A low-drama week, light on novelty, heavy on retrospection, turkey, Brussels sprouts, gravy, and the slow erosion of self-control via Lindor balls. Editing the book, revisiting earlier decisions, and discovering — once again — that momentum leaves a visible trail. Christmas did the rest.

This week at work

Final edits on the book, which turned out to be less of a victory lap and more of a bracing encounter with our past selves.

After handing in the last three chapters, I looped back to the beginning and immediately felt it: the first couple of chapters were… fine. Competent. Sensible. But slightly anaemic. Somewhere along the way Jon and I had clearly loosened up, found our rhythm, and started writing like People With Opinions. The second half has energy, confidence, and a voice. The first half sounded like it was still asking permission.

So this week was about corrective surgery. Trimming the flab. Replacing polite vagueness with the language we actually use. Making sure the opening chapters don’t just explain things correctly, but explain them like us.

It turns out momentum is visible on the page — and so is caution. This week was about choosing the former, retrospectively.

Also this week

Honestly, not much. It was Christmas, so the days blurred into a perfectly pleasant loop of over-indulgence, leftovers, and vague time-blindness.

I did manage a spin class on Christmas Day, which allowed me a brief but intense bout of moral superiority. It passed quickly, as these things should.

Consuming

📺 Watching

The Muppets Christmas Carol and Elf. As is right and proper.

Coverage

Reworked named me one of their Contributors of the Year, which was a genuinely lovely thing to land just as the year wound down.

At the start of the year I made myself a small, specific commitment: one piece for Reworked every month. No grand strategy — just a regular prompt and a place to think in public. I managed 11 out of 12, which given I also managed to write an entire book I’m unreasonably pleased with.

I’ve really enjoyed having that rhythm: a clear outlet, a monthly theme, an intelligent audience, and enough editorial constraint to stop me disappearing down my own rabbit holes. I’d like to get my Red Hot Opinions in a few more outlets next year.

This week in photos