This Coding Life

 the patterns that appear in my life when things are going well.

I've spent time thinking about my anti-patterns: what it looks like when things are going wrong. But other than "not like X" I haven't thought much about what the good stuff looks like.

In the same way that smiling can make you happy, I'm starting to find that doing the things I do when I feel best helps me to feel, well... better. That sounds obvious, but there is some subtlety: the activities that I assume "make me happy" aren't necessarily the things I do when I am happy.

For example, I love a good argument, or sometimes even a bad one. I'm also partial to ranting. But the happier I am, the less I do both. They are ways to release frustration and to exercise my mind - when I'm fulfilled I rarely need either. There's a lot of others activities in the same category, like: drinking a lot of coffee; keeping up with the tech scene; buying gadgets; and getting caught up in politics.

So what do I do when I'm happy?

I read or listen to books, mostly fiction. I learn about non-technology fields, like history and economics. I drink more tea than coffee, and more water than tea.

I spend a lot of time with my family and doing stuff around the house. I rarely get frustrated with the kids. I exercise and eat well, not because I'm trying to acheive something, but because it's fun and feels natural. I catch up with friends. I get a lot done at work.

I worry less about why things are they way they are. I don't sweat the details.

Making myself 'act happy' isn't easy. Like any change in behaviour, in the beginning it takes a lot of conscious effort. It does seem to be developing a momemtum of its own though and I'm surprised at how well its working.