Hey. It’s been a while, right? For me, the time since my last post has flown by. I’m sure you’ve got questions, and hopefully I’ll have addressed those by the end of this post.
1. Where have you been?
Towards the end of my social media stint, the eagle eyed among you may have noticed my post frequency was getting real sketchy. Which was a clear sign that I was burning out.
At the time, I was balancing so many things in my life that I was having to steal time from my personal life and work life just to work on content. Something was eventually going to give, and it did.
2. By the end of 2019
A change in circumstances
By the end of 2019, my job role had started to drift away from Magento. I was assigned other projects, and Magento development was outsourced to an agency. The less I was dealing with Magento, the less I had to really talk about. The less experience I was gaining and I was becoming out of touch with new information.
Stealing time
As I mentioned, I had no spare time to give to Digital Startup. I was having to steal time from my day job (which was obviously having an affect on my work performance). Ya know, the thing that pays the bills and keeps a roof above my head. I was stealing time from sleep, editing and composing videos until stupid o’clock in the morning. And at that point, I had nothing left to give towards my family/social life.
Ticking clock
As you can see, it was always a matter of time before something had to give. Digital Startup was a labour of love. It still is. But by the end of 2019 I was starting to resent the fact I had nothing left to give. I really was burnt out.
I found that I didn’t want to do anything with Digital Startup. I was desperate for a break. I just wanted to get back to where I should be with my day job commitments and try to live some kind of life. Eventually, days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. And here we are roughly 15 months later.
3. Maintenance
I didn’t turn my back on you completely though. I continued to pay server bills. I continued to backup and update the website and server. I did this, knowing the value that this content brings. Also, I knew I would want to come back some day, in some capacity.
4. Why reach out now?
I did think about composing this post sooner, but loading up this website made me feel anxious. I didn’t know what to talk about or how to explain what was going on in my life. I received several emails from the community, checking on my health, which was heartwarming. But I just wanted to hide in a hole. Especially after seeing positive changes.
2021 has been a rollercoaster. The company I helped start was bought out by a retail group, and the transition was far from smooth. Even now, I’m not entirely sure what my short-term future holds within this new company. However, the entire ordeal has given me time to think. I even decided to go back to University to restart my Computer Science degree.
Hey, I even managed to get my physical health to a point where my Type 2 diabetes is now in remission. Yup, I no longer have to take meds for that every day. Woop!
So, over the last few months I have been planning and soul searching. I’ve gained a fresh perspective that has allowed me to organise my thoughts, my health and my schedule. It’s given me enough confidence to move forward. And therefore, remove the fear of reaching out to you.
5. What does 2022 look like?
Great question. So, these are my goals & commitments for 2022:
- Continue my Full-Time day job [40hrs weeks]
- Start Part-Time University (as of January, now) [12hrs week]
- Continue my “Work with me/Study with me” streams (alternative channel)
- Improve on my mental and physical health
- Actually go on vacation, rather than work
- Not be burned out, to the point it affects loved ones
- Purchase my first house (I hear this is stressful)
- Allow my “Quality of Life” to guide important decisions
I don’t know what that means for Digital Startup. But the point is, I refuse to put myself in a position where I promise you something that I can’t deliver on. Because, that really did a number on my mental health.
If you have any questions about this post, leave a reply and I’ll give you the best answer I can.
Thank you for sticking with me. And thank you for supporting one another.
Update (21st September 2022)
I just wanted to check in an give you an update on the things I set out to achieve this year:
- I will be leaving my day job soon. And I plan to make use of the time I am getting back by working on more content.
- Part Time University is going well, but I am struggling on finding a good balance.
- My “Work with me/Study with me” streams (alternative channel) are on hold right now, as scheduling has been difficult.
- I am still trying to improve on my mental and physical health
- I’ve been on some vacations this year, and I have one more to go in October.
- I’ve not burned out on anything yet. I’m learning to let go of some things, rather than spin too many plates at once.
- I bought a house! I’m moving in during October.
- I have continued to based my decisions on having a good “Quality of Life”
Suffice to say, you’ll start seeing more of me in November. I’ve already started drafting plans and schedules with the extra time I’ll soon have.
if you fancy. Wish you best of luck and happiness in your life.
