log 4: productivity in paradise
island time
Staying productive while on vacation has to be one of the hardest tasks out there. This year I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks visiting family in Oahu, Hawaii. Although many people take vacations to not work, I set out very specific fitness and productivity goals. My main fitness goal was to swim 30 laps in a 50-meter pool every day. While I would never consider myself an endurance athlete by any means, it felt great to move around and enjoy a luxury that I never get living on the East Coast. My main productivity goal was to finish the NSCA Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning textbook, which I did … surprisingly. I read very slowly and when it comes to reading pure information I often get side-tracked like a puppy. However, I was able to finish reading my first run-through of the textbook and learned a lot of things that will help me in the future of my career.
The other goals I set out for myself were to let loose and eat good food, enjoy time with family, and have a working demo of my app done. Two of these goals I did very well at, and one of these I failed at. I knew I let loose and enjoyed great food in Hawaii because I ate all my favorite things every day and gained about 9 pounds, which I am proud of. Normally eating and letting loose is hard for me because I’m always trying to optimize protein intake and I don’t treat myself to yummy things while I am back in Boston. Before I came to Hawaii I was on a mini diet where I ate Chankonabe (sumo stew) every day. Chankonabe is extremely healthy because it’s basically boiled vegetables and meat. I knew I was going to let loose with food on vacation so I planned for it. This is the balance that I am proud of. I exercise to be healthy and to eat whatever I want, isn’t that the goal?
Although I didn’t get to play golf with my family like I normally do because of the weather, I was able to spend a lot of quality time with them. Something that I and a lot of people learned the hard way because of COVID. During COVID we were all in different parts of the world and ended up not seeing each other for 2 years which was difficult to deal with. During this time I also had a huge revelation somewhat relating to the meaning of life. When we realize how minuscule our lives and actions are in the cosmos of the universe, the only thing that really matters is family and friends. Being a massive introvert and a generally private person, who is coincidentally now blogging about his journey, it is very easy to keep to myself. COVID was a huge teacher for me because it taught me that being disconnected doesn’t hurt me, but the people around me. So visiting family and friends while sharing good times around the dining table has bumped itself up onto the top of my values for life.
Ambition for me is like second nature, just as it is with a lot of other people. It’s normally the action taking part that kills the dream. My goal was to have a working demo of my app ready before I flew back to Boston. I could not be further from that goal at this very moment. However, overall I am in a much better place than I was when I started. Initially, I thought I was going to come to Hawaii to put my head down and work, but the island got to me. I was too focused on maximizing my productivity that in the end, it died out. I spent more time with family, ate good food, went on walks, played with my sister’s cats, and enjoyed the warmth. A tradeoff that I would gladly do again. Now I feel energized and ready to tackle it all back in Boston where my productivity is better anyways.
