Winter is a pretty crappy time, and January always a bit of a rubbish month for many reasons. Despite it being my birthday tomorrow, it's hard to get into the mood for it. If it isn't exams, like when I was a student, it's the relatively stressful time of a new project. The weather is not great for priming models, and the combination of tidying up the house (having a car and being able to legally drive means I can clear out a lot of old stuff), I just don't have the time to paint models. This year's birthday is also exactly 1 year since I lost my mother-in-law, so it really doesn't feel the same.
But I do have reasons to be positive. I've just completed some writing for a game I've not worked on before, and I am just over halfway on another project, with more on the horizon.
So what is the topic for this blog? How I stay positive and how to get out of a rut.
It happens to us all
That is the first thing to recognise. No one is unique or escapes it. We all get run down, and we get tired mentally, physically, or emotionally. It's OK, and the important thing is to recognise it, and mention it to others if you need to time, space, or just a bit of slack at work or with a deadline. Most people want good work out of you without you tearing yourself apart.
The next thing is getting some space from the treadmill of what you are doing. For instance, that might mean having a break from the relentless pace of creating content for a podcast (you'll note Darker Days Radio goes on hiatus at times as it is not our day job), not painting models (especially if you have been trying to get an army painted in time for some event, take a break after), or not taking as many freelance gigs (again this depends on if you have a stable income). Shake up the pace of things, watch some films, and just do some other things that are fun that you have perhaps put off because of the workload you have taken on.
Feel proud of achievements, no matter how incremental
Staring at that blank page (creative writing or code) is crushing at times. But every line written is progress. Even with all the mistakes in there. Sometimes no progress can be made without going off to do some training, some practice, and some research. These are all important, and I am fortunate that the company I work for values this. Even clearing out a shelf of old crap and finding some new space to put your new board game is valid - getting rid of things is hard, even painful if there is a nostalgic memory attached to it.
Speaking as a former academic, being proud, and shouting loud about achievements often doesn't come natural. There is a humbleness about a paper that has been published, or a method created. Or it might even feel like it is just incremental work. But all of these steps are things that make you unique and an expert, compared to others, and so when it comes to those job applications, make them positive. No passive voice. No, "I could". "You can." "I will".
Go outside
Yeah, easier said than done when the weather is awful, or if you are not as able-bodied as others. But getting outside for a walk, away from the computer screen (especially as a remote worker like me), to see the world and do something even as mundane as shopping, or collecting some post, is important. The fresh air and circulation from walking I find often help me think about what I want to write, and more often than not, I am thinking about the problems I am trying to solve, but working out the solutions in the back of my mind. I have also found just going for a drive quite good.
Don't compare
People get along in their careers and projects at different rates, and the thing not often said, and should be said loudly, is that many people who proclaim success often have some unseen benefit (usually financial, or nepotism), or the apparent skill that they have was developed thanks to the chances they had to take the risk. While natural aptitude does exist, we all need the time and safety net to explore and develop that skill. Imagine if we all could without the worry about rent, mortgages, children, etc.
Work Round-up
More AWS, Python, and, fortunately, the project I am working on allow me a fair amount of opportunity to make decisions and to lead. Today was, I think, the start of changing how the junior developers work and think as I taught the fundamentals about unit testing, and why we design code in particular ways.
Kult - I have written my first bit of work for this excellent "Hellraiser" horror RPG.
Podcasting - I have the notes ready for the return of Darkhammer for 2023.
Iron Kingdoms - more writing is coming, and for those interested in what Privateer Press is doing in relation to the whole OGL debacle, head over to their blog to read about the companies' stance.
Gaming Round-Up
Warcry 2.0 - played my first game over the holidays, and while there are new rules with reactions, it doesn't add too much complexity to the game.
Aeronautica Imperialis - fun "beer and pretzels game", which has simple enough rules, but is tactically quite deep.
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