Professional life – Tonotopics

March 25, 2022March 25, 2022

Coffee stains

I was introduced to the coffee stain concept by a friend who attended a management course. This is therefore not something I dreamt up but something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. If someone can find me resources on this theory, please let me know, as this wisdom was shared with me during a lunch meeting and not a scientific article.

This is not a coffee stain on your furniture or your desk or in your planner but a proverbial coffee stain in your life. That thing that you know you struggle with but is something that you have to do. The above-mentioned friend is an academic, a Professor, a researcher… and her coffee stain is email. She indicated that she just never wins her email. And yes, it was something that I never knew about her but also something that made me realise, that I too have these hurdles in my life.

Off the top of my head…

January 12, 2022January 11, 2022

New year socks

I have been neglecting this little corner of mine for various, boring reasons that I am not going to get into, because they are going to sound like excuses. Today will be my second day back at work this year. The home office has migrated back to the Publishing offices as I have struggled off late to keep work away from home.

So this post should be the motivational beginning of the year post that have been flooding my inbox and social media. Truth be told, I am not feeling it. I am not a huge fan of the festive season. It creates expectation and gatherings… so many gatherings… and at the end of the day, we tend to miss the whole point. We also overindulge and pick fights with the family (in no particular order).

A beautiful friend of mine chooses a word at the beginning of every year. I am not really into new year’s resolutions (as I tend to disappoint myself), but I like the idea of having a theme of sorts. Something that reminds you of who you are and where you are going. Something that can pull you back towards yourself and keep you focussed.

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021

The overthinker and the silence

These rambles may have revealed a number of things about me, mostly that I am anxious and that I tend to overthink. Especially if I find myself with idle time… or if someone does not answer my text. Especially ones that are direct questions. I ALWAYS assume that that person is angry with me. And I can ALWAYS think up something that I have done to deserve this passive-aggressive behaviour.

Turns out, however, people are busy, people have lives and the whole world does not revolve around me. Also, some people don’t read and I really do ask a lot of questions. The Engineer has recently requested that I only send one question at a time.

August 4, 2021August 3, 2021

Do not try this at home

I run a small publishing company that specialises in peer-reviewed medical journals. Needless to say, I am not a medical professional, but I am a publishing professional. Not a day goes by where I don’t feel that I have to tell some medical specialist that sure, they can transplant a heart, but they cannot reference their way out of a paper bag. That is why we do not all do the same things. That is why I have a business and you transplant hearts.

And yes, I feel that I should add a section to my blog titled “rant”.

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Should I walk on eggshells or should I speak my truth?

We live in an age of social media, where it seems, that some individuals are offended all the time… constantly, sometimes even not personally but on behalf of someone else. And it is exhausting!