Evolving Perspectives

Welcome to the 15th edition of Notes, and first written in 2024.  I’ve had a busy start to the year, hence the delay in getting this edition together.  But to be completely honest, I was unsure if I would continue.  It wasn’t until yesterday when a work friend asked for the subscription link, that I found the determination to resume writing.  I’ve been thinking about my goals for 2024 and how this newsletter and those goals can co-exist - let’s dive in

Here's the content from today’s edition:

• Evolving Perspectives

• Milestones

• Productivity Tip

• What to Listen to this week

01 /
Evolving Perspectives

In my last edition, I wrote about my goals for the year ahead and my aim to build a digital product.  Well, not much has happened, except that I’ve given it more thought, and the idea has begun to take root.  I’ve got a killer name for it - so that helps.  I also found a use for our expensive Nikon D750 that has been sitting in the cupboard for years…

Is it better to get a minimum viable product up and away - to start things rolling and gathering feedback?  Or spend more time planning to set a proper direction?  I’m leaning towards the latter - but I am eager to begin producing.

I’ve also decided that I’d like to “build in public”.  This means putting it out there right from the start!  Promote, network, and be open to feedback.  I’ve never done this before, so I think the experience will benefit me, but there is some trepidation there - trying something new can be daunting.

So, with a focus on the new digital product, where does that leave this Newsletter?

Well, the two can work together.  The new digital product will be very specific.  Aimed at a distinct type of designer with a particular background - very niche.  This newsletter can remain more generic, continue to be an outlet for me to improve my writing skills, and offer my perspectives on a more extensive range of design and productivity topics.

02 /
Milestones

It is important to stop and take stock every now and then.  To process what you have achieved and enjoy your successes.  I recently had just the chance with a significant milestone.  

In 2015, I suggested to my future wife (we were engaged) that it would be a good idea to buy our future family home while conditions favoured us.  We bought a home at the end of that year, rented it out for five years while planning for future renovations, and then decided to knock it down and build anew.  That process began in 2020, and the final defects were repaired last month - in my mind, officially completing the build. 

Then, to top it all off, the landscaping works we’d planned and chipped away at for the last three years have just been completed.  All together, a process spanning close to a decade.

I’ve seen these quotes in a few formats over the years, and I think there is some truth to it.  The timeframe may vary depending on your goals, but the general idea exists.

Plan long term.  Think about your years.  Then work and chip away at those plans month to month and day to day.

We took calculated risks and pushed the limits of what we could afford to do.  We got through, not by always focusing on the end goal, but by many small goals in between and making many compromises and decisions that we hoped would pay off in the future.  When you build up, step by step, you can achieve something quite amazing.

Now we can relax… jokes!  The next projects are already on the horizon - just not quite as big.  A lot more maintenance work - but enjoying what we have created.

When did you last think about where you’d like to be in 5 or 10 years? 
What actions are you going to take to get there?

03 / PRODUCTIVITY TIP
For Renovators and Landscape DIYers

This Productivity Tip comes from the heart - and I mean it in the best way possible. Renovating, landscaping, and the like are infinitely easier when you do not have kids! Truthfully, doing anything is! Sleeping, eating, relaxing, etc. But equally, I’d say that with increased difficulty comes greater rewards.

It’s just something to keep in mind if you have that Plan in decade’s thought process happening right now. If you can get some DIY renovation or landscaping practice in before you are blessed with a family - you’ll at least have some idea of what to expect from the work side of things. Don’t try to be learning to parent and renovate simultaneously…

04 / WHAT TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK
Sahil Bloom on Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal

The title of this podcast episode is “9 Systems to Build a Life of Abundance”. Having listened through in its entirety, I’m unsure if I could tell you any of those systems from the heading.

However, what stood out for me was Sahil talking about being a father and reflecting on how others may spend their time working incredibly hard through their 20s/30s/40s for retirement but missing out on a lot of fun to be had during their kid's upbringing and forgetting to enjoy the present.

That’s my main takeaway and something I’ll aim to do more in 2024.