Mid-year wavering: a voice
A year ago, I told a colleague from the company I left at the end of 2024 that two years for NYC is too short. So I moved to Brooklyn after two years living in the "City" since left Chicago back in 2023, on the day of Juneteenth.
As I'm now into the fourth year living in this metropolitan and second year in Brooklyn, I look back the past year and things occurred to me. I categorize them below as "Thumb-up" and "Work-in-progress" and reflect on how to improve for the days on.
Thumb-up:
-> Reconciled with myself and returned to my old job.
-> Trained for and completed another 3:30 marathon attempt, finishing in 3:34.
-> Learned and practiced skiing in the winter and made a few trips to Vermont.
-> Secured approval for the combo card in February.
-> Spent time with family in China in March.
-> Declined the second offer to Point72.
Areas for improvement:
Because life has become a bit more flexible:
-> I haven’t been taking care of my wellness as well as I should have, which has led to a few bad illnesses. I haven’t been as careful with my diet, and I’ve lost some of the routines that helped me live well.
-> I’ve stopped learning physics, languages, and AI skills.
-> I’ve stopped journaling (blogging).
Objective setbacks:
-> I haven’t kept up with rock climbing, which was led by a lack of progress and lost motivation. The long commute time has also contributed to this.
-> I haven’t made meaningful progress in my job search, and I’m not sure what’s holding me back. I’m not sure if my skills and capabilities match the requirements of the jobs I’m applying for.
Plans for the future:
-> I will stop watching iYFTV.
-> I’ll focus on daily tasks, including journaling (one sentence per day is sufficient), stretching, mobility, and strength training (20 minutes is enough).
-> I’ll continue learning AI through work projects and CLA.
-> I’ll change jobs to a FP&A role in startups or a data role in asset management (?).
-> I’ll also resume learning physics.
Looking forward, I hope to use the rest of the summer to reestablish my routines and focus on the goals I’ve set for myself. I want to enjoy the freedom of this season while gradually building habits that will help me transition into a more focused and productive period. When summer ends, I hope to look back at these months and feel proud of the small, consistent steps I’ve taken toward improving my wellness, skills, and career direction.