Optimistic October: Day 4 - Positive Ch Ch Ch Changes

Here's a real challenge for me. There are plenty of things that drive me quietly bonkers about society, but this is Optimistic October so I need to turn that on its head...

• I'm working hard to reduce my consumption of single-use plastics and favouring the purchase of things that come with less packaging to throw away, regardless of its composition.
• Rather than quietly seething when I experience people being racist, sexist, transphobic or generally intolerant of people, things and ideas that aren't in the slightest intolerable, I'm calling it out. I'm doing my best to let people know that that sort of thing is not something that I'm willing to tolerate, and I'm doing it in a polite, calm and civil manner.
• I'm doing the best I can to be an ally to everyone who identifies somewhere (or nowhere) on the big, complicated and broad spectrum of humanity. If you're a decent person, I'm your ally.
• I'm seeking out sources of positive news.
• I will tackle head-on nonsense and ridiculousness of any type that has at least the potential for a negative effect on people, persons or peoples (whilst championing the friendly, harmless nonsense and ridiculousness that I enjoy so much).

Optimistic October: Day 3 - Starting Importantly

Welcome to Day 3 of my OptimisticOctober19 challenge!

Working on the assumption that this means the list in Day 1's challenge, I started off with a pull-up (baby steps...) which contributes to motivations behind #3. I started my work day with some development time on the mathematics resource that I'm creating to be trialed over the next two weeks by some volunteer maths teachers. That contributes to #1!

How about you? What did you get up to?

Optimistic October: Day 2 - Reasons to be Cheerful Part 1 (of 1)

It's Day 2 of OptimisticOctober19, and today's challenge is to look out for positive news and reasons to be cheerful.

I decided to do this via the medium of twitter, so I posted a few things that I came across throughout the day, and a few other people joined in too!

If you've got some positive news or a reason to be cheerful today (or any day) I'd love to hear it. Explore mine and those of the others who have joined in here (just click the little blue bird...):

I'm going to thread some good news and positive things here throughout the day for today's #OptimisticOctober entry. Would love to see some of yours!

— Tommaths (@TeaKayB) October 2, 2019

I finished off the day with a re-watch of a really good movie.

Optimistic October: Day 1 - Gooooooals

It's day 1 of Optimistic October, and the first challenge is:

My top four most important goals for this month are...

1. Do a decent job of my next assignment, due in early next month.
2. Habitually leave work on time at least once a week (baby steps...).
3. Go to the gym at least once a week.
4. Stay within my budget for the month.

What are your most important goals for this month?

Optimistic October!

I've been challenged to take part in Action for Happiness's Optimistic October (by friend and colleague Claire). I'll be posting responses to the below challenges every day throughout October 2019, and I'll be tagging them with OptimisticOctober19.

That's the full calendar. Feel free to join in at home (and point me towards your own responses, or just post them in the comments, or tweet them at me...) or just egg me on, and PLEASE send me reminders!

October is a particularly pertinent month for me to be doing this as it's a month I've always had problems with. I can be a grumpy guy at times, but October, traditionally for me, is a time of the year that optimism is usually even more difficult to muster. In fact, historically it's been my second-least-favourite month of the year!

Enough waffling. First (proper) response coming up...

Join me?