Monday 28 December 2015

Weekly wisdom #14


We find ourselves in a culture of avid multitaskers; a society in which getting sh*t done at the most rapid rate – while simultaneously working on other life admin – is lauded and applauded.  Whether or not the age-old adage of females outperforming males in this department rings true for you, in my mind we all do ourselves, and indeed the task(s) at hand, a disservice by mindlessly breezing through the tick boxes on our to-do lists. Above all amidst incessant email pings and non-stop notifications, it's no mean feat getting immersed in a single task without the threat of distractions and intrusions. 

I'm far from being a pro at prioritisation, but in practicing the art of cutting back and simplifying what really needs to get done, i.e. establishing what's truly important in any given moment, I'm injecting somuchmore focus into my work 'n' life flow. In turn, this – I reckon – allows me to properly get stuck into assignments, ultimately granting an increased quality of execution too.  


That being said, it's not to say there won't be occasions where this kinda multitasking mindset is unavoidable or necessary. But, but, but: Taking a more mindful, conscious approach and prioritising our daily duties as much as we can will certainly aid our overall productivity, as well as clearing up some headspace in our often cluttered craniums. 

// You can do anything, but not everything (at the same time). //

Sunday 13 December 2015

Do it yas(elf): Christmas gifts


This festive season, I've made a pledge to myself. Intent on imbuing a little extra love into everything I do (even the most mundane of tasks), I'm aiming to handcraft the majority of gifts for my nearest 'n' dearest. 



Whatever time of year it may be – I don't believe these kinds of gestures oughta be limited to allocated calendar boxes – the act of giving sweet, petite tokens to those I know best has always been preferable to being bestowed with presents myself. Not that they go without gratitude, of course, but I just happen to take way more pleasure in the process of gifting others with well-thought-out momentos and (hopefully) seeing them appreciated too.





Above: It's Brogues "no bad days" bags, filled with cheer-me-up quotes + inspiration. 

 That being said, carving out the time to create is in itself a bit of a s(elf)ish act; making things – usually without purpose – is my ultimate mode of relaxation and "me" time. So the fact that this personal Christmas commitment actually bears some kinda altruistic motive is just an added bonus! 




There's also the additional price perk, since the dominant expenditure is time. Stocking up on basic materials – namely canvas bags, paperwares, pens, pretty tape and unnecessary-but-cute items like heart-shaped hole punches – indeed requires initial investment, but the amount of £/€/$ spent really is minimal compared to the crazed consumerism so characteristic of the festive season.   







Of course, part and parcel (ha) of a gift, handmade or not, is also the presentation. I like to take a bit of a holistic approach to my gift givin'; although a quaint idea not to judge a present by its wrapping, it's equally charming to give the gift-wrap a little TLC too. All in all, this – I hope – makes for a one-of-a-kind, highly personal bundle of Christmas contributions that sprinkle some cheer and stand the test of time (at least more so than those novelty socks/multiple body washes/chocolate selection boxes).