Stefan Zweig's novellas, all 7 seasons of The Mentalist, day 70 of my daily writing marathon, and the month's main lesson: schedule rest before anything else.
1) Best book
I am rereading Stefan Zweig’s novellas. “Amok” is as mesmerising as ever, and I will soon get to “Letter from an Unknown Woman”.
As for non-fiction, this month I read authors I have no desire to recommend. Too many harmful ideas in there, which I filter out.
2) Films / Series
Nastya and I rewatched all seven seasons of The Mentalist. You could watch Patrick Jane at work forever 🙂
We did not see any significant or deep films. For light entertainment you can watch the comedy The Hating Game.
3) Most useful video
From the English-speaking world: on the Jon Youshaei channel, watch the two latest videos with MrBeast. They will be useful to anyone working in video production.
Closer to home, on YouTube you can watch “Arestovych Live 41”. I picked up several useful insights. And overall it will resonate with anyone who is searching for themselves and feels worn out.
4) Skill I worked on
I keep writing every day. My “not a day without a line” marathon has passed the 70-day mark. On average a text takes me 15 to 30 minutes. I am pleasantly surprised by how many people read my posts regularly and discuss them actively in the comments. I will keep going.
5) Hypothesis I got to test
Fear has big eyes.
For years my father refused to deal with his teeth. He was afraid that pulling out the stumps would damage his memory. There were other false beliefs too.
The question hung over me like the sword of Damocles. I thought about the possible outcomes with an icy chill.
But when the situation got worse, my father finally agreed to have the fillings and gums treated. We found a good dentist who explained to him exactly what would happen if the treatment was not done properly.
We started clearing out every source of infection. My father did not feel any pain at all when those stumps were removed.
I let out a huge sigh of relief over this. It turned out to be far less frightening than I had expected.
6) Habit I was building
Studying English for 5–7 minutes a day. This month I started working with a tutor to tighten up my grammar. As Katya, my tutor, put it: I have a solid B2, but I flounder with the tenses.
My current level is enough to speak, read and listen to videos in English freely. But to make videos myself and speak in public, I still lack the grammatical foundation and a properly structured delivery.
7) Main insight of the month
You have to reward yourself for your work in time, and take breaks.
Around the tenth of January I felt a mild apathy and the first stage of professional burnout. If you do not reset and rest in time, you can get tired even of work you love.
I moved the January course launches to February. I did not travel to the studio to record podcasts. I cut my consultations right down. I stopped posting stories actively.
For the last 20 days I worked at 20–30% of my usual pace. I rested. Now I am moving on with fresh energy.
The takeaway: reward yourself for your effort in time, and plan your rest before anything else.
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