Blog

COVID-19

Covid-19 explained

Currently, the world is experiencing a pandemic and I thought I’d reflect on my personal situation during these strange times.

I have been working from home for 4 months now, so I’m not nearly as freaked out as other people are staying at home in social-distancing myself.

I am healthy, physically and mentally. Washing my hands. Not touching my face.

Looking at all the positive things happening through all of this, rather than focussing on all the negative, fear and panic so dominant online.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people who earn hourly and weekly wages. They will be hit hardest. So wish I was in a position to do more.

I haven’t felt any need to make videos during this period as I find it a bit weird and I’m already having my own internal battle on the value I bring to my non-existent audience on YouTube.

While I expect to still be busy, I do want to try and use this less distracting time to be productive and do the things I usually don’t have time or energy for. So hopefully there will be some progress with the work section of my site, which should reflect more of my journey than endless screens of out-dated work.

Open to the lessons this pandemic might teach us. Currently, a need to care more about community, hygiene and connecting with people I know is top of mind.

Remote working is presenting all sorts of new challenges for people and I believe there will be a huge cultural shift in general. I hope my life experience has taught me enough to get through it. I’m also enthusiastic to give guidance to and help others through this.

For anyone who is struggling mentally or who just needs a friend. Feel free to get in touch, I will do my best to be there for you always.

My appreciation for the medical industry, educators and retail staff at grocery stores who seem most impacted on a day-to-day basis. Your bravery and commitment of service is truly something to marvel at.

To all the people who have directly been affected, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

At this stage, the only sensible thing to do is to not spread the disease any further. None of us know how long this will last and how much this will impact the world as we know it. But try and stay positive, be helpful and don’t give up.

Take care and stay cool ✌️

#StayTheFuckHome

Recording your life

My box of photos

I have this box of photos that captured pieces of my life. They remind me of time, places, experiences, but most importantly people. I love going through this box, I love sharing this box and I’m excited to gift this box to my son, so he can remember me.

The problem is that these memories stopped, over 10 years ago. I literally don’t have photos of my son printed out, put in an album, the way photos were shared with me.

There are photos on Facebook, but I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that it’s dying off, the once channel that changed our life and was something we can’t live without, has become something I check once a week. Will it be around long after I am gone?

Then back to my own life, for the past 10+ years, I have taken photos on my phone, I have accidentally deleted them, or stored them somewhere I can’t remember or access anymore. So now there’s this massive gap between the last photos taken of me in the early 2000s and now.

Thanks to the internet wayback machine I can view some sites I built, but who would know what to look for. As I have built sites in various media types, only so much of it is recorded and as we slim down our portfolios or simply capture a few screens, how will anyone know what I have done in my lifetime. Now while I could dedicate a whole bunch of time adding everything to this website, I can’t renew this domain for eternity, so what do I do. This is who I am, what I have done and where I spent the majority of my life.

I plan on looking for as many photos as I can, and printing as many of them as I can to share with my son, to document my story for him. I plan on deleting the rubbish to reduce my data footprint and make it more manageable and finding a way of storing this record online. The same goes for my work, there just has to be a way I haven’t thought of yet. While also making an effort to document more of my life, which I honestly don’t really share. I really just regurgitate what’s going on in the industry now or will get some attention, so people think I’m smart, get inspired and shamelessly hire me so that I can pay the bills.

It’s time to start doing a better job of capturing my life, to remind myself and those that care about my journey. How do you record yours?

Power Outage

There are some things I just can’t control or even prepare for. Our country is plagued with load shedding, which I try to keep on top of so I can make content daily. But on Thursday there was a power outage that lasted into Friday evening. Hence no YouTube videos, no blog posts and nothing I could do about it.

💡

Sorry folks will try to get back to the daily.

Stay cool ✌️

Struggle

Chris Do, from The Futur interviews Kathryn Dyer in this absolutely beautiful conversation about personal struggle, vulnerability and self-help.

50 things I’m grateful for in 2018

  1. My son Dexter
  2. YouTube
  3. My Car
  4. Meditation
  5. Ayahuasca
  6. Sweet cups of tea
  7. Ichibuns in London
  8. Camping
  9. $9 black T-shirt’s from uniqlo
  10. Friendships
  11. iPhone
  12. Hot cakes from milk & madu in Bali
  13. Lego
  14. Road trips
  15. Seattle coffee
  16. Manfrotto tripods
  17. The laughs
  18. Good health
  19. Salted caramel milkshakes from woolworths
  20. My talent
  21. A heart full of love
  22. Inspiring people
  23. Nature
  24. Tattoos
  25. Passion
  26. Audible
  27. Pastrami sandwiches at Katz’s diner NYC
  28. Value I add
  29. Long walks
  30. Deep conversations
  31. Evian water
  32. Extra length pillows
  33. Skateboarding
  34. Fresh flowers
  35. System thinking
  36. Honey comb ice cream from Paul’s
  37. Morning hikes
  38. Billboards they say ‘just be kind’
  39. AirDrop
  40. Wood fires on my balcony
  41. Design
  42. A book apart
  43. New York wild cherry pie
  44. The Internet
  45. Joy of life
  46. Celebratory dances
  47. Purpose
  48. Uber eats
  49. Clean shaves
  50. Myself

Bali

After an intense Ayahuasca retreat, I decided to go to Bali for a week. These are my notes I posted on Facebook at the time…

Day 01

– Customs are meticulous and made sure I got the practice packing my luggage in my undersized suitcase, I made it through, officially not a drug mule
– The people are as super friendly as they say
– There are ATMs right outside arrivals where you get to type in 7 digits to ensure you have some cash on you (about $70 or R1000)
– You can get a sim at the airport with data bundles. I picked up about 20Gbs for 300k
– It feels like everyone is nursing a hangover first thing in the morning
– It’s hot, like mind-numbing hot
– There aren’t many pavements, it was an adventure navigating the scooters and taxis just to take a walk
– Starbucks feels like a safe space
– If it’s not honking, you hear air con, like you’re hanging inside an old fridge
– Don’t forget your sunglasses and sunscreen, even to walk up the road for coffee
– Everyone’s riding scooters and they’re available to rent everywhere, you’re even offered them by guys riding them
– There are instagramable statues, architecture and scenery everywhere
– Co-working spaces are plentiful and filled with sarong wearing, coffee drinking, smoothie bowl eating, digital nomads
– The beaches are not pristine white, but they are long and while the sand is too hot to walk on, walking on the wet sand is just incredible.
– The water is warm and so inviting
– There are lounging hangout spots all along the beach front
– The temples, shrines and tributes to the gods are everywhere
– Green Tea KitKats are awesome
– Mosquitoes bite you during the day too 🙈
– There are lots of dogs roaming around, especially on the beach
– It seems to rain a lot, but it’s quite lovely

Day 02

– November until December is the rainy season, it rains a lot
– Luwak coffee sampling is interesting.
– Luwak coffee is really good, considering it’s been pooped
– The rules of the road, don’t really apply
– The monkey temple in Ubud is amazing, totally worth a visit
– Temples, museums, paintings, statues etc are plentiful but get tiring pretty fast
– There are lots to shopping to be had in Ubud, there are literally kilometres of stores on the road up to Tegallalang Rice Terraces
– The rice terraces are ok, but I’ve gotten just as excited about a bag of tastic rice 🙄
– It’s really hot and wet
– Get a driver/guide to take you around for a day, worth the 800 bucks
– Food seems to be the same price as drinks, which makes eating really cheap
– The traffic is nuts, the congestion can literally take forever to cover very short distances
– There are plenty of solid little tattoo shops all over
– Not as many bugs as you’d expect for a tropical island
– Always carry sunscreen, even in the rain
– The bananas are tiny, like eating thumbs
– A sarong is cheaper than a large bottle of water
– The people are so polite, wish we could all be like this

Day 03

– Take a taxi, Uber is not available and they are everywhere and very cheap anyway
– Don’t bother with the breakfast buffet at your hotel booking, there are so many breakfast/brunch options everywhere worth exploring
– It’s someone’s job to blow a whistle and step out into the road and stop traffic so people can drive out of an establishment or cross a road
– Lots of Australians and women who have read eat. pray. love.
– Apparently a year ago the island wasn’t half as developed as it currently is, chatting to locals, they speak English quite well
– You can smoke in restaurants as they’re mostly pretty open and airy
– Lots of couple vibes ❤️
– Sunblock is super expensive, bring your own
– A 90-minute massage is 150 bucks, today I opted for an hour foot massage for 75 bucks
– The ocean is like bath water, just amazing
– The sunsets in Seminyak are breathtaking
– Not a lot of places to Skate, but I did find a cool bowl at the vans store
– Even overcast it’s still amazing here without the rain
– Enjoying the sun, sand and sea is the best part of Bali for me

Day 04

– Enjoy the sunny parts of the day
– Bali is whatever you want it to be, I have enjoyed chilled days on the beach as much as I have enjoyed the adventure, just fill your soul with whatever feels right for you
– Carry cash, it’s surprising how many places don’t take credit cards
– SnapScan in Bali would be awesome
– @livingfoodlabbali offers some great healthy breakfasts, try the granola bowls
– An all-terrain electric skateboard would be fun on the back roads
– The novelty of just walking around seems lost on people, I think everyone should be required to live in Joburg once in their life, where the only walking you do is in a mall or on a treadmill
– The fresh coconuts are sweet and an absolute treat on a hot day
– Doing less, is doing so much more in Bali, let the chill vibes do their thing (chicken wing)
– Had a full body relaxation massage for under 300 bucks that hit the spot
– The beaches get packed by locals and tourists to enjoy the sunsets
– Locals seem to like their bbq corn
– Saturday nights are pretty festive

Day 05

– watercress cafe serves some incredible coffee
– Yoghurt, fruit, honey and granola have become staples to start the day
– There’s so much love shared everywhere by these beautiful people
– there are plenty of walk-in tattoo shops, but it’s better to book in advance for larger pieces
– Kombucha is found everywhere, but have not found any kefir yet
– Sunday’s stores are mostly closed or open later
– Watch where you walk, there are daily offerings to the gods everywhere on the streets, mind your step #respect
– Grab is the local Uber. Could not get the app to work, but their drivers are wearing green jackets and they’re everywhere
– Got some traditional Balinese ink at Charlie Rose tattoo
– Watching the locals rock a sarong makes me want to wear them, they have so many good uses for them
– Negotiate your taxi fee up front as you can be taken advantage of, as you know, sometimes the meter doesn’t work 🙄
– It can get a little cooler in the evenings on occasion, quite a refreshing change

Day 06

– The beaches really seem to be endless, You’ll run out of energy before you run out of beach
– Bread seems rather hard in Bali, doesn’t stop them offering it to you every time you walk into a mini mart
– So lovely to have stumbled upon some tourists who took the time to feed the stray dogs #inspired
– I have PlayStation thumb, but on the soles of my feet from my slops
– There are some beautiful hotels, fancy restaurants and high-end stores the closer you get to Kuta
– I am yet to see one yoga place, in fact, I never saw them in Ubud either
– Breakfast at Milk & Madu is a real treat, monkey Magic smoothies are pure bliss
– Gonna miss having sand sticking to my feet 😢
– I walked through the longest tunnel of bamboo ❤️
– Of course, the default is coconut sugar
– Love the wooden salt and pepper bowls in restaurants
– If you have wanted to meet Santa, he will be making an appearance in the 24th at Milk & Madu 😂
– Despite all the delicious food here, I have lost a lot of weight
– Not sure if they are dildos or ornaments, but there’s a lot of wooden dick around
– Watching the final Bali sunset on the beach this evening was magical
– Love how the locals take in the sunset
– I could have brought less here
– The airport seems small. There’s little seating, so it’s easier to grab a coffee at one of the cafes until your flights checkin is open
– Waiters have iPhone SIM card pin if you want to switch out to your SA card again
– Free WiFi at the airport
– I feel light ✨
– I could live here
– 🙏

View my Instagram and YouTube for some photos and videos from my trip

Do more in 2018

2017 was a really great year, full of challenges, full of adventure and full of fun. I wanted to do a recap, cause I did amazing things, like hot air balloon, go to New York, camp at the coast and so much more, but I never seemed to find the time or the focus. Truth is I really don’t capture things well. I never did do a blog post about living in Hong Kong in 2015 and I have not updated my portfolio in years. I’m just not as excited about blogging as used to be. I am considering vlogging, even if I entertain my single subscriber on YouTube, but I feel a huge need to be more creative, and really make stuff. Experiment with new media etc.

 

But that’s, not all this post is about, I want to travel more, do more, love more and be more, just like in 2017, but even more than that. So while I will not be shutting my blog down, or likely to not update my portfolio of professional work, I might start documenting all my experiments, my travels as a creative outlet and all the interesting new things I do in my awkwardly interesting life. Yes, I am interesting, I am awesome, even if I’m the only one who thinks so, so in 2018, I’m gonna do more sharing of the stuff I do, but in a new and interesting way.

Watch this space!

Live the Adventure

As I’m planning a little getaway over new years along the coast, I wanted to tell you about this inspiring fella Louis who did this awesome World Flight with his mate JP. I’m quite new to vlogging, and while I have entertained the idea, I am kinda loving stuff like this, rather than watching regular TV. Louis has a little company called Live the Adventure, which has an HQ in Cape Town, of all places, so be sure to check them out. Inspiring stuff, thanks for sharing your fun, Louis.

Peace out, enjoy life and live the adventure, boom!

Intentions for 2017

I am looking forward to 2017 as an opportunity to continue to grow even more than I did in 2016, which was an incredible year of personal growth. Here are a few things I am setting as my intentions for this year.

  1. Happiness. As I learned last year, the only personal truly responsible for your own happiness is you.
  2. Tattoos. I have big plans for getting inked this year, time to start covering my body again and filling in all the gaps.
  3. Afrika Burn. I missed last years burn, despite having a ticket, so this year I am making it my mission to make my way to Tankwa.
  4. Leadership. I wish to be a genius maker and less of a dictator. I have made mistakes but learned from them too. Here’s to leading a wonderful team, projects, driving the vision and leading the charge.
  5. Relationships. When I’m single, I’m very open to all sorts of experience, but I want to be in love and I am holding space for a very special person in my life.
  6. Vibration. Every day I will continue to raise my vibration and continually grow.
  7. Less sugar. I really want to shake this addiction this year. I know I have a problem, so I am putting it out there that I must stop. A swear, it’s the only thing holding me back from washboard abs.
  8. More sleep. If there’s one thing I never got enough of in 2016, it’s sleep. I have struggled to sleep for years now, and I am making it a goal to get a full 7 hours sleep a night.
  9. Self love. Nope, not that type of self-love, you filthy animals. Love for myself, it’s something I have had to learn to do and I believe it is why I have been attracting so much love in my life.
  10. Travel. I have been very lucky to live at the coast, work in Hong Kong, visit places like China and Macau. But I need to travel more in 2017. Especially over the holidays, I’m not spending another year in Joburg over December. I’m thinking Bali!
  11. Lemon. I only drink water, tea, coffee, coconut water, milk or freshly squeezed fruit juice, but this year I want to give my body the boost it needs every day by adding more lemon every day. Warm water with lemon in the mornings and lemon in my water bottle all day.
  12. Drink more water. While I don’t have a problem with drinking water, I don’t think I drink enough of it. Time to hydrate properly.
  13. Reduce coffee. I have started drinking far too much coffee and this year I plan on keeping it to a minimum, it’s probably the biggest reason I have too much sugar in my diet.
  14. Write it down. I often advise this, but don’t do it enough myself. This year I am writing things down with pen and paper and I know my dreams will come true.
  15. Be kind. It costs nothing, sprinkle that shit everywhere.
  16. Be generous. Don’t be such a tight ass, pay full price for things you value, give willingly of yourself and give abundantly when you do.
  17. Squat. I honestly think this is the single best exercise you can do to build stronger legs, by shape that ass, burn more fat and overall work your body. You don;t always have to go heavy, but try and add squats several times a week. I do them every day.
  18. Kefir. I cannot recommend any single probiotic more than this fermented culture. Get that gut-brain connection going with this biotic treat.
  19. Reward myself. I have worked for many years, mostly buying what I need, not what I want. I have hustled hard and I think it’s time to start rewarding myself. Being back in Joburg I drive a whole lot more than I did in Cape Town, so I’m thinking about spoiling myself with a new car.
  20. Learn. You are never too old to learn something new. I enjoy learning new things and this year I really want to keep my skills sharp and my brain full of new and exciting learnings.
  21. Get out. Nope not in da club, but out in nature. In order to give back, you should learn to appreciate how beautiful nature really is. Heres to many new outdoor adventures.
  22. Get social. I am the first to admit that I’m really introverted and quite anti-social. This year I want to say yes to more invites to go out and spend time with friends and make new ones.
  23. Go green. I don’t eat vegetables but know it’s what’s lacking in my diet. I want a juicer and some organic veg and I plan in getting my green juice on.
  24. Walk Joburg. Yes, that’s right, I simply don’t work enough in the city of gold, so I plan on making it my mission to walk more around and certainly find more places to walk in nature.
  25. Digital diet. I have tried for years to reduce the amount of time on my devices, and given my career, it is really hard. But I am guilty of being on my phone a lot more than I should, so it’s time to start being disciplined about putting the phone away and really enjoying the moment.
  26. Work hard, play harder. Honestly for me, work is like play, it’s what I love doing most of the time. But I am happy to kick ass in the workplace and at the same time, live my life to the fullest.
  27. Don’t take myself so seriously. I don’t drink, I hug trees, I manage teams at a very serious corporate company, I take my health super seriously and I am hard on myself about being able to provide for my son. Truth is I’m human, I need to be gentle with myself, remember to laugh more and do what I can do, without sweating the small stuff.
  28. Be less me. I have been told that I come across as aloof or above other people, this does not offend me, I know I’m just really quiet in social environments, it’s just my awkward nature. But hearing this is exactly what I need to break out of my comfort zone and be a little warmer, we can all do that, it just takes some effort.
  29. Skate. I have been trying to get better at skating for ages, spent the money decking out one of my boards and just haven’t done enough of it. So this year I will try my best to get my skate on.
  30. Paint, Sketch and Make. I am artistic, it’s a natural gift other people wish they had and I neglect this talent. Doing things that seem natural to you is the way to finding purpose in your life. Time for some art classes to shake off the rust. Looking forward to some exploration, making and creating!
  31. Perfection. I do aim for perfection in most things I’m interested in doing. I sometimes tell myself you cannot be perfect, but you can try to be as perfect as possible and strive for perfection. That’s the key, at least try and do your best, I was not made to half-ass things.
  32. Cook. I’ve never applied myself in the kitchen, but I think I’d like to try. I think it could be very romantic to cook for or with someone I love. My son also needs to learn that a man has a place in the kitchen, so I might as well learn and be able to teach him a thing or two. I deserve to feed myself this way too, after all, it’s a sign of self-respect.
  33. Be grateful. Gratitude is one of the quickest ways I know to make yourself realise how much you really have, never stop being thankful for the wonderful gifts of this life.
  34. New site. I have not redesigned a site of my own for a while and the truth is my portfolio is outdated and not the best representation online of who I am. It’s time for a refresh and given that I am constantly learning new skills, I might as well apply them to my own site.
  35. Mentor. I am very grateful that I have had the good fortune to meet some wonderful people who see me as an inspiration and are willing to confide in me and at least listen to my advice. Please feel free to reach out to me if you need some mentorship in your life.
  36. Watch the sunrise. I don’t need a silent disco as an excuse to take in a beautiful sunrise, all you need is to be up or wake up early enough to appreciate the magic of a new day beginning.
  37. Cape Town. The mother city stole my heart and I will frequent this magic place as often as possible until I am able to move back down there.
  38. Freelance. I am capable of doing so many things when it comes to design, so I am absolutely going to take on some freelance projects, both for the financial reward and to also keep my skills sharp. Feel free to contact me if you have an opportunity to work together.
  39. Teach. I aim to share my skills and knowledge through teaching. The industry is changing so fast, and knowing what to learn to be current is more important than where you learn. Let me teach those who wish to learn.
  40. Dance. We all need to shake that booty, lets dance!
  41. Be interested. If you want to be interesting, be interested. Be enthusiastic about all things, discover the new, spot the trends, listen to their stories and borrow from to create your own.
  42. Less meat. I will probably never be a full blown anything, so I won’t deny myself a lamb chop from the braai or a mouthful of biltong, but reducing the amount of meat consumed is not only good for your diet, but great for the environment.
  43. More sunshine. I want to bath in the beautiful sun. Get my tan on. Be outside. Get some vitamin D. I don’t want to stay in the shade all day, appreciate the thing very thing we revolve around.
  44. Yoga. I got to do yoga last year in some amazingly beautiful places, and while I have a long way to go, I look forward to practicing this technique for keeping me balanced, stretched and centered. Namaste bitches!
  45. Be brave. Put you whole damn self out there for everyone to see. Don’t apologise for who you are, be weird, be yourself and be free. The bravest person you can be, is your true self.
  46. Music. Got to keep discovering and appreciate more music this year. Download new tunes, stream some mixes, go to parties and join the crowds at concerts, however it’s consumed, we all need a soundtrack to our life.
  47. Climb. A tree, a mountain or an indoor climbing wall. I loved climbing stuff as a kid, and given that it gave me so much innocent joy, despite my fear of heights, I want more of that feelings again.
  48. Share the joy. Take photos to inspire, drag people along, write about it, do whatever you can to let people experience your joy, we all need to celebrate this life.
  49. Read. I spend a lot of. time reading reference books, but it’s time to start reading stories to take my mind on journeys of all sorts of things from fantasy, mystery to poetry and history. Word.
  50. Laugh. The type of laughing that makes your tummy hurt, that makes tears roll down your face and makes your face hurt you’re smiling so much.
  51. Art. Appreciate the work of others, be inspired, respect their craft and open your mind to new ways of appreciating self-expression.
  52. Arrive. When you show up, be your best self. Dress smart, smell good and leave people glad they met you.

There are just so many things to do in 2017. The time is now to live your best life!

50 Things 2016

The past year was not all doom and gloom for me and I thought I’d mention a few things I appreciated about 2016 and I hope to continue adding this sort of good stuff into 2017.

  1. Gratitude. I have been practicing giving thanks for the things I do have and I really believe it makes all the difference. I can get lost thinking about all the things I am grateful for.
  2. Cape Town. I moved down in February and returned in August. But still, the Mother City was a special experience and certainly helped shape who I am today.
  3. Secret Sunrise. My favorite thing to do, well maybe my second favorite thing to do in the morning, was getting my groove on with the no danger diary crew in some of the most amazing locations, with some of the coolest people to some of the most gorgeous sunrises I’ve ever seen.
  4. Kidz Banking. Secretly for the past year I was working on a banking app for Standard Bank and launched after I had left the company and not completed as I would have liked, their app was finally released later this year.
  5. Lego Minifigures. I still have not built my lego display, despite my most recent efforts, but I am excited to now have over 500 Minifigures in my collection. Almost 300 of them are from the series, which looks to be growing in early 2017 with the superheroes series being released in January.
  6. Creative Mornings. I was delighted to be asked to talk at Creative Mornings in Cape Town in October on the subject of transparency.
  7. Probiotics. I started drinking kombucha and kefir early in 2016 and what it has done for my body is incredible. Adding live food sources into my body has really helped my anxiety, my digestion and overall well being like nothing I have experienced before.
  8. Dexter. My beautiful boy turned 8 this year and he is turning out to be such a kind, well mannered and gentle human. I love you, my boy.
  9. Surfing. I never got to surf enough to say I can actually surf, but I loved every moment of paddling in the ocean and I have not given up on my dream to learn and surf waves around the globe.
  10. Friends. I have reconnected with old friends, continued with many of the same friends and made many new friends this year. Thank you to each and every one of you for contributing in your own way to my life.
  11. Sacred teacher plants. As I continue to raise my vibration, teacher plants like Ayahuasca and San Pedro have really opened my mind, taught me so much and done much healing.
  12. Road trips. I got to drive up and down to Cape Town, on my own twice this year and while road tripping with friends is great, a little solitude on the road can be equally rewarding.
  13. Romance. I have loved and lost like no other time in my life this past year. To every one of the beautiful people who shared time with me, giving me a chance and sharing yourselves with me, thank you. Guys be a little braver, there are some beauties out there. You know who you are, thank you for the love.
  14. Joburg. I left you and returned, but I came back a better man and given my career opportunities I’m here to stay, so I’m ready to take on the city of gold in all it’s glory in 2017.
  15. Prom walks. Long walks, great talks and the most fantastic views. Nothing beats a good prom walk at the end of the day.
  16. Coconut oil. The say that if you have 99 problems, coconut oil will solve about 80 something of them. Eat it, cook with it, moisturize your skin with it or use it as lubricant, this magic stuff will seriously add value to your life.
  17. Roommates. I got to be roomies with a lovely couple in Cape Town for a couple of months and with a great friend in Joburg and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed living with people, especially when they are so damn cool. Thanks guys.
  18. Yoga hike. Two of my favorite things to do, go on a hike, followed by some yoga made for some of my favorite outings.
  19. Hiker. Some call him Superdawg, others hikey, but the coolest dog on the prom was hikey, the bergie dog I got look after whenever John was out of town, much love little guy.
  20. UFC. Conor McGregor, stole the show. But selling the UFC for 4+ Billion was pretty impressive too.
  21. Nedbank. In-house agencies are the new black, that’s why I am proud to have joined the Nedbank team as their Creative Director in what will be an exciting new opportunity to do some amazing work.
  22. Day Parties. I went to a couple of day parties which was something new for me as I have not been going out as much. They were not huge events, just big enough to have a good time and some sunshine.
  23. Love. I have learned how to love myself, how to give love and receive love. It’s abundant, just like kindness, sprinkle that shit everywhere.
  24. CrossFit. I trained at a new box in Cape Town and really got my technique improved, but I am happy to be training at my original box again at B4C. When I can;t get there, I have built up a home gym that’s great for getting a workout in.
  25. Forest Bathing. Or more commonly known as Shinrin-yoku in Japan is kinda like forest therapy. I have literally soaked up the trees and literally become a tree hugger.
  26. 21 for the 20th time. I turned 41 and I couldn’t feel more alive than I do now. Age really is just a number and being in my 40’s is great.
  27. Table Top Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, weather permitting I got to work with some of my colleagues from Treeshake and their friends on top of Table Mountain.
  28. Friends of Design. I got to give a really great talk to start the term off at this awesome design school. Thanks for the opportunity to share my knowledge.
  29. Farmers Market. My Saturday routine always started with a trip to the Oranjezicht farmers market to eat good food, drink great coffee, enjoy great conversation and take home the best pastries and organic fruit.
  30. Being present. I learned this year how to not focus on the past or worry about the future as much and really just be present. I learned that you only have energy for today, so stop worrying about tomorrow.
  31. Secret Sunset. If dancing at sunrise was not cool enough, we got to enjoy a silent disco on the beach at sunset, which was absolutely epic. After some meditation, we rocked out to thunderstruck along with hundreds of beautiful ladies. Thank you no danger diaries!
  32. Training. I would do yoga in the morning, crossfit in the afternoon, gym in the evenings, throw in a prom walk at sunset and that I generally cycled everywhere during the day. My training was great and I have really shed the Joburg armor and I’m feeling so much more comfortable in my own skin.
  33. Airbrn. I joined a great partnership in a gamification platform for business, which will hopefully launch early this year and I am super excited about.
  34. One meal a day. I generally only eat one cooked meal a day now, snacking in between on kefir and fruit and I feel better fueled than I have been for many years where I was over-eating. Don’t believe the hype in all those meals, eat when you’re hungry, listen to your body.
  35. Netflix. Local Netflix is not as great as international, but it’s still great to chill and their original shows have been pretty impressive.
  36. Simplicity. The ultimate luxury is simplicity. I have purged so much in my life and I have proven that I need little more than what I can fit in my car. Yes, I have a storage locker, but that really just some basic furniture. Keep it simple.
  37. Time. It’s the one thing you are never getting back, but it’s also something that is an art to manage. Time is art, it’s the only true currency. Make it count.
  38. Letting go. If it comes, let it, if it goes, let it. Don’t try and hold onto to anything that does not want to be part of your life or that is taking up time or space.
  39. Hiking. I have gotten to climb mountains, forests, and velt. Being out in nature is one of the best ways I can show mother earth that I appreciate her in all her glory.
  40. Good health. I have not been sick more than a headache once or twice or an upset stomach. Through lots of training, excellent diet and great mental space, I have had the healthiest year of my life.
  41. Design thinking. We have moved out of the pushing pixels around phase of design and gone into using design thinking to really solve problems.
  42. Movies. It’s been a great year on the screen and 2017 looks like there will be even bigger films coming our way.
  43. Less social media. I literally only have facebook and Instagram on my phone now. I occasionally visit twitter and LinkedIn, but I have successfully managed to eliminate all the social media addiction and focus on living my life away from social media.
  44. Podcasts. The best way to not be bothered by traffic, listen to podcasts. There’s just about every topic on earth discussed and there’s something for you. I have really learned so much during the times I’d usually be frustrated driving my car.
  45. eBooks. I literally cannot keep up with all the incredible eBooks released. But it’s simply the easiest way I know to read books I’d never be able to get locally and for a reasonable price … oh and I’m saving trees.
  46. Coffee. I got to drink some of the best cups of coffee and while I will need to kick the addiction, I enjoyed so many great roasts at places like Giovannis, Origin, Bootleggers and my local favorite Seattle.
  47. Fashion. I switched up my wardrobe a bit this past year, found the most comfortable well-cut chinos, stylish sneakers and comfortable sweaters. While summer is all board shorts and slops, winter I arrived a whole bunch cooler. Next, some tailored suits, not because I work at a corporate, but because I want to feel slick and really show up. Besides, I’m tired of dressing casually all the time.
  48. Sunsets. I probably took more photos of sunsets than anything else this past year, the most beautiful part of the end of a day. On the promenade, I literally took one great photo after another and used to struggle to choose which I’d post.
  49. Purpose. I have truly started gravitating towards what I believe to be the purpose of my life, by simply moving towards the things that make me the most excited.
  50. Sharing. I know I don’t have all the answers, but I have learned so much this past year and I feel no greater joy than being able to share with people. Maybe not everyone, but someone can learn from the things you know, nothing could be more generous than sharing your stuff, giving talks, teaching, blogging, mentoring or any other way, please share!

Wishing you all the best for 2017!

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