002 - Feel All The Feelings
"Why are you doing so much work?"
This originally started as a thread on twitter, but I felt like it's the perfect topic for this weeks newsletter.
I was asked this question while sharing some of the active projects I'm currently working on, such as Elixir Labs, Virtual Quiz Night Fundraiser, my blog and this newsletter, a few pro-bono COVID-19 projects, a virtual course and my actual day job (where I make the $$$).
Yes, when I lay it all out like that, it's a lot of work. But does that make it a bad thing?
Like many people, I spent the last year planning for 2020. I had a lot of goals I wanted to achieve, the largest of which was moving back and settling back into Toronto. That didn't happen, and instead I'm back in Kenya, spending some quality time with my family. Sure, living at home after being away for years is weird, but it's far outweighed by all the incredible benefits that living at home brings.
Since I've been back, I've been surrounded by support and encouragement to pursue all my crazy ideas. This is incredible considering how difficult everyone's lives currently are in the COVID-19 world.
Over the past few months, I feel like I've gotten more clarity on what I want my future to look like. This isn't one of those "where do I see myself in 10 years" kind of thing. Instead this is a "what do I want the rest of 2020 to look like". This is exactly what I need after spending the last year feeling a little lost and demotivated. I felt restless and unsatisfied in my last role but didn't know how to fix it.
I've made some very specific goals for myself, and the projects I'm working on are all linked back to helping me achieve my goal. It's a lot of work, yes. But it's what I enjoy doing, and if I'm enjoying it, then it doesn't really feel like work.
As I write this, I feel extremely motivated, excited and ready to go. However I am also very aware of the unexpected side-effects COVID-19 has on me. I'm doing my best to let myself feel all the feelings, and if that means I need to take a few hours and cry then that's exactly what I'll do. Letting myself feel the feelings has helped me accept the situation we're in, while also empowering me to focus my energy on things that will bring me happiness and joy instead.
I hosted the Virtual Quiz Night Fundraiser on Saturday, and it went better than expected. Sure, there were a couple of technical hiccups, but for the most part it went really smoothly. I got amazing feedback and most people said they'd participate again. To anyone who asks how the event went, this is my summary: 42 participants, 18 teams, 10 timezones, 5 countries, 3 continents. We raised USD$1700. I couldn't be happier!
So to anyone wondering why I do so much work, there you go.
New Blog Posts
How To Add A Contact Form To Your Website For Free - building on from last weeks post, this guide will take you through converting your simple HTML form into a functioning contact form with spam filtering.
Little Plugs
I like the idea of plugging interesting projects that I see around the internet.
Twitter thread on early-stage investors looking for founders - If you're an early stage founder, here's a list of investors that are still looking to invest!
How To Product by Sefunmi Oshy - A free guide on how to break into product management
Violet Society pre-accelerator applications open - Violet society is a pre-accelerator for female & non-binary startup founders, and their application round just opened up
LunchClub.ai - A great way to meet and network with folks, whether you're looking for a new job or a founder to chat
Interesting Events This week
Here are some events I'm attending this week
How to setup your team for continuous Product Discovery - Tuesday 28th April at 12pm EST
Building a Cost Effective Software Business During Uncertain Times - Thursday 20th April at 6pm EST
Quote of the week
Comes from Qali Id's Twitter
"I just don't let other people have control over my level of comfort and energy"
Question Time!
I'd love to get to know my audience better, and hope that you reply to this email or tweet me an answer:
What realizations have you found out about yourself in the last few weeks?