Layoff University, Vol. 2: Progress Made, Lessons Learned

Well, friends - I'm overdue for another layoff update!

In the last volume, I introduced my Layoff University bucket list, or all the goals I want to accomplish during my period of unemployment. Of course, the main goal is to ultimately find a new job. But I also want to appreciate this rare abundance of free time, and use it to pick up new skills and complete side projects.

So, what have I done so far?

My standup update

Here's what I wanted to do:

Complete Parts 4 - 6 of the Full Stack Open

Read Ch. 3 - 5 of Designing Data-Intensive Applications

Read 9 short stories from How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

Here's what I actually did:

Completed Parts 4 - 5 of the Full Stack Open

Read 4 short stories from How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

Extracurriculars

Completed Zendo's psychedelic peer support training

Completed Mindfulness Northwest teacher training interview

What I want to achieve next sprint:

Complete Parts 6 - 7 of the Full Stack Open

Complete Ch. 3 - 4 of Designing Data-Intensive Applications

Read 6 short stories from How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

Imperfect progress, but good nonetheless

While I didn't make the progress I originally set out to do, I'm happy with the work done during these past three weeks. Rest and relaxation were the primary goals for my first month of unemployment, so I'm glad I gave myself the freedom to move slow.

Now that my official separation date is in three weeks, it's time to be more deliberate about my progress. I'm happy to spend time learning, but I don't want to enter the job market with nothing to show for all this free time. If I eventually want to move from learning to doing, I'll need to pick up the pace and hit my target completion dates.

In addition to software development, I'm happy to have spent time on side quests, namely the psychedelic peer support training and mindfulness teacher training program. Ever since I met the Zendo team at a music festival years ago, I've wanted to work with them in some capacity. So, when I learned their harm reduction training course was available, I jumped at the chance to take it.

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The training was very rewarding, and I walked away feeling the world would be a better place if everyone took this type of course. While the focus was psychedelics, a big component was also just learning how to listen, and how to be a safe, supportive peer when a fellow human is in crisis. I couldn't help but wonder, how many of us could benefit from having this knowledge?

I'm also pleased to announce I've been accepted into Mindfulness Northwest's two-year Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher training program. I've led a mindfulness meditation community for three years now, and getting certified as a teacher has been a bucket list item for a while; I just never had the time. But, now that I'm unemployed, I'm glad I get to use this time to kickstart this goal, and provide a more skilled experience for my community.

Lessons learned from this sprint

Good sleep is everything.

We all know sleep is important. But I'm learning sleep is the most important health lever I can control. I can afford to skip the gym here and there; I can't skip good sleep. Without sleep, I can't learn, I can't follow tasks, and I can't communicate well. And, I certainly can't create the headspace to make progress on my bucket list.

The biggest lesson I've learned so far is that eight hours of sleep is no longer an option - it's a base requirement. (And I shiver to think how much of my working days were spent in chronic sleep deprivation.)

Without structure, productivity cannot exist.

While sleep ensures I can complete my tasks for the day, structure ensures I will. To me, structure means knowing what I want to do for the day, and when. To facilitate this, I compile a list of tasks the night before, and arrange them into a schedule. When I wake up, I don't need to waste precious brainpower planning my day; I just grab my bullet journal and move from one task to the next.

It's not a perfect system, but if I can overcome my ADHD resistance and surrender to the schedule, it works pretty well.

Kanban boards are the antidote to ATProto FOMO.

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When I became a co-organizer for ATProto PDX, I knew being surrounded by the ATProto community would provide the fuel I needed to build an app. Watching my peers present their projects at each meetup has filled me with infectious builder energy, and it's been a great motivator. But, now motivation is no longer a hurdle; instead, it's FOMO. As the ATProto community celebrates new wins each day, I'm having a hard time watching along the sidelines as I complete my fullstack coursework.

While I'm a software engineer by trade, my focus is backend systems using Java and Python. But, the app I want to build is a user-facing fullstack app using React and Typescript; a language and framework I haven't touched in a serious capacity since college. This is why I'm working through the Full Stack Open. Eventually, I'll use AI to assist my work. But, I want to make sure I have a solid handle on it first.

And, this is where kanban boards have helped -

Even though my skyline makes me feel like I'm behind, my kanban boards inform me I'm right on time for my schedule. My slower pace is uncomfortable in this moment, but - looking at the dates on my tasks - I know this feeling won't last forever.

Afrofuturism is really that girl.

In my last volume, I discussed why I believed afrofuturism is an important tenet to my Layoff University. Today, I'm happy to report my intuition was correct, and the short stories I've read in How Long 'Til Black Future Month? have sparked many ideas on technology and black liberation in the age of open social media.

I'm in awe of how ATProto has provided easy (or, easier) tools to create a safe container to exist as a joyful and curious black human, away from the poisonous reach of white supremacy. Yes, the "real world" still exists, and white supremacy still exists with ATProto, and will continue to do so. But now, more so than ever, I can imagine building a space where joy, learning, and connection can thrive without being snuffed out by ignorance, hate and fear.

I have a lot of thoughts on this, and none of them are organized. But, in the meantime, I remain inspired by the Blacksky team who has shown us all how it can be done.

Until next time, I leave you with Space is the Place, a film by the afrofuturist pioneer and jazz musician, Sun Ra.

SUN RA - SPACE IS THE PLACE (1974)