Balancing the chaos #1
My first newsletter back. Context of what I've been working on, how I manage my stress and some exclusive insights packed into my April 24 newsletter.
I can't remember the last time I pushed myself this hard!
April through June is always a crazy time, as it's the final months of the financial year.
It’s the last chance I have to get everything I want done.
With everything going on, I also moved into a new studio where I’ll do most of my filming, collaboration with some team members (most are remote), run a podcast in the board room and hopefully some face-to-face workshops.
Let me know if you’re based in Sydney and down to workshop!
This past month, I've been all-in on a bunch of major projects that helps me get my team and I closer to our vision, this included:
Designership (v.2.0): We re-built the Designership site (again) from the ground up. Yep, I messed up last time because I was too busy to give my team constructive feedback and direction. This time round, we did it right and I’m really happy with it.
UX/UI Design Course (v.1.0): I finally launched my end-to-end UX/UI design course last Friday. It’s been in the works for a [very] long time, but I couldn’t be happier with it. Out of all 3 courses I’ve made, this one has got to be my fav. Students are also loving it as well.
Shipfaster UI (v.2.7): If you have been living under a rock, then let me explain. Shipfaster UI is my very own Figma UI Kit & design system. There’s over 3,200 designers using it and we just made another major update; more components, variants and improvements. Update is free for all existing users.
Outline Wireframe Kit (v.2.0): Outline is my wireframe kit for Figma users. This month my team and I introduced a ton of Shipfaster UI components and integrated them into Outline. So now you have hundreds more components to use in your wireframes! Update is free for all existing users.
On top of all these major updates, I’ve also been regularly posting deep-dive tutorials onto YouTube, working on new course updates for my existing Figma + UX Research courses, jumping into student mentor calls and taking my 🐶 for potty 3 times a day.
Yep, it was a ton of work, but I’m glad we’re making solid progress.
Managing the chaos
Going Super Saiyan for 30 days straight is no joke—it comes at a cost.
My brain was still in overdrive after everything was done, like a browser with too many tabs opened.
This kind of intense stretch isn’t new to me, though. I’ve been here before and one key lesson I’ve learned is the need for balance.
Imagine a pendulum swinging—after a big push, it has to swing back with equal force. If you push hard for 30 days, you need to chill the fridge out with the same intensity to balance things out.
That's exactly what I did this past week.
I cut back on screen time, and spent my days training Muay Thai and cycling. Yep, lounging just isn’t my style.
Kicking bags and pedalling with intensity is relaxing to me.
Sometimes to keep the pendulum swinging, you need to take a break, so you can come back even stronger.
Bite sized learnings
🌗 Light or dark mode? Based on ~30K sessions from my own analytics, I noticed users spend +13.6% more time reading articles on light backgrounds vs dark ones.
📑 Lots to do? Define 1 metric that’s most important to you right now, then prioritize based on that.
⚡️ New or old? Generally it’s better [and much easier] to double down on what’s already working, rather than trying something new.
Useful lil links
Fiverr - A lot of under-rated talent on here.
Framer - Build beautiful and complex sites.
Figma - Variables just got updated! My video tutorial.
Contra - Is this the future of freelancing?
Dub.co - Short links with superpowers
Things I’m vibin’
🥊 Health: This year I’ve transitioned from weight training to endurance training. It’s been a big change, but I’m totally vibing running and Muay Thai. As I’m entering my mid-30s, flexibility and mobility is higher up on my priority list than thiccc arms and chest.
💸 Finance: I’ve sold all my individual stocks and went all in on QQQM. It’s a US based ETF that tracks the NASDAQ 100. I’ve noticed it performs a little better than the ASX listed NDQ. In the past I’ve had quite some success investing in individual companies, but I noticed I just don’t have enough time anymore…
💡 Inspiration: I recently gave my living room a facelift with furniture from Castlery. So if you’re looking some part of your home, they’ve got some of the best furniture and decor.
That’s it for this month’s newsletter!
I’d love for you to reply to me and let me know what you enjoyed and didn’t.
It means a lot to me.
Mizko
thanks for coming back Mizko 🤗
Love it, Mizko! Thank you for coming back with your newsletters, they’re super insightful. 🫶