Punched in the mouth

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
– Mike Tyson

Due to the COVID-19 situation, we are staying home for at least the next 15 days. And while it can be a minor nuisance for people like me, that either work remotely by default or can work remotely as long as their company allows for it, it throws a spanner in the works for a ton of people that can't perform their day to day job, or that got projects canceled. Even worse, some people are affected by the virus in more direct ways, either because they're infected, or a loved one is.

How many times we've said things like: I'm gonna start dedicating more time to this passion of mine, I'm gonna do whatever I can to leave my shitty job and find something better for me, I'm gonna tell her I love her, I'm gonna visit my loved ones more often?

Life is unexpected. This is a reminder that while we need to plan for things ahead, and live our lives, and look forward to something, and make plans, we can't take anything for sure, ever. And while that can leave you feeling vulnerable, this is also an opportunity to reprioritize your life.

The stoics had this idea of memento mori. The idea that you might die at any moment is something that feels depressing when seen from a negative perspective. If you think about it the right way, it gives you a sense of priority and clarity. It lets you know what's essential for you, and if something is important, why are you gonna do it in X years?

Do it now. Do it while you can.

Thank you for reading 🙏

Some links for you

f**k covid home party

Playlist

Last week it was me sharing a playlist for your focus, work, and relax, and this week it's Maria's turn with some good vibe tunes to move your body (and brain!) while you stay at home.

How To Make a 'Gold Standard' Remote Work Office**

Post

This is a mind-blowing post by Andy Tryba on his remote work office set up. He manages thousands of remote workers, and has put a ton of thought and research on the best way to optimize his set up for multiple cases: 1:1 calls, 1:N, N:N, whiteboarding sessions... everything.

Maybe it's something that not all of us can implement on our setups verbatim, but maybe there's some inspiration on things for you to look into!