Current Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Reading: ‘Stillness is the Key’ - Ryan Holiday
Listening To: ‘Feeling For My Life’ - Anson Seabra
A Dramatic Pause
It’s been over 5 months since I last sent out an email newsletter, and I don’t really have any good excuse for the hiatus - other than some hand-waving and a placid attempt to tell you how “busy I’ve been”.
I started my own business around a year ago now and in the last couple of months, it exploded in a way that I could never have imagined. The speed at which it has grown surprised me so much that I didn’t really have any of the structures or standard operating procedures in place to handle the chaos. As such, I found myself on the edge of burnout, having deprioritized my health and sustainability in a way that I’m not proud of. But it felt like what needed to be done to get this fledgling company off the ground.
To try and right the ship I made a dramatic pause and waddled my way down here to Cape Town where I’ve gorged myself on food, good company, and tourist-style Instagram photos. It’s been lovely. Having spent a week or so with no attempt to do any work, I feel more refreshed and rejuvenated than I have in a long time. It’s been really good for me.
I head back to Joburg tomorrow and so will commence the next phase of my business as I work on hiring, scaling, and making things a bit more sustainable for me going forward. Hopefully, if I can regain the momentum of this email newsletter, it will confirm that I have made the time to write for myself, and not just for other clients.
All of this is to say that I look forward to once again engaging with you, dear reader, and sharing ideas and concepts that I find fascinating. And hopefully, you will do too.
Quote of the Week
“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
— Elinor Smith
Links
Strap a Go-Pro to an eagle and let it loose over the Alps. Enough said. (Link)
This is a beautiful meditation on life and happiness from Nathaniel Drew. (Link)
I’m constantly in awe of painters and artists who can create something that looks photo-realistic to the untrained eye. Here are some great examples from Kate Waters that I think are absolutely superb. (Link)
An important conversation about the robustness of systems and how we tend to over-optimize things rather than creating for long-term sustainability. (Link)
I hope that this note finds you well and that you’re making the most of the last part of this year. Time is flying by, so be sure to catch your breath and do whatever you can to be present and intentional with what remains.
I know I am trying to do that.
Until next week, be kind to yourself.
Barry