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Thinking About School

In reading different books and blogs I think that I might benefit from a private space to talk about thoughts and other things that I do not necessarily want to share with the world. Not sure when or how I will go about that, nor why I wrote it here, but I wasn't sure what else to put as an intro.

Personal Updates

Not too much has been going on in my personal life as of late. I actually worked the most hours in a week than I have since the summer which was not too bad. Part of this was a function of interviewing candidates for a new position in the firm I have been working for for the past year. I am fortunate enough to be able to start managing a new intern and actually was able to participate in the selection and interview process for candidates which was a pretty cool experience.

In regard to my body I have continued to be able to bench with only slight pain that comes about now and then, but not in the act of benching. I have not lost too much strength from not benching for several months which is pretty miraculous. I think I will start a daily regimen of pushups and pullups now that I am feeling better so that I can gain a baseline strength with my bodyweight which I think will help to prevent injury.

My hip is still giving me trouble and I was able to see the orthopedist this week. I will get the results from an MRI this next week so hopefully I can figure out what is actually wrong and take steps towards recovery so that I can get back into a routine of squatting and building back leg strength. This is especially important as we move into the spring and I am able to start doing work on the field again. I am excited to get back to feeling healthy. I feel like it is so easy to take for granted when we are feeling fine and this time off has given me ample time to reflect and take advantage of being healthy.

Books/Other

This week I made some headway into a list that I started a while ago when I first was listening to the We Study Billionaires Podcast that would always include at least one book recommendation. Before this week I was mainly focusing on what was available in my library app, in my house, the WSJ free books of the month, or what others had already purchased on kindle/audible. While there are still many books left for me to get through on the library app, I think I want to continue the trend of reading what is most interesting to me first because then it will be an easier and more enjoyable process. I am nearing 70 total books this year which will be another cool milestone because of the additional 30 from 2020 will add up to 100 in about a year.

Additionally, I have been reading a few different blogs and think I will start consistently reading something like morning brew, the WSJ, or another source or podcast to keep up with current events. I have found myself spending a lot of time on my phone just scrolling through social media or watching different videos which is a huge waste of time. It is definitely a tough process to wane yourself off of cell phone use because the processes are very literally designed to take as much of our attention as possible and they do a real good job of it. Hopefully I can make it a habit to avoid overuse and "fast" from dopamine which will just help with my problems of procrastination.

Gratitude

This week I would like to say I am thankful for my school. Although I have been away for a while, I am actually missing the environment on campus. There are a lot of incredible people and opportunities that are available to me on campus and I am excited to get back and make the most out of the limited time I have left. I am picking classes this coming week and have a few that I am actually excited about. Also, I am meeting with my thesis advisor this coming week which will hopefully give me some direction to begin some preliminary work on my thesis. Thinking about next year, especially the spring, makes me all the more grateful for the opportunity to take a year off and actually be able to reflect on how I was spending my time.

Reading all of the different course offerings and people and resources that are available on campus makes me extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend such a nice school even though there are some drawbacks. I am hopeful that approaching next year with a better attitude will help me to make the most of my time and also make sure that the sacrifices made for me to attend this school pay off and it will all be worth it in the end. I am not sure what the next stage of my life will be, but I think that Princeton has been a very important stepping stone which will help launch me into my ultimate career path.
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