Sabbatical Reflections: Week 3 - Exploring Ideas For Pleasure

I didn't crash (literally). I boxed (it's a work in progress). I wrote (a lot). This week of my sabbatical was all about making the time to explore different ideas. I slowed down on my writing cadence just a bit to ease some of the pressure to produce. I noticed that the writing was getting harder and harder to do at last week's daily pace. What I did: * Sketched out the structure and themes for my 4 upcoming books * Studied more Thermo for my FE exam * Started learning to dodge punches while boxing * Did not crash a UHaul Cargo Van * Picked out wedding rings * Thought more about AI Agents For Embedded Systems https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gilberto-guadiana-b1b182159_what-can-agents-actually-do-activity-7348085858408853504--a25 * Reviewed and reflected on how I am using ChatGPT during my writing process (...by using Claude AI) Things I wrote: Soft Dystopias #6: Beach Blues Workplace Jiujitsu: The Temptation to Bypass Your Manager Workplace Jiujitsu #8: Why 1-on-1s Always Matter Leverage Maps #7: Many Jobs, One Clear Map Hard Guarantees #7: Rethinking Solar Energy Subsidies Books I was reading: * "Show Your Work" * "World War II: Map By Map" * "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" * "What Has Government Done to Our Money?" News that I wasn't sure what to make of: * Jeffrey Epstein Alleged Cover Up * Iran Conflict Things I was watching: * Podcast with Dilbert Author * F1: The Movie * A Rich Gilbert video on always applying for jobs (I'm now looking!) * Matthew Kratter videos on the fragility of Bitcoin reserve companies Three weeks in, and I’m reminded: creativity isn’t just about output. It’s about staying curious, trying things out, and making room to think in peace.