On practice and habits

“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

~ Aristotle

I’ve been thinking about nature vs. nurture quite a bit. It’s always been interesting to me, as someone who has been striving—to various degrees of success—my whole adult life to learn more, challenge myself, and become a better person in almost every aspect of life. With some things, it’s come easily. With others, it can be so damn difficult. Why is that? This is something I explore a lot. Sometimes it just feels like we’re wired a certain way, and the resistance in changing that wiring can feel insurmountable.

But. BUT. Practice, especially daily or regular, has worked well for me despite the difficulty. We can, it turns out, go against what is naturally challenging and break through resistance a little bit at a time.

In addition to improvement, I’ve found other benefits to daily practice. For one, practice itself becomes easier if a regular habit is involved. Habit stacking—a method described by James Clear in his excellent book Atomic Habits by which you link habits together for better effect—works well to smooth out the bumps of resistance. But the most significant benefit I’m hoping to cultivate more in my life is leveraging practice to get into a flow state.

I’ll be journaling more about flow in the future, as it’s a big part of why I started this experiment in the first place. In a nutshell, flow is the delightful state you achieve when you’re so immersed in doing something that the rest of the world seems to fade into the background. And it’s key to doing great things.

So I hope to use practice and daily habit-building as an on-ramp toward a more productive and creative mindset. This has worked well for me in the past, and I suspect it will be one of the best tools I can use to find more focus and flow in 2023.

Heavy Covenant: 2021

2021 was a decent year overall, and a year of great change and fluctuation. He’s a little post to reflect and recap the year that was 2021.

The quick personal reflection

From the get-go 2021 was uneven, and it never really seemed to get stable. A lot of this was lingering anxiety, frustration, and mixed signals related to COVID. Sadly, 2022 is off to a similar start. But we can only control what we can control, and just as with 2021, we’ll do our best. For me, I saw a year with great strides at work, a stable personal life, progress towards some small nagging health issues, and quite a bit of creative growth. Yep, you can still grow and learn and improve, even after 50. :)

I had planned on writing a lot more here on this blog, but…yeah, I’m just not all that interested anymore. With anything “online” if I’m being honest. I’ve done a ton of writing, a fair bit of photography, making, etc. but sharing that crafting is just not a priority.

I hardly did anything related to social media this past year, and I think I’m just about done with it aside from the occasional peak and share. I hate to say it, but it’s just all the half-baked opinions I can’t deal with. So much is shared without even a second thought, and even the things I agree with I find annoying. So, yeah, not for me anymore. I do miss friends, and much of 2021 was pretty lonely, but the online interactions I used to get a little thrill from just frustrate me or feel half-hearted and shallow. So, yeah, miss me on all of that and hit me up IRL if you want.

2021 in my ears

The first song to make it to my 2021 rolling playlist on Spotify was “Heavy Covenant” by the ever-prolific The Hold Steady, who put out another terrific album in 2021. My favorite track off of which was probably, “Unpleasant Breakfast”—but the whole thing is great.

One of the best things 2021 had going for it was the return, albeit uneven, of live music. I didn’t see many shows and had more things canceled than I was able to attend, but I did get to revisit the band I saw just before the pandemic wrecked everything—IDLES—and it was amazing. Their new album is solid as well.

Overall 2021 was really great for new music, and I think I’ve got a lot of discoveries to point out. Let’s start with a song and video that brought me a ton of joy this year. “Scratchcard Lanyard” from Dry Cleaning. Their album, Strong Feelings, is stellar, but this video? Just watch. So good.

2021 was terrific for both newer discoveries and some old favorites that put out new stuff. I really loved new music from Quicksilver, AFI (really), Cloud Nothings, Clowns, Frank Carter, Maximo Park and so much more more.

A few new (to me) standouts, listed here in no particular order aside from the general chronologic I found them in.

First up, oh boy, Billy Nomates and Sleaford Mods, both of which were on regular and repeat pretty much all year. I’d never heard of either and spent a fair bit of time acquainting myself with their work.

Next up, the mellow funk of The Goon Sax. They’ve got an oddly compelling groove that strikes me as slightly depressing yet fun to listen to. They’re like random rain on a sunny day. It’s sort of weird, but I love it.

The first show I saw this year—the first one back—was a fabulously eclectic line up of fabulously eclectic bands headlined by The World Is A Terrible Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die who I thoroughly enjoyed and really want to see again. There was a lot to take in with every song, and the whole show was a little overwhelming. In a good way.

Speaking of overwhelming, the opener for that show was Bent Knee, and they were awesome. But also probably the loudest band I’ve seen in many years. You can’t really tell it from “Queer Gods” but, believe me, they almost knocked the house down.

Last I’ll mention two albums I listened to more than most and share cuts from them. First up is I won’t Care How You Remember Me by Tiger’s Jaw, a refined-yet-still-essentially-midwest-emo hit parade. Such a great album. Next was the latest from Delta Sleep, Old Soul, which helped me fill a gap left by Minus The Bear’s retirement.

Want more, check out the whole playlist on Spotify, there is a lot of great music in there, I promise.

2021 in Books

I read quite a few books this year. I think I got over sixty and they were a mix of old classics and new. As usual, most of them fall into the “speculative fiction” genres, but I did pick out a few biographies and read a decent share of books on writing and other non-fiction. Here’s a sampling of my favorites this year.

• The Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. I’ve done a longer review of the first book in this epic series, Empire of Silence, but the gist? These are sneaky great and I think they’re classics in the making. They check all the boxes for me and are highly recommended if you’re into science fiction.

• The Storyteller by Dave Grohl. What can I say about this book? It’s fun. Dave Grohl is a terrific storyteller and has some terrific stories to tell. I loved it.

• Consider This by Chuck Palahnuik. Fun fact: I’ve never read one of his novels. This is kind of hilarious because this might be the best book on writing I’ve ever read. Sort of makes sense in a mad sort of way.

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. This damn book was so good.

• The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft. I’m not sure The Fall of Babel was the best book I’ve read this year, but this series is easily one of the best I’ve EVER read. It’s so unique in a variety of ways and it really stands out as something everyone should try.

2021 in TV, Movies and Games

I’m having a really hard time thinking of other media I enjoyed this year, with the exception of a few standouts. I didn’t watch many movies, didn’t have much time for gaming, and spent most of my TV time watching the Warriors play or picking up older “easy” shows like Lucifer and Doom Patrol. Here are the standouts.

• Arcane. For me, this was the best show of the year. I loved the artful animation and the story was fantastic as well. Loki and Wandavision were also favorites, so fun. I enjoyed Wheel of Time. I liked the books and, frankly, thought the changes were more than fine. Ted Lasso was solid, as was Succession and Mare of Easttown. I still need to catch the latest season of The Expanse and would like to check out Foundation.

• Dune was great. I’m not sure I saw much else that really stands out.

• Returnal (PS5). This game was way, way too hard for me, but I still managed to play the hell out of it. Fantastic concept and execution. I didn’t really get into much else…maybe just some Destiny 2 grind here and there, but just didn’t have much time for gaming this past year. Womp.

That’s all I have for 2021. I think it was a good year overall and I have high hopes for 2022. Let’s get after it!

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

File under: Fantasy Space Opera

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Empire of Silence is a brilliant debut, the first in the forebodingly named Sun Eater series. It has been described as The Name of The Wind meets Dune and that’s…a pretty good description actually. Maybe throw in a little Star Wars and some Red Rising and you’d get a pretty good picture of what you’re in for.

Empire of Silence works as both a traditional coming of age fantasy and an epic space opera. To be sure, it wears its influences on its sleeves, especially Dune, but also feels unique and, as the first outing for a young author especially, it’s fairly remarkable, but maybe not for everyone. If you’re looking for a top-down view of an epic universe, this isn’t it, but the story might go there in later volumes.

The backdrop is grand, but we only see the smallest corner of the universe and only through the eyes of Hadrian, the protagonist. Most of the scenes and the story itself are fairly intimate. If you’ve read The Name of The Wind you’ll get that comparison right away, the viewpoint is similarly structured as is the purple prose, which I grew to enjoy once I got used to it. I felt like it worked, both for me as a reader, and as a voice for a character representing an entire universe. It didn’t work all the time, and it might be fun to see these worlds from another’s point of view, but in the main, I thought it felt right.

I think what I liked most, though, was a bit surprising to me. I had gone in expecting to immerse myself in a universe sweeping drama but found myself more and more invested in Hadrian and his day-to-day. As the tale moved on I realized I could relate to him quite a bit. Not so much the epic struggles, but the more mundane elements within them and within him. He struggles with privilege, fitting in, simple things like creativity and feeling trapped by circumstance. He’s unable, for a variety of reasons, to unlock himself and find his best future and his purpose, which is hinted at throughout and I’m sure I’ll be revealed in later volumes as beyond epic. He’s not always likable, but he grew on me and by the end, I felt like I was pretty invested in what was going on with him and his friends.

If you pick this up and are at first put off by the structure, prose and awkwardness of its main character, I’d press you to stick with it. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but I’m very glad I kept going and I’m very excited to read future volumes.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

A magical, ephemeral mystery set in a house that contains an ocean.

File under: Magic and Mystery

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was one of the few people I know who read Susanna Clarke’s first novel, "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell," and didn't absolutely love it. I'm not actually sure why, I just found it slow, almost tedious, despite the objectively brilliant prose and compelling setting. I think I need to try it again sometime.

This short novel, "Piranesi", however, I thoroughly enjoyed.

I don't want to speculate too much about the Meaning or Theme behind "Piranesi" or give away any details. I think going in, as I did, with very little idea of what to expect is probably best. It's a short but dense book, a magical mystery that unfolds slowly; it's sort of like piecing together a puzzle, but there is so much symbolism, allusion and allegory in there, that you might feel like you're constructing the pieces yourself. At the same time, it works well as a straight-forward portal fantasy/mystery, guiding the reader just enough so that the pieces, ephemeral as they feel at times, fit together in a perfectly imperfect way.

When you've finished, look up Giovanni Battista Piranesi and his imaginary prison engravings. Very cool stuff.

What Does a Lead Designer Even Do?

A quick look into the work of a Lead Designer on a digital product.

I've meant to write a bit more about a lead designer's role, and with my Leading Design talk coming up, I think it's time to share a bit of context. This quick post is for the folks who will be watching me deliver said talk and anyone interested in what it's like to be a leader on the individual contributor (IC) track.

So, as tricky as I think this is likely to be, I wanted to try to give you an idea of what I believe a "lead" or "staff" designer does and how that might be different to, say, a senior designer. In my mind, it's that Senior -> Lead jump that signals a fairly significant change in one's career. Probably as much, but in a different way, to someone moving from IC into management.

So what does the day-to-day of an IC leader look like? What kind of work does a Lead (or Staff) Designer do? How is it different, both in terms of IC and in terms of management? I'll try and give you a quick idea of what my workdays are like, as I think it might be fairly typical.

Well, as you might guess, it's a bit of a messy, mixed bag. Mostly of goodies, though.

How is IC different from management? And what’s the day-to-day?

A lead is usually the one on the hook for outcomes of larger streams of work or focus areas. There are as many ways it can go as there are designers who advance in their careers. One of the things I'll cover in my talk is how we might better accommodate the many varied paths and skillsets that come with growth. In my experience—and my primary focus—most of the day-to-day effort falls in the place where the buck ultimately stops when it comes to user's experience for the streams I'm working on.

In the past, this has been for a specific product. But it could be a specific feature, vertical or focus area, depending on a variety of factors. Currently, my purview is a program of work that runs cross-product and within several different cross-functional groups.

I'm working on metrics, insights, and data visualizations, but I'm not limited to a particular product or stream. I've been in this specific role since before it there was a program of work, and I'm, at the moment, the only designer in a leadership position that works directly for the program. As well, we don't yet have a manager role for the program, so in my leadership capacity, I do a lot of what a manager would do without all of the people management responsibilities. Nobody reports directly to me, but I lead a variety of people across streams of work.

I think this is a pretty common scenario for leads; you might be in a spot where you're a solo designer or working with folks from many teams, doing both the day-to-day design work and all the things a manager might do outside of the "people" aspect. I attend many meetings, do a lot of mentoring, and represent design to cross-functional team members.

So my weeks are often relatively evenly split between "leadership" things like alignment and strategy meetings on one side and tactical product design work on the other. I do anything and everything from design explorations to supporting research to pairing with developers to get things implemented.

The most significant difference between a Lead/Staff and a Senior is the circle of influence. A lead's influence and areas of responsibility are likely to be wider (more people) and deeper (more responsibility). That will also like grow as you get on in your career.

For those looking to take a step, making a move into leadership without going down the management track can be tricky, and it's something we need to work on as an industry. Growing as an IC can be very rewarding; it's just a bit of a tough spot for many in the industry right now. We've got the scale, I think many organizations have the business need, and we've got people wanting to make that leap. What we're missing is the structure and the systems to support everyone and their growth quite yet. It’s a tough problem. But we'll get there.

🗣️A quick shout-out and caveat around growth. Wilson Minor recently shared some brilliant thinking on this and has some terrific insight into the subject, as well as the role of an IC in general. If you've made it this far and are still with me, you should read the interview. One of the things he points out is that it should be ok to "just hold where you are."

I 100% agree with this and can relate. I think we put too much emphasis on constant and unrelenting growth and feel like, especially later in your career, sometimes the best value you can bring to your work is by settling in and just being really fucking good at what you do. We need to normalize and embrace just doing consistently good work.

If this tickled your brain or are interested in learning more about the shift into leadership on the IC track and how we might make that better, please, check out my talk if you can and/or follow this space for more on that subject.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A sweet, thought-provoking tale about finding family in unlikely places.

File under: Cozy Magical Realism?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This fucking book. :) It lives up to the hype. It truly is the sweetest damned book. You could stop here and read it if you want. You'll love it unless you're a monster. If you continue, I'll try and give some more impressions and reflections, but beware of small spoilers.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is a little hard to review. It's a beautiful, well-written, and immensely thought-provoking book. And that's the problem. There are too many reasons to like this book, far too many to really capture in any meaningful way.

And what's it's about? Well, Amazon's blurb has the plot down as "Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light." That's accurate, but it's not really about all that. That's the plot, but what about the story? That's where Cerulean Sea really shines. It's the story of how Lunus finds his place and helps to bring a lot of light and love into world in the process.

While entertaining me and warming my heart with its easy, yet compelling story and charming characters, it's a book that made me think about a whole slew of different things.

It's about love, care, and intention. It's about lifelong learning, feeling like you don't fit in (more Linus than the kids, as he's ostensibly "normal"), positive reinforcement in teaching, diversity and acceptance. Recovery (from trauma and abuse but also more in general). It's about accepting responsibility for things that need work and creative problem-solving. About learning to love yourself and seeing the value within you that others see.

It's also got some sharp social commentary delivered with sweetness and wit. And some astute observations about systemic prejudice and bureaucracy, how it serves the status quo and the lengths people will do to maintain it, and the absurdity and pointlessness of it all.

Reading about the children's situation, the nearby villagers' attitudes, and the role of DICOMY, I thought a lot about parallels with real-world divisiveness (which probably wasn't intended by Klune) left me wondering why people NEED to have an "other" they can beat at life. Is that just part of our nature? And, if so, how can we evolve past it, as it clearly doesn't serve us anymore, doing much harm and no good as far as I can tell. Tribalism without accepting (or worse, actively working against) those that are different feels like a weakness to me.

The theme that hit me the hardest was parenthood and what it's like to be a parent to children who aren't yours. As someone learning to be a step-father to a group of kids who are all vastly different, as different as they are the same, it's...fascinating to reflect on the ways Linus changes from bureaucratic worker to father.

But these musings took a backseat to the hopeful, sweet messages about tolerance, acceptance, and family littered throughout. "In order to change the minds of the many, you have to first start with the minds of the few."

So, yeah, a lot is going on here, but don't let that stop you; it's an easy, delightful read and highly recommended.

Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny

I love this cover, but I’m not sure who the artist is. A googling for covers of this book is fun, as they’re all weird and awesome.

A classic blending of sci-fi and fantasy from a master of both.

File under: Classic sword and lazer

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Roger Zelazny, one of the masters of early sci-fi and fantasy, is one of the absolute best at cramming a ton of interesting world-building and compelling story into small packages. Jack of Shadows, which tackles both of those genres, is a fantastic example. It's a small, odd, jewel. Not Amber, but similar enough, both in the flaws and smooth edges. The writing is terrific if dated-feeling (it was first published in 1971 and it shows) with a brash style that I very much enjoy, despite the quirks and passages that are a bit hard to follow.

The story here is a bit strange, both epic and prosaic as shifts back and forth between Shadowjack's internal struggle and the saga of the world. It's about literal polar opposites, day and night, science and magic, winter and summer, but also an examination of the shadows that lay along the edges and in-between. Within Jack's world, they're all split, yet intertwined and evolving, much Jack himself changes as he struggles to understand the world, and himself.

Sounds like a lot, yeah? It is, and while Zelazny doesn't give you all the answers to the questions that arise along the way, he does a killer job of exploring complicated themes, while also packing in plenty of action and adventure. The result is a lot of fun.

Cheap Regrets: 2020

It was a year. It wasn’t all bad. I’m glad it’s over. Here’s a reflection as well as some of the things I enjoyed in 2020.

For my rolling playlist of liked songs that came out in 2020, I just decided to keep the title of the first song I put in there. This year it was “Cheap Regrets” by The Districts and that sort of fits. The other option put in the same day, I think, was “The Alarmist” by Pinegrove. Probably a better choice?

A quick personal reflection

Looking back 2020 doesn’t seem as bad as I’m sure it did while in the moment. The biggest feeling I have towards it and believe me, I feel privileged and very lucky to say this—is that I felt bored and trapped. It could have been a hell of a lot worse. I was able to work and work well. My family and I are healthy. The kids probably had it worse than anyone, but they all seem mostly ok. I’m glad it’s over but grateful to have made it through healthy and mostly happy. A lot of the credit for all of that goes to my partner, Kerri. Our wedding was just before all the shit hit the fan, and while it wasn’t always easy, our first year was reassuring and filled with more love, laughter, and good times than I ever would have expected.

2020 in music

The lack of live music in 2020 really messed with my music discovery plans. I was all fired up and getting ready to build my SXSW plan when things were called off. I think I saw one show in 2020, and while it was awesome—IDLES and Fontaines DC—it was nowhere near enough. No live music might have been my lowlight of 2020. I hope we can get that back soon and that all the venues, the small indie bands, and the hosts of people that support them make it through alright.

Speaking of, take a minute and check our Save Our Stages, and if you’re in a position to, think about helping them out.

I recently went through and listened to the music I’d discovered in 2020. A few old favorites came back around this year. I’ve already mentioned The Districts, they had quite a few tracks make it into my playlist. Hell, “Cheap Regrets” is in there twice with the Porches remix! Gorillas put out a ton of fun stuff. The Cribs latest, Night Network was a nice surprise. Fleet Foxes new one, Joywave had some killer hits, Albert Hammond Jr, HAIM.

And, of course, The New Abnormal from The Strokes is one of my favorites of the year. Have you seen the crazy, cool video for “At The Door”?

While there might not have been as many standouts as a “normal” year but there were a few. My current favorite, Impossible Weight by Deep Sea Diver, is fantastic. Here are a few more.

The Weeknd brought some serious 80s vibe in 2020. He wasn’t the only one but was probably one my favorites, with some killer singles and a great album.

Not many had a better year than Phoebe Bridgers. Punisher is top-notch. But she really got me with the Copycat Killer versions she released, I love them.

Probably my favorite new to me (thanks to a tip from my brother) artist is the sax-rock-dance-party band Melt Yourself Down. Their 2020 release 100% Yes is awesome. They remind me a whole lot of 90’s Seattle scene darlings Critters Buggin, and their legends on the saxophone, Skerik.

The last show I saw in 2020 was IDLES and Fontaines DC. Both of whom put out killer albums this year. Ultra Mono might have been my most played album of 2020 and if it wasn’t it was top 3.

2020 in Books

While I didn’t reach my reading challenge of 75 books and read less than last year, I still read a lot in 2020, mostly escapist fiction as I found myself really struggling to focus and keep momentum with pretty much everything else, especially earlier in the year. I blame American politics and culture coupled with a lack of imagination on my part leading to a lot of doom-scrolling.

Here are the new books I really loved.

• Gideon The Ninth and Harrow The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. These were probably my favorites this year. They’re a nearly perfect mix of an interesting and crazy premise with likable, relatable characters who grow and change in meaningful ways. They’re also just bonkers. Really fun read.

• The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin. A super weird and super entertaining tale about a Cthuluian takeover of New York City.

• Foundryside and Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett. Fast-paced, character-driven fantasy set in a steampunk world where magic is sort of like computer programming.

• The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie. Gritty, violent, and complex fantasy from one of the new masters and an amazingly talented writer.

Most of the books I read this year just sort of seem so-so to me. Hopefully, 2021 is better.

2020 in Television

There’s much less for me to say here. Surprisingly I didn’t watch that much TV this year, and a lot of what I did watch doesn’t really stand out. A few things that do:

• Ted Lasso. Perfect.

• The Mandalorian. Loved it. I’m not a Star Wars junky, but I was a huge fan when I was a kid (I saw A New Hope in theatres when I was about seven or so) and The Mandalorian comes the closest to how I remember Star Wars as a kid.

• The Flight Attendant. Kerri and I binged this one last weekend. It’s a dark humor murder mystery that was pretty much perfect for us at the time and kind of felt like it hit all the right notes at the right times.

• Lovecraft Country. I thought this show was so cool and interesting. I really enjoyed how they mixed Lovecraftian horror and sci-fi with day-to-day living and historical events. And, of course, the big old “fuck you” to Lovecraft was fun.

• Raised by Wolves. I really enjoyed this, even though the kid, Campion, reminded me of Sally from Mad Men mixed with Atreyu and I couldn't stop thinking about it every time he came on screen.

2020 in Movies

I don’t have much. Does Hamilton count?

2020 in Video Games

I didn’t play a lot of video games this year, but I did spend a fair amount of time with a few that I think will go down as all-time favorites of mine.

• 🤯The Last of Us Part 2. Mind-blowing. I think I loved just about every moment of this game, with one major exception, which I’ll mention later. The Seattle arc was my most fun playing a video game in ages. I especially loved rolling around the aquarium, as I’ve spent so much time there IRL. Anyway, this is a classic in every way.

• ⛩️Ghost of Tsushima. I’m not sure if I liked this better than The Last of Us Part 2, but it was damn close. The game is fantastic, the story solid and the…cinematography (?) probably the best I’ve seen to date. I might have spent more time taking photos with Tsushima’s in-game camera than I did outside with my real cameras.

• 🔱Hades. I’m not really into rogue-likes but I’ve been very much enjoying this one.

• ⚔️Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I’m playing this one right now and, aside from one thing, enjoying it quite a bit. I spent a lot of time with AC: Odyssey this year as well and enjoyed that too.

So, what did I not enjoy about most of the above games? Killing dogs. They should seriously build options into these games to turn that shit off or make it easier to avoid it.

Have a great New Year and here’s to a timeline for 2021 that’s better than 2020. 🎉

A Simple System for Planning The New Year

An overview of the system I use to plan and track my personal projects and growth.

I enjoy the yearly ritual of making plans, setting goals and intentions, resolutions, or whatever people do to kick off a new year. I find that, when I do a good job of reflection and planning, I start the year off on a positive foot that, sometimes, I can sustain and turn into a lot of positive action and growth.

But I tend to think, and plan, in much smaller blocks of time and I can’t sustain most plans for a full year. Maybe, more importantly, I don’t think most yearly goals really make much practical sense. So while it’s fun to lay out some ideas for what you want to accomplish in a year, I tend to focus on months and quarters and then try and map out how they might add up to something.

And, of course, there are years like 2020 that can ruin the best plans, so it’s best to be prepared for chaos.

IMO, the best way to approach a year is to focus on projects, actions, and habits, but I do start with some reflection and planning.

Plans instead of resolutions

I don’t generally do resolutions, theme words, or any of that, and I prefer my yearly plans to be concrete, measurable and within my means to achieve. That doesn’t mean I don’t have big goals or dreams, only that I try to avoid things that are overly fuzzy or impossible.

For me, laying out a structure for personal projects and growth is key. I need to do it or I won’t get anything on my “personal” list done. My work—my day job—takes up most of my time and energy, and I’ve got a whole separate process for managing that. Without personal planning, reflection, and a simple, easy structure, I’d probably be limited to fuck-this-shit-o’clock-and-play-video-games when I’m not working. Which wouldn’t be good for my personal life OR my work life, as my side-projects play a big part in my success at work. But that’s another post.

The new year is a meaningful break, but it’s also just a slightly special one of four quarters and one of twelve months to check in on things. Most of my yearly planning is reflection and intention and setting up a few goals, and projects to get out of the break on the best foot and ride it as far as I can.

I usually start big and break things down from there. I do better with structure and I find that a simple framework works pretty well for me and it fits just about anything I’m wanting to do.

A simple system

The harder any system is for me to use, the less likely I am to use it, and the more likely I am to be distracted and all over the place because I have no structure. So, I keep it simple and try to build habits around checking in with it. It goes like this:

1. I review, measure, and reflect

2. I define aspirations and goals

3. I devise plans and projects to support those aspirations and goals

4. I break those plans and projects down into actions

5. I work to develop habits that support everything

6. I review regularly

Not everything maps back to what’s above it, for example, I’ve got goals that aren’t connected to aspirations and habits that don’t support anything else, but they usually fit together.

I tend to revisit this loop once a month and once a quarter. I don’t really do weekly planning, as that’s too much with my day job and all the work that goes into planning there, but I do track things on a daily basis and that comes in handy when I take time to review everything.

Here’s a bit more about the individual pieces.

Aspirations

I like this word, but if you don’t like this word, feel free to skip on down to the “Goals” section, as it’s pretty much the same thing without all the high falutin shenanigans.

So yeah. Aspiration. It’s a fun word and I use it for the lofty, open-ended, or nebulous things I want to do; developing skills, difficult or lengthy goals, things that might require multiple goals, projects, and many actions. Big things. I’ve also tried to use it in place of “stretch goals” which seem almost purposely unattainable. Aspirations should be something doable, even if they’re a bit fuzzy. I like to keep things concrete, but we’re I to aspire to something a bit nebulous like “be exceptionally fit” it would go here. Of course, the more nebulous the aspiration, the more you’ll need to think about how to measure success. I’ve thought a lot about whether or not I even need both aspirations and goals, but find that they serve to push more than goals do, and there are some things I often want to work against that feel either too fuzzy to be a measurable goal or too lofty to achieve outright.

Another way to differentiate aspirations from goals is that they need to have a well-thought-out “why” attached to them. With a goal, I don’t always put as much thought into it. If I want to do it, that’s good enough, but if it’s something I want to put a lot of effort into, I want to make sure I spend some time thinking about why I want to do that.

Some examples: “become a published novelist”, is a good, concrete aspiration would that might be too big to be a simple goal. It’s tough but possible and easily measured. For a more nebulous aspiration something like “Build healthy eating habits” would work, just barely, as it’s pretty vague and a little hard to measure and track. It could work though because you could fold smaller, more measurable, goals, plans, and habits into it.

I like like to start out the year with a few of these, but I don’t spend much time working actively against them with projects and actions, preferring to focus down the chain on goals and projects. Also, they can be hard to come up with and harder to write.

Goals

Goals are similar to aspirations, but much more concrete, practical, and actionable. And, smarter, smaller, and very much doable within a yearly, or shorter, timeline. These are things I like to think I will, for sure, beyond any doubt get done. Assuming we don’t suffer a global pandemic or some other major disruption.

An example of a goal would be to “write a novel”. This is something I can probably do, yet isn’t as aspirational as getting all the way to publishing.

I will start out the year with a few of these, 2-3 or so, but I’ll add to them as the year goes on. For example, in 2020, I didn’t really have much to start with, and when March rolled around and the world shifted I sort of stopped thinking about all of my plans and aspirations for a while, picking them back up again around September.

Projects

The magic happens in projects. This is where the action is, where most of my efforts go. Projects lie at the center of most of what I want to do, smack in between my goals/aspirations and the tasks and habits. These break down goals a bit further into discreet chunks of work that can be planned, worked on, and completed.

An example of a project would be “write the first draft of a novel” or “prep for Nanowrimo”. They can be large or small but should be easy to measure and track progress against.

I generally try not to have many projects going on at the same time, maybe 3 max, but I do expect to have quite a few projects throughout the year. I don’t complete them all, but, generally, I expect to finish every project I start, even if the outcome isn’t what I’d like at the end. Assuming I’ve done my planning well (not as easy as it may sound) finishing my projects is probably the best measure I have for whether or not I’m on- or off-track with my goals and aspirations.

Actions

Actions and tasks are things you’ll need to do to get your projects done, these are tasks that usually role up to a project, but sometimes support goals or aspirations directly. This is the heart of how I try and get what I want out of my year. These are the actionable, trackable, daily, and weekly activities that build towards completed projects and goals and achieved aspirations.

I’ve got many of these. I try to start my projects with a good plan and tasks that support that plan.

Supporting habits

I treat these a bit differently to actions, as these should fit into some kind of cycle or routine and they don’t always line directly up into a project. For example, I’ve got habits I’m working on that support aspirations directly. In some ways, they’re more important than actions, and often I’ll want to work on building habits that support multiple goals or aspirations.

A good example of a habit might be “journal every day” and could map that to multiple writing or growth-related projects, goals, and aspirations.

Planning habits, and working to build and maintain them, is what helps me keep momentum towards goals while also limiting the active projects to a manageable level.

A bit of a side note: habits are also what made my 2020 somewhat of a good year for personal growth. (In addition to and enabled by excellent support, luck, and privilege.) It was very hard for me to focus on my projects or even daily and weekly actions, but I was able to build and maintain some habits that helped me channel energy into a few things here and there, and reflecting on it, I feel like it helped a lot.

So, there it is. I’ve been planning for the last several days and excited about some things I want to tackle in 2021. Hopefully, if you made it this far, there was something interesting or helpful in there for you too.

Impossible Weight by Deep Sea Diver

A futuristic throwback classic.

RIYL: Silversun Pickups, Wye Oak, The War on Drugs, Kate Bush, Hop Along

Impossible Weight, the third album from Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver is absolutely fantastic. It works as an album you can listen to the whole way through, or as a collection of singles you dip in and out of. It’s an expertly crafted grab bag of sonic gems with a little something for anyone.

So what does it sound like? Well, there’s a lot of variety in here, but, what stands out to me is the terrific guitar work and arrangement coupled with some phenomenal vocal work. Jessica Dobson, the driving force here, really shines, whether it’s her voice, her guitar work, or her songwriting and production, her presence weaves bright, unique threads all the way through, touching and guiding each track.

For a deeper dive into how the music is made, check out KEXP’s Isolated Tracks session with Jessica Dobson, for “Impossible Weight”. It’s a fun, geeky look into how it all comes together.

Speaking of KEXP, they’ve put Impossible Weight down as their number one of 2020, and I think that’s just fine in my book. It’s a classic, and one I expect to come back to over and over again.

Song notes:

“Shattering The Hourglass” - It’s pretty and feels like a straight-forward, but very well executed indie pop song. A beautiful track. Something in the vein of a Waxahatchee or Wye Oak.

“Lights Out” - Reminds me of Silversun Pickups, with the smooth vocals, the complicated rock instrumentation, and slow to speeding cadence. Fucking killer song, one I would love to hear live.

“Wishing” - A timeless quirk. Vocally reminiscent of Kate Bush, if you pushed her voice down an octave. An interesting structure, but catchy.

“Impossible Weight” - The second single, and probably the most conventional “hit”, as it seems like the most accessible song of the bunch, by a thin hair, as they’re all accessible. Sharon Van Etten’s vocals here play a fantastic counterpoint and, at the same time, compliment, to Jessica Dobson’s. There is also something unique and special going on in here, at first blush seems like a solid indie rock single, but (for me anyway) it grew into something really standout.

“Switchblade” - The first listen through it seemed a bit out-of-place with what came before. It’s moody, slow and kind of jazzy…almost. Bust upon further listens, I can see how it fits, as there are a lot of little details in here I missed the first time around.

“Hurricane” - Dobson’s vocals really shine in this one, and it’s another that feels a bit timeless; like it’d fit in many times and many places.

“Eyes Are Red (Don’t Be Afraid)” - This is probably my favorite type of pop-rock. It’s future-feeling and classic at the same time, feeling a bit like the title track for an obscure 70s sci-fi movie. This might sound corny, but it’s chill enough to be played in a hotel lobby or the elevator of a particularly hipster boutique hotel but also…rocks.

“People Come People Go” - A smooth groover. A summery disco-rock jam. Fun stuff.

“Lightning Bolts” - Similar in feel to “People Come People Go” with its slick rolling groove and funky beat.

“Run Away With Me” - An acoustic track where Dobson’s vocals and guitar work are on brilliant display. The feel of the track, as you might expect, is a departure, but as a way to close out, it really works well.