A seasonal fling will break up your routine
Image by Martin E. Dodge
*update: some items mentioned in the blog may no longer be available.
July 1, 2023
I like being on autopilot most days, but the monotony gets stale, and I stumble through situations where the routine doesn’t work. A lot of preparation and practice are required to reach autopilot mode. Enjoying some rest after achieving the necessary aptitude to glide by for a while is ok. But fine-tuning processes or adding skills to adapt to new scenarios are inevitable. And I occasionally review routines to repair bad shortcuts or improve efficiency. Most importantly, refreshing the practice around something you love to do can spark creativity and growth. Don’t bog yourself down with constant revision, however. Pick a season to try something new. This year I chose summer.
My photography hobby reminded me to check its routine for glitches. Recently I noticed some pictures had grainy images even though they were in focus. Thankfully the photos were camera practice. Troubleshooting why this happened made me realize I had a bad habit. I use the aperture mode on my DSLR camera, which was not set for a dim environment. Focus usually gets most of my attention when I take pictures. But I need to pay more attention to the change in lighting caused by clouds and adjust the aperture to match. A set-it-and-forget-it habit is convenient but sloppy.
So my summertime fling is to level up my picture-taking. I will look at pictures, read blogs, and watch YouTube videos for inspiration—and do lots of practice. I use a DSLR, a point-and-shoot camera, and my phone. Portability aside, Each camera style has strengths and weaknesses. The DSLR is bulky but is the most versatile camera, and manual focus is a must to pinpoint the focal range. The point-and-shoot camera does the job, but it can be frustrating when the autofocus won’t find what I want. The phone camera is great, but I find that too often, I nudge it askew when I tap the screen to take the picture. Learning can be frustrating, but the achievement feels grand.
Treat yourself to a seasonal fling. Start a new hobby or add a skill to an existing one. You do not need to spend a bunch of money. Get outside more, walk, or walk farther. Cook something new, read, watch a new movie genre, and listen to new music. Drive to work a different way. Can’t go on vacation? Bring the vacation to you. For the best results, pursue something you have been thinking about. It is your fling, so choose a fun activity and plan to incorporate it into your week. Develop the fling for three months. Take a break if the joy of the fling diminishes and return to it with a good attitude. The fling could expand your boundaries and remove self-imposed limits. If things don’t work out, say goodbye at the end of the season. You will gain wisdom, new stories, and in my case, some better pictures.
