I lost the bubble. I am going to get it back.
The Bubble
One of the most talented software engineers I know (Fred Roeber) explained to me ‘the bubble.’ Being so on top of the code base that you can instantly and almost mystically diagnose and fix problems, envision new solutions, and move the project forward. Magically.
It’s easy to lose the bubble. Someone else checks in a bunch of crap code that confuses things. A long vacation throws off your thinking. Someone dies. Bachelor party!
I lost the bubble. On my life.
But it’s OK – I know exactly how to get it back.
Sabbatical
I just spent eight months on sabbatical. I continued to work part-time for Zeo, advised a few cool companies as well, and most of my time for myself.
I took off for Jackson Hole to ski for the season. This was BY FAR the most productive time of my life. Why?
- Physiology was tuned: eating well, little/no drinking, perfect sleep, 3x a week Mountain Athlete training, 5 days a week skiing.
- Life goals were in place. I knew why I was doing shit.
- Productivity systems in place. Pomodoro Technique, email once a day, etc.
- Relaxation and mental calm at an all time high. Even got in some meditation.
- Became Clean and Tidy.
Then I started travelling. First to Chamonix for more skiing, then to a new place in Europe every week for over 3 months.
- Eat whatever.
- Drink like a fish.
- Sleep when I’m dead
- Throw goals, productivity, etc. out the door.
- Basically punish my body in every way imaginable.
Now don’t get me wrong – it was a fucking blast. Fjords, night sailing, psychedelics, pole dancers, roman baths, extreme ski descents, etc. Wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Life needs periodicity. It would be pretty damn boring to be in complete control the whole time.
But at the end of all that I feel like absolute shit.
- Tired all the time, low energy.
- Digestion is shot.
- Unable to concentrate.
- Mood swings.
- More acne, body fat than I’d like.
I lost the bubble.
This is the worst I’ve felt in 2 years. Shocking to think that long ago I ALWAYS felt like crap and just didn’t know better…
Getting The Bubble Back
Thankfully I know exactly how to get the bubble back. Here is what I am implementing NOW to ensure that within 6 weeks I am at the top of my game again:
- Returning to a Paleo/Bulletproof diet.
- Exercise 4x/week – including Crossfit at least 2x/week.
- Sleep well.
- Email twice a day.
- Bring back the weekly review.
- Take my prescription meds (thyroid, asthma) with perfect compliance.
- Drink socially (1-2 drinks <3 times/week) or not at all. (will ditch this for bachelor parties…)
Notice I’m not going whole-hog here (at least for me). I haven’t committed myself to intermittent fasting, meditation, break dancing, dating, gymnastics, supplements, cold shower, etc. I’ll get there. May even mix some in. But I’ll COMMIT to the seven items above. I would never recommend someone try all of this at once – but I had all this shit nailed before and I’m just getting it back. Much easier.
It’s Working
I’ve been half-heartedly trying the above for about two weeks. I already have far more energy, ability to concentrate, feel better physically…
And I finally had the balls to bang out this blog post so I can’t wimp the fuck out.
See you on the flip side. I’m back.
