It’s been a while since my last post, but I’m not sorry, I’ve been busy 🙂
I was reading a post by Tim Ferris today, or was it the Minimalists, I can’t remember, but either way, it was about ‘your year in action – what worked and what didn’t’ and it got me thinking.
If 2015 was a year of change for me, it’s fair to say 2016 developed into a year of experience and experimentation (in an innocent way), and I began to wonder if it was worth spending some time to figure out what has been good, and what has not.
And then I realised, it’s a no brainer, of course it is! I mean, why carry on doing things that don’t support you or others around you, and why wouldn’t you work towards doing more of the things that do, at whatever level that may be. In fact, its not even a question!
It’s going to take some reflection, but that’s cool, not only will it provide some ideas and focus for 2017, it will also consolidate some writing I have been doing the past few months, at least, I hope it does, or I may have missed the point in what I am writing about.
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I find myself once more in Cape Town – 12 months on. It has been a good year for me, and I count myself fortunate to have had the experiences I have had, as well as meet the people I have these last 12 months, all of which have impacted me in one way or another. I just hope I can do the same, the other way round.
Right now, I am staying at the incredible Cape Town Kite Club, but, to keep costs down, I am sharing a dorm room with 2 other guys. I’m much older than them, but it’s totally cool, it just takes some getting used to.
People often ask how I am able to afford to live like this, but I don’t think there is any secret, you just make choices and some sacrifices. I’m driving around in a rent a cheapie car which costs less than £10 to rent per day. I’ve more or less stopped drinking. And I’m just not buying things I don’t need.
My kitesurfing gear is worn, I’ve repaired my board 3 times myself so far, and patched up my own kites. It’s not ideal, but, it works, and in some ways, it makes me appreciate what I’ve got that little bit more.
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I’ve been here 6 weeks now, and (on purpose) missed my fight yesterday. I think I will be around until the end of January, and experiment further with a slower pace of travel, working on my writing, kiting, and yoga, whilst travelling to some more of the local area, rather than rushing off across the county.
My book writing is happening, and I am half way through the first edit of my draft. It’s slow going, but, it’s a developing story, with the travelling and changes I have made as the backbone, with lots of other ideas coming off the sides, I’ll not say much here, but start to share out bits soon in other ways.
I have come to the conclusion that is is like having a job but without pay, and just like yoga, patience is everything.
The kiting here is good, but my progress is slow, and conditions are either ON, or OFF. Its crazy, and fun, but I don’t find them conducive to progression, and there have been a few sharks spotted in the area…..
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To the end of 2016, and soon into 2017, so I’d better crack on with my year in action idea, thanks for reading, looking, commenting, or sharing so far, and good luck for whatever is happening in your life ! X
John Alex Clarke 