We set out this with a theme this year. Not a resolution, but an idea of something tangible that wanted to accomplish or do better in our efforts here. If you're not super familiar with themes, as I was not, I'd encourage you to listen to Cortex on Relay FM, of course they are in the show notes.

 

Cortex #79: 2019 Yearly Themes - Relay FM

 

Cortex #62: 2018 Yearly Themes - Relay FM

 

Actual Reddit thread gives a good rundown of yearly themes, but for me it's really something you can ask yourself when you're doing something, or you're looking at your to do list, or list of projects you want to work on. Whether those are side projects, or maybe they are part of your business in the case of Myke and Grey. (Those are the peeps from the show Cortex)

 

So what was my theme? Creating Content and Simple Automation. Episode #64 Aptly titled 'Themes' goes into both in pretty good detail, and I thought since it's nearly the 1/2 way point of the year, how am I doing?

 

The idea, whenever I start in on something overly complex or silly. I’m not looking for a Rube Goldberg machine, the exact opposite. I can think, “does this fit in my theme of create content with simple automation?” and if the answer is not a resounding YES then I can skip it.

Me from Episode #64

 

Score card

 

Creating Content

 

• Podcast - still going strong
• Newsletter - not yet, but we're getting closer ... soon
• Conference talks - hell yes!
• Conference rejections
• Video or ScreenCasting ... soon
• Daily / Weekly Blog .. ? Blog https://jessetomchak.com

 

Simple Automation

 

• WordPress - yep
• Gatsby - yep
• Permission to skip or just not get started on something - less so
• New Indie.web specifically Micro.blog

 

And this was a very powerful idea. I have dozens if not a hundred started projects. Notice that I said started. Not finished, not even abandoned. Just started.

 

I always have good intentions of coming back to a project, ignoring the others that I have yet to return to.

Me

 

Can't say I've enjoyed WordPress a lot. I understand more why people do like it. I've found a plugins for markdown, adding code snippets without having to make functions in the themes, that then get overridden when it inevitability needs to be updated. Which is a bit miserable when it's hosted on Cent OS with selinux turned on. ?‍♀️ But those are all things I know now.

 

Cortex #44: Existential Time Tracking

 

Elmstatic by Alex Korban