Making the most out of events you don't really want to attend
Making the most out of events you don't really want to attend
We can't always be doing things we want to do all the time
Some random ramblings before this newsletter kicks off, I hope you don’t mind but it’s extremely therapeutic.
Firstly, I want to announce that I use these Sunday mornings to write these newsletters now, rather than having something prepared in the pipeline. I think it’s a good way to recap the week that has been and also set expectations for the week ahead.
That means these newsletters are going to become a bit more informal and rambly — I hope this isn’t an issue, but I also hope someone can get some benefit by just seeing the thought process.
Secondly, I seldom read newsletters.
“So, why on earth do you write them expecting people to read them?” you must be thinking. That’s a good point. The only rebuttal I can offer is the story of Chip Wilson, who founded lululemon. I don’t think you need to have the pain point to be successful. You just need to identify the needs and execute. This is not to say that newsletters are world-changing and fix problems, but this notion makes me stop overthinking the existence of this newsletter and just get to writing.
Something I’ve started doing is journalling after all my lessons and sessions. This also makes it easier to recap these Sunday mornings.
Further to this recap, I got an extra stripe on my white belt! This is after 7-8 months of Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) training. It feels like I don’t deserve it and that I can easily get beaten by someone who just walked into the gym.
For pole dancing, I am now doing four classes a week, from just two trick-based classes to adding two more flex classes. This will help improve my flexibility which is good for all other pursuits like weightlifting and BJJ and also life. What I have also noticed is that transitions between moves aren’t that good. What I learnt from the Uncovered podcast is to focus on “flow” and that a lot of people want to do tricks but neglect this.
In the realm of flying, I’m doing more work in circuits. This involves taking off, climbing, flying on the downwind, and approaching to land. One thing I am struggling with is landing and for two reasons: it’s scary pitching the nose down to only pull up and fly level with the runway to gently kiss the runway — my instructor tells me to look at the horizon rather than straight in front of you. The second issue is maintaining speed on the final approach. If you go too slow, then you can stall, crash and die — the remedy is to go fast. If you go fast, you can always go around. But if you crash, there is no recovery.
The mini-goal with flying is to get to solo, which is flying by yourself with the instructor on the ground. The bigger goal is to take my parents on a flight while they are healthy and able, and this requires me to get a private pilot’s license.
Golf has been untouched lately since I came back to New Zealand.
This week also I had my 6-monthly performance review, and it was good news! I have passed my probation period (which is 6 months for an Australian company).
I am enjoying this career change and I should find some time to document this properly. A point I want to make is that my manager said I was performing well and this contrasts my previous career, where I felt I was working hard only to be put down. I have no regrets about this career move but I know the future is always uncertain and good things can come and go. But for now, I will enjoy the present moment.
Finally, this week, I want to focus on getting to bed on time (I’ve been going to bed at about midnight) as well as reading before bed. I’ve had this bad habit of scrolling on my phone or watching television.
Making the most out of life
Deep down there are things we don’t want to do. But whether it be some cultural or societal constraint, we will need to do it.
I had to go through recertification for my weightlifting technical official (TO), again! Emphasis is on the “again”. The reason I lost TO status was because I did not renew my Weightlifting New Zealand membership.
I didn’t want to go through the process again.
But our weightlifting club held a workshop as well as an unsanctioned and sanctioned competition.
I thought, why not make a good day of it? At the workshop, I asked some questions that I always had about officiating a weightlifting competition. It was interesting and this gave me the motivation to do things outside of actually competing as an athlete like volunteering to officiate. Volunteering is rewarding and it’s a great way to be in touch with a community.
After the workshop concluded, I made the last-minute decision to compete in the unsanctioned competition. I decided how heavy I could go with power snatch and power clean, power jerk. It was quite a lot of fun and I am glad I just took the plunge.
So, if you are ever stuck in a situation that you don’t want to be in, can you think of ways to make the most out of it by reframing your mentality?
I hope this helped out and feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who might find it useful!
Stay focused and talk soon,
Shivan
My Favourite Things
1. Doubled walled cups
I love coffee in the morning. So much so that I decided to look into what vessel I would drink my coffee from. This led me to purchase these double-walled coffee cups. I love the look of these and that my coffee is kept warmer for longer compared to conventional ceramic and porcelain cups.
2. Meditation seat
My mother usually sits here every morning and prays. I decided to purchase a meditation cushion that she could use but so that I could use it as well. Meditation is something I do most mornings. I use the free Medito app and select a 10-minute meditation, which can be tuned towards a particular life event (e.g., work-related stress, productivity, motivation etc.). Since meditating my ability to observe my thoughts has dramatically improved, and I am generally more present. With these benefits, I thought it would be good to invest in how I sit when I meditate. Additionally, I want to be able to sit cross-legged too.
3. My Morning and Evening Skin Care Routine
I know consumption isn’t good but I hope this is consumption that is intentional and for a good cause. I don’t know how many men take care of their skin like this but it’s not many or not many talk about it. I didn’t bother to take care of my skin until a year ago and thankfully I do. How did I get a routine? I visited a beauty clinic and they recommended this. Are there cheaper alternatives? Probably. But it won’t be life-changing the money that is saved. Again, the investment in skin care is an investment in myself. It’s taking care of myself. And this is what the owner of the beauty clinic said to me — if you don’t care for yourself then no one else will.