I just published my 27th post. A bit personal and vulnerable, and I really wonder how I'm going to feel about it in the morning, but for now - here it is:
https://www.zuzana-k.com/articles/some-dreams-were-only-ever-meant-to-be-dreams
https://www.zuzana-k.com/articles/some-dreams-were-only-ever-meant-to-be-dreams
Comments
The problem is in the word "hustle." It leads directly to burnout, which leads to depression, illness, etc., because the focus is on always be going and hustling.
I feel like there has to be a better way.
So for me, I shifted focus to learning, and teaching.
How do I help people?
How do I learn more to help people more?
Thank you for sharing, Zuzana.
Do you mind me using your post as an example?
"My own joy is something I produce."
If you're fostering contentment and joy in your spare time, is that not producing something of value? Not everything has to have a stripe account connected to it.
What if you aren't good at (practiced at, used to, etc) producing joy? How do you get better at it?
"When I walk the dog I like being nosey and seeing what people are watching on TV"
"I'm watching this nerdy video cause it kinda tickles me"
"I play with my synth cause it smooths my brain"
Mindfulness is so, so hard. At least for me - ADHD & perfectionism is hell of a combo for mindfulness.
Your brain moves so fast that it's hard to appreciate what's happening in front of you, and your perfectionism makes you feel like nothing's ever good enough to recognize.
Can’t I just play my guitar at the blues jam and be happy?
All the podcasts we listen to and tweets we read push us to be working on Saas projects on the side.
I know I’ve wanted that in the past (and have done that)…..
But right now, I don’t have a desire for that…. I still loving coding though.
Poignant that @mary.win shared this post (https://bsky.app/profile/lindsaykwardell.com/post/3lcyykg2zps2s) which I saw right before reading your article
I think mastering the skill is just the beginning. We sharpen our axe to fell the tree, and all that...
Our jobs and our skills can just be our jobs — and that’s okay. Healthy, even.
The social expectation that devs *must* be coding day and night robs people of their ability to be whole humans with families, friends, and other interests.
It’s funny how the most vulnerable posts resonate with people the most! I definitely have the vulnerability hangover this morning but that’s ok, I’ll just ignore it, I’m good at that 😃
But I hope you’ll keep talking about this. We need to normalize *not* having side projects.
In fact, this would be such a great talk… CC @kasperhartwich.dk
I often feel like I'm doing the wrong thing if I'm not at my computer hammering out code
And many times frustratedly staring at my computer, willing myself to produce, but unable for some reason, nor to peel myself away
So many of us have strong internal voices that tell us we should be working as much as possible, whether for financial reasons, because we think that’s how we show our value to the world, or because it allows us to escape other problems.