Working Late Into the Night [Updated]

My office, as it looks right now. Click the photo to see it at full size.

I’m cranking away on a last-minute project that has to be done for a client by the morning, which means that I’m going to be working late into the night. I’ve had this dropped into my lap by people who expect it to be done in the morning, and I’m not certain they appreciate the level of detail and thinking that has to go into designing a program — their idea of project management is asking “is it done yet?” via Skype every 45 minutes. I’m living off savings and I’ve had all of two paycheques this year. Well, actually three, but one of them bounced.

When it gets like this — and really, if you do good work and get known for doing so, it gets like this sometimes — I bear down, stock up on my favourite caffeine source, and put something on in the background that keeps me going. Sometimes it’s music, sometimes it’s a podcast, sometimes it’s an audiobook, but tonight, it’s something that’s always inspired me when I’m feeling the odds are stacked against me terribly: Randy Pausch’s “Last Lecture”. I first gave it a listen on my first night out of the hospital after my long week there, and it’s been a source of “if you’re going through Hell, keep going” inspiration.

If you need it, I’ve posted it below:

And yes, I’m working on a plan to improve the work situation. If you’re curious about the kind of stuff I do, you can always check my LinkedIn profile.