What Was on My Furlough To-Do List

I was furloughed at the start of the pandemic, so I made a list of things I planned to do. I didn’t get to do everything I had planned while I was furloughed, but I recently stumbled upon my list. So, what was on my list, and what do I still plan to complete?

Work Out/Get in Shape

This was the first and most important thing on my list. Unfortunately, it’s one of the things I didn’t do. I wanted to be able to work out daily like I used to, but for some reason, I kept putting it off. I know that I was only failing myself with this one, but I still have hope that I can do this. I’ve purchased a fitness video game which I hope will motivate me.

Finish Luigi’s Mansion

I got this game for Christmas and never got to finish it. I thought my little ‘vacation’ would be the perfect time to do so, but I got stuck on one of the bosses and put the game down for a little while. I also played a lot of Pokémon during my off time. I still plan to finish this game; I just must find the time between articles.

Finish Editing My Book

I’ve written a book and put it aside intending to edit it. I keep going back to the first two chapters and editing them over and over. I think Kindle Vella will help solve this problem since it won’t be as overwhelming when I’m looking at its chapter by chapter instead. I also purchased Scrivener to help with this.

Make a list of Books I Want to Read

I did this one, but I haven’t read all the books yet. I wouldn’t mind sharing my list if anyone’s interested. I could give mini-reviews of what I’ve read.

Check Up on Old Friends

I decided that I should check up on old friends that I haven’t spoken to in a while. I did this one, and it helped me to feel better during the ongoing pandemic.

Try to Mend Broken Friendships

I tried to do this one, but it bit me in the butt. There are multiple articles I’ve written about the aftermath, but to make a long story short: I used to be friends with the guy who began harassing me. I used to enjoy seeing him every day at work, and I was grateful to have finally found a friend at that awful workplace. I decided to attempt putting everything behind us (it was a lot to forgive) and try to mend the friendship. Everything was fine until we went back to work. I started being called to the office weekly to talk about him. He’d been doing the same thing to other girls at work.

Read a Book!

I read the newest Riley Sager book, which I love. I recommend everything by him. I also read the new Hunger Games book. I also recommend that.

Watch movies/Tv-shows I Haven’t Had Time For

I’m not sure what I watched, but this is highlighted so I must have done it. I think it was Cobra Kai, another thing that I highly recommend.

Limit my Social Media Time

After doing this, I find it hard to go back to the way things used to be. Sure, I still scroll through every so often, and I post my links online, but I don’t spend a lot of time on any website.

Learn Photo Editing

I thought this would be a neat skill to learn to promote my books and other media. I didn’t learn this, but I found a program online that makes things easier. I don’t know if I still want to put the time into learning this or not.

Declutter Art Supplies, Makeup, and Clothing

I did this one, but I feel that I need to again. I couldn’t part with everything that I should have, but I think I’m ready to do so now. I have many things in all these collections that I’m not using. I even have some art supplies in my car that I haven’t used in years. They’re probably heat-damaged by now.

Learn a Skill

I had planned to give skills Share a try or at least look for some free tutorials on YouTube. That didn’t happen, but I still want to learn a new skill. I have my eye on Karate, but I don’t think you can learn that online.

Journal Daily/Writing Prompts

I was doing that before being furloughed, and I figured it would be good to keep doing so. Not only could it help me improve my writing skills, but it would also help me to manage my feelings about being furloughed and all that came with it. It did help me to manage my emotions. I didn’t do the writing prompts as often, but I do feel that the ones I did were important.

Try New Hairstyles

My hair remained in a messy bun for most of the pandemic, staying home didn’t change that. Maybe I’ll try that now.

After reviewing my list, I think I could still benefit by completing most of these things and that’s what I plan to do.

Originally Published On Medium