It’s November 17th already. Not a significant date, it’s just farther along in the month than I feel like we should be. I swear yesterday was Halloween. Oh well…it just adds a layer of urgency on top of the already impending client deadline. Race to get a massive amount of work done before the holidays so you can actually relax during the time off. Sometimes I wonder if I would get work done if the clock weren’t ticking…tick..tick..tick.
This week has been especially tough. Meaning a lot to do…not a lot of time to do it in. The way I’ve found to deal with it is to break everything down into bite-size pieces. Take those bite-size pieces and throw them up on Basecamp for all to see. I’m learning to love daily to-do’s. Actually, I’ve always loved them, but I’m now making lists assigning tasks at a daily…almost hourly rate. There is a definite warm and fuzzy that comes along with striking through those outstanding items. Sometimes you get to strike through one that is due tomorrow…well sometimes, but not that often. At first I had a love-hate relationship with 37 signals, specifically Basecamp, but I am definitely growing fonder of it. Since they integrated the calendar into Basecamp instead of having to use BackPack, it’s much more useful. I’ve begun recapping all meetings, no matter how small and making those public in our project rooms as well. I don’t know if anyone else reads it, but it sure makes me feel better. I’ve invited the client to have a look as well, see where the daily force is going. I like the idea of daily transparency, documenting the “Pulse of the Studio”, as Damien calls it. The pulse this week would definitely be a higher rate than normal. I actually prefer that…working hard, cranking stuff out on a daily, rather than weekly, basis. Because it’s been a tough week, I’m keeping this post short, light, fun, and colorful.
Nothing says fun like a Japanese Hipster Robot. He can balance and steer, and yes this is a fixed gear.
Oh and lightly getting into the holiday season, if you have been invited to someone’s Thanksgiving meal next week and don’t know what to bring, this might help.
For colorful, see beautiful Sausalito sunset at the top of the page.