I've been building up steam on my main client now through a series of fairly thought-through steps of planning and small incremental executions. Now I've started checking major features off on the board and I have a healthy lead on the overall schedule. Rest of the race is just keeping the pace.

I've also brought in one of my mentees to part-time on this client-work. I find pair-programming a little bit exhausting but incredibly good at keeping me on the rails. My student/employee is doing well. They have some solid experience already, we know how to work together.

Two of my mentees are working on a very cool finals project with me and my client that I hope one of them will want to write about, here or on the blog. I want to feature some more viewpoints and I'd love to try and capture the thinking of someone learning as contrasted to my old curmudgeonly self.

I haven't posted a blog post since the Lumen post as of yet. But interest in that one was very solid which is always fun. I have been wanting to write but I've been busy refactoring our new house. There's some UI that's not quite right in here. So I've not only been putting on plaster and sanding it down, I've been learning how to set trim, mouldings and also spent time doing the damned things.

Usually when I work a lot I end up tired in my head and restless in my body. Now I've had a few weeks of just being bone tired in both. Sure helps put me to sleep. I'll find some time to write I'm sure, just gotta balance all the things.

I can't really bring on more mentorship clients for this month but I'd be happy to line some up for the coming months if there is interest.

Podcast recommendation: None

I don't feel like recommending a podcast right now. I have plenty of good ones. But since I'm not feeling like listening to any right now I don't really feel like recommending any either. Its fine to spend some time with the quiet sometimes. Or, in my case, with the howling winds. Do you have a podcast to recommend to me? I could use a new one to try.

Growth & evolution

There are a lot of things growing or germinating for me right now and it is both a thrill and a frustration. New house acquired, but we need to fix a bunch of things before we move in (nothing serious, just fit & finish that would suck to fix after furniture is in here). Expecting a baby but right now things are mostly smooth sailing and I can't really do much else than make sure things are as they should with my wife and our lives.

Spring is coming and we are both keen to do some level of planting, but it is still entirely too wet outside. So it must wait. And we don't have time, because see above, fixing the house.

I have a space for an office at the new house. But first, we fix the house, then we need to put in windows in the saddle-chambers, then wallpaper, then it can be an office. I'm incredibly keen on making that space all it can be and giving some new and interesting angles to what I can do for you all.

Client work is exciting and sometimes I'd just like to run with it. But I'll do as much of it as I have committed to and then I have other things to consider. And I have to keep the pace. Make sure it can be sustained.

There are so many seeds, so many possibilities and so much inspiration waiting to sprout. I'm incredibly excited and occasionally excruciatingly frustrated because I can't rush forward. Steady groundwork. Fix things, prepare, plan, coordinate. There is never just the doing. But the doing is in there. And it is the good kind. The thought-through kind. The rich, focused and considered.

I find enthusiasm easy, I get excited, I go forth and I do. This kind of measured, paced, steadiness is something I practice, strive for and find genuinely difficult.

But any worthwhile thing I've ever done has required that I stop and think, and then execute, perhaps quickly, perhaps slowly but definitely as far as the thing requires. I don't regret all the half-built projects, false starts and weekends burnt coding up a storm of hot air. But that's very rarely where the good bits are.

If experience has given me anything in tech it is an improved capacity for slowing down, looking around, thinking things through and then executing with care and precision. Velocity and intent was always easy for me. The rest I had to earn.

I hope there is a kernel of something in here for you dear reader, or maybe I'm just sharing my heavy case of delayed gratification. Either way. Take care now. Have a think, unless you are already great at that. In which case, just do the thing already.

One. Step. At. A. Time. Phew. I can do this. You can too.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate it

- Lars Wikman