Posted: Fri 18 December, 2015 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Domestic, Driving, Festering Season, Travel, Weirdness, Work-related |
According to the BBC, today is the peak day for travelling around the Festering Season. Schools break up, companies close down, and people piss off on holiday – so there’s travellers alongside the commuters and so on. Supposedly, there’ll be more than 13 million journeys of at least 20 miles, which makes it even less of a joy than usual. (Which seems about right for the Festering Season, but then, I’m a cynic)
That figure’s an odd one though – journeys of at least 20 miles? Does that even qualify as a journey these days? In my head (which we all know is a strange place at the best of times) 20 miles is barely a trip, let alone a journey.
Round here, it’s been weirdly quiet all week – regardless of whether it’s on the roads, in town, or in the office, a lot of people seem to have already stuffed off. Which makes it all very peaceful. I suppose it’s easy for small companies (2 or 3 people at most) to take longer breaks and so on.
As it is, I’m working right through ’til the 24th (as usual) and so are the companies I’m working for at the moment. I don’t mind – but then, I’m not travelling, or doing much over the Festering Season.
Posted: Fri 11 December, 2015 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Cynicism, Domestic, Festering Season, Own Business, People, Work-related |
This year, most of my working week has been spent in my own small office, away from people and corporate bullshit. It’s been highly beneficial to me in general – despite realising I’ve been doing this all year with no breaks – and I’m far, far calmer and more content than I’ve been in a long time.
The run-up to the Festering Season has reminded me of this again – primarily because I’m just not filled with as much loathing of the Season as I usually am. I’ve not been nagged about being a Scrooge, or had to listen to all that interminable “Oh, but the run-up to Christmas is the best” bollocks, along with all the witterings about who’ll do what (or did what) at the annual work Christmas Do.
In short, doing my own thing has been hugely beneficial all round.
I still don’t like it as a season – it’s not something I dislike just because of the bullshit of others – but I’m certainly feeling less hateful than usual. It’s really quite odd, but in a good way.
Mind you, I’m still glad it’ll be all over in two weeks’ time…
Posted: Sat 14 November, 2015 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2015/16, Business, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Own Business, Thoughts, Work-related |
At some point in the coming year, I’ll be changing contracts. That’s just par for the course (although I’ve been in the current one for a year now) so it’s not a worry. I’ve mentioned it before in relation to finances and so on, but this post is going to be more focused on the work side of things.
One of the bigger changes within this year was that I’ve also gone back to working through my own limited company, instead of through PAYE Umbrella companies, which means I’ll be better off in the long run.
I’m pretty much sure that I’ll be sticking with contracting for the coming year at least. There *may* be a perm role somewhere out there with my name on it – but I’m not convinced, and not looking for it.
In fairness, I have had some good perm roles (or as they’re sometimes known, “proper jobs”) along the way. However, it’s also valid that every single role I’ve fucking hated (or has involved working for an utter shitwhistle) has been a perm role. The last couple in particular have left me not wanting to go back down that route for the moment. (And yes, that could come back to bite me on the arse, I know)
So for now, I’m aiming to stick with the contracting. Along the way I’m also looking at developing some of my own stuff properly – like the writing post, I’ve got a huge number of ideas on the go, but unlike the writing post, I’ve got a goal, a target, and a particular product/concept to focus on.
There’s a timeline for that, which is the end of this 2015/16 process. At that point, there’s a conference and exhibition going on, where I want to be able to have a product I can launch and discuss with the target market.
That’s the goal, and the plan. Things may arise to change those aims, but for now it’s looking promising.
Posted: Tue 10 November, 2015 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2015/16, Change, Day Trips, Domestic, Driving, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Food, Getting Organised, Single Life, Solo Dining, Thoughts, Travel, Work-related |
As things stabilise more here, I’m looking at what I want to do in 2016 – and in particular towards taking some breaks. This year has ripped past, and I’m renownedly shit at taking holidays at the best of times.
So part of the plan will be to do some weekends away, as well as a couple of longer breaks. I’m looking at places/destinations at the moment, so that I can book them before the end of this year. That way I can have them as immovable events when it comes to going to a new contract in 2016.
I’ve already booked up a couple of weekends away, and it’s all looking pretty promising. And continuing on from last year’s side-project about being more comfortable with eating on my own, there’s more places booked and going to be booked on that score too. Details of those will follow as and when through the year though…
Posted: Thu 5 November, 2015 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2015/16, Bankruptcy, D4D™, Day Trips, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Own Business, Thoughts, Travel, Weigh Less, Work-related, Write More |
Following on from yesterday’s “what happened in the last year” post, now we get to the fun stuff, the “What’s going to happen in the coming year?” post.
Although, to be honest, some of those goals aren’t going to change much. I currently see 2015/16 as a year that’s more about consolidation, of building from the foundations of 2014/15.
So, the outline goals are going to be
- Continue rebuilding finances.
- Continue with health/exercise/weight-loss stuff
- Write more
- Develop more things based around my own business
- Get out more
There will be some significant changes during 2016 that I already know about and/or expect – as well as a number of things unexpected and un-planned-for.
Among the expected changes, I know that I’ll definitely be looking for at least one new contract sometime in that year. As yet I don’t know exactly when, but I can live with that – when it happens, it’ll be fine.
Also, the final financial stage of my bankruptcy will come to an end early in the year, and I’ll have paid off the three-year repayment plan. (That’s happening later than the three-year anniversary of the actual declaration, because it takes time to organise and sort out in the first place) I plan to keep making that payment, but into my own savings account, which will (obviously) help build things up.
Finally, I may end up moving by the end of the year. Or I may not. I don’t know for sure. Actually, that most likely won’t be in this time-span, as my 12-month tenancy agreement renewal starts today. I may know that I will be moving (as I’d have to give a month’s notice to end the tenancy etc. etc.) but the odds are that I won’t have actually moved. If I decide to do so.
I’ll write in more detail about those outline goals over the next few days, and see what they bring.
For now, I’m just happy to have some ideas about what’s going to come next.
Posted: Wed 4 November, 2015 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2014/15, 2015 vs 2014, Bankruptcy, Car Repairs, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Food, Getting Organised, Health, Looking Back, Thoughts, Travel, Weigh Less, Work-related, Write More, Writing |
This time last year, I made a list of things I wanted to do in the coming year.
So how have I done? Actually, not badly at all. (The initial goals are in bold, with the results in colour afterwards)
- Weigh Less – Kind of. It’s fair to say, this has had its ups and downs. Over the course of the year, I put back on some of the weight I’d lost, and then lost it again. With more regular attendance at the gym, I’ve also changed shape, lost a noticeable amount of fat, but replaced it with a similar weight of muscle, so I’ve maintained roughly the same weight throughout the last six months, despite looking (and feeling) fitter and lighter. It’s annoying, but successful in a way.
- Write More – Less successful. I’ve completed a couple of pieces, and got ideas for others. So I guess I’ve written more – and been doing more here – but still, it’s not quite what I’d hoped/planned for.
- IAM Test – Kinda. I’ve booked it in, but it’s not happened yet. I’ll write more about that when it does.
- Ideas for my own business – Successful. In the last six months I’ve changed to doing the contract through my own limited company, and dealing with my own accounts and payroll etc. – which is definitely a good step in the right direction. I’ve also got more/better ideas and goals for the coming year, and what the plans will be.
- Build The Finances – Successful. It’s not been perfect. There have been unexpected expenses like the car’s turbo needing replacement, and a few other things along the way. There’s also been that nasty habit of getting out and having a life – some of which hasn’t been super-cheap.
But all told, I’m coming out of the year in a far better position than I went into it. Not as well as I could have come out of it, but there we go – my choice, my decision, and it’s still a good position to be in.
So all told, it’s been a pretty good year. Most of the plans have borne fruit, or are at least showing growth and promise for the coming year. Frankly, I can live with that as a set of results.
Posted: Sat 17 October, 2015 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Domestic, Introspective, People, Work-related |
As I’ve observed before, I tend to know a lot more about my surroundings – particularly my work-based ones – than most of the people around me. I know what’s going on, who’s doing what, where people are based, and the general minutiae of office-based life. (The same applies in non-work life as well, but to a slightly lesser degree)
I also tend to be a lot tetchier and easily annoyed when in work places.
It’s only in the last couple of weeks, though, that it’s clicked a bit on how both these things are connected.
Basically, I have a bit of an inability to filter things out – which means I’m always aware of what’s going on around me, of other conversations and so on, even when primarily focused on something else (such as the actual work I’m doing) and that’s generally how I get to know what’s occurring. Well, that and actually talking to people – which is definitely non-stereotypical behaviour among techies.
However, that also means I can’t filter out banality, inane garbage, and really fucking annoying noises – hence also being tetchier and more easily annoyed.
This all really clicked last week, when my current (usually peaceful) office was disturbed by a bunch of fuckknuckles shredding/chipping branches on the trees outside. Even through closed double-glazed windows, I could still hear it, and it drove me crackers. I’ve been aware of similar distractions before – and Herself was diagnosed years back with a similar thing where she couldn’t filter noises properly, so I’m aware of it on that level too.
Anyway, the same has applied on other days, but the noise of the chipper certainly got to me more than usual – and made me think about what was happening.
Completely irrelevant and uninteresting to anyone else, I know. But it interested me.