Over the years, it’s seemed I gained fewer hobbies, space to do them. I slid into work mode. Everything became work. Clock in, focus, clock out. Even if I did something ‘casual’, it often had a flavour of work or was for a work reason. The more the years pass, the more this is changing…
It seems so much longer than just over a month ago I left Automattic, it has been an incredible adventure so far. I have done a lot of recharging, thinking and considering what I am going to be doing. I truly believe most good things start with a great conversation (often also tea) and my…
This year has been a lot for every single one of us. If you’d said at the start of this year I would be sat typing this, I would have not believed you. However, here I am writing this post. Tomorrow, Friday 11th is my last day at Automattic after 7 years. It’s been an…
In just under 2 weeks I will be heading into a 3-month long sabbatical. This is an incredible gift that everyone working at Automattic gets every 5 years. I took my time taking it, but as it approaches I am very ready for this opportunity. Plans have a way of changing When I first began…
What everyone is experiencing right now isn’t normal, let’s get that straight from the start. There isn’t a rule book in our generations for how to handle this, no template, no guide. How anyone handles the experience is personal. There comes in recognising that respect to not apply pop psychology or misunderstood concepts. To not…
I am a child of the cassette generation; I grew up sharing tapes, crowding around a player to get the best fade, the perfect mix. Titles stuck on with glue or scratched with ink over whiteout. Compiled with hormone visions and a need to express emotions, only music could. Tapes were crafted for moods, for…
I refer to my end of year time off as annual recharge because it’s just that for me. I thought it could be nice to share what for me this process looks like after having just done it again. It does adapt each year but this is the current format for me. Everyone recharges differently…
I used to write every year my reflections on the year like a whole lot of people. It was my bow I tied on the season as I packaged it up and moved into the next. Time passed and I dropped this habit, this year though I feel the need to in a little way…
One of the big things I have focused on this year is doing more offline things. As a result I have rediscovered knitting. Whilst this has helped in logging me off its also had an unexpected benefit. I’ve found that by knitting a little at night my brain churns through things and unclogs itself. I’ve…