Returning to Work

Day 8 of writing every day. 2nd entry

After winding down a little these past couple days, I found my last day off to suddenly be occupied by a visit to the pension office to request a document proving that I’ve been paying into the Japanese pension system as part of the permanent residency application process.

It was a simple process really. I just needed to hop on the train to the city right next door and walk to the building, a trip that was 40 minutes or so one way.

The paralegal I hired to help me with the process told me what was needed and was kind enough to include the address, but with map apps it’s not difficult to find where you need to go these days.

Before I headed out to the pension office, I dug through my room to try and find the IDs I might need when I go to request the needed documents. “Try” is the keyword here though.

I accepted the fact my room is a mess even if I usually didn’t have problems finding things I use on a close to daily basis. Just a month ago I had tidied up my room a little to make room for new furniture that was more ergonomic and offered better storage capacity.

However, following the advice from Atomic Habits I understood that simply cleaning up my room once doesn’t matter in the long run if I don’t change the habit that leads to my room being a mess and disorganized in the first place.

A messy room might not be distracting me consciously, but it creates an environment that is not conducive for being productive as it can feel stifling. I think most people tend to be more productive and focused when there are less things around them and more space.

So I have two issues to deal with:

1. A habit that is creating a messy room.
2. A messy environment that is my one room apartment which is holding me back because the layout and use of space does not promote a productive mood.

I’ll be returning to work and while I feel recovered enough to go back, it’s not something I’m looking forward to unless I’m getting welcome news of getting reassigned to something that I feel will be a better fit for me.

But I’ve made meaningful progress with the two days I took off following the weekend and I am setting myself to stay on course and not veer off track again.

Thanks for reading!