Sabbatical Reflections: Week 9 - Learning From What You Don't Do

The rainy, stormy weather from this week prompted me to be more reflective. This weekend, I raced a 100km relay race at the Habanero Hundred race. While I did well and did not get injured, I thought more about how I was sweating leading up to it. My running this summer wasn't as consistent as I had hoped, and any good running coach would tell you that it's the months of preparation before the race that makes or breaks it. While stuck in traffic, I listened to Dr. K's video "You're Stuck Because You Refuse to Grow Up", and what we can learn about what we choose not to do was on my mind.

Working independently is tricky in that you're the only one there is to blame when things go right and wrong. You set the priorities. You set your hours. You choose what you work on. Last week, I wrote about setting your orientation based on your convictions (https://gilbertoguadiana.com/leverage-maps-15-using-convictions-as-your-north-star). Looking back at my career transition thus far, I am noticing some patterns of avoidance: chasing short term benefits over medium to long term benefits. In a different video, Dr. K spoke about how not having money coming in the bank can be a stressor. While my financials are still good, having some money coming in has been refreshing.

Know thyself, they say. This week, I am continuing to work on my book Leverage Maps: Mental Models For Making Systems Move. There is sometimes the urge to pivot to other interests, but sticking with it and closing out the project is, as Dr. K calls it, "growing up". Onto the next week.

Cheers.