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Last week we were officially back at work. For us, going back after a short two-week break doesn't mean much as we willingly worked on something each day, but when you're working on something you aren't completely dedicated to, work during leave isn't something most of us voluntarily do and returning isn't always pleasant.

Going back to work after a few weeks can be mood-dropping, to say the least. Even when you're doing work you love, the thought of going back to work can induce feelings of dread, heighten anxiety and depression, or at best, it can feel a bit bizarre being away from the people, places and things you love for so much of each workday. Sometimes it's not even the work itself but toxic people or office politics that get you down. I know, I've experienced all of that, and often all it took to feel horrible was it being Sunday night.

But having these feelings can be a wake-up call. Not necessarily to quit tomorrow, but to think about purpose and put some milestones in place to fulfil that purpose. It could be setting motivating goals – big or small – at work that could result in a promotion or bonus, upskilling or commencing part-time study to move closer to a job you will love, looking for a more suitable job or starting a side gig that may free you up from corporate slavery forever.

How does this help you today? Although change is in the distant future of later-this-year, the feeling of making a decision and getting to work on it right away will give you some sanity when things go south. You'll already be making steps towards improving your situation and you'll know that sooner, rather than later, it will get better.

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the first instalment of our blog. We wanted to start sharing more of what goes on when you're bootstrapping a tech startup, trying to stay in shape, study part-time, maintain real-life relationships and do what we always insist on - that is, more of the things that matter and we enjoy. Some of the posts will also include technical challenges we've overcome (or which persist), untried productivity theories that maybe aren't ready for an article in the Magazine, and general life stuff that may or may not be interesting.

This morning, before even getting up, I picked up my phone and went straight to Deliveroo and Uber Eats to see who's delivering breakfast on New Year's Day. Like always, the nearby 24-hour McDonald's was open, but so was The Coffee Club - an Australian cafe chain with a massive menu. When I saw the banana, mango and passionfruit smoothie with Greek yoghurt and the avocado toast a few items down, first I thought 'yum', then realised I had all the ingredients in the fridge required to make this myself. It's the first day of a new year, I shouldn't be lazy on day one, I thought. Plus, they also do fries in the morning. So instead of spending $29 plus delivery, I saved the money, avoided the french fries and used the perishables I'd been meaning to finish. The result is below and it was delicious, by the way.

The moral of the story is, don't be lazy and don't postpone your goals. Not any day and certainly not on New Year's Day. The time to start saving, eating well, moving more and working towards your goals isn't tomorrow. And that's basically what I said to myself this morning when I almost started the new year the wrong way. Thanks conscience and thanks Coffee Club.