Anything goes - can be a life-changing event or something small and inconsequential.
Only opening What's App once a day
There are only so many times you can watch a cat chasing a dog. Or read a trite philosophical statement from an ex-colleague.
Contacting people to check they're ok
Sometimes, they return the favour. It all adds to our collective wellbeing.
Switching from milk to dark chocolate
Try it. You'll eat less of it.
Being happy with quartz
Well, this is a watch forum.
I like the last one!
Writing postcards and letters to people.
Sublimates my pen and paper fetish, and makes it into something useful.
Going to bed earlier.
Sleep is good, and that nil-nil draw is probably not going to explode into life.
Buying nice bread.
Having good bread and butter around in the kitchen is lovely.
My Grandsons.
Teaching the eldest to play the guitar.
Both are fantastic footballers and I spend Sundays watching them.
After bringing up three sons it is like life starting over again.
Cheers,
Neil.
I can only offer rather clichéd responses, but clichés are clichés because That Stuff is popular...
The Doggos
I hadn't had a pet since childhood, mainly due to assorted work constraints. Then, I became involuntarily self-unemployed shortly after moving to the boon-ier bit of the East Mudlands, and at that point not having a dog was starting to be a bit rude, frankly, given the hordes of the poor beasts languishing in shelters. The smelly wretches change your life, both for better and for worse, but they uproot this couchspud twice a day for fresh air and exercise, and their boundless (if often misplaced) optimism, and goofy affection gladdens the heart like little else can ever do.
Moving to the Sticks
Aspects of it, admittedly, did not go according to plan, and I now have no income and an oversized house, barn, 4 acres of pernicious weeds, four useless alpacas I stupidly agreed to take with the property (and which Lady Sod will NOT let me turn into curry), and tradesmen's bills that will stretch-on until I'm wearing my pine overcoat. Upside is - no more urban ratrace, and Lady Sod now has a job she not only loves, but is finally being paid for doing in a manner commensurate with her skills. I do sometimes miss the presence of social / genetic / retail diversity, but not often.
The Wristwatch Habit/Addiction
So this is as much a confession as a lifehack, but "I am Sod, and I like watches". There. I said it. I don't care that they're not from a prestigious brand instantly-recognisable down at the golf-club / Lodge / HMP. I don't even care what they cost - and I don't even care that I may lose some money on them. I buy them for the pleasure of watchfondling - not as some joyless investment. This may be a symptom of noobitis, but a decent wristwatch was something I craved from late-childhood to this, my second one, and only when I sold my former home could I finally set a little £££ aside and indulge. OK, I have gone a bit nuts in the last few years, but I have enjoyed every minute, and continue to - aided and abetted by this free-range open-air asylum of a forum.
Beer
Mmmmmmmm... Beer...
Churz!
Great thread!
1) Walking more.
I have taken to walking to and from work. Most days. It's around three miles each way. Done wonders for my well being.
2) Getting my life in order.
Maybe it's my age but I have recently felt the urge to get myself sorted. Undertook an entire financial / life review. Updated my will, made a WID file, sorted a budget and a net worth review. All very helpful.
3) Learing more.
Mainly in conjunction with walking, I have listened to quite a few podcasts. Very much enjoying learning a few new things.
4) On a forum related topic, I stopped visiting the Bear Pit. It's toxic really. I get the point of it but I prefer not to invite bad feeling / drama into my life. My forum experience is much better as a result.
Much work to do but I'm on the right path.
Tell us more about the Learing in conjunction with walking; do you point out to fellow walkers that "as flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods, they kill us for their sport"?Originally Posted by Dave O'Sullivan
I suppose when you see a brat having a tantrum you can cheerily say to the hapless parent as you pass "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"
Exercise
Lost weight , feel great . I didn’t do any before .
Travelling extensively in my 20s (gave me perspective)
My wife only accepting my proposal of marriage if I gave up smoking (24 years ago)
1.Buying a Piano.
After 20 years not playing organ having a piano has been life changing. Wonderful way to unwind
2. Getting a dog.
No idea why but the smelly, peeing, sh*tting beast keeps me grounded and shows me endless devotion. Wouldn't be without her.
3. Vorwerk Thermomix TM6.
Expensive as hell but now restaurant quality food gets made at home.
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I would love a dog but it would be unfair to leave him or her at home all day by themselves. I do understand the joy and company they bring and still miss the dog I had as a teen.
The top three things that have improved my life would be:
1. The Mrs. She is the most easy going woman on the planet but she has also made me grow up. Thinking back I was a mess in my 20s / early 30s. verging on alcoholism and getting in to all sorts of trouble. She also introduced me to the joys of Africa and now I love visiting. I have had 10 very happy years with her
2. Rugby. It has given me so much since a young age, confidence, respect, fitness, discipline and life long mates and continues to do so (I am about to leave home and go and run around in the rain at the age of 40 - daft really)
3. My Family, we are very close and they they are the best family I could have asked for.
a left field no4 would be my ex mrs... if it were not for her and the fact she was my ex bosses bit on the side I might have ended up in a cr@p job without the success I have now. (doing the bosses bit on the side meant I had no choice but to leave when he found out) Getting involved with her made me join the firm I am now at and I have never looked back, that said she was a horrid narcissistic b!tch
Last edited by Sinnlover; 28th April 2021 at 18:06.
Volunteering at a heritage railway.
By the summer of last year I’d lost a lot of confidence and had to fight to get it back. In what turned out to be a moment of inspiration I contacted the local heritage railway and volunteered. Had to drag myself to the induction and then the first volunteering day but found it wonderfully therapeutic. It reactivated a lot of long-lost skills, and the two groups I work with are super company and supportive.
Going on a waiting list for, and getting, an allotment.
I know I’ve taken on a big, long term project but again the new people around me up there have been helpful, supportive and inspiring.
Year-round sea swimming with my partner.
It’s been great to do something new with Sal. We’ve gone through this winter swimming together and I think it’s bought us closer together.
Thanks for the thread and all the great contributions.
Taking up golf. Never played before I became disabled. Within five years I represented my country. After ten years became the club champion. Met so many lovely people.
Becoming a grandfather is such a fulfilling experience, my grandson melts my heart.
Reading, I love it. Something I believe has enhanced my life.
Playing chess has been with me for years. It helps to keep the grey matter in check ( excuse the pun).
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Getting my full motorbike license a couple of years ago. Instant solitude and freedom whenever I want or feel the need to get away from 'life' for a few hours.
Changing your lifestyle 10 yrs ago (june), I was hospitalized with heart problems. Things went crazy in the ambulance and I remember running staff pulling my bed to the operating theatre. But I escaped and I decided to 'keep it cool' from then on. Sad thing that you need a hard reset before you realize that your lifestyle 'as is' is not a healthy one!
Early retirement I started saving from the moment my working career took off, in my early 20s. Sort of FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early) avant la lettre. I can recommend this!
Getting a dog Like others wrote: it's a great experience.
When I quit smoking my health, finances, and prospects improved enormously ... and made many new friends ... but upset old pals and family who were/are still addicted to tobacco.
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
early(ish) retirement
took this at 58 a couple years ago. Best thing ever!
painting
art is interesting and maybe a skill I didn’t know I had
planning to move
still plans to move home - not there yet but it’s fun trying.
Ambling in the front garden and eating the Nispero/ Loquats and Oranges straight from the trees.
Running, especially down through the hills to the coast and then having a swim. Off season sometimes I'm the only person on the beach it's great.
Pool in the backyard, always been a personal dream.
Mrs P, immeasurably so.
Gotta say getting my motorbike license is definitely up there !!
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Very good Simon
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Memory Foam Pillow - best £40 I’ve ever spent and have had two of the best night sleep in years.
Dog - love him to bits and the most loyal beast in the world.
Lot of people saying DOGS in the thread! Good to hear.
Sertraline.
A mate has just started taking it.
Guacamole
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Buying a decent robot vacuum cleaner. Not only does it take care of most of the tedious hoovering, the best part of it is that it forces us to keep things in their places and off the floor. Our home is now very much cosier and it’s easier for me to enjoy myself and unwind.
On the same note getting rid of clutter. The less s*** I have, the happier I am.
Travel has always been my motivation, especially new places.
However you've got to make the most of your current circumstances, so whilst this hasn't been possible I've started walking a lot (15,000 steps a day) and recently taken up golf (badly at the moment). Both are very therapeutic.
One thing we used to do and are starting to do as restrictions lift is to go somewhere reasonably local that we haven't been to for ages or ever before. There's so much on your door step that you just don't think about visiting and where I live I'm very lucky to have so much amazing countryside.
My dog. Other people’s dogs. Encountering a stunning Airedale Terrier last weekend was a particular highlight.
Feeding the birds in my garden. Been doing this each and every day since New Year’s Eve. Some of them are so tiny you wonder how they ever managed to survive a harsh Winter.
Walking. Always walking.
Barely watching television. Life is better without it.
Devonian, I'll be back walking shortly. It's Ramadan and my wife who is fasting can't handle the steps and I don't fancy walking around the forest by myself. I'm only fasting between meals so finding it much easier than her ;)
Shaving my head. Hair is overrated.
Ideal mate, though don’t do as many as last time as you left us all miles behind :-)
Just over a year's apprenticeship as a mechanic. From childhood I knew I was going to be a pilot. The RAF agreed right up to the point that I did a light based, rather than a paper based colour blindness test. For a short while after that I seriously lost my way, until an aged motorcycle mechanic persuaded me to go for a job at Blue Garage in Earley. I realised fairly rapidly that this wasn't my future and moved on to working with cows, but the time spent there taught me not only how to fix anything, but, as it was a Mazda garage, at the height of the popularity of the RX7, that being intimidated by anything is more mental than real and the trick is to just get on with it.
It's as Zen a job as you can get both in terms of thinking yourself into a fault finding solution and subsequent stripping and repairing. I can't be sure, but I think it ignited my love of watches. While I ended up with careers that involves a lot of theoretical stuff, working as a mechanic left me with a strong sense of the relation between the theoretical and practical which was really ignited when I encountered Aristotle.
Aristotle. He nailed mental health two and a half thousand years ago. You want to be ok, read Aristotle and just do what he says. IMHO.
Last edited by M4tt; 27th April 2021 at 14:47.
Great thread, A-O - in no particular order:
1) Meeting Mrs Cain - soppy, I know, but a great deal that is good in my life comes from sharing it with someone who manages to be as silly and irreverent as me while also being considerably more intelligent. 25 years, this year.
2) Gardening - any gardening is an act of optimism, they say, and I find it reassuring to reflect on the assumption inherent in sowing seeds and planting bulbs: that we will all be around to see them grow. I enjoy being outdoors, I enjoy doing practical things (especially as my professional life is almost entirely theoretical or intangible) and I absolutely love tulips and dahlias. It's win/win, really.
3) Car tinkering - frustrating though it can be, I do enjoy a good weekend spent chasing electrical gremlins or repairing/replacing mechanical bits. Limited time and equipment precludes any serious Heavy Messing, but (again) I find it refreshing to be doing practical things, and working out what's gone wrong and how to fix it.
4) Developing a sense of perspective - after a fairly heavy mental health episode a few years back, I have worked hard at remembering my place in the universe; in other words, that I am one of a population of inquisitive apes clinging to a rock in a vast and indifferent universe, and that very little that I count as important has any lasting significance whatsoever. I've found this process liberating on many levels, and it's helped me to come to terms with a lot of things which used to trouble me quite badly.
5) Exercise - covered better and more articulately above, for sure; but any form of exercise makes me feel better almost instantly. Except running, which I find dull, and burpees, which can just GTF.
Bicycle, its the highyway to health, for me.
Growing stuff. this year it is sweetcorn
Still to do, declutter.
Many great posts, but PreacherCain’s 4th and 5th points nailed it for me
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Putting some work into making the garden a nice place to be
Quality cookware and kitchen tools
trying to be more pleasant with colleagues and finding it reciprocated
My wife.
My cats.
Counselling for my mental health/depression.
Skiing.
Losing weight & getting fit.
Planting Tulips in plant pots , loads of them .So easy to grow ,so beautiful to look at .
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My daughter (and a son on the way). Bloody hard work and frustrating at times, but what a joy she is and now she's in her toddler years she is becoming a fun mate to be around. It makes you feel like a kid again - I now have an excuse for running and jumping around the house or making stupid noises.
Walking: Part-way through lockdown I started early morning or nighttime walks, partly for exercise and fresh air, partly to let my brain wander and unwind. That's now settled into twice-weekly walks across the New Forest, which I live on the edge of. Just walking and letting your brain go wherever it needs, while being surrounded by nature, is good for every part of you.
Cutting my hair short: No more faffing in front of the mirror every day, I can wear a hood when it rains or a hat when it's cold without vanity-related fear, and I now realise nobody else gives a hoot what I look like.
Things I need to work on that I know hold me back...
Contentment. I need to stop coming up with wish lists and the next thing I need, and really, truly enjoy what I have already.
Being present. I can check my phone later... I need to be in the moment more (he says, from his desk, when I should be working).
1). I learnt in my early twenties that being content was the key to a happy life (for me anyway). This probably held me back ambition wise but I don’t regret it.
2). Mrs Quality, together seven years and she means everything to me.
3). After a few years of ill health (Meningitis, ME and a couple of mini strokes) finally admitting I couldn’t work full time anymore, gave up my management role and now work 20 hours a week from home, should have done it sooner!
4). TZ-UK!
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Some great positive posts here; I'd love a dog but they are a huge tie and we do like to travel a lot and I don't think that is compatible with a dog but maybe one day.
Biggest life positives for me have been:
1) Mrs. Montello ... married 22 years
2) Sport - always been very active in sports mainly sailing & cycling
3) Not working too hard; went self employed 18 years ago and have been easing off a lot recently
Recent changes during covid:
Massive declutter of the house ...
1) All books donated to charity
2) All CD's ripped and the donated to charity
3) All paperwork scanned and shredded
4) Numerous other items donated or sold on eBay
5) What remains has been organised such that I know where the stuff I need is ...
This process has been great but I doubt we'd have ever done it if it wasn't for the time forced on us by the various lockdowns ...
I have also sold 2 watches that were nice but little worn ...
Learning to Scuba dive and doing it regularly.
For me, the try dive was an epiphany.
Why hadn't I done this years before and how could I do it again soon?
I started late (in my late 40s), but I dive in the UK as well as abroad when the chance arises, so I have managed to do a fair bit of diving.
I guess in another universe, I could have given up work and gone off somewhere sunny to become a dive guide, but I had commitments, so. I do what I can and I've always suspected that doing what you love as a job runs a high risk of ruining it for you.
It helps keep me relatively fit and even the most mundane dive takes you into another world, away from all your day to day worries.
Works for me.
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
The wife and son. Financial independence by 40. A lovely home in sunny climes and a swimming pool. Regular exercise.
Last edited by Passenger; 20th August 2021 at 11:31.
This thread has been both an enjoyable and thought-provoking read, so here's my contribution of three of the most significant things that have improved my life.
The wife.
Best thing ever. She completely attenuated my previous lifestyle and greatly improved my outlook on so many things in life. She really is the wind in my sails and I owe her so much.
Coincidently, she also introduced me to owning:
Dogs.
SWMBO arrived into my life accompanied with her cocker spaniel and since then we've never been dogless, almost always spaniels. For the last two decades we've also fostered and adopted dogs, both options have given us a great range of emotional rollercoasters but the reward of taking on rescue dogs and then turning them around has been the most rewarding experience. Our two current girls have been the most challenging of all as they both had truly terrible lives since puppyhood, but in the six months since they arrived they have completely flourished. There's still more work to do with them, but it's such a pleasure to be able to regularly take them out to...
Beaches.
Anything to do with the sea captivates me: either on it, under it or alongside it makes me very happy. We chose to live where we do based on the proximity of beaches and I get to one most days. Gales, rain, snow or sunshine doesn't matter, I just love being on a beach. Equally, being in a boat or diving under the sea improves my spirits and well-being.
Looking forward to reading more in this thread.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
At the beginning of 2015 a friend on another forum suggested an online cycling club, where we would share our riding experiences and mileages. A bit like the cycling thread here.
I'd cycled only very occasionally over the previous few years. I set myself a target of 750 miles in 2015. I ended up doing 2702 that year, and to date I've done 29,385 miles since Jan 2015. Life changing.
I should say my wife and son but for some reason I’m going to say my dog, Lola. Hasn't move from my side for 11 years
GARDENING
Anyone with a piece of unused land, try make your garden. Or do it on the balcony
I am currently planting vegetables, strawberries and herbs/spices. I am even planning to buy a nice piece on the countryside for the whole family activity. There is something deeply relaxing and joyful in working with land... and after a good physical labour cold beer is the best
Great thread.
Agree gardening, especially cordon tomatoes - easy, tickles the ocd and tastes better than bought.
Walking, esp in the last year. Heard an interesting thing about novelty makes new memories, so try to vary the route a little bit. Great for anxiety, walk it off.
Learning to be more realistic with what house jobs I’ll accomplish and then make time to switch off and not feel guilty about it.
Love my water rower - particularly when feeling tired and rubbish even a gentle half hour paddle helps a lot and boosts energy.
Celebrate often. If was given something nice to eat/drink I used to hoard away for a special occasion. Have reversed the mindset to use the treat to make a normal evening special.
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Getting a dog has changed my life to be honest. He has made me a better person and softened me up somewhat.
aww love seeing him around the forum!Getting a dog has changed my life to be honest. He has made me a better person and softened me up somewhat.
Love this thread, thanks to the OP, and I'm determined to plant some tulips this Autumn!!
For me I think I've found 'balance' and I'm also now a bit of a 'liberal'.
To explain, my business went bust back in 2009, our home was repossessed and I beat myself up about it every day we were living in rented....
I bought us another house in 2015 and six months after we moved in, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.
But six years later my wife is now 'five years clear', I've cleared our mortgage (or have sufficient funds to do so when I'm out of the fixed rate penalty period), and we count our blessings every day.
I have a sometimes stressful job (I appreciate everything's relative and I'm no life-saving A&E surgeon but my job can be stressful to me at least) and I honestly think I was on the verge of some kind of breakdown last year...
But now knowing that I'm working out of choice has been a real 'mindset changer' for me and even before I was, my wife's cancer very much changed my mind-set to that of "there are many people worse off than me".
Every year now I'm grateful that we're all healthy, and if I've moved us forward financially I try to "give something back", admittedly it's mostly by direct financial contribution to a local charity or organisation but we also try and get 'more involved' locally even if it's fund-raisers, cleaning up the park or whatever...
We're ever more grateful for our health and our lives, and we kind of want to "give a bit back" if that makes sense??
It's just a nice feeling to "do something good" and while doing it should be purely altruistic (?) I've gotta be honest, just knowing that I've helped someone in some way is a selfish reward in itself.
So just "being a better person" (or at least trying to be) makes me happy I guess....
and as many have said before me, a dog.
Our dog is absolutely beautiful but undeniably thick as a plank, and yet she never fails to make me smile every time I see her.
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