Archive for the 'Work & Career' Category

• 1.1.08 "Highlights and Hopes" is posted in Reflections, Work & Career

Every year I look back and say, “wow, so much happened…but now I’m poised for this big thing.” Well that’s once again the case (this time it’s AwayFind). 2007 was a fun and busy year both with friends and work, and 2008 will be even more packed with trips and new people.  But to look forward, it’s often best to look back…and that’s what I’m writing about here with some highlights and hopes.  Do you have any interesting resolutions for the new year?

Highlights:

In no particular order, these are the things that a few years from now when I look back I’ll want to remember.  All of them were things that in some way shaped who I was this year.  If one of these relates to you, thank you for being a part of that memory.

• AwayFind - building a web application
  
• Book Clubs - learning so much, even more from the people
• Crested Butte - Galt’s Gulch, and the start of a tradition for me
• DC Tech Community - like-minded geeks and entrepreneurs
• Dinner Parties - company from my different circles, at the house
• Dover MA - a good place to be from
• Four Hour Workweek - I should shut up about it, but this book changed me
  
• Surrogate Girlfriend - Having a best friend and good company

 Hopes

Every year my hope is some cross between balance and ambition–running more, entertaining more, saving, developing a more routine schedule, etc.  But over the course of the year reasons that I can’t predict tend to change my focus.  Still, as of now here are some things I hope for:

For my sanity and social life: (more…)

• 7.29.07 "Seeking Fulfillment" is posted in Reflections, Work & Career

A while back I read Gregg Easterbrook’s The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse, and he talked a lot about “choice anxiety”–which he defined as “the transition from people being so constrained by social forces that they [feel] trapped, to the current situation of having so many options that choice itself becomes a source of anguish.” I feel like I have so many options in front of me and that it’s as daunting as it is liberating. I need to make some decisions.

The first half of this summer was filled to the gills with activities and general merriment. It was light but fun. The second half has been about big decisions, planning ahead, and a slight ennui from the ephemeral. That is, busyness is no path to fulfillment. And I’m itching to grow or grow something. (more…)

• 6.5.07 "Commitment" is posted in Rant, Reflections, Work & Career

Sometimes I wonder how it is that people can live with themselves. I respect those that have different values and I recognize that we all have our weaknesses–but from where I stand there’s no reason why people say they’ll do things and then don’t. Sometime between birth and eighth grade it became apparent to me that commitments were not to be broken and that there really isn’t much ambiguity–you just do the things you say you’re going to do and there’s nothing more to it.

Let me make this clear–I’m not talking about attempting things and failing or missing a deadline. I’m not talking about New Year’s Resolutions or personal challenges that don’t pan out after a few weeks. And I’m not talking about times when there is a psychological or societal pressure to say something. I’m talking about when things are cut and dry–when you say you’re going to do something and the person you say it to has every reason to genuinely believe that you’ll do it.

In general the things that bug are me are really small, like saying that one’s going to call (without any prodding on your end for them to) or canceling multiple times for reasons like, “I’ve had a long day.” If I’m making time for someone then I know they’re making time for me, and I’m not going to mess up their day even though it’s not convenient for me.

One of my all time pet peeves (more…)