Sprint 3: Retrospective

Hello!

A third sprint complete, reviewed and packed away. Time for the retrospective!

What went well?

• Audiobooks!
• Freaking awesome resource that I plan on investing in further. How do you slay a literary beast? Download it from Audible!
• Toastmasters
• Fantastic club that gives honest and open feedback
• I plan to dive deeper into the feedback the club gave me and play off it for future meetings
• Online resources!
• Many people have already tried what I'm doing, granted not the same methodology but there's so much good content out there
• Bulk writing posts
• Writing daily is a good habit to get into, however it's not always practical. Writing 2 or 3 posts at a time and saving them relieves some pressure of writing daily

What could have been improved?

• Headspace
• It's not them, it's me. It just didn't work out. That resource and tool is not producing the results needed.
• Workload
• I need to readdress what I can do
• Morning workouts
• These are not currently practical when I feel ill, they're off the board for now but will return

Actions?

• Readdress the boards
• Use more Audible resources
• Removal of the tasks but new ways of completing the stories to be developed

A pretty good sprint, good lessons learned and now I'm ready to take on the next sprint!

Thanks for reading!

AT

Sprint Retrospective: Sprint 2

Hello!

For this retrospective I need to understand what worked in the sprint and what didn't. What can I change for future sprints and what really worked that I can do again?

First things first, what worked?

• Audiobooks!
• Once again they continue to be a fantastic way to consume content. They're awesome, save time and engage me whilst undertaking other activities.
• This sprint I listened to 'Ready Player One', finishing the book in three sittings.
• The blog!
• Although a struggle at times the blog continues to be a positive nudge. So far I've published a post once a day.
• Writing content to be published daily is slowly improving my writing skills.
• Keeping the blog has made me more accountable and ensured I don't give up.
• FitBit 
• Combined with the GCC challenge my step total for a 7 day period is usually 100,000+
• I'm moving and continuing to become more active
• Online Content!
• TED talks are accessible and carry with them many resources to help me understand more

What didn't work so well?

• Routine
• I still need to develop a stronger routine to ensure all my tasks get done and follow up
• I need to refine my routine for Headspace
• Fitness workouts fell by the wayside when I fell ill and lethargic
• Need to set time aside dedicated to reading
• Distractions
• Focus continues to be an issue
•   Impediments
• Illness and external distractions proved difficult this sprint

 

So, what do I think about this sprint?

It was successful overall, having consumed and understood a large selection of content. I've improved in some areas whilst found others challenging. I'm looking to change a few areas going ahead into the next sprint!

Thanks for reading!

AT

Sprint One Retrospective

Hello!

Time for the sprint retrospective!

I need to be honest and blunt with myself, what I achieved, what I could have done better and how I can improve processes for the next sprint, let's start with what went well:

• Audiobooks!
• They're awesome, time-saving and have really helped me in my reading
• I have a mixture of books ordered online to get a cheap price and swift delivery and audiobook credits from Audible
• The blog!
• This has helped me keep this going, I'm nefarious for being faddy and following odd trends, the writing of the blog has ensured that I keep going in the sprints
• Writing the blog enabled me to tap into the blog community in the North East, as a result I was able to go to the Thinking Digital Conference with a ticket provided by Sage
• FitBit
• This awesome little gadget not only acts as a watch but the step counter that encourages me to push myself more on a daily basis.
• The gamification of the process has pushed me to continually reach the next level

What didn't work so well?

• Routine
• I need to develop a stronger routine to ensure all my tasks get done and follow up
• I went to Toastmasters only 50% of the time possible
• I need to refine my routine for Headspace
• Distractions
• I need to ensure that I don't get distracted and continue on the tasks set
•   Impediments
• For fitness I need a stronger eating plan including utilising tools such as My Fitness Pal
• Preparation
• Now that I'm through my first sprint I need to arrange the next one, however I don't have the stories prepared the way I want, I must view agile as an organic process and update the backlog more readily and thoroughly for future sprints to avoid a bottleneck 

Am I satisfied with the sprint? Yes, but there can always be improvement, which is why we do the retrospective. Onwards to the next sprint!

AT