Not quite what was planned.

 So... Project Month 2024. It came and went. And I didn't get as many projects done as I had planned to.

Don't get me wrong; I did accomplish a lot. I organized a crapload of videos, documents, and photos on my computer, which was a project that had been needing done for years. I gained a new zest for life as I wasted much less time on YouTube and singleplayer computer games and spent more time creating. I finished one solid fantasy novel and red half of another. I learned some American Sign Language, spent time enjoying nature, made fun memories with my children, made some YouTube videos, and sketched a Knight Guy comic for the first time in years.

I also got laid off from my job. So that put my priorities elsewhere.

I'm honestly not surprised or that upset or stressed about losing my job. I was brought into that job position under the assumption that I'd be working on a specific project, and the project never came to fruition. I wasn't learning anything in that position, nor was I making any long-term progress to any sort of career path. I was just sort of sitting like a potted succulent plant in front of a sun lamp, just getting the money I needed to provide for my family without giving back or showing any signs of life.

In fact, being laid off from this job could be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Now, I can spend motivated time looking for the right job—I'm thinking something in communications or product implementation—and finally leave behind this limp, rusty chain of junior web development jobs I only started because my entry-level college editing job couldn't pay the bills. But as I've always said, nothing is ever wasted! Although I didn't climb up the path of web development to a senior position, my years of technical experience will enhance my language expertise, and I'll finally be able to do something I love!

The exact thing I needed at this point in my life was a push forward and the free time needed to find the right job. I feel a lot of peace and confidence this time—very different from the blind desperation of sending out scores of job applications and sinking under the weight of countless rejections to jobs I don't even want. I'm not out of the woods yet, but I'm enjoying the time I have researching jobs, networking with others in my desired field, making a portfolio, and learning new skills to set myself apart.

So February's Project Month may be over, but one thing I realized as I sat in warm contentment among hours of productivity is this: I can do a productivity month anytime I want! I can even optimize my entire life by making every other month a productivity month, and then enjoying video games and YouTube videos on the off-months. I'm not certain if I want to commit to that right now, but losing bad habits and staying in a productive mode of thought for days on end was an extremely valuable feeling: one I don't want to experience only yearly.

So things are great! Life is about learning from bad things and looking forward to good things. It's also about seasons: seasons of plenty and famine, productivity and laziness, employment and seeking. I'm sure I'll get around to the projects on the list I made at the beginning of February. I've got time.