Rewiring My Thinking One line of Code at a Time

Also Good Things Take Time: Why I’m Finally Teaching Tech & Yogic Workshops :)

Hi Guys,

Welcome to Thursday, my happiest place.

I’ll be the first to admit it, but I’ve already started watching Christmas movies. 😃

Yup, the cringeworthy kind.

And yes, on Netflix.

Of course, I know how they’ll end, but after a day at my desk, it's just nice to sit back and go on zombie autopilot for a while.

And I don’t know about you, but this time of year always brings a little extra lightness into the air, as we start winding down after a year that’s been... well, strange & yet oh so beautiful.

Before we move another word forward, let’s pause.

Settle gently into that inviting wingback chair, and take a few deep, steady breaths.

Inhale peace, exhale tension.

Just for this moment, let yourself feel that it’s all going to be okay.

Grab that double espresso and lets have that long awaited chin wag.

Time for Year-End Reflections, My Friendies!

Since it’s close to winding down time, Id like to reflect on a few lessons I have been needing to learn for a good few years now.

1. Being in business isn’t for the faint-hearted! For the first time in a very long time, we had to not only look at our business model, but we had to then invent new service offerings to mitigate the risks we picked up on.

2. I learned that when things sound too good to be true, you probably haven’t asked enough questions.

3. I’ve done a lot of growing up this year. Realising I love being a fairy in the garden, and can still encapsulate that FREE spirit, but I need to add a wee bit more structure & discipline to my new consulting business.

4. Learning to Set boundaries: Like Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman, I’m a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of gal, or at least I was up until a few months ago.

   I’m asking tons of questions & creating more structure, even if it makes me uncomfortable.

5. Time is precious, but in the biz world its a commodity. This has made me aware that I can say “No!” as I too need to earn a living.

6. Change is Hard at First: “All things are difficult before they are easy!” Thomas Fuller is quite right!

That’s why I choose to look at all my hard work, not as a bank full of cash, but as a year’s worth of lessons.

In the style of the iconic “Bridget Jones” “The world is utterly marvelous, really, full of sunsets, puppies, and wine. But business? Ah, business is a whole other beast. Must have boundaries, otherwise may end up financially face-planting... again. Guardrails firmly in place, one must keep.

I’ve also never multitasked so much in my life, though I’ll be honest, and I’m not very good at it. Pretty sure I burnt the kids supper last week, as I was still half at my desk and so not concentrating.

I’m one of those hyper-focused types, much to my family’s amusement (or frustration) when they try to interrupt me. 🙄

And speaking of focus, I haven’t exactly made things easy on myself, deciding to now learn the basics of Python programming.

Alright, here’s the truth: I think I’m falling in love with it.

It’s surprising, really, the way something as simple as syntax can reveal itself to be more than lines of code, it’s becoming a kind of practice, a daily ritual that’s teaching me things I didn’t even know I needed to learn.

I’ve promised myself an hour each day for the next hundred days, like a little act of devotion.

Who knew syntax could be a path, a quiet journey, something to show up for with curiosity and maybe even a bit of reverence?

Chipp Workshop: GenAI & Info Retrieval: What's Changed for Hiring, Journalists, and Marketers

So on the 20th November (yes, this month), I’m hosting my Chipp workshop ​where we learn to use Chipp to gather timely information for hiring, journalism, marketing and more.

Yay! So excited → Please come and Join me :)

You will learn how you could build an AI Info Gatherer Assistant for yourself or your future clients.

One click Register Here

Good Things Really Do Take Time

Lately, I’ve been a bit impatient (or so my husband tells me) 😖

Teaching is what fires up my soul, and I’ve been waiting for the right time to take this leap, and YES, that time is now.

I’m nervous, with so many new things I can’t control, but it’s a good kind of nervous.

It’s the kind that tells me I’m ready. 

Pause & Retreat

In January 2025, I’m hosting my first-ever yoga retreat in the beautiful Cederberg, just an hour out of Cape Town.

We’ll do some easy, relaxing yoga, enjoy food that makes you feel good in your own skin, and just soak up the beauty of nature around us.

If this sounds like something you’d love, please do get in touch :)

I’m all about keeping it small and meaningful.

No Longer Simple, Ready for Complexity

For years, I kept things simple in my small business, probably because that’s what I needed back then.

Now-a-days, I’m a different version of me, someone who asks what if a lot, who loves testing things out, and who plays around with No-code, Low-code, and automation tools just to see what they can do.

Yes, I’m still a no-coder, but I want to understand things the way a developer does. Like setting up an environment before starting, or how solving problems in code often means working from the “inside out.”

Someone once told me, ‘Leave that to the real devs, Nix!’

But I wanted to at least try and see if I could do it myself. Only then could I say, okay, maybe it’s not for me.

I may never make a cent from coding, but that’s not the point.

This is about growing into my new skin, like a puppy figuring out how to live in its bigger self.

These days, I even try solving math problems myself before letting ChatGPT take over (only the easy ones, lols!)

I’m hoping this 100-day Python bootcamp will turn me into someone who thinks first, and then does.

I might even sign up for Math for Dummies next year!

Speaking of maths, it’s everywhere, and I kind of wish I’d paid more attention in high school. 👀

Anyway, here’s to learning and laughing when things don’t go quite right.

My belief is simple: It’s all happening just as it’s meant to!

Have you created your first Repl yet?

Replit where have you been all my life? 😍

If you peeked at my desktop, you'd find a few IDEs and code editors like #VsCode, #PyCharm, and #CursorAI lying around.

As cool and useful as they are... I was SOLD the moment I created my first Repl.

It's all cloud-based, so no need to download anything! 🤓

Just Before I go…

What new skill & habits are you learning OR wanting to change this month?

I am starting to get fit again, arrggh its soooo hard ( aiming for 3km joggles around my hood, 3 x a week!)

I’d love to hear what’s lighting up your world, so please do share your journey with me.

Best be off & get back to my desk, as I’m busy in the best kind of way.

Blessings Always, 

Nix Good

Cape Town

P.S Having FUN with Python Coding :)

Days_until_christmas = 46
if Days_until_christmas <= 0:
  print("It's Christmas!")
else:
  print("It's not Christmas yet!")