Isn't something better than nothing?
#87 - well and truly "iiiin suuumeeerrrr" ❄️👸
Hi there,
“Change is the only constant”, a phrase I’ve heard a couple of times this week and a useful reminder. Adapting to the change and making sure that we are changing to match the world around us is key, now proven lately with the AI rush.
I’ve had a quieter week at home, getting on with some schoolwork, doing some university application preparation and chatting with friends, whilst spending time outdoors when the weather has relented.
Highlight of the week: can’t point to a single thing. Perhaps the Sunday lunch banquet Mum (and her 2 little chefs) served up this afternoon. Chicken biryani, tandoori chicken and chicken fry 😋
I. It’s been over a month now since my work experience week at KPMG in June. I had a great time, came to understand quite a few things I didn’t before and, maybe most importantly, met a lot of interesting people. In this world of ‘net work vs net worth’ and ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’, what I should do is stay in touch with these people using LinkedIn, the official professional Facebook.
Alas1, life happened and it completely fell off my radar. However, it didn’t: every 5 days or so since the week (W/C 19 June) ended, my mind would remember “Oh yeah, we need to sit down and connect with all those people we met before it’s too late”. Then another part of the mind would turn on, “Is there much point now? It’s already gone. They will have forgotten about you now in a month, probably having had 6 other kids after you".
My mind went through this routine 3 or 4 times before I finally managed to mute the unhelpful voice and sent a few connection requests this week. Of these, I’ve had 3 accept them, one even saying “Glad you’ve connected with me, I’m only a message away for all your questions. I’m always happy to help”.
II. I’ve spent quite some time this week trying to sort out my emails, closing out some open loops that have existed there for quite a while. This is a surprisingly draining task as each email requires you to switch context to understand what’s going on in the email and then perform (a series of) actions. I don’t leave an email hanging around in my inbox if it doesn’t have to be there2, so it’s either a newsletter post to make notes from, a video to watch, links to an article I need to read etc.
It was a late evening someday this week when I had some energy left before shutting down (myself and the computer) for the night. I mustered the power to push through and clear out a couple of emails. It wasn’t huge strides in the grand scheme of things, but it was still some progress.
These 2 situations have led me to 2 short lessons:
It is never, never too late (to get started) - as the old proverb goes (I seem to be a cliché merchant tonight, I’m sorry) “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” You may not be able to turn the ship around before it crashes into the iceberg, but you could try to save the injuries a couple of people take.
Some progress is better than no progress - any large goal that we pursue is a huge series of smaller steps. Turning up to training everyday, reading 1 page of the textbook or 5 reps with the dumbbells one random Tuesday: they all help in some way towards actualising the goal, whether it’s an actual increase in the % completed or building the muscle of consistency and discipline.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run walk, if you can’t walk crawl, but by all means keep moving” - Dr Martin Luther King
In an ideal world, you wouldn’t have to force yourself to do the work. And if you are, it’s usually a sign that either that isn’t the right project for you to work on, or that you need to find more sustainable/enjoyable ways of doing it. Alas, the world isn’t ideal so try your best at trying your best. (that’s a pretty 🔥 ending)
P.S. here’s a related post about clenching your teeth and pushing through when you don’t like it
Book of the week 📖
In a bid to explore my mathematical curiosities (and strengthen my personal statement for uni) I’ve picked up and really enjoyed Beyond Infinity by Eugenia Cheng
Podcast of the week🎙️
BBC Business Daily: Is it possible to grow food on the moon?
Billions of dollars are being put into working out a way to live away from the Earth. One of the key challenges is working out how we’ll survive.
Article of the week 📰
A daytime nap is good for the brain
I’ve never been one for sleeping during the day, apart from falling flat on long car journeys. This study suggests it’s something we should consider building into our day.
Quote of the week 💬
Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson
Here’s hoping for a week where I can rely a bit more on willpower. Have a good one
Adi 👍
Haven’t used that word in a long time
A great analogy I remember coming across about this is to think of your digital email inbox as a physical letter mailbox. Once you’ve opened an envelope and read the letter, you wouldn’t (shouldn’t) dump it exactly where you sat down to open it or worse, put it back in the mailbox.