Nordling.xyz

What I’m Working On: Moving, Career Shifts, and Family Celebrations

Introduction #

Welcome to my first (published) post of the year! My intention was to start posting much earlier, beginning with my 2023 Review in January by writing for 24 minutes each day. In February, I aimed to publish my first blog post of the year on Nordling.xyz (this site), and by March, I planned to officially launch Nordling.xyz v1.0 (though it was actually deployed in mid-February, I never announced it publicly). However, I put these goals on the back burner to focus on other projects. I've since been reevaluating my options, and now, in late July/August, I've decided to stop overthinking and share the site on Facebook. After all, how can I expect to gain readers if I don't share what I write?

This week has been filled with new beginnings, both personally and professionally, and I'm excited to share a recap.

Personal #

Moving to a New Place #

I've taken a big step towards independence by moving into a shared apartment in Södermalm, similar to accommodations I've lived in before. It's been an exciting process, albeit a bit overwhelming at times. It's been on my 24 for 24 list since January, and this week, I tackled some essential household tasks:

A huge thank you to my family for their incredible help during the move. Their support made the process much smoother and less stressful, and I couldn’t have done it without them.

This new place is similar to past shared housing experiences, but it feels like a fresh start with its own unique vibe and location.

Preparing for Spain #

I'm gearing up for a trip to Spain next month, which means sorting out some logistical details, like obtaining an EU health insurance card (Mathias is keen on visiting Gibraltar). After talking to the authorities, I realized that I probably won't get the card in time for our trip, but at least I endured the long phone queue to complete an important task. They told me I shouldn't worry about getting injured.

My Personal Website #

I've once again reevaluated the technical options for reviving my website and blog (another 24 for 24 item). I'm done overthinking and second-guessing this project. The primary goal is to streamline my writing process, allowing me to post my thoughts quickly without getting caught up in the technicalities. For now, I'm sticking with a simple, default layout to avoid falling into the rabbit hole of endless customization.

Professional #

Career Exploration #

At work, I've been grappling with some issues related to Power BI Embedded (data visualization). All that frustration has been a wake-up call, to say the least. I've been considering a shift towards roles that excite me more and have looked at some Developer Roadmaps. I'm particularly interested in:

Habits #

Helpful #

I've adopted a new habit to help me focus better: a simple paper list. I use both sides of the paper, one for work tasks and the other for personal ones. This method has reduced the mental clutter of switching between multiple digital notes and to-do lists.

Unhelpful #

On the flip side, I'm working on curbing my tendency to overthink and complicate things that could be kept simple. Another small but annoying habit is my compulsion to check new Messenger Stories, triggered by the red dot notification, even though they rarely offer any value.

Biggest Win #

One of the highlights of this week has been my effort to scale down and focus on the most critical tasks, especially around the move. It's a small victory, but it's helping me stay grounded and organized.

Biggest Struggle #

Maintaining healthy habits has been a bit of a challenge. I've been forgetting to incorporate regular exercise into my routine, even something as simple as a few push-ups before bed.

Consumed #

This week, I’ve enjoyed watching some Olympic Games events, particularly swimming and the table tennis final where Truls got the silver medal. I also watched a fascinating documentary on Ingmar Stenmark. Additionally, I listened to the Real Python Podcast, Episode 195: Building a Healthy Developer Mindset While Learning Python. It offered some valuable insights into maintaining a balanced mindset while picking up new skills.

I also read Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by Paul Graham, which emphasizes the different time management needs of creative work versus administrative tasks—a concept Alex Hormozi also discussed and one that I try to adopt.

I also explored the Flow State with Bobby Lyte.

Created #

I must admit this post took me almost the entire day to write. But more importantly, I finished what I started. Getting one more repetition done and strengthening my writing muscles. As they say, short posts are better than unpublished novels, and this format helps me stay consistent with my writing.

Friends and Family #

I caught up with friends this week, including a chat with Ryan K from Brisbane, who's started learning Swedish. It was great to reconnect and share experiences. I also kept up the streak of seeing live music each month by attending a Mimikry concert at Gröna Lund with Mathias. It felt great to unwind and enjoy some live music.

I spent some quality time with my parents over the weekend as we traveled to Djurö to celebrate my uncle Kalle's 80th birthday. It was a special occasion, and I got to see relatives I hadn't seen in many years.

Closing Thoughts #

Overall, it's been an ideal week—one that has both enjoyment and improvement for the future. See Tim Urban's post Your Life in Weeks for a longer read about the concept of visualizing life in weeks, which is a powerful reminder to make the most of our (limited) time.

Posting these updates helps me stay accountable and track my growth. My goal remains to create seven hours of content spread across four platforms, always striving to learn and improve with each new upload or post.

Thanks for reading, and here's to another week of growth and new experiences!