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daybyjae · 3 years

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The Tale of a Desk

I finally have a functioning desk setup!!

My History with Desks:

I have been needing a new desk setup for months now. From May 2020 up until this past February. That may come as a shock to you as this past year being the working and schooling from home era, desks were a necessity.

I've had a desk for the majority of my life. My childhood bedroom set came with a desk, then I later bought a replacement before I went off to dorm where bedroom desks were a given. Even though I've always had desks rarely did I fully utilize them. My childhood desk was a catch-all during my sloppy phase. It held books, school papers, clothes, hair products, everything!! Because of this I never used it to study, do homework, or even read as the entirety of its surface area was occupied. Fast forward to my late teen years I wanted to get rid of the desk. I was aware that the desk was causing more harm than good, feeding into my clutter habit. So I downsized to a small desk that I intended to use as a vanity since I wasn't going to lie to myself and say that I'd actually do any work on it. I still have it to this day, it's still fulfilling the role of a vanity as I store makeup and hair products there but it's too small to function as a desk for me.

When I went off to dorm for college I had no choice but to finally use a desk. I was determined to do well in school and I knew that the best way to limit procrastination was to separate my areas of work and rest. It also helped that in the tiny room that I shared with another person that it was the only seating with a flat surface in front of it. Instead of using a dining table for a desk (as I had been for most of my life) I was using a desk as a dining table. The truth of its role was a constant reminder to get work done. When I returned to college again last year I fell back into the routine of getting most of my work done at my desk. However, once the panoramic pandemic hit I wanted to not only separate work and rest but also put creativity in its own realm. At this point, I was still dorming but my roommate had left so I had an extra desk.

I made that my creative space. I would paint, read and even edit videos at that desk. I loved having a designated fun space and it helped me out of a couple cycles of the lockdown blues. When that semester ended it was time for me to move on and out, I rented a small room in Brooklyn. Sadly there was no space for a desk so I couldn't create a solid work or creative space there. I would do whatever work I had in bed and but it was only a temporary stay so I made it work. After 3 months of renting that room, I went off to rent my own apartment! I was ecstatic but slightly broke. I had just put down over $5k to move in and I had to spread out my furniture purchasing. For about the first 6 months of my living in this apartment, I had no desk OR dining table. This is especially wild since I worked from home for months. I moved my vanity desk from my childhood home into my space but it was too small for what I needed plus I didn't have any chairs. I spent the first three months furnishing in other ways as to not completely blow all my money in one go. The last 3 months were spent hunting for a desk. Now I know what you're thinking, "It doesn't take that long to find a desk", but in a pandemic it does!

I had a particular size and style in mind to match my current space and the options were limited so I was saving. The first desks that I was looking at were upward of $200 so I had to double-check my decision and would then always change my mind. One day I had FINALLY decided on a desk but two issues arose. One, it was constantly out of stock in the color that I wanted. Two, the shipping was $50. The desk I ended up getting ended up being around $90 but it was coming from IKEA and they don't do free delivery. This lead to me trying to bulk up my order so that the purchase would be "worth it". I finally bit the bullet in February as the $50 on top of the actual price of the desk still kept me under my original budget.

How I Will Use the Desk:

With this desk, I had a few things in mind. Yes, this is a working space (typing this on her right now) but I also wanted it to be my creative space. Since I'm not in school and I go out for my job all the work that I do at this desk is leisurely work. Education and self-administered projects that I do for me and me alone. Because of that, I don't feel the same need I did when I was in school to separate creative space from working space. At this desk, I will continue to learn and grow in whatever avenue that piques my interest. I will hone my writing, study math, edit videos, paint, and oftentimes eat at my desk ( still don't have a dining table).

When I have the time and energy I choose a subject to learn or introduce myself to. Some of the educational work I have done on my own time have been; using Codecademy to learn the basics of different coding languages, taking Coursera courses on whatever they are offering for the great price of free, use my college provided Linkedin Learning account to learn the basics and intricacies of a variety of topics and currently I am teaching myself statistics through Khan Academy. I love to learn even about things that don't immediately impact me. My true goal in life is to learn about as many things as I can and those online resources that I mentioned are just a few ways that I work on my never-ending status of being a student.

Let's talk a little more about the creative side of this desk. I already told you about some of the fun things that I will do here but let's dive into it a little more. I have been writing and editing more even before I got this desk since I started working on this blog and posting videos for it but I want to expand. When it comes to writing I want to improve not just my grammar and wording but also my physical handwriting. I have pretty bad handwriting, certified chicken scratch, and I plan on improving that. This will probably be a project that goes across several years but we all need a starting point and mine was simply to actually have a flat surface to write on. I started journaling before I had the desk to get some thoughts down and actually use my handwriting more often but I would have to cut it short since writing without a table or desk is pretty difficult to do for long periods of time. Now with this desk and the excess of time caused via coronavirus I can easily journal two pages without my wrist crying out for help. Today I even started to watch some videos on how to improve my print. The true goal is to be able to produce amazing calligraphy but I understand the value of baby steps so I will start off small for now.

I will especially plan at this desk! I love to plan out my days, weeks, goals, habits, whatever comes to mind I will try to plan for it. However, it felt somewhat counterproductive when I would hunch forward in bed to plan out my day and week for productivity. I plan my best when my mind and body feel good and planning with poor posture didn't make sense.

Hobbies I plan to test out/improve that benefit from having a desk

calligraphy

editing

painting

sketching/ drawing

planning (yes it's a super fun hobby, fight me in the comments)

people watching through my window

comment how you're personally enjoying your desk besides school and work

Simply Benefits of Having a Desk:

The separation between leisure and work. I have goals with my home studies, I don't have goals for my streaming consumption.

I have already felt an increase in productivity. Since I know have a designated space to work it is easier to focus. It has even made falling asleep easier. With my bed no longer being a place of productivity I can sleep easier and faster with far fewer tossing and turning.

My room is less empty. I moved into my current apartment around 6 months ago and it is still pretty bare. Having this desk take up some of the blank white space feels good and makes me happy when I see it.

I'm not sure what my desk status will be in my next home but hopefully, it takes less time to figure out.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

#desk #desk tour #work from home

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daybyjae · 3 years

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Welcome one, welcome all

Hi, I started writing a blog on wordpress and decided to also share my posts here. I copied all my posts over, sadly the format can't be exactly the same so the videos that I make to go along with the posts will be shared separately.

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daybyjae · 3 years

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The Need to Read, video

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#libby #notion #reading #Youtube

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daybyjae · 3 years

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The Need to Read

Why the need to read:

I made the concrete decision to read more this year. I know what you're thinking. Is this about to be another anti-resolution resolution just like her previous post on being less sedentary?

The simple answer is yes. I am again adding improvements to my life that happened to pick up in January, but these started before the new year.

In 2020, I was already reading more than I had been in 2019.

In middle school I was one of those kids who would pull all nighters just to read. Then I started to fall into what I called a "readers block". I stopped feeling drawn to reading. I was at the age where I started to grow tired of typical YA novels but I didn't want to read any adult nonfiction. I knew that I had options beyond what I was aware of but I still felt hesitant. In the recent years of my early twenties I had started to pick up books more often but the real turning point was, as most things in the 2020, the coronavirus pandemic. With an influx of lonely idle time I wanted something to educate me or escape through.

At the end of 2020 I slowly began to read less as securing jobs in the midsts of a pandemic is all consuming. However, once I began commuting to work more I realized that I didn't have enough podcasts to fill the time. So I thought to myself why not get into audiobooks, at this point I had never listened to an audiobook before. As shocking as that is it is telling of how picky I was for my mode of reading. I also wasn't sure where to start this journey as the most popular audiobook source is audible and I try my best to limit the money I give to Amazon. Since, I wanted to read more in general I was also looking into e-readers and was reminded that libraries loan out both ebooks and audiobooks!

This led to me trying out the Libby app with my local library. The first book I listened to was Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Listening to Audiobooks:

Becoming was the best way introduction to audiobooks. Having the author read their own story was super engaging. It was immediately a superior experience to simply reading a paperback. Sadly, this level of enjoyment wasn't my experience with all the audiobooks that I listened to in January.

I wouldn't have read the 2nd audiobook if it wasn't read to me. I didn't make any immediate connections with the writing, author or reader and was a tinge turned off. I would have put the book down if I was taking time out of my day to sit and read it. Instead I continued to listen to it on my commute to and from work. I ended up liking the book at the end and appreciated the ease of simply listening.

This disconnect was due to the difficulties of following complexities without actually reading the text. Maybe that is because I am a visual learner but when topics got intricate and detailed it was hard to follow and stay in line. I felt as though I didn't fully absorb some lessons and stories, rereading might be necessary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRL6KeYxAm8

Showcasing the Libby app and my Notion Reading List.

Reading ebooks:

The only ebook I read from the Libby app was Good Omens. This book was chosen as I knew and loved the Amazon Prime series adaptation.

I was wary of reading on my phone for multiple reasons. One of those being that I strongly dislike reading on LED screens, the bright blue light is too much for me. I even keep a blue light filter on all of my devices at all times. The second reason I was wary is the simple fact that a phone is not a book. I miss flipping pages, seeing my bookmark progress through the book and the excitement of seeing that I am halfway through the pages. Due to this wariness I chose a book that I knew I'd enjoy.

Even though I loved the book I struggled to feel motivated to read from the app. I will continue to read ebooks here and there but I will definitely be listening to more audiobooks.

I am considering rereading my favorite audiobooks as text so who knows I might begin to thoroughly enjoy it. It'll probably be easier if I chose to read on a tablet and then page sizes would seem more realistic.

The Need for Speed:

While I am typically a fast reader and listening to an audiobook for an hour seems easy I strongly dislike feeling rushed.

With Libby your hold last 2 weeks. This is usually more than enough time for me but I was overdoing it. I would have 2 to 3 books on hold at a time and the need to crunch down on finishing them in time for the next was intense. I've not renewed any loans but that's because most of the books I chose to read where popular and on hold for others. If renewal was more of an option I would have taken it.

Slow and steady is the best pace for winning the race and reading.

The Slow Down:

If I'm being honest, I over did it.

I was reading too much in January and the beginning of February. Racing for knowledge isn't the best for retaining nor is it good for the reflection that most of the books I was reading suggested. Because of this realization and the fear of burning out from reading I will be slowing my pace. I will try to stick to one book a week. This will allow more time for reflection and slow absorption of the material. I will start back up with an ebook as those are a slower process than audiobooks.

A healthy balance is key in every aspect of life, including reading and the accumulation of knowledge.

The Books that I Read in January:

Becoming, by Michelle Obama (love this for her)

How Google Works, by Eric Schmidt & Jonathan Rosenberg (took me months to finally finish)

Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (the show was really well adapted)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, by Mark Manson (the one that I almost put down)

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, by Neil DeGrasse Tyson (this book was a blur of complexities)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo (not sure if I'd declutter it or not if purchased)

The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg (not personal, v informational)

Atomic Habit, by James Clear (referenced the previous book quite a bit)

#audiobooks #ebooks #reading #libby #notion

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daybyjae · 3 years

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Being Less Sedentary, video

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#Youtube

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daybyjae · 3 years

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Being Less Sedentary

a fake exercise resolution

In 2021 I want to be less sedentary!

For the past two years I have told myself that I just want to work towards being healthier. I said this and not something with a more specific with a hard set goal because I knew that I could not commit myself to going all in at once. I started by eating healthier. I joined a vegetable delivery subscription. The goal in mind was to eat more veggies, coming from where I'd been previously that was anything more than none. Though I didn't give myself any number marker for success I had achieved something. I still try to have a vegetable with most dinners and I no longer cringe at the idea of celery. Plus I was on the grocery delivery wagon before it was "cool" aka encouraged by a pandemic. The real plus is actually my new found vitamin and nutrient intake.

When the pandemic started to change everyday life I became less active. I had just gotten into the flow and routine of going to the gym when I had idle time but, suddenly my gym was closed. I had nowhere to go and so I didn't move beyond my bedroom.

I regret not going on any walks during that time as my body started to feel truly unhealthy. I was opposed to going on walks for whatever reason, probably a mixture of laziness and existential dread. Now in 2021 I want to encourage myself to walk more and hopefully carry less dread.

I stepped up my step goal from 7.5k to 10k. No, I don't expect to hit this most days but I expect it to push me to actually get up and start moving. Part of why I increased my step goal is because I will be doing more walking due to work and I expected that on some work days I would easily surpass 7.5k. I also intended to start walking to and from my seasonal job. It's about a 20 minute walk. So with that happening twice a day and slight workouts morning and night I should be able to get at least an hour a day of active time on the days that I leave my apartment. I am also planning to walk to stores more instead of just ordering things online to be delivered to my front door. This is going to be a major boost since I typically only got 10 minutes of activity before. Even though I dislike allocating more time to exercise I don't think I will always think of it like that. I like giving myself errands and saving money so this falls in line perfectly with an already established habit.

I use an app called Sworkit for most of my bursts of desire to workout. They carry a large variety of circuits and workouts but mostly I use it for guided stretching. I intend to use it for light workouts twice a day and more often whenever I am feeling inspired. As of the past few months I use the app around twice a day. In the mornings I stretch and do yoga and repeat at night.

Currently I added on a two month challenge, it is intended to help people lose weight but my goal is to simply get toned and build some endurance as I have close to none. I doubt that I will actually work out as often once the challenge is over but who knows I might be motivated. The point is, I won't look down on myself for not meeting a quota.

This is all to say that yes I use resolutions to keep me on track but no I don't expect them to fundamentally change who I am without a ton of work behind it. I'm not ready to put my all into exercising but I am ready to give a little more.

I hope this encourages you to step into the pool you often dip your toes in.

#sedentary #resolution #exersice

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daybyjae · 3 years

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Getting an Apartment, video

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#moving #nyc #apartment hunting #Youtube

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daybyjae · 3 years

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Getting an Apartment

So recently I have been on the roller-costar that is apartment hunting in NYC. Which has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. I started off 2020 in a college dorm with plans to move straight into my own apartment at the end of the spring semester. Everything changed when the fire nation attacked...aka SARS-COV-2.

Off went my potential summer jobs and any apartment of my own as you can't get an apartment while unemployed. I still had to move out the dorms as they were charging a ridiculous amount for anyone who was trying to stay. I ended up renting a room in a three bedroom apartment in Brooklyn as a temporary landing pad until I got back on my feet and into the work force.

Flash forward to now, currently in the onboarding stage for a full-time AND a part-time job (NYC is pricey) with the need to move in two weeks.I had a specific apartment in mind but she's now off market as work is being done. So now I'm diving headfirst into the hunt. So far I have visited 3 apartments and only liked 1. It is time to pick up the pace and find a place while also not settling for somewhere I'd be unhappy in.

8 Questions to ask yourself before moving:

1)When do you need to move by? Start planning in advance. 2)Where do you want to move? The commute to work, friends and family may be important. 3)What's the budget? How much can you afford to spend every month on rent and utilities? 4)Do you have enough money on hand? Save A LOT. You need enough to cover first month, safety deposit and probably brokers fee. This translates to about 3x rent upfront. 5)What is your income? Brokers and landlords like to know that you can afford to rent but this is based on their standards (40x is a ridiculous yet common standard). 6)What is your credit score? This and the previous question go hand in hand. It's all about the landlords opinion and what they feel comfortable accepting. 7)What are you looking for in an apartment? Hardwood, carpet, dishwasher, washer/dryer? This is when you set up you standards and must haves. 8)How will you move? By yourself with a rented van? A friend with a truck? Or a moving company? Most of the time moving consists of outside people helping you move. Figure out your schedules together.

Update: January 2021

I found an apartment a week before my sublease was set to expire. I was stressed and ready to give up but was successful in finding a place. Maybe I'll share my current apartment but it's not fully furnished yet and I have full intention to move when the current lease is up.

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