The Wash

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)

Yeah this isn’t a post about Agile per se, or writing, or anything.  It’s about life.

Sometimes you gotta take a wash.

I got sick (ironically from going to the doctor’s for a checkup where I was otherwise fine).  That was a pain, but my roommate got a new job, meaning I got to move in with my girlfriend earlier than intended.  It turned into a synergy of illness, surprises, and more.  Pretty much most of my projects had to go on hold.

At first I was annoyed with that, like I had to keep on schedule.  But the truth is we all have limits, interruptions, and more.

So I took a wash.  I set aside everything but the move and life stuff, did what I could on my other projects, and didn’t beat myself up.  That felt a lot better.

Sometimes you just have to take a wash.  Sometimes things can’t get done.  Living with it and doing what you can is important to adapting and keeping your sanity.

We often get taught to follow a schedule as if it’s a commandment, to feel bad if we can’t do what we planned.  We’re taught to self-flagellate.

Nah.  Sometimes you gotta take a wash.

Of course next month I’ll be back at it and I have some projects planned out to a year from now.

 

– Steve