The latest look at where my energy and attention is focused now…

Freelance work

With my full focus in the run up to the end of last year on my freelancer away days, I am a little slow off the mark with plans for this year.

Here are some things I know right now:

Beyond that, we’ll see.

Part-time employment

I’ve now been in my part-time content design role for eight months. It’s taken a while to get the service off the ground, as you might expect, but right now my time is booked up at least a month in advance.

I’m enjoying the variety in the work from scoping projects through discovery workshops and developing content strategies to reviewing planned and existing content to make improvements based on user needs and journeys.

The best bit though, is my colleagues. I feel really settled and am definitely benefitting from the daily chat and support that you just can’t get when working solo, no matter how good your networks are.

Making connections

Every Wednesday morning when I’m free I’ve been attending Freelancer Mag’s virtual co-working. I’m enjoying both the routine of this and also the familiarity that’s growing within the group of regular attendees.

On Monday mornings (and sometimes Wednesdays too) you’ll find me journaling alongside other members of the Sonder community.

Activities

Throughout January I’ve been taking part in a distance challenge through work. This has got me out walking at every spare opportunity. With a week to go I’ve reached 118km. Can I get to 150 for the month? While I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up the same commitment in future months, I will still make time for at least one longer walk every month.

I’ve become a member at a local print studio and have my induction scheduled for early February. I’ve dabbled with linocut for the past few years and attended a couple of courses. This year I want to develop my skills and I think to do that access to a proper studio with a variety of presses will help improve the quality of the finished work.

We’re over half way through the hockey season now and it’s an understatement to say it’s a tough one. The league we’ve been promoted into is obviously a step up than previous seasons, but I don’t think we anticipated just how hard it would be. All our energy is going in to winning just enough points to stay up.

Relaxing

For the new year I’ve instituted Monday movie night. While my wife is out at college I plan to work my way through my watchlist.

Other than that, my main methods for relaxing are:

  • reading
  • watching sport
  • doing puzzles
  • listening to podcasts
  • taking afternoon baths

This is a ‘now’ page, inspired by Derek Sivers. Intrigued by this? Read about the origins of the /now page movement then make your own.