You can't have a thriving codebase without a thriving community. What does code have to do with community? Free and Open Source Software depends upon the community who builds, creates, maintains, supports, translates, and markets it. That means any Open Source project depends upon a volunteer-based workforce. We all recognize that our livlihoods are somewhat attributed to the ability to use Free and Open Source Software -- like WordPress -- so we volunteer, contribute, to give back. What about burnout? It's real. We've addressed it before in many ways. So let's talk about how what a thriving community looks like. What is a thriving community? A thriving community realizes they can ebb and flow in and out of a project. They can contribute for months or years, take a break, maybe even mentor others, and come back -- or not. A thriving community recruits volunteers based upon inclusion, not guilt. A thriving community isn't burnt out or bitter. A thriving community is healthy -- physically, emotionally, and financially. A Word About Perfection I spent 14 years in construction accounting and my job demanded perfection. I spent hours looking for a penny if my bank reconcilation was off. Job costing had to be accurate. Contracts had to be perfect. I get it. The problem with perfectionism is when we take a marketable skill from our career and apply it to our personal lives. Progress is better than perfection. Done is better than perfect. Something is better than nothing. Let's Talk about Whole Health Health comes in many forms: physical, emotional, and financial. And there are quite a few overlaps in these three distint areas, too. It's fine to talk about the abstract. In the conceptual, we all agree we should be physically, emotionally, and financially healthy. But are we? And do we stop from iterating in our personal lives because we haven't created the perfect meal or exercise plan, because we haven't felt emotionally ready or because we have financial goals that haven't been met? Maybe. But let's take some actionalble steps toward progress. The -er approach Better. Faster. Thinner. Healthier. Happier. They all end in -er. This suffix communicates progress -- not completion. I'm going to talk about some of the things I've done in my life to be -er.

1. @YouTooCanBeGuru
Youcan'thave
aThrivingCodebase
without
aThrivingCommunity
WordCamp Raleigh 2018

2. What does code have
to do with community?
@YouTooCanBeGuru

3. Open Source projects
depend upon a
volunteer-based
workforce -- you.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

4. If you feel burnt out, it's
time to take a break.
It really is okay.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

5. Let's talk about
perfectionism.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

6. The problem with
perfectionism is when we
take a marketable skill
from our career and apply
it to our personal lives.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

7. Progress is better than perfection.
Done is better than perfect.
Something is better than nothing.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

8. Whole Health
@YouTooCanBeGuru

9. The -ER Approach
@YouTooCanBeGuru

10. This suffix
communicates
progress -- not
completion.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

11. Physical Health
@YouTooCanBeGuru

12. Walking
Protein
Naps
@YouTooCanBeGuru
Three things I started doing:

13. Emotional Health
@YouTooCanBeGuru

14. Trusting close friends.
Feeling my emotions.
Taking medication.
@YouTooCanBeGuru
Three things I started doing:

15. Financial Health
@YouTooCanBeGuru

16. Believing I am worthy.
Understanding my cost.
Being open to business ideas.
@YouTooCanBeGuru
Three things I started doing:

17. We are a community
who understands
iteration by
collaboration.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

18. So I put this on GitHub.
@YouTooCanBeGuru
https://github.com/gidgey/
ThrivingCommunity

19. What can you start
doing today that will
move your physical
health in a
forward direction?
@YouTooCanBeGuru

20. Actionable goals with
incremental progress is
the key.
@YouTooCanBeGuru

21. @YouTooCanBeGuru