Travelling with Toddler and Agile Bootcamp — an Analogy

Recently I took a trip to Fiji with my family and this was a trip that happened after a good while as I got pregnant early last year, followed by delivery of my charming baby boy and then got drowned in the routine of raising a child. Only after he turned 6 months, both my partner and I felt like it was time that our child is ready to go on a full fledged vacation. So we booked the tickets and booked the perfect location with loads of kids’ facilities. It would still be time though as he would be almost 9 months until we travelled, plenty of time to plan logistically & mentally.

It was only as the travel date progressed that I started realising how real it all was, how so many diapers took so much luggage space. I frantically started googling tips & tricks of travelling with a toddler, shared digital shopping lists and cut down a lot on my own luggage, etc. And the day finally arrived, we sailed through the departures even.

But just when you realise the worst (read flight duration) was over, you’re thrown with these little curveballs of surprises by these little humans that totally….. Are like your projects! Now I unapologetically admit that my mom brain never switches off, but for flashes during our family trip, my professional brain refused to deny the obvious analogy that I was constantly viewing. And so.. here’s a list (that I literally jotted down during our stay) of how travelling with my 9 month old toddler was almost like an Agile bootcamp a.k.a the similarities between the both-

1. Life is full of surprises

I think we all got that covered, life as a parent and life as a professional will always be full of pleasant and unpleasant surprises. From a cranky toddler to a cranky co-worker, you have to realise that on a daily basis and the vibe of the surprises must not decide your vibe.

2. Toughen up

This is a big one. Agile teams teach you a lot of things but you generally perform the best when you develop perseverance and can-do attitude in times of urgency, and so do you as a parent. Now I’m not advocating that you should be a tough parent (it’s totally your decision), but sometimes you need to toughen up and not give into the critical moment when things do not go as planned. Your toddler and your projects will definitely need lot of persistence from you.

3. Be creative

Just like we create interesting processes and improvise in our agile teams, we must be creative as parents- not only to keep the curious minds interested but also to overcome challenges like encountering a high chair that’s too high or the hotel’s cot that’s too low.

4. Adjust

At times it might not even be super enjoyable, sometimes all that’s required is peaceful co-existence. And for that, you must be open to adjust. Read family vacation and team at the appropriate places, totally replaceable words.

5. Cleanup

Be it your code, your processes or your hotel room (or your home), it is so good to cleanup before you finish your story, wrap up a project, leave your room (or home) for exploring the next venture because you come back to a clean slate. Read my blog about how abundance decides your day.

6. Be inspired, not envious

There will be days when you’ll see another team and another couple doing way better you, just in general looking so put together and sorted. In such situations, be inspired and not envious. Aim to do better rather than being insecure. Your time is too precious to be wasted on envy.

7. Help others

Just like you have your bad days, other teams and other parents also do. Have compassion and help others whenever you can. Be it guiding them to the right codebase, sharing your scrum processes or offering a baby wipe when they forgot to carry it. Don’t forget the human side of you.

8. Do it with a smile

They say- “Life happens when you are busy making other plans.” And assuming that you spend almost equal time at both your home & work, your life is really a combination of the both. Just taking a moment to realise the moment you are in, and staying there is a big achievement in today’s day & age. A giggling toddler in scorching heat and being a part of a high performing appreciative team are no coincidences. They are by products of your sanity (along with your partner’s and team mates) in critical situations. It’s only when you are happy from within that you exhibit happiness that carries forward to the others.

How do you deal with your toddlers? Or your agile teams? Does any other situation in your personal life look like an agile bootcamp? I look forward to knowing your thoughts on my analysis and I hope it brings you joy reading my strange analogy, even if you are not a parent.

All images are drawn and copyrighted © by Venus Nautiyal. In order to use any images please acquire prior written permission from the artist.