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Aja?

I have a fear of letting people down. Don't we all? I hate breaking bad news, and I also hate trying and failing then admitting it can't be done. What I hate the most, is myself for letting it come to a point where I had to withdraw after spending so much time trying to make it work. Huhu

But today I have to face it all! Help me Lord!

Secrets that will Help you with your Long-Term Travel

Making the decision to pack up all of your belongings can be difficult. You may have to quit your job and you may even have to leave some of your family behind too. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to make your experience that bit more enjoyable.
Travel Slowly
The best thing that you can do is travel slowly. If you are on the road every other day then this can be exhausting. You may feel as though you are bouncing from bus to bus and that you are also having to deal with taxi drivers far too often. The last thing that you want is to experience burnout, so spend a week or so in each town or village and don’t feel too much pressure when it comes to seeing absolutely everything. This will help you to truly unwind and take in everything around you. The longer you stay somewhere, the cheaper your accommodation will be too because you will be able to negotiate with hotels and they may even be able to give you a much better rate.


Hobby
It doesn’t matter whether you want to learn how to juggle or whether you are just writing in your diary because you need to find something that will help to keep your mind active. Sure, there is nothing wrong with you lying in a hammock for a week or two if you are going on a short holiday but if you are going on a long vacation then you might get bored. If you want to really document your experiences as you travel, then one way for you to do this would be for you to start a travel blog. This will help you to stay mentally active and it will also help you to share your journey with others. You might also want to add some travel pictures too, and this is a great way for you to make sure that you are preserving memories so that they last for a lifetime.

Fresh Eyes
Sometimes long-term travel can be a curse. The main reason for this is because you are constantly seeing new places and interesting sights. This can make some places in the world seem boring, but this is not the case at all. You need to remember that every single destination that you visit has its merit and that just because you have seen something similar in another country, doesn’t mean that the place isn’t worth visiting. For example, if you have been scuba diving in Belize then you may feel as though there is no point in you going to the Great Barrier Reef. This isn’t true, and sometimes by pushing yourself to try new experiences, you can really make the most out of your trip.

Have a Day Off
It’s important that you give yourself at least one day off every single week. This will help you to recharge your batteries and it will also give you the chance to relax. Remember that not every single day needs to be action-packed, and that if you don’t give yourself the chance to relax then this could end up making the rest of your vacation feel underwhelming. Of course, missing out on something exciting can be a difficult experience, but you need to do it for your own mental health. One way for you to make the most out of your day off would be for you to have a spa day. When you do, you can easily go for a massage or even have a swim in the pool. This will make you feel as though you are still doing something, and you won’t be cooped up in your room all day. If you fancy doing something a little bit more entertaining, then go to the bar to have a drink or even spend some time chatting with people who are staying in the same hotel as you. This could open up new experiences and you never know, you might have a relaxing night that is still packed with fun and adventure.

Stop for a While
If you are going away for months at a time, then one day off might not be enough. You may feel as though you eventually become worn out and need a little longer before you set off to the next town or city. This is completely normal, and it is certainly something that every traveller goes through from time to time. You need to make sure that you have a routine and that you also find a place where you can really settle down. Find a country that you like and feel comfortable in and then stay there for a month or even two. This will work wonders for your soul and your mental health, not to mention that it will also make you ready to tackle that next part of your adventure. At the end of the day, if you want to enjoy long-term travel then you need to actually stop travelling from time to time. Find a place that you love with a good amount of things to keep you interested and return to a life of normality.

Nature
A lot of people love to be surrounded by nature. The main reason for this is because it helps to soothe the soul. You could climb a mountain, sit by a river or even go hiking in a forest. Either way, it doesn’t matter which option you decide to go with because there is nothing like a bit of nature to relax your mind and body. Another bonus of getting out in front of nature is that it can easily help you to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. You can fill your lungs with some fresh air and this can give you some real perspective. If you are an avid photographer, then you may even find that getting out in nature gives you some fantastic photo opportunities and this would be great for your travel blog.

Stay Fit and Healthy
When you are at home, you probably have a schedule and a solid routine. At the end of the day, it can be difficult for you to make time for your health when you are travelling, and you may even find that you just don’t have healthy options available too. If you want to help yourself here, then make an effort to go on an evening run instead of going to the bar. Sure, this can be difficult at first but when you get in a good routine of it you will soon find that it becomes second-nature. You might also want to make the effort to keep up with daily exercise too. This could be something as simple as walking up and down the stairs or even choosing to rent a bike instead of taking a bus to your destination. If you don’t feel as though any of this is an option then consider doing sit-ups when you wake up, as this can get you in the right frame of mind for the day ahead.

Detox
One day a week, it helps to have a detox. This is a day where you will only eat fruit or even vegetables. It also helps to have a strict rule where you only drink alcohol one or two nights out of the week. This will help you to sleep much better and it will also help you to avoid staying up too late as well.

Prepare for Everything
When you travel the world, you will be going to all kinds of different countries. This is great, but if you are not careful then you may not be prepared. It always helps to have some contraception with you and it is also a good idea for you to take some bug repellent too. In some countries it is harder for you to access pain relief as well, so make sure that you keep that in mind. Of course, it may help to pick up certain items as you travel the world, as they might be more convenient or accessible in some countries.

Taste Something Different
As you go on your travels, you may feel as though you get sick of certain meals. This is understandable, but it does help to change things up a bit. For example, if you are absolutely sick of rice and noodles then it may be a good idea for you to try something different, or even a dish that you have never heard of before. Sure, you might be worried about wasting your money if you don’t like it but at the end of the day it is a great way for you to broaden your taste and it may even help you to explore new ingredients too.

Of course, there are so many ways that you can help yourself when you are out travelling the world, and if you take the above tips into account then you’ll soon find that there are endless things that you can do to make your trip more enjoyable.

Okay, let's breathe!

Oh my goodness I'm still so frkn busy with work! I can't believe it! I mean I'm not complaining, I love what I do, but maaan it can become a bit overwhelming looking at how things are starting to pile on my lap. And it's already performance appraisal period so I got to hustle to make extra good impressions right?

Anyway.

Yesterday we attended a short internal seminar on fighting procrastination. I learned that my level of procrastination is still on the safe side and that I'm probably a combination of these types of procrastinators: The Perfectionist, The Dread-Filled, and The Lucky One (Thrill-seeker). (Source) How so?

As a perfectionist I tend to become too drawn in the smallest details that I get stuck on perfecting a component when I could've spent my time wisely to finish the project on time. Example, focusing too much on UI when I haven't even mapped out the back-end yet. Argh.

There are tasks I that are just so dreadful I don't want to hear about them. These include complex test scenarios that require coordinating with people *shudders*, and business processes that are too vague, too complex, that I don't know where to begin and what even to ask. Because I'm afraid to face them I go for the quick wins, eventually forgetting about the big scary tasks, until such a time when someone follows up... And when that day arrives, I switch to a thrill-seeker. I procrastinate until the time comes that I'm forced to do it and there's no other way but to face the beast of a task head on. Pressure. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But for the most part I end up regretting not tackling it earlier, when I had all the time to dwell on it understand it.

So you see, if the task is too easy I become a perfectionist. That or I delay it because I'm over-confident about it lol. When it's too hard, I go dread-filled. And when there's no other way, I cram.

But what have I learned, really? Besides getting a better profile of the type of lazy ass I am? I realized that I should frkn impose my own system of managing tasks. I want to go agile, even when I'm a lone developer. Organize my tasks into tickets, run sprints, be efficient! But argh, just the thought of it dreads me out lol. For now I'm good with my good  'ol to-do list. It sits on a Monokai themed Notepad++ so it's looks like code and already gives off a productive vibe hahaha.

Moving on.

It's been a month since I started doing daily devotions regularly. Regularly, meaning 5 days a week. I'm really grateful ate Jez encouraged us to do a shared devotion on YouVersion. Ever since then, I've been planning my devotions and waking up early too haha!

It's been one of the happiest changes in my lifestyle so far. I get my daily coffee fix during devotion, and I get to workout afterwards (either gym or Youtube workout video). Speaking of, my gym subscription is about to expire and I'm planning on not repurchasing another month because apparently, I only went to the gym nine times since the last month. Other days I just worked out at home. Yeaaaahhh.

That's it. Pretty much.

Still swamped with work but loving it so far. Here's to hoping I deliver them right. Whew.