February 2022

Transitions are tricky, and time consuming

As a follow up from my January 2022, I left my NHS job and am short-term contracting now. My work is busy but varied - on the surface, much looks the same - I still wear an NHS badge to work and I’m working in familiar organisations with people I have known for years.

I’ve not had much time to check my portfolio or review any new companies. I have glanced at ERs but have not dug deep into them, for better or for worse. It’s a bit of a shame - as an example, I had set an alert to buy $DOCS at $40. The opportunity came and went.

It’s been hard being more hands-off - I usually feel very in tune with my portfolio companies, and that has suffered. It comes down to time and hopefully will improve when I’m more settled with the administrations involved in networking, booking work, invoicing, etc.

If there is one thing that investing have given me, it’s the ability to take a leap into the unknown.

Without access to a financial cushion to help with this transition, it would have felt like a much more risky proposition.

On a side note, we are probably moving to Sydney, Australia this summer.

Maybe for a year, maybe 18 months, maybe longer - we will see. Leaving my job and working as a short term contractor is helping to make the financial challenge of this move achievable, but there is a lot to do between now and then.

From a financial POV, it remains an unwise decision (with a HCOL and overall reduction in monthly income between us). Unwise short term decisions might become my speciality. As always, it is about keeping the long term in mind. The intangibles behind the move are adventure and lifestyle-related…

I plan on getting back to writing more on here once life settles down a bit.

Thanks for your patience.