Saying yes
After effectively taking the winter off, I came back to work about a month ago. It was a nice soft landing, in part because my new responsibilities are largely self-determined, and in part because, between working from home and traveling together, I got to be with my favorite person for four consecutive weeks.
The next four-plus weeks will be much different, because I’m mixing in a densely packed bunch of conferences. I’m writing this in the air en route to the first hop in the sequence: the new Agile Alliance Technical Conference. I’m pretty excited about my role in it and the people I’m about to meet. Same for AgileIndy, the inaugural PillarCon, and Agile and Beyond. I’ll also be attending KalamazooX and Self.conference (as planned, after missing most of last year’s).
That probably sounds like a lot. It sure feels like a lot. But in the context of my top-priority project, the talks and travel are mere temporary complications. My focus, above all else, is on strengthening new habits about food and exercise.
Saying no
Everything you can possibly not do, don’t do. Everything that’s left, do well. Everything that’s done, see what good it does, quick.
—Moi on Twitter
As you may have noticed, I haven’t written here in weeks, and there hasn’t been a new Agile in 3 Minutes since mid-December. These are deliberate decisions by me, in my role as Product Owner for my one human self.
My health project is doing me an enormous amount of good. Because of that, until (and unless) it self-stabilizes enough to be put on autopilot, I don’t have room for other projects. I do know I have more to say, and perhaps more to accomplish, with Agile in 3 Minutes. The thought of coming back to it, under the right conditions, excites me. In the meantime, it’s work I can’t afford to do, so I’m maximizing the amount of it I’m not doing.
Upside
If you haven’t listened to (or read through) every last Agile in 3 Minutes, now you can take your time. As it stands, the Εuvre amounts to over an hour and a half of tiny thickets of thought-thorns crooking to catch on brambles in your brain, and the brains of your teammates, managers, and customers. For most people, one or two episodes at a time is plenty to chew on. Masticate slowly, notice when you’re full, and stop. You can have more later.
Do me a favor
If you’ll be at any of the above conferences, please come find me and introduce yourself. I’d love to meet you and hear what you’re up to.