November Review

Month 3! Let’s check how I’ve been doing.

Quick refresher: the aim of the blog is to make me publicly accountable for actually progressing in my hobbies, alongside using Beeminder to fine me if I miss the goal. The three I’m currently tracking and their monthly targets are:

  • Reading: Finish one book per month
  • Writing: Write four posts here per month covering one of the activities (500 word minimum)
  • Pool/snooker - play/practice five times a month

✅ Reading

Another two books finished - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. Reviews listed below. I now have two books currently on the go:

  • Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss on Kindle
  • Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
  • The Traitor’s Hand by Sandy Mitchell on Audible The Kindle has not seen a lot of love this month. I’ve had a lot on personally, and I think I’m just struggling a bit with taking the subject matter seriously. That said, I want it finished by end of year, so I’ll need to crack on.

This is my second attempt on Kafka on the Shore. First time I just found it too weird, especially when it starts raining fish…Again, I want this done by end of year. Do not like having books on my did not finish list.

The Traitor’s Hand I’ve been looking forward to for a while. The Ciaphas Cain series has been a god send this year. I’m already best part of 2 hours deep on it.

✅ Writing

4 posts for the month, 1 a week:

✅ Pool/Snooker

Managed five sessions despite being sick for a couple of weeks. Included play pool against one friend (and winning) and snooker against another (and losing).

Beeminder

Quarterly Check In

This completes the first quarter of the project, and I’m left in 2 minds.

Part of me is disappointed. It feels like to a certain extent I’m coasting, especially on my writing, where it just feels hollow, like I’m pushing out words to hit a target. My pool and snooker playing could also be more efficient towards improving, as opposed to just playing.

On the other hand, I’m undeniably hitting my targets and making progress. I’m especially happy with my reading progress. I’ve achieved a consistent rate I’ve not had in years, almost entirely because I’ve had this blog to write for and Beeminder on my mind. If I keep this up, I’ll have read more books in 2025 than I have any other year, and next year it’ll be well into the 20s.

There’s also the reality of what I’m doing, which is an angle I’ve always struggled with: the work is the point. It’s ok if it’s hollow, it’s ok if it’s not ‘efficient’. The work is the point. The showing up is the point. Eventually work becomes good work, and occasionally great work.

So I’m going to stay the course target wise. I do want to put in a practice routine for both pool and snooker, to help direct my skills a little, but otherwise I’m going to stay the course another three months. If I keep my reading levels up though, I’ll be increasing it next quarter.

October Review

Month 2! Let’s check how I’ve been doing.

Quick refresher: the aim of the blog is to make me publicly accountable for actually progressing in my hobbies, alongside using Beeminder to fine me if I miss the goal. The three I’m currently tracking and their monthly targets are:

  • Reading: Finish one book per month
  • Writing: Write four posts here per month covering one of the activities (500 word minimum)
  • Pool/snooker - play/practice five times a month

✅ Reading

Another two books finished - Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson, and The Muscle Ladder by Jeff Nippard. Reviews listed below. I now have two books currently on the go:

  • Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss on Kindle
  • The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro The Remains of the Day is proving to be difficult. A really rough description of it is it’s kinda of like Mr Carson from Downton Abbey goes on a road trip across the 1950’s midlands, drip feeding you plot points through memories. I’m halfway through, and it’s starting to pick up, so fingers cross. Outside of starting a new audiobook, I’m going to focus my reading time on these two as much as I can. Really want to get them both finished this month.

✅ Writing

Posts 3 and 4 were trickier for me. I let the deadlines do their job though and a pass is a pass. 5 posts for the month, 1 a week:

✅ Pool/Snooker

Managed five sessions. The last two weren’t great, and I do need to come up with a good way to structure a practice. Snooker in particular has a greater time need; 1 hour around the table just isn’t enough to get any real progress. Either way though, still counts.

Beeminder

September Review

Ok, it’s been a month. Let’s check how I’ve been doing.

Quick refresher: the aim of the blog is to make me publicly accountable for actually progressing in my hobbies, alongside using Beeminder to fine me if I miss the goal. The three I’m currently tracking and their monthly targets are:

  • Reading: Finish one book per month
  • Writing: Write four posts here per month covering one of the activities (500 word minimum)
  • Pool/snooker - play/practice five times a month

✅ Reading

Two books finished - What you are looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, and How To Take Smart Notes by Sonkë Ahrens . I also have four books currently on the go:

  • Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson on Audible
  • The Muscle Ladder by Jeff Nippard on the Kindle app on my iPad
  • Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss on Kindle
  • The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

I think I’m likely to complete two, maybe three this month, so I’m doing pretty good here.

✅ Writing

Got my four posts in pretty easily:

  1. Reading in progress
  2. What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama
  3. As yet untitled
  4. How To Take Smart Notes by Sonkë Ahrens

Although I did have a lot of annual leave, so I’m hoping to keep the momentum going now I’m back at work.

✅ Pool/Snooker

Managed six sessions, although again that was during my time off.

Beeminder

All of the above means my Beeminder charts are all well ahead of the dreaded red lines, so no fines for me this month. I did allow a limited grace period assuming I might be slow to hit the reading target in the first week or so given that I was targeting a book read in a month.

Importantly though I am feeling good about this so far. It’s forcing me to focus on what I want to do, not just what I should, and encouraging me to publish ideas no matter how half baked they may be. Looking forward to seeing what October brings.