Photo via http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/99-bugs-in-the-code.jpg featuring Grumpy Cat.
Well, that wasn’t a total failure. I set out this month to build a blog in Ruby on Rails. I didn’t end up building the blog, but I did learn some Ruby and do some introductory projects. It was all going well and then it suddenly went off the Rails. Womp womp!
One second I had a test post and test comments, and the next I couldn’t even get a server started to see my progress live on the internet (that’s something you need to do with Rails—start a Rails server.)
In any case, I learned something. That’s going to become my motto I think :).
Halfway through yelling at my tutorials and help sites like Stack Overflow, lamenting the plight of the first-time Ruby developer, I had an epiphany:
This isn’t fun. I am not happy doing this. I am not enjoying this.
I started thinking of some of my other projects, and some of the pieces of them that I just don’t want to do. As you can see, the video updates have become scarce. That’s because I’d rather be doing stuff than editing, uploading, and managing video content. The idea of these update videos weigh me down and get in the way of getting stuff done. Of course in any profession or career or project, there are parts that are less shiny and perfect than others. But this is my own project. I get to make the rules! 🙂
With that in mind, I am issuing a 12 Months of Stuff Official Decree:
All future projects must directly contribute to my happiness.
I started these 12 projects to “get to where I want to be”, but I’m starting to find that destination is a bit nebulous. Sure I want to have my own internet content empire, who doesn’t? But if it makes me miserable, then there’s no point to it. I need to focus on the fun parts, and figure out how to outsource or get around the parts I don’t enjoy if necessary.
Enter the above decree. At least I’m learning things, right? “Inspect and adapt”, as they say. Stay tuned for June’s stuff announcement shortly. It’s going to be a good one.
In love & stuff,
Sam