Happy Monday! We’re sticking with the MONDAY/THURSDAY blog update schedule this week. I liked how it went last week, but it takes me a minimum of two weeks to see if a new routine really works. After about 10 days, the novelty has worn off and I can get a better feel for it. Today I’ll review the experiences of the last few days. It’s been a productive weekend! (more…)

Happy Thursday! This week I’ve been bumbling-through the the new code experience, designing and implementing a web application system that will be the foundation for the next couple of years of work. I’m taking the time to iterate the system design so it is more consistent and easier to use by developers; I learned recently that this is called Developer Experience or DX, the technical counterpart to User Experience/UX! In ye olden dayes, I think DX would have been called simply “Tool Engineering”, and this was a position that was necessary but kind of pooped-on by other developers doing flashier front-end facing things. I like the idea of a cool label like DX. That probably is more my wheelhouse than front-end (though don’t get me started on the state of UI design…)

But I digress! I’ve got some new laptop stickers to apply, and I’m assessing a second week of whether diet affects my productivity. Also I have some thoughts on task gloom, the feeling of having to-do items weighing heavily on me even though there’s no reason for it. That and more after the jump! (more…)

Happy Monday! This is one of two “daily status” blog posts I’ll be doing this week. By limiting the number of blog posts, I’m hoping that this won’t create a flood of updates every day while still maintaining a sense of continuity for readers who are wondering what I’m up to. I am thinking of these daily posts as my “hanging out with my friends on the Internet” time, sharing stories and other discoveries. This week I’m going to be focusing on pounding out some billable work, so the twice-a-week schedule will help me allocate entire days toward that.

Read onward for a look at what I’ve been cooking, productivity tips I’ve been trying, and TV shows I’ve been binge watching! (more…)

Happy Friday! I’ve been working the past two days, achieving a pretty good level of productivity that seems to be increasing. The low carb grazing diet I’m on has done wonders for my mental clarity, and I’ve maintained the gym habit at the minimum 15-minute cardio in the morning. I’ve been pretty good about eating protein first thing in the morning, and I’ve found that just doing three days a week blogging/streaming has freed up time to unstick some other projects. I am feeling pretty good! I also have a few things to share about vocation and food at Starbucks after the jump. (more…)