Now - October 2022

What I was focused on in October 2022. View current /now page

Last updated: 1 October 2022

TL;DR

2022 has been a year of big changes and big learning for me. Two new jobs, building up a freelance portfolio, and lots of courses planned.

Work

I'm excited to have joined Vibrance Partners part time, and am working on some really interesting engagements in the innovation and org change space.

I'm also working part time for RMIT as a Development Partner in The Centre for Future Skills and Workforce Transformation, which is attached to the College of Vocational Education.

Through my own business Collaborate and Deliver I am steadily building up a portfolio of freelance engagements, doing some advisory to startups on product development, mentoring at University of Melbourne, and coaching for Strategyzer.

Learning

I am eternally curious and I love learning, so this list is always likely to be long. I have invested in several courses and workshops to kick off the 2022:

Current:

Precision Consciousness: Under the guidance of Marti Spiegelman, I am undergoing training with a small cohort of people to learn how to increase our awareness by using indigenous technologies. It is a bit hard to explain, and certainly not everybody's cup of tea, but it is about tuning into nature and the energetic forces around us so as to unlock new ways of being in the world, including creative problem solving. It is one of the harder things I have ever undertaken, and is not as easy as reading a book and memorising some things, or practicing a technique a few times. It runs much deeper than that and I have barely scratched the surface.

Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass - Discover Double Bass: It has been decades since I had any formal training on the double bass, so it has been great to dip back into some structured learning. In contrast to my day job, which is generally chasing fairly ambiguous outcomes over long periods (i.e. through corporate strategy, product development etc), it is so nice to be able to practice a piece of music every day and to get a bit better each time. And stretching myself forces me to really focus, which is also good to help me unwind.

Recent:

  • RenDanHeYi Masterclass
  • Strategyzer Virtual Bootcamp: When the pandemic kicked off in 2020, I was all signed up to go to Switzerland for Strategyzer's annual, week-long, in person bootcamp. But it was one of the many plans scuttled by world events. I have done other training with Strategyzer prior and since then, but I see participation in the bootcamp as an important gateway into the formal network of coaches. It is a significant investment of time and money, but I am sure there will be more good learnings, and I am looking forward to doing more work with the Strategyzer crew.
  • Acknowledging Country Meaningfully: An online learning experience that will deepen your understanding of what it means, looks and feels like to Acknowledge First Nations Country Meaningfully.

Creating

There is a new Sodastream album in the works. I would say it is 60% done… the songs are written, the bed tracks have been recorded and rough mixes done. We just haven't been able to get together for pretty much the last year to really bring it home. Hopefully between the lockdowns, family and life responsibilities etc, 2022 can be the year these new songs see the light of day.

I'm also hanging out to get back into live streaming. I have been amassing more and more gear (that conveniently doubles as giving me a ridiculously over-optimised home office setup), so it will be lots of fun when we can finally get in a room and make it all happen.

Reading and Listening

These are the books currently on rotation:

  • Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take by Andrew S. Winston and Paul Polman
  • Bulletproof Problem Solving by Charles Conn and Robert McLean
  • Design Unbound Vol 1 & 2 by Ann Pendleton-Jullian and John Seely Brown

From the reading list associated with my Precision Consciousness training:

  • Reality by Peter Kingsley
  • The Wheel of Time by Carlos Castenada
  • The Essential Rumi Revised: New Expanded Edition by Coleman Barks

Recently read books:

  • Strategic Doing by Ed Morrison et al

These are the podcasts I'm paying close attention to:

  • Exponential View with Azeem Azhar
  • The Art of Accomplishment with Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler
  • Boundaryless Conversations - these are the folks behind the Platform Design Toolkit
  • The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Health and Wellbeing

  • Romwod: daily stretches via an Apple TV and iOS app
  • Athletic Greens: daily supplement via green powder drink. I eventually succumbed to Tim Ferris's anecdotal advertising on his site. It is expensive at around $4.50 per day, but I am able to keep it up every day unlike pills, and I am feeling good for it
  • Mushroom powders: I add to my morning coffee a mix of Lion's Mane, Chaga and Cordyceps
  • Waking Up with Sam Harris: more than just a meditation app. I love listening to David Whyte's poetry and some of the other series and conversations
  • Daily walk: Before the pandemic I had been ramping up at the gym with a personal trainer. Since then I have been walking 5kms every evening, which apart from giving me some exercise, provides time to listen to stuff and decompress

Home and Family

My partner Shell is excited to be returning to full time work since our 8 year old daughter was born. She had a great experience doing the software engineering bootcamp at General Assembly, and I can't wait to see her settle in and kick goals at REA.

Meanwhile, we are preparing to do a long awaited renovation to our house. We have been talking about it for ages, and it seems that 2022 is the year that everything is going to happen!