PART I · WORK

My first computer didn't teach me programming. It taught me patience.

In 1990 there were no YouTube tutorials, no “undo” button and nobody replying in three seconds. What I did have was my first computer, an Atari 64 XL: a black and white screen, a few commands, games loaded from cassettes and curiosity bigger than the fear of breaking something.

Today tools do more, faster, and often for us. But the most important lessons from back then still fit in a few simple sentences.

A LESSON THAT STAYED
If you can't explain the problem without technology, technology won't solve it.

02Tools come and go. The way of thinking stays.

I worked in programs nobody remembers today. I built websites on technologies that were meant to last forever. They didn't.

That's why I don't sell clients tools. First I look for a process worth simplifying, a decision that needs to be made easier, and a person who can be given back some time.

03People first. Then the system.

The best projects started with listening, not with presenting a solution. Three questions usually come back in them:

  1. 01What takes the most energy from people today?
  2. 02Where does information get lost between people?
  3. 03How will we know it really is better?

04What I take with me into the next years

I don't know what tools I'll be using in five years. But I know I'll still be asking, listening and simplifying.

Because after 36 years in front of a computer, what I value most are the moments when technology stops being visible - and someone simply works better.

There's one more lesson no project taught me. My own body did.

PART II · BODY

The body in front of the screen

If you're young and only have a few or a dozen years in front of a computer behind you, this part is for you.

There are still plenty of challenges ahead that you're not aware of today. I wasn't either. If someone had told me about them at the start, I'd have got through all these years and saved myself a lot of problems with my body and eyes. Nobody told me, so I'm telling you.

I'm not a doctor or a trainer. I'm writing about what worked for me. If something hurts, see a specialist.

05Eyes. Every hour, look into the distance.

For most of the day your eyes look at something half a metre away. Hour after hour, year after year.

My advice is simple: every hour, step away from the screen and look far ahead. Out of the window, to the end of the street, at the horizon. It will definitely protect your eyes.

06Back. You think you'll last forever? You won't.

I only started looking after my body about 10 years ago. After more than 25 years at a desk I got to the point where I couldn't concentrate or sit normally. Something always hurt: my tailbone, back, lower back or shoulders.

If you think right now that you'll last forever, believe me, you won't. The sooner you start going to the gym or doing some regular sport, the smaller the chance it catches up with you. Among my friends my age there's probably nobody without back problems.

BELIEVE ME
If you think toothache is the worst pain in the world, a bad back hurts twice as much.

If you're struggling with depression, techniques like these can help, but they won't replace talking to a specialist.

08Food. Fuel for your head, not a reward.

You probably treat food as a pleasure right now. Until you understand that food serves your head and your body, it'll be hard to get rid of bad habits.

I struggled with this for years myself. Today I can't imagine a day without the right amount of protein. It's protein that stops us snacking.

Working from home at a computer is the perfect setup for constantly opening the fridge. When you leave home for 8 hours, you don't have that problem. When you sit at home, your willpower is on the losing side.

WHAT WORKS FOR ME
Protein first thing in the morning plus a balanced diet. That's the only way to really win this naturally.

I got so into nutrition that I started making my own protein bars and pizza on a protein base. Real game changers.

01Protein base straight from the oven
02Fresh spinach goes on the base
03Then the cheese
04Chicken and tomatoes
05Finished pizza on a protein base
06Protein base (4 eggs + cottage cheese) with spices
07Mushroom pizza that even the kids love
08Mushrooms and chives
09Pizza with beef and chillies
10Mix for protein bars
11Bars with a “topping”
12Nut bars after slicing
13Chocolate bars + a blueberry version
14A stock of bars in a box. I keep them in the fridge
15Homemade protein bar. Tastes better than shop-bought junk
16Porridge with fruit and protein
17Porridge with cherries
18Omelette with red onion and green veg
19A roll on a protein wrap, a real hunger killer
20Breakfast plus lunch, done
21Broccoli with sesame and coriander
22Beef steak with broccoli
23Soba noodles with prawns
24Wholemeal pasta with chicken and veg
25Tuna, potatoes and courgette
26Baked tofu in three spice mixes
27Homemade sourdough bread. That one is my Kasia’s speciality
28Sourdough from the inside

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09What I'd tell myself in 1990

  1. 01Every hour, step away from the screen and look into the distance.
  2. 02Start exercising before anything starts to hurt.
  3. 03Learn to quiet your head before stress does it for you.
  4. 04Start the day with protein.

Tools come and go. You only have one body, and it has to sit with you for the next 36 years.