November Monthly Review

andrewtsao  •  2 Dec 2021   •    
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Name three things you can improve on this upcoming month? What concrete actions can you take on to work towards these improvements?

  1. Focusing on moving the needle on my projects
    • Momentum has never been a weak suit of mine and I always feel so energized to tackle multiple projects at once. In fact, just this week, just through the word of mouth, I picked up a freelance gig where I will build (more accurately, co-build as I want to empower him to build at least a little) a website for a pop-up restaurant in January. I love balancing work between projects, but I also want to make sure I know how to consistently focus on the work that matters most on a weekly basis. I have written all my projects on a whiteboard and % completed to get some visibility as a start.
  2. Getting better at cleaning
    • This year has been the first year I took this category of personal development more seriously and I have seen myself make a lot of progress in this arena, but I’m always aware that I can do more. For me, one of the last pieces of the puzzle is learning when I can introduce some sense of urgency. I might be good at cleaning after myself at the end of the day when I’m trying to tie up loose ends, but I also need to be better at doing things immediately so I reduce the chance of things just lying around
  3. Finding a way back into Twitter
    • This is probably one of the habits that I have paused for a while. This particular one has always required a lot of bandwidth from me as I’m not good at sharing about myself especially when I feel like I’m in a “limbo” zone where I am still not completely sure what I’m doing with my no-code/building coaching initiative, but I want to remind myself to get back out there and continue talking about the things that matter to me and hope to inspire others as well.

What or who are you especially grateful for this past month?

My high school friends Gordon & Daniel. Since the pandemic, I’ve created a structure where we catch up every other Thursday through Google Meet and we all collectively know that it’s been really helpful for all of us. Seeing each other during thanksgiving break felt like the culmination of everything. We truly saw each other—how much each other has grown and even specific areas we can help each other in. I was also asked by Daniel to be his best man for his upcoming wedding in January 2023. Sometimes having old friends is a blessing and a curse, because it sometimes implies that even when you have become different people, it’s a lot harder to let go. But when you do find good people that go all the way back, it feels like the most precious gems that are just so dear to me.

How are you different between this past month and the month before it?

I am beginning to see more and more signs that I am consistently heading in the right direction. Even though sometimes the metrics aren’t exactly what me from half a year ago would have predicted, I am still confident to keep finding ways to make what’s working sustainable and scalable. I am also noticing that I am trusting my breathing more than before. After 280 days of meditation, now it feels like breathing is something in rely on when things get rough, and I want to continue honing that skill set.

What did you accomplish this past month? What are you most proud of?

Landing my first paid freelance gig to build a website for a restaurant pop-up! I didn’t think something like this would happen as I’ve been focusing on coaching rather than building for someone else. But I am also going to experiment with combining it with my coaching intentions. I think it would be incredibly cool, since the client is motivated enough, to have them build the last 10% of the website so they can truly feel a strong sense of understanding and ownership. I’m proud that I’ve made this happen simply by just offering value without expecting that much in return.

Review your planner for the past month and assess your priorities. Are you happy with how you spent your time? If not, what steps can you take next month to adjust them?

This month consisted of two trips where I got to travel to two different cities. Because of where I am in life, it is probably easy for me to feel anxious about the opportunity cost of traveling and not making more progress on one if not many of projects, but I didn’t let any of it cloud my thoughts, and every morning when I am meditating, I made sure I set the intention to be as present as possible in my traveling experiences and it felt like the first time I got the most out of even the simplest things. I am incredibly happy with how I spent those time and I’m also excited to hunker down the rest of the year for the final year sprint.

What were the three biggest lessons you’ve learned in the past month?

  1. Being present in everything you do and with anyone you talk with always give you the largest ROI
  2. Patience is a virtue and a damn hard thing to master. That’s why it’s one of those things we need to work on on a daily basis.
  3. Speaking your truths consistently isn’t just about self-expression, it’s also about practicing it so you can also have the courage to say to people you already assume would not be receptive to it.

What was the most memorable part of this past month? Describe it

There was one day that I spent in L.A that was particularly magical. I spent the morning leading a meditation session for a friend. Then right before lunch, I went to the Los Angeles Art Museum to see a particular exhibit that included art made with ink. Then I went to the new Academy Museum next door to see the first-ever North America exhibit for Hayao Miyazaki. I also caught a beautiful panorama view of L.A. As the night unfold, I caught up with all my high-school friends at a 30th birthday party. It was great.

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