Were I’ve Been

In a word, moving. I spent almost all my spare time in the last month traveling and doing online searches to find a place to stay and then actually moving to said place.

After many trials including last minute address changes and resulting problems with utility companies, I am finally back to a semblance of stable living conditions and will be returning to a more stable writing and programming schedule.

Upside of the Move

Biggest upside is I am now working from home. My employer has generously allowed me to move and retain my position (a perk of being a programmer and the existence of the internet). This reduces my 10 minute commute to 10 seconds. Not a huge deal but really saves me 40 min to an hour everyday because I used to drive home for lunch.

New to Me Processes

Pomodoro

As part of my move to working from home, I have started using the Pomodoro technique to help me focus during work hours. If you have not yet heard of this process, it is a simple concept of setting a 25ish minute timer and working focused on your task for those 25 minutes, then taking a short break.

I have found this to be extremely useful so far in helping maintain focus and be more productive during working hours and will be using it on my own projects, including my writing.

Kanban Flow

Although not really a technique, I will be planning out my weeks and months a bit better as I have a month’s worth of catching up to do. There is a really nice little website at kanbanflow.com that has a simple board/card system that I will be using to plan out my weeks. It also has the additional benefit of a built in Pomodoro timer.

Good to Be Back

I am looking forward to getting back in a groove and get the games rolling once more.