Three months later
So, I'm back.
It's been exactly three months since my last blog post, and I just wanted to check in. Reflect a bit, and update anyone who (still) reads this on what I've been up to.
The short answer is - not much has happened. The last ~90 days have been a textbook exchange of time for money. It was the application peak season, I worked a lot, and earned an income.
Fortunately, my industry is quite seasonal. Only a handful of students' applications remain to be submitted, and I will have a lot of "free" time over at least the next six months. Hence, my return to this blog. I had been planning to write this post for a few weeks now, but I never got around to putting any of my thoughts down. Since it's 10PM as I type this sentence - and I want to publish before midnight - I'll keep it simple with just some of the key takeaways I've realized since my last post.
Time just slips by (if we don't pay attention)
It's almost unbelievable that I could have written another 90 (!) posts if I had just stuck to my previous publishing schedule.
To be clear, I don't regret taking a break from the blog. That said, it's worth noting the critical importance of consistency and persistence in pursuing something we believe in. I recently saw someone I follow on YouTube celebrate his 1000-video streak. He posted one video per day for 1000 days. It's amazing, what we can accomplish with consistency and persistence over time.
And of course, the reverse is also true. That same amount of time can pass us by, and nothing of note happens. This thought has further confirmed my decision to quit my current line of work, in search of new ventures to explore and commit myself to. I've written about this before, and I want to state publicly that I'm sticking to it.
No shortcuts
It took me a while to realize that there are no shortcuts to the journey of self-improvement. There is no substitute for time and training.
I'll give an analogy. If we see Olympic athletes accomplish feats that we're not capable of, it's easy to note the difference in physical ability between us and them. However, it's much harder to note differences in abilities that are not so visible, such as communication skills, sales ability, mental fortitude, discipline, expertise in a subject, adherence to good habits, and so on.
It's easy enough to understand that Olympic athletes must train intensively for years to reach their level of excellence. It's much more difficult to accept (or even realize) that the same quantity of training and time is required to become world-class in various non-physical abilities.
Two relevant improvement metrics for me are my health and my degree of lifestyle reduction. The point is that I cannot simply snap my fingers and go immediately from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy lifestyle, or from an extravagant lifestyle to a frugal and minimalist lifestyle. The journey requires time, and many steps along the way. Sustainable steps, which leads to my next point.
Focus on sustainable improvement
The problem with the term "diet" is that it implies a temporary state - and is by definition not meant to be sustained. This is a problem. If our goal is to become healthier, we should focus on permanent changes we can make rather than the quick fix that a diet represents. Some examples:
Sustainable: 90% of what I eat are whole foods.
Unsustainable: 100% of what I eat are whole foods.
Sustainable: Have carbohydrates for one meal each day.
Unsustainable: Have no carbohydrates.
Sustainable: Choose sugar-free options where possible (eg. Coke Zero, black coffee).
Unsustainable: Never consume sugar.
Things I did (not) do
At various points throughout this blog, and most notably for my 100th post, I talked about some of my goals and things I wanted to do. So as the final section of this post, and as a way of holding myself publicly accountable, I'll list everything I remember saying I would do, and my current status with them.
1) 10km in 70 minutes. I have not done this, and I don't have a good excuse because I think it's already achievable with my current level of fitness. I will say that I plan to complete it within the next 30 days.
2) Lower my LDL to under 3.4 mmol/L (130mg/dL). My LDL was 3.55mmol/L when I had my blood tested on Nov 15. I will take another blood test after Chinese New Year.
3) Bookstore. No updates, unfortunately. The initial motivational spark has faded, as no one around me thinks it's a good business venture. I have no solid ideas for a profitable model at this time.
4) Weight loss goal (65kg). Completed. My lowest recorded weight was 63.7kg, and I'm usually around 64.5-65kg on most mornings when I wake up.
5) Read some books. Yes, though I did not read Dune or Rhythm of War. Instead, I read Ray Dalio's The Changing World Order - highly recommended!
6) Watch more TV shows and movies. Yes, though not Squid Game. I watched Hawkeye (B+), a few episodes of Star Wars: Visions (B+) and Arcane (A-), Black Widow (B-), and rewatched the last two Avengers movies (both A's).
7) Ride my Brompton everywhere. Yes, I've put maybe 1000km on it in under two months, including around 20 round trips to Xujiahui. Despite the expense, no regrets at all.
8) Quit working full-time in March. Still on track to do this.