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Calm December Again

In 2020, after a year of much turmoil (what was that again?), we did something called “Calm December” at the end of the year. The gist was:

  • No formal meetings

  • No deadlines

  • No pressure to work a full day

  • Prioritise self-care

At the time, we had cut salaries down to the absolute minimum, and we were doing daily meetings as every day seemed critical to the survival of the company.

Things are in a lot better of a place for us right now. We didn’t do Calm December last year. The thinking was that we’re doing far fewer meetings, our deadlines are much more structured and achievable these days, and we like to think that while we’re productive, we do prioritise things for the long-haul rather than short-term gains.

All that said, we have been pushing ourselves quite hard recently. After the switch to Linear, we’ve been able to see the shipping velocity that the team has hit. For a small team, it’s impressive. At least one or two of us has been travelling every other week to a conference or a trade-show, and then managing the follow-up from that in addition to keeping the products on-track. Not to mention our imminent new product launch.

On a call with Kim this week, when faced with three bleary-eyed company “leaders”, Kim asked why we weren’t doing Calm December again. I said that when we did it in 2020 we were very burnt out. “Well you look pretty burnt out to me”. I got a bit defensive at this, but looking back over the last couple of months, I haven’t stopped. My guitar has sat mostly unplayed, my journal only has the odd page, and—even though it’s all superficial pressure—everything seems urgent.

It’s time to slow down.

So, having given it some thought the last few days, we’re bringing Calm December back. This doesn’t mean stopping, but it means going back to those four points from 2020. No formal meetings. No deadlines. No pressure. Self-care.

Between holidays accrued and the run up to Christmas, the impact on the business will be negligible. Calm December is simply a mindset shift. It’s permission to relax a little rather than pushing through. It’s taking a step back and saying “you need some perspective to enjoy the journey”.

We’re an ambitious team, and we have loads to share, but for the next 4 weeks, we’re going to take a pause before roaring in to 2025.