Life, 2014.
Focus, habits, family, and everything else
- Everyone is broken and life is hard
That’s a pretty depressing and fatalistic post title, but I actually mean it in a positive and encouraging way. Let me explain. It’s easy to go about your life, every day, feeling like everyone else has their shit together and that the things you struggle with are unique to you. But then, when you ...
- Finding Flow: writing vs. coding
When I first started to learn programming, about 15 years ago, I remember being surprised at how easy it was for me to get focused and stay focused. I loved (and still love) the feeling of getting lost in a project, and could easily spend hours upon hours “in the zone”. No procrastination, no resis...
- The Professional Amateur
One way I have described myself is as a “professional amateur”. I am both deeply proud and deeply ashamed of that. Let me explain. For basically my whole career, I’ve been learning new fields and professions from the outside-in. While I have an undergrad degree in Urban Studies, which ostensibly ...
- Disgusting
I got this in the mail: It’s an ad for an extended warranty, disguised as an urgent extension of existing coverage. This makes we want to throw up. A business blatantly based on tricking people. “Immediate response to this notice required…. Our records indicate that you have not contacted us to hav...
- Becoming a leader of men
In terms of leadership, I’ve done some hard things. Building teams, reorganizing a company, dealing with failure (and success), letting people go, navigating competition, etc. But I suspect all of that will pale in comparison to what’s up next: this weekend I begin my career as a little league coac...
- The sweetest pitbull
I had crazy week last week. On Monday, I went to NYC for the day for work, and was overcome by a strange dizzy feeling. Walls spinning; hard to concentrate; nauseous. I thought — maybe I’m just dehydrated. I took a rest during the middle of the day; I drank a lot of fluids. I made… Continue readi...
- Turning 35
Today I turn 35. 30 was certainly a milestone, but somehow 35 feels more solidly different than 30 did (or maybe I’m just 5 years in to being used to 30-level grownup-ness). Closer to 50 than to 20. Gives me shivers thinking about it that way. For a while now, it’s seemed that every… Continue rea...
- I don’t know how to shop anymore
The sole is starting to peel of from my snow boots, so I’m in the market for some shoe goo or Gorilla Glue. I’d really like to get it today because the flapping sole is getting annoying. As I was thinking about this just now, I realized that I don’t know how to shop anymore.… Continue reading
- Pond hockey
Happy New Year everyone. I love new years. It always feels to good to turn the page and have a shot at a fresh new year. And new years in New England is always so so cold — which I think really helps mark the beginning of the real part of winter and the turn… Continue reading