April 2025 - Diary of a Revenue Engineer
Quote of the month:
"The journey, not the arrival matters."
- T.S. Eliot
A new quarter, new projects, new hopes, old ones dashed. April came with its fools for sure (I think we're all seeing enough of that in the daily news) but it also came with great wonder and some much-valued family connection.
Join me on the story of peaks and troughs that made April 2025 unique.
What I thought…
“...flooding memories of heartbreak and achievement lap at the shores of my consciousness.”
Purpose, clarity and direction.
I've written about purpose many times over the last year, so this is certainly not breaking new ground. However, I have been struck by old, vivid memories this month. Maybe part of therapy, maybe a strange byproduct of my new supplement regime (yes, I'm now also that guy), but something clicked in the old grey matter.
These vivid memories come fully loaded with emotion. I've remembered times of great embarrassment, of shame, of joy, of fear overcome. I've remembered things not quite dealt with or closed out yet also, which piqued my interest.
I've never been one to dwell too deeply on the emotional states of past experiences, I've always felt like they were “done" and could inform, but not impact, my present way of thinking.
Not so right now, as flooding memories of heartbreak and achievement lap at the shores of my consciousness.
I have, on this occasion, however, chosen to stay with them - to bathe in those waters and let the feelings and the experiences wash over me. Good and bad.
Perhaps something to ponder another day, but for now these memories have bolstered my work on purpose - uncovering and reconnecting with the core of who I am. All together, that feels good.
What I learned…
Some old classics.
“My heart was in my mouth for the entire book, I cried with sadness at the fearful relevance to our current situation”
I wanted to switch up my reading habits and engage in some fiction alongside the growing pile of self-help books. And boy, did I enjoy the shift.
The Alchemist: Alongside my work on purpose, drive and meaning, I finally found my way to Paulo Coelho's seminal work. This book kept me thinking long after I'd put it down. The journey and the message, the struggles and the ponderings. With vivid memories pouring back into my mind this month, the focus and importance placed on dreams was not lost on me. It was beautiful and every bit as excellent as the hype would suggest. If you haven't read it you can pick up a copy on my Amazon affiliate link here (and I'll get a buck or two from ol’ Bezos), or grab the audio version here.
1984: Shockingly, I'd never read this, even though I’ve of course been aware of its significance. I was born in 1984, so it holds an additional connection for me. It tells of a post-war world where democracy slides into dictatorship (so you can see why I picked it up this month). My heart was in my mouth for the entire book, I cried with sadness at the fearful relevance to our current situation. I was so moved by this in ways I really wasn't expecting, but loved every moment. Again, pick up a copy on this affiliate link, or grab the audio version here.
The 5 Types of Wealth: This book by Sahil Bloom was trending in my app so I popped on the summary during a swim session and I really enjoyed it. It's poignant and relevant to the struggles we all face in the overwhelming world we’ve created for ourselves.
What I built…
“I’ve found it to vastly increase the accuracy and quality of the desired work”
Depending on when you read this, you may or may not see the fruits of my labour on the website, with a significant shift in vibe. It also comes with a new content schedule for some (hopefully) value-adding articles around purpose, productivity and prompts. You can sign up to get updates to your inbox below.
Here's what else I built…
Prompt brains: I've started to create detailed “buckets” of key information and very explicit documented prompts in folders I call "prompt brains". It's mainly getting the best out of Google's Gemini, but it works well for Chat-GPT too (I haven't played much with Llama or Grok). It involves using code structure, detailed tags and accurate documents as explicit sources of information and applying very strict prompts to lay the foundation. I've found it to vastly increase the accuracy and quality of the desired work, as long as it doesn't involve deep or extensive research, and I'll write more about it in due course.
E-learning: A highly skilled colleague of mine wrote a detailed e-learning operational doc, which inspired me to think more about how I deliver learning content. I created a prompt brain to help me with just this, and used it to support a friend as she looks to scale her incredible brand of coaching with a stronger online presence.
How I lived longer…
“ It was an incredible experience, running by rivers, scaling hills, running over rugged landscape in the bracing wind - it will stay with me for life”
My mother turned 75 recently, and we all got away to the Peak District in the UK, spending time near the Dovedale stepping stones for anyone who knows it.
We spent most of the day outside, we walked, ran, ate, sat, chatted, laughed and played outside for the majority of the time.
It was incredible to spend that time together and I loved having more time with my brother and sister - two very wonderful and impressive people who work in the creative sector.
Fitness schedule rework: God knows what “version” of my fitness regime I'm on now, perhaps I enjoy the tweaks as much as the work itself? In any case, the rework to include more strength and endurance and tone down my HIIT has worked wonders. I was also overjoyed that I was able to keep up with my brother (an accomplished runner with plenty of races under his belt) during a hill run over the peaks. It was an incredible experience, running by rivers, scaling hills, running over rugged landscape in the bracing wind - it will stay with me for life. I'm so lucky that I've been able to focus on my fitness in this way. And it's paying dividends.
Supplements: I'll publish my findings on this soon but, in short, I spent a lot of money and time researching the supplement recommendations of both Bryan Johnson and Andrew Huberman. Combined, their minimum daily recommendations come with a rather hefty price tag of £10,248 per year..! I’m not so sure I'm going to be 10k down for the joy of doing olive oil shots each morning. However, I did find some very valuable research and data points in many of the recommended supplements. Interestingly enough, mushroom-based supplements are more available, more natural and have more proven health benefits.
It may be the increased sunshine, but I get a lot of comments on "looking healthy" these days and I've felt the biggest impact on this when I go deep on the supplements. So, there's another cliche to add to my burgeoning 40-something lifestyle-shift-come-midlife-crisis, which seems to be prevalent in older millennials like me.
Nutrition:I've been battling with nutrition for a long time, mainly as it's taken ongoing investment to understand what works for me and what can be sustained. I bit the bullet, and put my money where my mouth is (literally), by buying MyFitnessPal pro. Yes, I'm now also that guy who says things like "sure... if it fits with my macros". Tedious? Potentially. But the impact on my energy, sleep quality, body composition and workouts cannot be denied.
How I stayed happier…
“The mechanisms, whether spiritual or physiological, may elude me, but the benefits are acutely felt.”
I’ve written a lot about the dangers of addiction, and the impact of new social norms and technology on dopamine production and motivation. This will be an ongoing line of curiosity for me and certainly feels increasingly relevant. However, here are the major wins from a contentment perspective through April:
Equanimity: "inner smoothness" is something that Jeff Warren discusses in his course Introduction to Mindfulness on the Calm app (which I heartily recommend). It's been something I've had to employ on multiple occasions through April as I grappled with the shockingly effective negotiation skills of my 3.5 year-old daughter. I also found it calming, and very helpful for coping with work and general life stress. From my layman's understanding of dopamine, I can see how this “inner smoothness” would help create a higher baseline. The mechanisms, whether spiritual or physiological, may elude me, but the benefits are acutely felt.
Fitness and outdoors: I love the outdoors in general, but the woodland is specifically my happy place. So, I was overjoyed to hear about the wealth of data that recently came out regarding the benefits of infrared light and how leaves reflect it better than anything else, giving you a healthy dose on your woodland walk. The chemical makeup of the air you breathe can even be beneficial for immunity and stress control, according to research conducted in Japan. As a result of this, I've suggested that 121s with my team should be done outside wherever possible. Hopefully some of them take me up on it and get outside!
Final thoughts…
My algorithm is throwing me a lot of content about how millennials are forgoing the Ferrari and spending their mid-life crisis cash on carbon-fibre road bikes instead. It’s been making me laugh all month, as I can't help but think I may just be a poster boy for the movement.
I do wonder if it's a natural coping mechanism, finding personally beneficial ways to navigate the challenging structures of the world we've built. Meanwhile, in the generation below me (younger millennials and gen z) the FIRE movement is currently sweeping social media. Thousands of young people are investing in themselves and their futures by avoiding the rat-race and the workaholic approach of gen x and older millennials. Is this a privilege? Perhaps. But it fills me with joy and optimism nonetheless. So, maybe it's not a midlife crisis, afterall. Perhaps there’s simply a societal consensus to do better, for ourselves and for the planet.
Thanks for reading! And let’s stay healthy and happy in May!
