Hello everyone š
Itās been a while since I sat down and started writing. To be honest, itās been a while since Iāve been creating in general (or at least having the same output as I used to have). Donāt worry, Iāll explain why. Iāll take this weekās edition as a little update one. Thanks for tuning in!
PS. Iāll release these newsletters at 8 am weekly on Mondayās from now on :)
Where Iām At Nowā¦
This summer, Iāve made it a priority to really slow time down. Over the past two years, Iāve realized that my output was inversely proportional to my experiences ā meaning that as I did more āworkā, I unfortunately sacrificed on the experiences I couldāve had instead. I mean it could work both ways, but it was more often the former than the latter. COVID has really exacerbated that reality, limiting the experiences I could exploit. Resultantly, time flew by ā āworkā was something that I would wake up doing and fall asleep to. The past year and a bit was a blur, with all I can recall being longer stretches of projects sprinkled with those few days of spontaneity.
Donāt get me wrong, I love what I do. I had just wanted to be someone who does both, someone who could get the best of both worlds, and balance discipline with freedom.
So over the past few months this summer, Iāve been making that a point. I wanted to structure my summer around that ideal, resulting in some sacrifices needing to be made. Iāve been running on a 6-6 pm working schedule nowadays, taking the evenings to do whatever Iād want to do as well as the weekends. My time has been filled in the lab and preparing for future experiments. When it isnāt that, Iāve been working on designing a pilot workshop for youth in need or tying loose ends up at BioDojo.
And yes, sometimes I do feel guilty that I havenāt been spending every single waking hour of every day grinding something out. But, I can definitely say that this summer was a success in terms of making time for those experiences that I had initially prioritized. I would even go as far as to say that ātaking a step backā has allowed me to reappreciate the journey and rekindle some of that motivation that has been diluted by the diminishing value of routine.
Where Iām Goingā¦
Full transparency, Iām going to be putting down my six goals for this coming academic year. Iāve spent this summer focused on research and taking somewhat of a break, but Iām eager to get back. Iām still considering adopting a balance between discipline and spontaneity, albeit somewhat of a less-relaxed version of it.
Achieve a 4.0 GPA in the shortest amount of study time possible
Consistently create, on YouTube and this newsletter
Continue to scale up BioDojo
Play on the UTSC Varsity Menās basketball team
Study for the MCAT
Build up my research project
As we head into the last month of āsummer,ā take some time to reflect on your goals and how youāre currently breaking down your time. Are you happy with that? Is there anything that you want to change?
Time is fixed, but malleable. You can make time for what matters, and itās important to do so and focus on what you really want to achieve. Good luck, and see you next week!
Me this Week š¤”
What I learned ā THP-1 differentiation, compensation on flow
What I did ā onboarded #BD21 at BioDojo, ran a large optimization study, rafted in Waterloo for 13km
What Iām going to do ā publish a YouTube video, try a new PCR machine, finish up my YAY internship
Quote of the Week š¬
āLife can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwardsā
- Soren Kierkegaard
Video of the Week š¬
I really appreciate you for being a part ofĀ The One PercentĀ today! if you are enjoying this newsletter, Iād love for you to share this with a friend or two by hittingĀ theĀ share button below. Iāll see you back here again in a week!