Hello!

This has been week 12 of my 52 week-long attempt to document my progress, in order to be more conscientious with how I’m living my year.

The good:

• This week took another step toward crossing off a bucket list item of mine and booked a flying lesson. Just like entering the world of fashion, this is a daunting quest for me. I've always been fascinated with how people can dare to fly a plane. Are they superhuman?? I'll find out in a couple of weeks. Of course I'll just be a passenger for most of it, but apparently the teacher will let you take control for a bit. Wish me luck haha.
• This week I've felt that I'm fully back in my studying groove. I'm still technically behind on a course, but I will get to it in due time. I'm just happy I didn't give up even though I'm struggling.
• This week I finished a book called "Deep Work" by Cal Newport (a book/author I'm sure you've heard of). I enjoyed it enough to make sure to extract everything I got out of it and put it down on paper. I'm hoping I can systematically implement the ideas I captured in my notebook into my life. The notion of practicing focus is not a novel concept, but it sure could be executed better by most of us. I look forward to reading more of Newport's work, and I've also garnered a desire to read more specifically about polymaths and how they manage their time/interests.
• I've been running a lot, but also realizing how nice a walk could be for thinking (inspired by the book!). I've also grown tired of fasted morning runs that make me bonk out at a third of my actual endurance potential 🙃 So this coming week I'll be switching it up and going for a brisk morning walk, and then squeezing in a run every other evening at minimum. Should be a lot more enjoyable.

The bad:

• I didn't lift at all this week. I did complete some maintenance workouts with planks & push-ups, but I've just not found the time to focus on more training in between this crazy school schedule I have at the moment. At the same time, I'd hate to lose the little bit of muscle I've gained so far. Even though running is easier to motivate because I also get out of the house, I will try to do better next week.
• I experienced a high amount of stress and anxiety. It's kind of inevitable when you feel overwhelmed by the work on your plate every day. Not much to do about it right now except hold out until summer break
• I snoozed a lot, which I think might be a symptom of all the stress and just wanting to sleep more. Again, not much I can do about it right now. I just have to keep going to sleep on time and hoping that my body can recover enough to support the high-intensity period I'm currently in.

Conclusion:

In the spirit of Deep Work, I'll be using time-blocking to schedule all of next week. At least for the work day---the book also suggests scheduling what to do for your leisure time, which feels like more than I can chew at the moment. I'll just be focusing on making sure I always know what to do and that I'm not being distracted by cheap dopamine.

I'll be reflecting more on what I can implement to start taking better control of my life, so I may be able to enjoy some recreational activities and not burn out. You can't change your life overnight, but I do think books like Deep Work provide good frameworks if you take the time to actually use what you've learned. We'll see.

Until next week!