Life update August 2024
I’m starting a new update series here to be posted once every month. This is to try and come back to the way I used to write before, where I shared a lot more about what I was actually doing from a day to day basis. It’s of course for you as a reader to get some insight into what I work on, and it’s a space for me to just write off what I’ve been thinking and doing for the past month or so.
Work
As you might know, I work full time as an IT Architect at Tele2, currently in the B2B area. This takes up the majority of my time, especially professionally. Outside of work, I train Crossfit with a coach 5-6 times per week, which usually takes 2-3 hours, including commute to and from the gym, per day. This gives me little time in the work days to have time to work on side projects or creating content, so most of the time I put in for creating, is on the weekend.
Routine
When it comes to my routine, I still am rigorous with my mornings. I wake up at a set time, and instantly sit down to read one page out of Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic, followed by 1 hour of reading in whatever book I am currently reading. After that, I’ll take a cold shower, which really is just a fixed activity of discomfort I do daily to not let myself cop out of doing anything uncomfortable. Finally, I spend 10 minutes writing in my journal and write 5 pieces of short texts that I share on social.
The purpose, as you might imagine, is for me to have a foundation of activity that I always do, no matter how I feel on a given day. Obviously, if I’m sick, I won’t do a cold shower. But you get the gist. And I don’t preach this kind of routine for any idea of it in itself bringing success or being a magic potion for treating any mental ailment. It’s just a way for me to get the things I think is important and valuable to me done. And as I said, the cold shower is just a mental exercise to expose myself to something uncomfortable every day, no matter what.
Ambition
But what is the purpose of what I do now that I have started creating again? Well, what I found in writing and posting during those years in my early twenties, was both a purpose, and a feeling of freedom, that I have not been able to find anywhere else in any other area of work. I’ve found that, having the ability to dictate what I work on, when I work on it, and how, was one of the greatest feelings of freedom I’d ever get to feel. I’m working hard to get back to that, in a form that is more sustainable based on the lifestyle and circumstances I now have compared to back then.
The purpose, is for me to get back to doing the things I know I enjoyed, and doing so sustainably both from a mental health perspective, but also from a financial and lifestyle perspective. There are a lot of things I want to do in life, and I have a good idea of how and when I can best be able to do these things. The important part is to actually do them, through any form of action you can take in order to get you where you want to go.
Vision
So what is it that I’m seeing in front of me? Well, as I mentioned, I’m working towards having the freedom I once had, in a way that is much more sustainable. What that means, is having a steady income stream that comes from doing the work I not only enjoy, but that offers me the freedom and choices that I want. It comes from doing both client work as a freelancer or consultant, and creating things that are valuable to others.
The creation manifests itself in not just my writing, but in the videos I’m producing and more content that I have planned in the near future. But also in services and products that I am working on as we speak. It’s not about being a certain type of creator, like an indie hacker, and launch hundreds of services and try to make as much money as possible. It’s about creating things that I truly care about, and that bring tangible value to people.
This might be a bit of a blurry “vision” for the person who reads this, and I guess it is in some ways for me as well, even though I also feel that it’s crystal clear in my mind. Because a vision, is not just about a clear picture of where you want to go. It’s also very much a feeling, that you want to have when you’ve reached the end goal. And that feeling for me, is freedom, space to decide what to do, and a deep sense of purpose in what I do.
Future
What does this all mean then? Well, my creation process is in development as of right now. I’m figuring out ways of producing the videos in a productive way based on the limited time that I have every day. I’m trying to find time in appropriate ways based on my circumstances to write, and not just spontaneous thoughts, but deeper and more reflective pieces that I know help me understand what it is I’m thinking or feeling.
So there will be more things coming out over time, as I develop my system for creation more and more. This needs to take time, because any stable system takes time to build from the ground up. It needs to be planned properly in accordance with the value it’s going to provide, while being tested repeatedly so that the output is indeed what is expected, and finally, it needs to grow incrementally. Otherwise, you risk building the wrong thing, in the wrong way, and you’ll end up with something that you don’t want to live with.
That, is what I’m working on, and working towards. I hope to see you along for the journey.