Jeff Barker ⏳

Higher Ed pro & recovering workaholic | Writing about pursuing time freedom⏳, intentional living🧘, and 🧑‍💻personal growth | Erebus Growing on Beehiiv

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

I passed 75 followers a few days ago!

To all you new folks coming along on my journey, welcome!

I thought I'd share my life tenets here ⤵️

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

Getting the check for my couch today really settled in my head that the move to the Boston area is coming very quickly. 😬😬 it’s gonna be a whirlwind summer.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

I turn 34 today.

I was also recently identified as pre-diabetic.

My entire family has dealt with this. Grandmother, great aunt, mother, uncles, and others.

This 34th year of my life is when I refocus on honoring my body.

I refuse to give in and combat it all my life.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

I was reminded from an email today to do the hard thing now to make the way easy later.

Hard now, easy later and not easy now, hard later.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

It’s been a long couple of days, but at Ultimate on Sunday, I scored a few points.

Then I submitted my official resignation to my current 9-5 yesterday.

Now I wrap things up and start prep for my new 9-5 as a middle school math/science teacher! And I’m psyched for it!

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

I was out with friends tonight and we talked about investing and retirement.

1️⃣Turns out I remember a lot more than I thought.
2️⃣Some people genuinely don’t understand it because it can be complicated and scary.

Always educate yourself about money to have a basic understanding.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

One of the most important things I’ve been working on is my yoga practice.

It’s been a new moment of peace and serenity, even if it’s a mess sometimes.

It’s the act of constantly showing up to the mat, just like I show up to the rower.

It’s not a habit but a lifestyle.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

The energy is shifting as I get closer to ending this chapter of my life and starting the next.

And the more I work through it, the more excited I get.

Moving into the next chapter with a new set of knowledge and understanding changes things immensely.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

A new chapter of @TESOnline launched today for consoles.

It’s one of the few games I play that lets me dive into a massive lore based world that serves as pure joy and excitement for the novelist in me.

Tomorrow, I’m diving into the new story and I’m psyched for it.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

This heat wave is gonna be something else. At least I was able to spend some time outside just watering plants at the part-time tonight.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

Ultimate tonight was rough.

It’s clear to me that I need to focus more.

Some of that focus was gone because of the part-time, but it’s not an excuse.

What I did realize is that this next season of life is going to instill some change for me.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

My stiff neck persists after almost three weeks.

A muscle relaxer is touching it but I just want normal movement back.

Between the meds, a heating pad, and stretches, it just won’t go away.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

I realized today that I’ve been at the part-time for over a year.

And I’ll be leaving the part-time in little over a month.

But I have to say, it provided for me when I needed it.

Never look down on part-time jobs.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

It’s back to the part-time tomorrow and it’s the last stretch before I leave.

I’m ready for it but also severely enjoyed the past week of not having anything other than the 9-5.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

A spark of brilliance tonight from @SahilBloom

“Identify how you want to live, not what you want to achieve.”

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

Both of my supervisors know that I’m leaving my 9-5.

Now begins the work of wrapping things up and prepping for the next step.

The next step is going to give me the space to really focus on cultivating that life I want.

I’m leaving here a different person than when I arrived.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

This summer is going to be a whirlwind of change and that’s a good thing.

When you change, you grow and expand.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

I purchased a Kindle after saving up for it for the past few months.

I just spent a couple of hours sorting through my physical books and added a bunch to my wishlist.

I love physical books, but they take up a ton of room.

It’s a hard decision on what to keep and donate.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

It’s been a long day of relaxing and decompressing.

I finally told the 9-5 that I’m leaving and they took it rather well. Now we prepare for the next step.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

First rowing session in a week and it was a test.

2,500 m today and I’ll build back up tomorrow.

[Jeff Barker ⏳ @thejeffbarker]

I haven’t been rowing for the past week.

Moving started the process and I didn’t have any water purification tablets.

But they came today and I’m going to get the rower set up tomorrow and I’m so excited about it it’s not funny.

I didn’t realize how much I would miss it.