10 Things I Learned in 2015

Hey there, 2015! You were pretty kind to me. You taught me so much! Things like…

1. How to work at a sustainable, productive rate.

For a long time, part of my self-image has been that I can sit down and get a job done faster than many other people through sheer willpower. When I first started marking papers in undergrad, I took it as a point of pride that I could finish the job in under the hours allotted to me. So, as I grew as an instructor and writer, I set myself similarly high goals: finish five chapters a week. Mark 40 papers each day.

Seeing others’ self-tracking through social media (“I wrote 2700 words today!” “Just finished NaNoWriMo a week early!”) made me feel as though asking myself for anything less was lazy, or, worse, unmotivated. So I pushed my goals even higher: mark more! Revise extra!

Not unexpectedly, all this accomplished was making me feel bad about myself when I (surprise!) was human and needed to rest. It also spun me into a downward spiral of taking longer to do regular work and then burning out. I was trying to give myself stress-free time by compressing all my work into set periods rather than allowing myself to let the work go every now and then without beating myself up.

This year, I finally settled into an OK routine: mark only 10 papers each weekday, no matter how many there are. Set students’ expectations more reasonably. Write a little bit regularly, do more when I can, and don’t stress out about not being a “real” writer if I can’t make my brain work the way I want every day.

2. How to get all my fruit and vegetable servings from whole fruits and vegetables, not juice.

I used to have a glass of orange juice each morning to pump up my day. Only, I realized that it was discouraging me from eating whole fruits and vegetables, and, after I got a cheap juicer to try making my own, I had to accept that my regular store-bought stuff was glorified sugar water. So, instead, I added lots of cut-up veggies etc. to my routine, and I try to drink water or non-sugared teas. Seems to work OK.

Also, apparently, I’m supposed to get 7-8, not 5-6. Got it.

3. How to type on my ergonomic keyboard.

Boyfriend hates my ergonomic keyboard because it looks like this. Because important keys like Enter and Del are in the middle instead of their conventional positions, it had a steep learning curve. But after a little bit of practice, I can touch-type again. More strangely, I can switch between my regular tablet keyboard and my desktop ergonomic keyboard with little problem.

4. Dynamic stretching pre-workout, static stretching post-workout.

I started RMT for my joints/nerve problems this spring, and one of the most useful things I learned was the following principle: warm up by moving around and save the holding-a-muscle-in-a-stretch-position exercises for the cool down.

You’d think after years of classes and lessons that follow this pattern, I’d have clued in beforehand, but nope! I didn’t even prioritize my cool down, which should have been a no-brainer.

I can’t say that it’s fixed all my problems, but I do notice less pain and stiffness afterwards.

5. How to build a general-purpose computer from NAND gates.

This course from Hebrew University was tremendously cool. Fleshing out the details of the my vague concept of how computers work through various binary logic calculations was fun and informative. And also could be the basis of a terrific “how a scientific-minded young wizard would change the wizarding world” Harry Potter fic*, just sayin’.

6. How to keep my gym clothes from smelling even after they’re washed.

Real talk: I let my gym clothes dry before I put them in the laundry. I washed them after one use. And they still smelled like BO even straight out of the machine.

Luckily, with the mighty power of ***~TEH INTERNET!~*** (lens flare), I conquered even the stubbornest (smelliest) foe. After my initial campaign of soaking the offenders in diluted white vinegar, hanging them to dry in the sunlight, and rubbing extra detergent into the smelly spots, my enemies are now at bay. To keep them there, I use a spray bottle of the vinegar solution and more sunlight hanging immediately after gym activities.

Also, I switched to a non-aluminum deodorant, because, like, seriously, if there is a way for me to stain something, I will have stained it within about ten seconds.

7. That I can wear a suit.

I indulged in a bespoke men’s-style suit from Lloyd & Company, both as something to wear to work and an alternative to the women’s formal clothing that often makes me feel uncomfortable.

At first, it was difficult to get used to the way men’s suits move differently than women’s (stiff shoulders!). But it was also awesome to have things like functional pockets.

What is significantly more difficult about wearing a suit and tie is the fact that I am a woman defying conventional rules of formal dress. Even some of those supportive of me would rather I wear women’s clothing instead of men’s at particular events to be, you know, “normal.” But I’ve learned that I don’t really care what people think about me being me, as long as I’m not hurting anyone.

And you know what? Getting hostile looks in the women’s washroom is worth it for the students who now feel comfortable wearing something a little less conventional to class themselves.

8. That podcasts are awesome.

If I can choose between reading , listening to, and watching information, I will choose reading hands-down most of the time. For that reason, I used to turn down my nose at podcasts: why listen when I can just go online and read the same information in half the time?

Well, because I can’t read while I’m cooking or commuting to work or folding laundry. Duh.

Like everyone else on the Internet, I got hooked through Serial (thanks, M-L, for the recommendation!). Now my favourites are Futility Closet and Mystery, but I also occasionally like Criminal and This American Life.

9. How to shoot an archery tag arrow.

I wish I knew how to shoot it as well as I seemed to in the lesson, when I knocked out the bullseye target.

Archery tag was way more fun than dodgeball, the game it most closely resembles, and way less scary too. Marshmallow-tipped arrows hurt far less than the jerk in your gym class whipping the ball at you — actually, they don’t hurt at all. And though the game demands physical skill, it’s not strength based: you use your muscles, but you don’t need to be the biggest to be the best. Also, unlike dodgeball, there’s stuff to hide behind, which brings more strategy into the picture.

In case you aren’t feeling my main point here, archery tag is great. And, as tends to happen in Toronto, now that it’s a thing, everyone and their mother has opened a place to play. So if you’re on the fence, give it a try!

10. How to wear clear make-up.

Buzzfeed, of all places, told me that clear mascara is good for subtly shaping my eyebrows and eyelashes. And when I messed up my pre-wedding bridesmaid manicure in about five seconds, another member of the wedding party helped me put on a clear coat.

I like the, well, polish of clear make-up and how it adds an extra layer of refinement to my style without feeling gunky or (to me) like face paint.

* The grandaddy of these is Eliezer Yudkowsky’s Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. As an academic trained in history and philosophy of science, I found some of the ideas in it weren’t for me, but go on and check it out. I’m just me, and this fic might be for you!

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