Week 18, 2024 - Diary of a Revenue Engineer
Quote of the week:
“It's never too late to be what you might have been.”
- George Eliot
What I thought…
This quote by George Eliot is a compelling reminder that personal growth and fulfillment are not confined by time; it inspires us to pursue our true potential regardless of when we start.
Eliot, or perhaps more importantly, Mary and Evans, broke barriers and defied societal expectations by succeeding under a male pseudonym, adds profound weight to the message, exemplifying that it’s possible to overcome constraints and realize one’s ambitions, no matter the circumstances.
You made me wonder what are those societal expectations of me? What are the ones I've placed upon myself and how much am I dancing to someone else's tune?
This week was spent on some further learning on longevity reinforcing connections with friends and colleagues and preparing myself for the next phase of my journey which begins next week.
I will say this, however, the quote from Elliot this week was particularly poignant for me as I seek my next challenge and engage in my purpose.
Is how I moved towards that future goal this week.
What I learned…
On Monday my partner and I finished our spring clean of the house after using the Marie Kondo method of sorting everything out and finally finished selling everything we needed to.
I learnt that a deep house clean is akin to the same calorie burn as my endurance workouts I usually do on a Tuesday. I learnt that taking the time and effort to deep clean a house at the start of spring. Not only helps bookend the winter but completely changes the air quality, of the environment in which you live.
I also learnt that those who sit for 3 to 4 hours or more each day are 17% more likely to live less long than those who are more active. So if ever there was a incentive for a standing desk there it is.
What I built…
I finished some consultancy with an old colleague and friend who is redefining her business. She really has built something incredible over the years and it's been a pleasure to pick through the opportunities that lie ahead of her.
Here I helped by building a framework with core objectives and simple steps to take the business from where it is right now and start realizing its full potential.
I also tested some new baking recipes in an attempt to streamline a process. It struck me that the recipes for cinnamon buns, doughnuts, and croissant were all incredibly similar at the start. My intention was to find a way of making the initial starter dose on mass and then slowly branch each one off as it required different ingredients.
Long story short, though entertaining from a process and scientific perspective, it was an epic bakery failure. The croissants were if I say so myself, excellent. However trying to then make the doughnuts and cinnamon buns from what was left, just didn't pan out.
Still, a lesson learned.
How I lived longer…
I'm a boxing with an old friend, the next colleague, a man who has been boxing for a huge part of his life. As a man who is over 6 and 1/2 ft. Tall and built even in his late '40s. It was somewhat intimidating. Doing some boxing with him. I will say however, he was an excellent coach and really really pushed me to the limit in the training session.
I was really pleased to see that my fitness was a lot higher than I previously thought and certainly on track for my goal of being the fittest I've ever been by 40 a time limit that is reducing by the Day.
I also went for a very long walk. I walked 15k on Tuesday which was one of the first days where the weather was good. I listened to podcasts about sustainability and about how we can create better environments in which to live. Very interesting stuff.
How I stayed happier…
I'm exploring a lot of new things in a way to rediscover the passions of my youth and try and better understand why I left them behind what I could do to incorporate them going forward.
The two that I really focused on this week were ecology from a biological perspective and outdoors from a bushcraft perspective.
Be engaging with both of these first both way more challenging and way more fulfilling than I had previously thought they could have been.
We really have a unique world and I believe humanity is an incredibly precious and unique outcome of that world. I also believe we have a duty to protect it and to do better with what we have and what we're building.
One scary stat that I heard was that we need to make the same amount of food over the next 25 years as we have made in the last 8,000. Finding ways to do this efficiently effectively. Ecologically will be incredibly. One of the countries leading this is the Netherlands who have some incredibly innovative approaches to saving water and creating higher yield crops by better controlling their environments.
Final Thoughts…
In short, they were busy elements of this week. I am still feeling my way through all of the outcomes of the last 2 weeks of emotional turmoil mixed with the excitement of finding something new and the fallout from the start of this year.
To think this year is almost halfway through and I feel like I'm almost just getting started.
To be honest I feel that way about my life as I approach 40. I feel really like I'm only just getting started.
But I don't think I really started growing up until I was 25. I don't think I really knew what I wanted to do until I was 30 and I think again now as I enter in my 40s that I'd quite like to do something different.
So when you put it like that really I've only had 15 years go at this another 15 years. I'd be 55 another 15 years. After that I'll be 70. These are all still very able. Very capable ages. I could live two entirely different lives yet and still have many years to enjoy what came from them.
Has George Eliot said you're never too late to do what you always should have been doing.
Thanks for stopping by.
