Mind the Gap

I recently wrapped up multiple sprints focused on Your Commonbase, and right after they ended I noticed a creeping anxiety when there isn’t an immediate feature to work on. All that energy feels misplaced. (I also happened to deal with some sort of stomach issue right after, which I’m still in the middle of, but that’s beside the point.)

What I really want to talk about is the stress that comes when you’re someone who is “build first, ask questions later.” It can be stressful to slow down, let the code you wrote breathe, and see how the world reacts to it. Over the past few days, I’ve developed a few strategies that have helped me manage this downtime productively:

1. Time-block planning (à la Cal Newport)
   It’s not just about tracking how you’re spending your hours but taking stock of where your time is going. For example, today, I played World of Warcraft for five hours. I didn’t plan on spending that much time—I only intended to play for three hours—but it was fine because I was aware of where my time went. Time-blocking helps you visualize your day as it is.
2. Project management with Trello
   I’ve cleaned up my project management approach. The rule is: I’m not allowed to dive into deep work (coding) until I’ve written about it in Trello first. This forces me to be fair to myself as both the project manager and the executor (the software engineer in the delivery trap). I organize tasks into clear categories, such as a ‘back burner’ list for non-urgent items, and I’ve streamlined my ‘ready’ column to just 3-5 tasks to keep things manageable.
3. Understanding your financial runway
   It’s important to have a clear idea of how long you can afford to slow down. I’ve been thinking about alternative income streams to bridge any gaps. Today, for instance, I had to pay a fee to Delaware for my LLC, and while I’m not planning to unbundle the LLC anytime soon, it’s a reminder to keep track of recurring expenses. I’m living off savings from client work right now, so it’s crucial to be aware of how long that can last.

I'm positioning myself to be open to consulting work, offering 5-10 hours of paid time to maintain some cash flow.

But the main thing is to stay disciplined with both Trello and time-block planning. This helps manage your task list without getting overwhelmed and ensures you don’t burn out while still making room for guilt-free rest.

Prioritizing guilt-free rest is essential. It’s important not to beat yourself up if you need to take a few days to chill. That said, you don’t want to do absolutely nothing either. It’s all about tapering off the intensity of sprints and finding a balance.

You should also continue to use Trello to keep track of features you want to add to your software or bugs that need fixing, but only tackle what you can realistically do in a given day.

Lastly, remember to pay off your debts—whether they’re financial, health-related, or related to personal upkeep. For instance, I recently bought a robot vacuum, and that felt like paying off a debt because my apartment’s floors needed some serious attention. It’s one less thing on my mental checklist.

I took a closer look at my monthly budget. I averaged out my expenses over six months, factored in static costs, and used that to get a general idea of how much I’m spending. It's too much, but it's enough time to plan and act smartly.

One final thing I’m working on is figuring out how to stay focused during these slower periods. When I’m in the middle of a dev sprint, it’s easy to stay locked in, but when things slow down, I find myself falling into the YouTube or social media black hole. I’m still in the early stages of figuring this out, but I’m glad I’m documenting it now so I can track my progress later.