So, today marks the end of my first week of a month-long break between gigs.
I'll have more to say about my job transition in the coming days, but for now, I'll leave it as it is: I exist in a liminal space.
I'm torn between wanting to take a real break for the first time in a long time vs. not squandering the opportunity to reset productively. My instinct was to create an unachievable list of 50 projects "now that I have time." I only have three more weeks. I won't have the time.
If you "win" a break, does that mean you actually didn't break at all?
By the way, I'm deciding for myself; 2024 actually begins on Monday, January 22. I have reasons.
Happy New Year!
- Essentially experimented with being lazy this past week. I used the word "puddle" to describe how I felt after a day of just watching Netflix on the couch. It was ok to do for a day or two. Not a habit I would want to pick up.
- I worked on clearing out Omnifocus; it felt nice to cancel projects from my previous gig that I knew I would not have to finish.
- I reconnected with my friend Som, who runs CLIP; we chatted briefly about taking breaks and his company's progress.
- Met up with a former colleague and noted the vacuum that EYEO left for creative technology gatherings (at least in the States). We pondered what it would take to fill that gap.
- Reconnected with some friends I had ghosted last year due to "being too busy." I used to participate in a weekly mastermind with them, and they welcomed me back with open arms. "Reconnection" with people, including myself, seems as good a theme as any for 2024.
- Participating in Shawn Blanc's Focus Course, mostly paying attention to the format and delivery. There's nothing especially new in the material so far, but it is notable that the forcing function of "being in a class" compels you to do the work.
- Spent some time resetting davidnunez.com. I have an ambition to pick the writing back up.
The next three weeks will be about clearing out the environment, tools, and infrastructure (ex., planning for a home office upgrade, clearing notes in Obsidian, etc.). I have a lot of clutter that's been physically, digitally, and mentally choking me up. I want to wipe the slate clean... or at least shove a lot of stuff into a contained shoebox.
I hope if I exit this mini-sabbatical with a clean (metaphorical) desk, I'll be in a better place to approach the upcoming challenges of 2024.