Weeknote 58: Chatty and Easily Distracted

Between chores, social engagements, and the desire to be as far away from computers as possible, it’s been difficult for me to find time to write these posts on Saturdays and Sundays. I’m going to try posting on Wednesdays for a few weeks to see if it suits me better.

What’s Been Happening

1.

We’re building a new product at work, which means I get to put on my designer hat once more. The more time I spend wearing it, the more confident I feel in my skills, and the more enjoyment I get out of the design process.

I’m at a stage where I’m reasonably confident about my visual design skills. I now want to focus on learning skills that will help me build UIs that don’t just look good but also work well. I don’t plan to stop writing code, but being able to contribute to the whole process of building a product is a powerful feeling.

2.

My brother is visiting from Delhi. Both of us are currently going through a period of bad mental health, so we’ve been spending a lot of time sitting around the couch and complaining about life. Sometimes we switch things up and complain about video games, or the state of rap music, or baggy jeans, or our poor gut health. It’s great.

3.

I forgot that I’m a decrepit old man of thirty-four and went out for drinks with a bunch of twentysomethings for two consecutive weekends. It was fun, but my back still hurts and the alcohol has made me stupid and sluggish.

I guess this is my yearly reminder about the dangers of drinking alcohol.

4.

I’ve been co-working from a shared workspace with some friends once a week. It hasn’t made me particularly productive—mostly because I’m chatty and easily distracted if there are people around me—but I’ve been enjoying talking about programming and tech with other developers in-person rather than over Slack or Zoom. It’s something that had been missing from my life in these post-pandemic years, and I’m delighted to have it back.

5.

My daily routine has been out of whack this week, leaving me with very little time to write fiction. It’s frustrating. I could make more time for writing if I tried, but to do that I’d have to cancel most of my social engagements.

I wish there was a way I could find time for my friends and family as well as creative hobbies, but I feel like one or the other must always suffer as long as I have a full-time job. We really do live in a society.

What’s Good

Win(s) of the week: pushed myself to be more active, and discovered I have a lot more energy than I give myself credit for.

Looking forward to: taking a few weeks off work in October/November.

I’m glad that: I live in a city where it’s relatively easy to make new friends based on shared interests.

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