Having a large blog archive means coming across blog posts that you’d forgotten about but which are surprisingly relevant to what you’re thinking today. It’s like having a Magic Eight Ball, except with more insight.

Two years ago, I had just started working at IBM, and I reflected on some changes I needed to make to my routines (The best-laid plans of mice and men). How far have I come since then?

• Sort out my clothes for next week. Weekly laundry means I’ve got most of my clothes sorted out each week. I set tomorrow’s clothes out in the evening (including thermals – it’s fall!), which means I don’t have to think as much in the morning. I leave a pair of shoes in the office, and bike to work in my sneakers. I’ve phased out my skirts for now (don’t want to worry about biking in them), so my “uniform” consists of a scarf, a blouse, and slacks.
• Prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks beforehand. We freeze lunches for convenience and cooking efficiency. We also keep breakfast staples in stock: granola and milk, bagels, or steel-cut oats. We have a freezer bag full of biscuits that are ready to bake (15 minutes in the toaster oven) and home-made blueberry jam in the pantry and the fridge. For snacks, there are fruits, energy bars, home-made trail mix, and other good things. With a spread like that, eating is a pleasure I hardly skip.
• Have my keys, wallet, and badge in a consistent place. Still working on this. I usually leave my keys on the key hook near the door. My wallet goes into my purse organizer, which also holds my emergency kit, iPod, phone, notebook, and fountain pen. My badge clips onto the mail holder inside our hallway, so that I remember to take it off when I get home and clip it back on when I’m heading out.
• Wake up even earlier. Snoozed until 6:30 today, then finally decided to get up. Will work on eventually moving this back to something like 5:00am (ambitious!).
• Stop replying to e-mail on the subway. No subway rides recently. I guess this is done! ;)
• Blog in the evenings, after dinner. I realized that I prefer to blog in the morning, when I’ve got lots of creative energy and my mind isn’t buzzing from work. Having lots of home-made frozen meals in storage also means never scrambling to make dinner, which is great.
• Start winding down by 9. Still working on this.

Five years ago, I was getting ready for my first real winter. My technical internship in Japan included classes in Yokohama and work in Tokyo, and my eldest sister lent me some winter clothes (including a pretty cashmere coat). In retrospect, winter there was pretty mild, but I thought it was Really Cold. (Now I’m, like, ooh, 2 degrees? That’s two layers and gloves when biking.) Since then, I’ve learned to have more layers: wicking camisoles, merino wool long johns, the works.

Two years ago, I was talking about passion, blogging, and Web 2.0. And I still am! <laugh>