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Rest, Reflection, Transition Yesterday was the winter solstice, a wonderful time to think about rest, reflection, and transition. The machines we work on don’t really need rest, and we may pump ourselves full of stimulants trying to keep up. But with the prevalence of burnout in our industry, is that really the answer? I hope you find time to rest during these final weeks of the year. Despite what we hear in tech, life is not all about optimizing, maximizing, and streamlining. Sometimes it’s about taking a breath and letting your mind, body, and soul recover. Resting also gives us space for reflection. If we just keep running without taking a break, it’s harder to realize when we’re headed in the wrong direction. You keep checking off tasks on your to-do list, but is it really bringing you happiness? With rest and reflection, we can also more explicitly mark times of transition. I have a longer post to write about transitions, and how little we acknowledge them in our modern society, but for now I’ll just touch on it briefly. Throughout the pandemic, I kept looking forward to that day when a cure was released, and we’d all throw open our bunker doors and run into each other’s arms, grateful to be together again. That day never came, at least not in the collective sense. Many—especially in the laptop class—are still keeping up their pandemic habits like having food delivered and avoiding people. For a small number, this may be for legitimate health reasons—fair enough—but it’s time for a dose of reality: in a large number of cases, this is due to inertia and fear. People are, of course, free to stay in their cocoons. Unfortunately, there are consequences: crumbling communities, diminished creativity [see previous newsletter], and economic stagnation. For the sake of humanity, I hope 2024 is marked by a complete departure from fear-based pandemic thinking. I hope it’s guided more by this attitude from John Shedd, repeated by Grace Hopper: A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
It’s time to take our ships out on the unpredictable seas of life and see what they’re made of. This transition may involve grieving, releasing, growing. I know it has for me. A simple reflection exercise for these final weeks of the year, not based on accomplishment or achievement, necessarily, but rather on how you show up to meet life’s challenges and opportunities: Where have I lived consistently with my core values in the past year? (e.g. I maintained a regular fitness and meditation routine, looking after my physical and mental health.)
How could my actions more closely align with my core values in the new year? (e.g. I’d like to cook at home a few times per week to feel closer to my food and family.)
Is there any belief or burden that’s no longer serving me that I’d like to release as we enter the new year? (e.g. a particular resentment or self-criticism)
Feel free to share your insights!
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