Now that we're (mostly) done with the conference and the major system upgrade, I could relax and go back to my old schedule of working a few days a week. But this consulting contract is winding down soon, so it also makes sense for me to spend the extra time helping team members learn, polishing up prototypes, and braindumping as many notes as I can into the internal social network. The more of my brain I can externalize, the more other people can build on, and the easier it will be to pick it up again even after some delay.

The next week or two won't have as much of a workload as we had during the conference. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being super-intense (cutting into sleep), I'd say that the conference was probably around 8: I managed to do lots of work and get enough sleep, but I didn't do much else. These next few weeks will probably be around 5-7. I can still help out with things at home and with Hacklab and I'm totally okay with spending a little time playing video games (W- and I are currently playing Persona 3), but I'm holding off on personal projects until I have more brainspace.

Anyway, for the next time that I need to prepare for intense days (something like 8-10 on that scale), here's something I drew in mid-September. I've updated it with notes on how things actually worked out.

2014-09-15 Preparing for intense days

• Avoid long stretches of work. Coding is better when well-rested.
  • This worked out okay. I coded a lot, but I switched between coding different types of things.
• Go to bed early. Get 8.5-9 hours of sleep; more if you anticipate anxiety.
  • Yup! Managed to get plenty of sleep.
• Pick one thing. Focus on it.
  • Mostly managed this.
• Minimal computer or phone use in the evening. Draw instead, as a way of braindumping/thinking. Index cards can be useful for jotting down thoughts.
  • As you can see, I'm still processing the notes from then. =)
• Minimal socializing – use the time to recharge and prepare the foundation. Spend time with W- taking care of things. Guiltlessly reschedule other things.
  • Worked out well. Substituted money for time when it came to Hacklab.
• It's okay to take the subway instead of biking to work – minimize risk
  • I even took a few cabs! Boggle.
• Still go jogging with W- when weather and schedule permit; if not, do exercise ladder at home.
  • I want to reestablish this habit. Not ingrained yet.
• Eat freezer meals; get takeout if necessary. (Or frozen lunches from stores as stopgaps? They're not as nice, though.) Bulk-cook easy recipes (rice & lentils, congee, curry).
  • We ended up ordering pizza a few times. At work, people had food delivered too. It was nice to return to home-cooked meals, though!
• Keep the end in mind (reason and number of days).
  • That was helpful. =)

I don't often go on work sprints like that, but it's nice to know our lifestyle can handle it!