General Update, Career Stuff, Health, Projects
General Updates
I’ve been more focused on fundamental planning and what this year will mean for us. I’ve made a few strategic decisions and am laying in the tactical groundwork. I am convinced that if you deep down want something to happen that God will point you the way and the Holy Spirit will act upon you to make it happen. For that to work, it has to come from a good place that is aligned with your goals. I also think a lot of this occurs from the help and intervention of others and finding those right people is paramount. You just can’t do things on your own in this world and we are all in this together.
One huge change for me this week is the application of screen time limits on my iPhone. I’ve basically quit social media (Twitter/X and Instagram) but I see my time just pick up on Facebook/YouTube Shorts/Reddit. I am now limiting those so I spend no more than 45 minutes daily on those time thieves aggregated. I am also limiting my time reading news sources to 45 minutes max everyday also. I find that my mental energy suffers from the attention-depending cell phone that I own. Don’t get me wrong, I really like my iPhone, but it demands a lot of time and steals a lot of energy from me. I can’t imagine I am the only one suffering from it. I did ask my kids if they thought I was on my phone a lot and they did say no. I think they are becoming more aware of it because they are seeing their friends and other people on their phones all the time.
Health Goals
I’ve found a tremendous return on my new morning workouts and I am expanding them even more. The AM swims especially are wonderful and I am finding a way to get up and in the pool by 5:30 AM twice a week for a 2000 M swim. I do this because I tell myself that I am doing this for my health, so even when I want to sleep in and I know it is cold outside that the alternative of doing nothing is a dead end. I do this on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. I am also doing two heavy weight training sessions on Saturday and Monday mornings. That leaves Wednesday and Friday morning for recovery time. I find that the day after a swimming workout that I am still really tired. I think next week I am going to roll into some light cardio during that recovery time to keep moving and keep Sunday as my true break day. I will add I am getting addicted to that heavy weight training Saturday morning. Yes, I am tired for the rest of the day but I feel so centered and present because of it. Like I just flush out all of my cortisol to feel better.
Career Goals
I’m looking at the next stage of my career and trying to understand where I’m at and where I can go. There is a lot of talk out there about a soft job market, which surprises me because 2024 was soft also. It seems like there are some pressures from offshoring/AI and downsizing after the Pandemic Hiring Spree. I am seeing lots of growth in the data sector, which is what I chose a decade ago to pursue, but I am also seeing a lot of people rushing into the field because other jobs are drying up. I’ve always been in the middle between that accounting and technology and roles that rely on both are the ones I work best in. However, I came to my current role wanting a bigger push into technology. I’ve always loved technology, I know a lot about it, I stay up to date on it, and I am actively building skills in it. I am looking at some certifications and possibly a master’s degree coming up but I am trying to get my hands around where the market is going before I invest too much into something. On one hand we may be going in a direction where AI wipes out a certain level of jobs and the only ones who work are those managing and letting AI do. Or, we may be going in the opposite direction where the doers can do more and managers are more like coordinators than they are traditional subject matter experts, which was necessary to move up in the past. There are just too many questions here.
