired by David Sedaris’s).
Discipline: All of the above require me to get off my backside and develop/ implement a number of habits consistently. Discipline is what will ensure I keep at these till they deliver value in my life. Enough self.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 27: My Place

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 18:11:11 +0000

The folk at AoM identify eight factors which feed into an assessment of the suitability of where one is at the moment. Given Aberdeen and Byfleet are currently it for me, a table with the pros and cons of each location seemed like a logical place to start. Here goes:

[gdoc key=“https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IZdb5os_AQNEjVBwEAscnsPzq2u2uqcj11jiaMktMBQ/edit?usp=sharing”]

31 Days of Journaling, Day 24: Memento mori.

Sat, 24 Nov 2018 08:30:27 +0000

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

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Remember you will die…. Death puts everything into perspective, you can’t take anything away with you and once you’re dead you’re lost to everyone on this side of the divide. This begs the question of what I am living my life for, whose approval am I bending over backwards to please, against my principles. And perhaps most importantly, am I living my life in a way that makes sense in light of what I think is a non-physical reality on the other side?

31 Days of Journaling, Day 23: My Distractions

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 18:50:08 +0000

My distractions in no particular order:

My phone with what it drags in (Twitter, Instagram)
TV, particularly media consumption (Chicago PD, NCIS in all its guises and Chicago Med being a few of the things I burn hours watching)
My (paper) notebook, a source of distraction for all the times I rewrite my to do list and obsess over the perfect productivity system instead of just getting things done

To manage these I am trying to control access, by setting up my phone to automatically turn itself off at night and restart in the morning, only watching TV at weekends and not fussing over the quality of my to do list. One more on the watch list over the next few days/ weeks I guess…

31 Days of Journaling, Day 22: If I Won A (Small) Lottery

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 20:37:01 +0000

Playing football manager doesn’t count I suspect so I’ll have to go with the next thing which I am finding is playing around with data in Jupyter. This is something I am enjoying so much that I am seriously wondering if Corrosion & Materials remain a strong force in my future. Unfortunately I haven’t learned enough of the data science domain for it to be my main stay going forward, but if money were no object, that would be where I would go. That much is not uncertain.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 21: One small thing

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 17:32:45 +0000

Image Source: AskMen

A recurring theme on my yearly lists is to lose weight. Save for a big push in 2012/13 when I went from just under 100 kg to 82 kg, performance has been topsy-turvy. Things are decidedly far form ideal at the moment, seeing as I currently come in just under 94 kg at the moment. This all feeds the one small thing I want to focus on over the next few weeks, adding one push up a day to my morning routine. If all goes well, by the end of the year I should be up to 39 push ups each morning.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 20: On the past and Nostalgia

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 17:23:28 +0000

The Young and the Eager, for the Day 20 prompt

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The most recent time of my life I feel nostalgia for has to be my formative years in Eket, Nigeria. Hired fresh following a year of national service, with a starting salary that almost eclipsed my father’s; 30 plus years of teaching in a University notwithstanding. Prior to applying, interviewing and getting hired, getting into the software industry had been my realistic focus, driven by my interest and a sense that it was perhaps the most realistic option for me. The perception at the time was that to get a good job in Nigeria, one needed to be connected.; which I was not being from a minority ethnic group in a minority state.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 19: On Romance, A Reflection

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 19:10:44 +0000

For Day 19 of The Art of Manliness Journaling Prompts

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The one romantic relationship I am in is with S, my wife of just over a year. As highlighted in my response to the Day 5 prompt, it has hardly being the smoothest of relationships, not helped by living apart and both being very busy people.

The one area I’d like to improve is improving the quality of our relationship primarily from the perspective of making clear to her that she is the priority in my life and that every other thing including work and sustenance lies in second place. To achieve this my intention is to communicate better with her, making the effort to stay in touch on a daily basis regardless of what pressures work and life pose. Fingers crossed.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 14: Something Consumed

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 20:37:02 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_178” align=“alignnone” width=“2976”]

For Day 14

Currently on my reading list is David Leeming’s tell all biography of James Baldwin. Whilst it is a hefty read - and I have spent the most of the last month plodding through it between doing life and work - a few themes have stood out, including the influence of church, the civil rights movement and his struggle with his sexuality.

The more I read this, the clearer just how great an intellect he was is under scored in my mind. I’ll never read Go Tell It On The Mountain or Giovanni’s Room the same way again.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 13: On My Mind, A Brain Dump

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 18:50:19 +0000

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

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For Day 13 of the AoM 31 Days of Journaling Challenge; A Brain Dump using the GTD Trigger List.

Work Projects Started Not Completed
- DL Management Strategy
- OFC Transition
- CCMTs & CCMT Action Management
- UKCS TAR Work Programs
- T T-A Communication File Note
- Area Reviews
- S Area PW Failures RCFA
Work Projects That Need To Be Started
- CMS Year End Review
- T CCMT Preparation
- 2019 PoB Requirements for UKCS Projects
- 2018 Spend Reconciliation
- 2017/18 Appraisal
Personal Projects Started Not Completed
- archive.rustgeek.me relaunch
- News31 EoY Video Preparation
- News31 EoY Review for magazine
Personal Projects Yet To Start
- archive.rustgeek.me theme modifications
- 2019 objectives and planning
- Alicante Trip with S

31 Days of Journaling, Day 11: A Band of Brothers

Sun, 11 Nov 2018 10:14:40 +0000

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

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For Day 11, the question is “Do you have a gang of friends who push and support you? If not, how could you make some good friends?” As with all the questions so far which have related to friends, I’ll have to hold my hand up again and say this is an area where significant improvement is required. That being said, I have a number of acquaintances in this city with whom I could be better engaged. A number of them are in the same season of life as I am which bodes well I suspect for our being able to band together for mutual support. First things first then, I’ll look to schedule a catchup with a couple of the guys, particularly D and R.

31 Days Of Journaling, Day 10: The Hero's Journey

Sat, 10 Nov 2018 03:05:46 +0000

Photo by Brett Patzke on Unsplash

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The Hero’s Journey makes for interesting reading, showing how in 12 stages the boy becomes a man as he journeys through a life. Although based on myths, the underlying idea behind this framework is that these myths work because they represent how we understand how life happens to us. Vogler’s model, which the folk at AoM espouse, is an abridged version of the original in the Joseph Campbell book (The Hero with a Thousand Faces) and identifies 12 steps (from the Wikipedia page) as below:

31 Days Of Journaling, Day 9: My Day

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 11:47:37 +0000

Day 9: My Day

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Up at 4.42 AM and unable to go back to sleep. Meetings with senior leadership at work on my mind.
Played around with some CSS for some modifications I have been mulling over for this blog
Finally out of bed at 6.00 AM to start prepping for work.
Off to work at 7.00 AM, glad for some respite from what has been terrible weather. Relief ends up short lived because it opens up again half way through.
Arrive at work wet and cold at about 7.30 AM.
Arrival routine kicks in; cup of coffee, read and respond to emails, catch up quickly with office mates.
First hour spent reading up on latest version of slide deck for meeting, then attending final dry run
In between, I sort out delivery of equipment required for a mobilisation offshore in two weeks.
Spend rest of the morning in chasing final bits of data for meeting.
Lunch @ 12 NOON, quick walk to Boots at Union Square for a sandwich, pepsi max, protein pot and two snack bars (meal deal)
Back at 12.30 PM for final check of meeting requirements and then into meeting.
Meeting from 1 to 3, a bit of a grilling but I feel like we do ok. A number of things to follow up on even though the consensus seems to be that it has been yet more talking shop. Hopefully real behavioural change kicks off after this.
After the high of the meeting, rest of the day is an anti-climax of sorts. catch up with R for the first time this week now that I can catch my breath.
Eventually it is 4.30 PM and home time. Walk home and arrive at 5.00PM
Dinner, more CSS modifications and then soon it is sleep time.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 8: On Work, A Timeline

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 21:08:18 +0000

For Day 8 of the AoM 31 Day Journaling Challenge: Reflect on Your Career.

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Work for me has focused on materials, particularly ferrous ones, and how they perform in a variety of oil and gas environments, on two continents; Africa of my birth and Europe where I have spent the last few years. My journey began in December of 2003 with being hired straight out of University in 2003 as a trainee engineer through progressing via a number of roles in various aspects of the corrosion and materials discipline and eventually leaving in October of 2008, thanks to a mixture of burn out and the opportunity to return to the university for graduate studies. Since graduating in July of 2009, I’ve gotten back into the Corrosion & Materials field first with a service provider and latterly with an oil & gas production company where I am Corrosion & Materials Technical Authority.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 7: A Reflection

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:55:49 +0000

Image source: rawpixel @ unsplash

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And so comes Day 7. Whilst those who believe in numerology think seven is the number of perfection, the past few days have been anything but perfect. What they have been though is an opportunity to flex thinking and writing muscles which I haven’t used in a while, which were to put it bluntly beginning to atrophy.

The general idea has been to try to block time out in the morning- between waking up, devotions and heading out to work- to pen a few words in response to the challenge of the day. There have been hits and misses along the way but thankfully I’ve managed to show up. Here’s to discipline winning through and birthing delight in the end.

31 Days Of Journaling, Day 6: Six Word Memoir

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 11:07:45 +0000

Photo by Tom Grimbert on Unsplash. For Day 6 of the AoM 31 Day Journaling Challenge.

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My six word memoir:

Global Thinker, Local Contributor. Lived Intentionally.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 5: To S, A Letter

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 11:13:54 +0000

For the Day 5 prompt from AOM’s 31 Day Journaling Challenge.

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It wasn’t love at first sight but a slow melding of hearts and mind into a coherent whole, a journey of a thousand miles started by a single step which very quickly became a leap of faith into the great unknown of the future.

Now with the benefit of a year behind us, it is clear that there was something here all along, gems hidden beneath the hard outer crust of life and all the bumps and scrapes it sent our ways. There is hope though, that bumps and all we will get there, somehow.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 3: One Thing

Sat, 03 Nov 2018 11:33:33 +0000

For the prompt for Day 3 of the 31 Day Journaling Challenge at The Art of Manliness

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Alongside a regular practice, building a regular practice of prayer and bible study has been one of the things I have struggled most with over the years and which has come up again in this latest iteration of beginning again.

As for actual steps this time, I have bought a copy of 90 Days in Judges, Galatians and Ephesians by Tim Keller and Richard Coekin, a notebook and a pack of hibiscus tea, the intent being to make that part of a new morning routine in which I brew a cup of tea and settle in to read the assigned reading of the day and write notes in my mew black book. Two days in already, I hope I can make it to the 90 and then beyond.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 2: On Manliness

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 11:09:09 +0000

For the Day 2 prompt from The Art of Manliness’ Jumpstart Your Journaling 31 Day Challenge

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One of the frameworks which has most defined my thinking about Manhood came to me many years ago in the form of an Al Mohler article on Boundless, in which he suggested 13 marks which defined mature manhood in his opinion. Given his background, that his views were based very squarely on Christian Conservative ideals was not surprising, and were very much aligned with my thoughts at the time, seeing I was (and perhaps still am) very much of a similar spiritual bent. Roles (husband, father), Responsibility, Leadership, morals and ethics and an ability to provide for a family all feature prominently in his piece, which morphed into a small book eventually.

31 Days of Journaling, Day 1: Why Journal?

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 11:45:57 +0000

Image Source: Heartwoods

It feels like a good time to try to develop a regular practice of journaling. For one there is the need to reflect properly on my latest attempt at rebooting, as well as the plethora of other more intelligent folk who think it is a good thing: David Sedaris, Austin Kleon, Michael Hyatt, Samuel Pepys, David Thoureau to name a few. The benefits are many, ranging from providing opportunities to reflect on life, a record of one’s day (both for the individual and for posterity) and also a source of material for future creative writing pursuits.