tyroh

We like things to be observable. Thus, a few things we don't easily grasp are:

- exponential growth, which is non intuitive when you are used to thinking in a linear fashion

- long-term effects, due to our propensity to focus on the near term

- grasping points of view we are strongly opposed to. This can be overcome with practice though

I know a few folks with full time dev jobs who also do consulting on the side. The consulting part is just that, clients consulting about solutions but leaving the implementation to others.

Another route that would involve less work but more responsibility is taking a leadership position at a small org. You're not obliged to work 40 hours a week but you are responsible for making sure things get done, which you can do from afar. If tech leaders can hold different leadership roles in several companies, you can do as well!

This is also a mental exercise, but something worth trying out.

I find that documentation that has relevant screenshots or diagrams or even GIFs can explain the topic well enough without forcing people to watch an hour-long video.

Though I do agree that GUI-heavy processes like AWS are better presented in video so you can find exactly what to click on and what happens next.

For technical topics, like an AWS service or a new programming framework, I dive right into a project. If it's personal, I create a new app or tool. If it's for work, I review code and start contributing right away.

For other topics, I pick a stellar piece of content to lean on. It can be a book, but it can also be a video primer or an introductory article. Then down the rabbit hole I go, researching terms and saving other content I need to understand the subject matter.

For physical activities, like baking or fixing hardware, I prefer video so I get the nuance or where things go or how the output of each step feels like.

I used to have a bit of anxiety writing about things in public but I still want to build my writing muscles.

So now, I summarize articles into notes which both helps me and others. Also, no one really reads any more, at least in my circle.

Most of my long form content has been converted into checklists, slides and diagrams.

would you mind sharing your template? This is such a great idea btw.

Exercise helps, especially high intensity activities. Lowers both your stress levels and makes you more resilient when stress comes along. There's a reason why many driven individuals are also athletes.

Too bad that group sports aren't allowed yet, that also helps manage stress by increasing one's experience in handling situations with other people. Sportsmanship and all that.

Some of mine:

- Baking: needed some way to still create things that can be immediately enjoyed. I like how most of it is just following a process and learning to gauge the outcome by senses. I also like that you need to practice to fit the recipe to your environment and tools.

- Calorie counting: weird hobby, but it helps me discover which foods give the best bang for my buck. Also helps sharpen my estimation skills, which I know we all need to be better at.

- Summarizing books and articles: I recently got into reading again and now thouroughly enjoy it more because I create something out of it: notes and sharable content.

- Mentorship: more ad hoc these days, but I enjoy helping juniors with their problems.

I've found that making a homemade version of foods you love make you realize either how unhealthy something is. It's also helped me discover what I'm really looking for in some foods, not just the sugar or salt.

Some foods actually have great textures and contrasts, but they're all buried under the barrage of salt, unhealthy fats and sugars added by manufacturers.

For example, I've made my own chicken karaage that's as crispy as fast food fried chicken but not as oily.

I started logging my meals with a photo food log. What's measured gets managed and all that. It made the food logging habit fun, kinda like Instagram but without all the drama. It's called bitesnap btw.

I liked that the app showed the rough calories each meal was, an eye opener for sure. So I cut down on bread and replaced snacks with greek yogurt.

I got burnt out when I was working a job where I was unappreciated, with some even being actively hostile towards me.

My only solution was to switch to working on something that was either worthwhile to me or to someone else - worked on personal projects for a while - switched to a company with worthwhile people and projects

I think the lack of face-to-face does contribute to burnout for some. The online kudos and gifts sent by corporate only go so far. There's still something different when your work is appreciated in person.

Your list looks reasonably complete.

Personally, I've automated most of the tasks above in my calendar. Otherwise, I've added them into whatever task tracking tool we use for projects, which in my case would be template cards in Trello.

In the rare occassions that I'm idle at work, I just continue reading whatever nonfiction I have in my queue on my shelf.

Currently, I'm reading The First 90 Days. Might be something you'd find useful as well.