On being human

I’m health-conscious, but I’ll impulsively eat a donut.

I try to save money, but I buy $5 coffees.

I wake up early to be productive, but I’ll browse on my phone.

I tip well to make someone’s day better, but I’ve hurt people.

I prefer electric vehicles and can afford one, but I drive a gas-powered car.

I’m optimistic, but sometimes I’m pessimistic.

I apologize, but there are things I haven’t said sorry for.

I take cold showers, but sometimes I’ll cave into a warm shower.

I eat well when I’m losing weight, but I may eat terribly when I’m in shape.

I take responsibility, but sometimes I succumb to weakness and blame.

I believe social media isn’t good for you, but I use Facebook.

I’m not afraid of dying, but the thought of eternal void feels unpleasant.

I have diamond hands, but I’ve paper handed.

I’m human.

Endurance training

I’ve been training for a triathlon. And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I signed up. Maybe it’s just to see if I can do it because I don’t have the natural talent for endurance sports. Maybe it’s because my friends are doing it. Or maybe it’s just to try something new.

I come from the world of short-distance and powerlifting, so training has been tough and unlike anything I’ve done. Sustained cardio for hours is a different animal than deadlifting a large amount of weight for a few seconds. Neither are easy, but I much prefer the latter.

Or so I thought.

Somehow, the prolonged suffering has grown on me.

To me, an endurance workout is maneuvering around steady, unforgiving pain that intensifies as the session drags on. It’s thinking you’ve given everything you have, only to be reminded by your watch that you’re just a quarter of the way done. It’s putting up with boredom and constantly saying no to that lazy voice in your head that tells you to just take a rest for two minutes, or even to quit early and take a warm shower. It’s overcoming seemingly insurmountable discomfort by escaping into your mind, recalling your goals and demons, and somehow drawing out the inspiration to continue struggling.

And what’s most fascinating is that a part of me feels great throughout this agony, and there are therapeutic effects that persist even hours after the workout. Endurance taps into nature’s contradictory pain-reward pathway in a way that I haven’t quite experienced elsewhere. It’s like a rag that slowly wrings out stress and worry. Mile 1: goodbye anxiety. Mile 2: I’m pretty lucky. Mile 3: I can accomplish anything. And when I’m done, it’s as if nature says congrats, you’ve put up with hell so take this bliss drug and enjoy your day. I’m sore, but nothing hurts.

Ultimately, I’m curious to see how this will influence other parts of my life. Maybe it will condition me to realize that I have a lot left in the tank when I think I’m done. Or maybe it will encourage me to just get started.

A run to Chipotle

We’re actively in a mandatory quarantine for COVID-19, which means enforced stay at home to reduce the rate at which the virus spreads. But sometimes this makes me bored and, when I get bored, I develop the urge to eat. So naturally, I drove to Chipotle.

Upon arrival I grabbed the door with my bare hand and swung it open when the smell of fresh Mexican food permeated my nostrils and uplifted my soul. I scanned the menu (not sure why because I knew what I wanted) and ordered a steak quesadilla. After paying I turned to my right to the hand sanitizer dispenser, pressed a few drops into my palm, and rubbed it thoroughly between my fingers.

To my left was a girl appropriately keeping her distance wearing a navy blue “Tokyo 2020 Olympics” hoodie. I thought that was pretty neat because the Tokyo 2020 Olympics got postponed to 2022. Will that hoodie one day be a souvenir? An iconic Olympic event that will have never happened because of a global pandemic? I wonder how she got it… she probably got it as a gift or traveled to Japan recently. I thought about my own trip to Japan a year and a half ago, a rejuvenating break from work when I walked somewhat aimlessly around Tokyo in awe of its large buildings, advanced train system, meticulous care in the most minute details, and incredibly polite people. During that trip I had felt a sense of solitude and vague familiarity, almost like I had been before.

“Order number 211!”, yelled the cashier. I grabbed my quesadilla, thanked him, and walked out.

The invariants of doing well

Be curious, try new things, and really learn from failures

This has become a cliche, but so many people I know just don't try new things. This is especially true when there's no material payoff at the end such as a certificate.

Grit & commitment

Carry through. If you change your thing every week and run away, you're not going to run very far.

Aim high

If you don't aim high, you won't shoot high.

If I can't explain it...

I don't know it.

Hard Choices, Easy Life

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?

Hard, by definition, is requiring a great deal of endurance or effort. Easy, by contrast, is achieved without great effort.

Hard is linked with discomfort and fear, so we tend to put off what's hard and immediately seek what's comfortable, or easy. But that great deal of endurance or effort is what makes us stronger, smarter, more capable, and reach our goals. Therefore, what's hard is often precisely what we should be doing.

On the other hand, easy is comfortable: taking shortcuts, putting things off, and avoiding our fears. While this may feel good in the moment, it's a poor longterm strategy that often leads to stress, regret, and disappointment.

And that's a hard life. In the short term, one clear example is procrastination and stressing to meet the deadline at the last minute, often with subpar results. In the long term, it gets even worse and tends to accumulate: you won't get into the college you want, get your dream job, or execute your business idea. Eventually, you'll reach your 40s or 50s and wish you had done a bit more or tried a bit harder. And there's no going back.

On the other hand, doing what's hard leads to an easy life. Consistently challenging yourself and keeping your promise will enable you to reach your goals, meet the right people, and even be financially stable, because you're capable. All the while significantly reducing those negative emotions tied with the easy choices.

So, what are you waiting for? I challenge you to choose your goal that you fear most—the hard one you've been putting off—and get started. 

Creative Writing

I've made a goal to improve my creating writing skills. I'm doing this for two reasons: (1) being primarily in a left-brain field (computer science), I'd like to exercise my right-brain as well by imagining stories, new ways to construct sentences, and unique ways to describe settings, and (2) I'd like to improve my written word in general. To get a feel for creative writing, I am currently taking detailed notes on The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, one of the most revered creative writers today. When I'm finished with this, I will read and take notes on Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and On Writing by Stephen King.

I'm enthusiastic to set aside a few hours each week to work on this craft, as it's going to be incredibly fun and an invaluable learning experience.

Honor of Achievement

Today, I received this:

While this is nice, I can't help but feel that the real joy came from the thrill of learning. The challenge of struggling through the problems, and the satisfaction of finally figuring them out. The humbling moments when I thought I had the best insight, but realized after collaborating with my classmates that there was so much more. The recognition of my ignorance after our professors introduced exciting new ideas, and the arousal of my curiosity.

An honor of achievement is nothing more than a cherry on top of a cake. A cake made of unique challenges, perspectives, and lessons to take forth for the rest of our lives. 

Don't Do Things You Don't Want to Do

There's been a general rule of thumb I've been following this past year that has helped a lot: don't do things you don't want to do. Following this rule has given me more time and productivity, less stress, and better relationships. 

Of course, like all rules of thumb, there are certain exceptions. For instance, I believe we should go out of our way for those important to us or step outside of our comfort zone sometimes to grow.

If you find yourself saying 'yes' when you know you should really be saying 'no', think about all that is gained by saying 'no'. It helps.

Calculated Actions

If an action isn't urgent, it almost always pays off to give it a day or two of thought before acting. Think about the best and worst case scenarios, ways it may be done better, or whether or not it's even worth doing.

You'll be thankful.

Having Fun

I've been working very hard since graduation to improve my machine learning skills. In fact, I've been so driven that I thought hanging out with my friends would take me away from my goal. I was wrong, as working too much blunted my interest.

After spending this past weekend with my family at Disney World, I have no regrets. I've bonded with my family and explored incredible parts of Disney I've never been. It's as if a reset button has been hit, and I will be more productive than ever when I return to my work.

While I've always known that going out is important, I now realize that perhaps I haven't been having fun enough. I will work to change this.

Daily Writing

I believe it's a great practice for anyone to sit down for a few minutes each day to reflect upon what has been learned. Writing daily is a practice I learned from Seth Godin and, having tried it for over a week now, I am certain that it's a practice I will continue.

Not only has it made me more articulate, but it has also forced me to slow down. I find myself more aware of my surroundings and analytical of ideas. As a computer engineer by profession, my daily routine has consisted more of writing code rather than English. So, figuring out how to express my thoughts through words has been a fun challenge for me. 

I am writing for me and for nobody else. While I am no where near a perfect writer (if such a thing exists), I can tell that I am improving. And I'm happy with that.

I can't wait to continue this practice over the upcoming years and discover what I learn.

Massive Open Online Courses

From what I've read, there's controversy surrounding the success of massive open online courses (MOOC). One reason for this is that most students don't finish what they sign up for.

In my opinion, the reason for this phenomenon is that we are conditioned since childhood to pursue education for the end rather than the mean. Completing high school awards us a high school diploma. Completing college awards us a college degree. Degrees earn us jobs, which lead to income. But if we can get past this type of thinking and pick up a book or watch a lecture because we love the learning process, MOOCs are an A+.

I am highly optimistic about MOOCs. They are highly affordable and accessible, and I believe they are effective. After working through Udacity's machine learning program and Coursera's machine learning course by Andrew Ng, I can say with confidence that my understanding for the subject has deepened as they both offer detailed lectures and challenging projects. To me, the key to learning effectively is to go as slowly as possible, really taking the time to understand the concepts.

I love supporting these MOOC platforms because improving the accessibility of education and bringing down the cost is a big step forward. I really hope to see these platforms develop and more universities contribute over the upcoming years.

Incremental Step

If you've come to a halt at achieving your goal, act on the smallest possible next step. For example, if you're trying to get fit, consider jogging for just one minute. If you want to complete a problem set, consider solving just one problem.

You might be surprised.

Perspective

Looking back, most of my experiences that stand out to me are those that changed my perspective on something. Maybe it was my perspective on empathy, friendship, or computer science. Maybe it was on business, art, or culture.

The neat thing about learning a new perspective is that often times it is something we were completely blind to. A personal example is when I learned the power of empathy—the ability to see the world through someone else's lens, what bothers them, what motivates them, and what makes them happy. For a long time, I perceived the world as being largely driven by I.Q. rather than E.Q.; I was wrong. Listening to a podcast with Chris Sacca, he opened my eyes to how important empathy is when designing products. Specifically, one must empathize with the user of a product to define the product's feature set and recognize its pain points. For me, learning about things like dance, business, and social analytics enabled me see from different angles.

I've found the best way to do this is to learn about subjects outside of your domain or pick up a book of a different genre. If you're an artist, consider reading about physics. If you like nonfiction, try reading fiction.

You might just develop a new perspective.

Walking Toward Your Mountain

Neil Gaiman gave an analogy for working toward a goal during his commencement speech that I really liked. 

Imagine that your goal is a distant mountain. As long as any particular action brings you closer to the mountain, you are doing alright. If an opportunity arises, ask yourself if that opportunity will bring you closer to the mountain. If not, then say no.

But saying no can be hard, especially when the opportunity seems interesting. 

Walk toward your mountain.
 

Arapahoe Basin in the Rockies of Colorado

Luck

Luck can help, but it is often overlooked. If you are honest with yourself, I bet you can recall a time when luck was on your side. Maybe it was meeting your spouse at a random art festival, guessing correctly on an exam, having your resume fall into the correct person's hand, or something else. From my experience, these are the best ways to improve luck:

1. Work hard and wisely.
2. Be kind, and have a sense of humor. If people like you, you will form connections and will more likely meet the right person.
3. Try new things. Go hiking if you've never been, attend special events downtown, or learn to dance. This will make you more interesting, helping you relate to a wide variety of people.

I wish you luck.

Cognitive Load

Today, we are constantly bombarded with email, text messages, social media notifications, and much more. It is easy to check or respond to all of these because it feels like productive work. But, if we fall into this trap and reflect at the end of the day, it is clear that it was not productive work.

This brings me to the idea of cognitive load. Productivity (and sanity, for that matter) really boils down to minimizing cognitive load. Before we choose what is worth our attention, we must first cut the crap that does not deserve our attention. Sustained focus is simply easier when there is less to focus on. It sounds like common sense, but it is far too uncommon.

Quality, not quantity. 

Asking Questions

Right answers are necessary. They drive innovation, resolve personal conflicts, and bring people together. 

However, to get to the right answers, we must first ask the right questions. Asking questions is the necessary first step toward developing meaningful insights, writing efficient and correct code, and forming effective teams.

Practice asking the right questions. Don't forget to ask the who, what, when, where, why, and how.