During August 2019, I took a few weeks off for some navel-gazing. And now I’ve started developing a new kind of normal. It’s been hard work.

Naturally, it involved a hair cut and some new clothes. No new shoes just yet though.

Virtue	Jul	Aug	Notes
Beauty: body I enjoy exercising my lean, healthy 59 kg body several times a week. • Eat < 5g of salt and sugar per day. • Walk 10,000 steps per day. • Sleep 8 hours each night.	🙁 70.2 kg	🙁 70.8 kg	Turns out I am becoming exquisitely sensitive to salt. It seems just a μg (microgram) can add half a kilo to my weight which is disturbing. And something to talk about with the nephrologist next time I see him. I feel if I could just get back under 70 kg, I’d be on my way.
Beauty: home I live in a comfortable home that soothes my soul. • Work out how to take home renovation holidays.	🙁	😐	More dog hair, and more dust. And I feel like my fridge and pantry are too full of food. In fact, I feel like both my house and my life are stuffed to capacity and need cleaning out. But I think it’s more about me changing direction and needing to let go of some of the stuff that’s holding me back.
Beauty: garden My garden is lush and abundant, providing habitats, weather protection and a mystical threshold. • Develop a new garden plan.	🙂	🙂	The garden is going gangbusters at the moment. Bulbs are shooting up all over the place, new growth on the roses, buds on the apple tree. It’s amazing.
Friendship: friends I love meeting new people, and as I am friendly and outgoing, I make friends easily. • Find (or start) a local writers group.	🙂	🙂	It’s been quiet on the friendship front with all the recent introspection. But I’ve got plans for September.
Friendship: creatures My creatures are happy and healthy and find my garden a haven.	🙂	🙂	Lots and lots and lots of birds around at the moment. And loads of possum shit, so I assume we’ve lots of those at the moment too. Poor Pretty Girl is having a hard time with her arthritis, but remains lively and engaged a year after Pretty Boy died.
Friendship: contribution I share my knowledge, time, and money with those who need it. • Develop a charitable works programme.	🙂	🙂	This month I mainly contributed silence – I’m pretty sure some one(s) appreciated that! Though I did think about how to get going when you hit the Time of Great Regret.
Wisdom: growth I learn and grow every day. • Visit a historically or culturally significant venue or event each month.	🙂	😐	We didn’t get out much, aside from trying some new markets. I did do some online courses and caught up with the email.
Pleasure: adventure I am brave and adventurous not afraid to try new things.	🙂	🙂	Another five short stories written. I’ve got more stories than markets at the moment and have to find some new ones. And enjoyed the Bees.
Pleasure: recharge I work hard and have the right to rest and recharge. • Turn the computer off by 7 pm. • Read 78 books in 2019.	🙂	😐	Only got to three books this month, and one of those I didn’t finish: Dead Cold • All Our Wrong Todays • Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life. My reading list continues to grow.

As you’d expect, my August 2019 productivity journal is mostly empty. The odd course note here and there, lists of things to remember, and a bunch of dog stickers (so cute!)

How was your August?

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You can find more monthly reports on the Life Worth Living page.