It seems that leaving social media has had some intended effects. For one – this post here, which is a good start – only three weeks between these! Add to that, I actually started a project I had been mulling over for a while. And I even used one or two lunch breaks to blog rather than refresh the endless outrage scroll. Progress!
This week I was talking to a friend about a 10-year plan. I was going to do a blog post (and may even still do it) where I do a retrospect of the past decade and then one for the opposite of a retrospect, looking at what the roaring twenties will bring. While I always had an idea on my career path, this week I vocalized my end goal. At least in the world of IT. If it were up to me, IT would be just one thing I do at any given stage. Who knows, I may still make it as a breakout writer and retire to entertain people with my words…
I believe it was Peter Thiel who famously asked “What will it take for you to achieve your 10-year plan in the next 6 months?”. Now putting anyone’s thoughts on the man himself aside, ask yourself – what are you doing today to help you reach your goals? For me personally, it seems my thoughts have always been
– study, experience, exams and qualifications
– hope there is a job out there that I am interested in
When I started to think about this seriously, I started to watch others that I considered successful. They were using job changes as a way to get promotions, and move into a work stream that they wanted to be in. For me, moving to New Zealand, I was in a position of “get any job to allow me to stay”. That thinking hasn’t really left me yet, and it is something I am actively trying to shake. One of the ways I am doing that is by seriously thinking about my 10-year plan and the next 6 months.
Now the goal isn’t to be the Prime Minister in the next 6 months. Although… Hmm… We do have an election coming up, and it is only $500 to register a party…
Back to the topic at hand – the idea here is that even if you don’t get to your end goal in 6 months, you’ll still be a lot further than you would have been had you gone at the pace that a 10-year plan dictates. This is not a shortcut, but a firecracker to get balls rolling and action happening. You’re almost expected to miss this imaginary 6-month deadline in a way.
Right now, career-wise, I think it’s an exciting time to start focusing on where I want to go or end up. With the world reeling from the fall out of Covid, companies will be downsizing while retaining only the critical staff. But… in the next 6 months to a year when the economy kicks off again? Then, I’ll be in the best position to hopefully walk into the job of my dreams. To this end, I have reached out to Massey University to kick start some study… Let’s see what comes out of that! Hopefully, there’ll be an update next week!
Shifting all the gears now – this week also saw me make my triumphant return to gym. Being a lot smaller than I was when we all locked down, I expected my lifts to go down, and they have. But the good news is that I am still able to pull off a 75kg deadlift! That is 1.3x my current body weight! I could have gone heavier; I just didn’t want to break myself on the first week back. This coming week will be my one rep max strength test and I suspect a 90kg deadlift will be where I tap out. That will be 1.6x my body weight! Then the work begins to work that up to at least 112 kg…
Speaking of body weight, I have now maintained at around 57/58 for the past 2 months, which should hopefully become my new normal. I have a sneaky suspicion that this is as light as I’ll get, but it’s not a bad effort in the last 6 months. I can count on just one hand how many beers I have had in that time. Progress needs sacrifice, but to be honest, I don’t really miss it. I miss cookies and other yummy things instead. Below are my weight graphs over the last 3 months and the year to date. I am really impressed with what I have been able to accomplish here, so let me revel in it for a little while.
And that is where this update ends. Career and fitness… There are other things waiting in the wings, other plans that need progressing, and those will come in time. Normal life is mostly back in New Zealand, and I am still adjusting to it in some ways. By limiting my focus, it is allowing me to be selective with what parts of normal I allow back into my life.
Have a good week ahead, dear reader!
