Yesterday was my first solo presentation at a professional event. I presented on “Remote Testing of Tabletop Games” for an event with the Indiana UXPA. I feel a little embarrassed about how much time I spent on an event that was only observed by 11 people. But the event was recorded, so maybe other people will see it in the future. And it was a good step forward for my professional path, and for my desire to share what I’ve learned with others.
This is the chair I bought myself for my birthday.
https://www.officefurniturecenter.com/steelcase-leap-v2-task-black.html
At first it seems a bit crazy to me to spend $374 on a chair. But I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk, and expect to spend even more before this pandemic is over, while so many of us are working from home. It really is an investment.
Oh, and this video has very useful information if you assembled a used office chair you got for your birthday, and you wonder, “Should the seat on a top-rated office chair rattle around like this?” And then you found two extra parts in the shipping box, but you can’t remove the seat to attach them. Hypothetically.
“Be forgiving with your past self.
Be strict with your present self.
Be flexible with your future self.”
–@JamesClear
I have a vision document. I’ve been cultivating it for several years. It’s based on several things I’ve read, but mostly derived from a book called Just Enough: Tools for Creating Success in Your Work and Life. Based on their research, the authors recommend asking yourself the following question: “At my life’s end, how will I know that I have lived a good life?”
In pondering the answer to that question (and the title question of this post in its most broad, general sense), I identified three priorities for my life:
I think I’ve done pretty well with priority #1. Three years ago I quit my job to focus on priority #2: I went to grad school to get a masters degree in human-computer interaction. But I’ve done virtually nothing with priority #3.
So here is a blog. To start with, it’s a space for me to share about the following things, in the spirit of Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work:
But you are the reader: this space is supposed to be for your benefit. Ask questions. Share your own insights. Start conversations. Let’s learn from each other.