Discovering more of myself. đ
Welcome back to the next edition of Aditya's Advances!!!! Here, I talk about mindsets, tech projects, and just update you guys on my progress throughout life!
January was WILD!
Unlike other months, this month wasnât just pure execution. I found myself doing a lot more reflecting on my goals, aspirations, and mindsets - something that helped me 10x my mindset and thought processes.
So, letâs jump into what went on this month, things Iâve learned, and my future objectives for 2021.
The Hackathon đ»
Just this weekend, my team and I completed a 28-hour hackathon. Basically, our objective was to find a problem related to our various fields, and then come up with a solution that was 10x better than the current one + was feasible.
Our idea? Predicting solar flares with an MLP - both cheaply, and accurately. As we looked over existing solutions, it was those last two points that were commonly overlooked.
Overall, it was a pretty crazy experience - we got a chance to bond over the stress, and it really tested the limits of our capabilities.
And, it also highlighted probably the single most important (but also the most overlooked) skill - how to come up with good ideas.
Really - execution is definitely important. But, if what youâre executing on isnât meaningfulâŠwhatâs the point?
Thatâs why this skill is so important - itâs all about learning how to think, how to optimize for those breakthrough ideas rather than just hoping theyâll occur. I know that, at least for me, one of my main focuses in February will be to 10x this skill and take it to new heights!
Mindsets đ§
This month was a blast in mindset terms. I explored 3 main themes in January:
Compounding đ”
Familiar with the difference between simple and compound interest? This mindset is similar to that - making small choices every single day that compound into HUGE results.
Iâm currently applying this to my craft (AI) - with a goal of working on learning new concepts + doing more projects every single day. Over time, these small learnings compound, increasing your skill level drastically over a period of time.
Action Items:
Stick through compounding actions - even if it feels like no results are present in the short term.
Take large âforestâ goals, and break them down into trees and branches you can do daily. Use these daily branches as a subset of your larger goals!
Stoicism đ
This is a mindset that resonated with me the most - the act of developing an internal locus of control, with no desire for favourable nor unfavourable circumstances. While it sounds a bit depressing at first, adopting the stoic mindset actually increased my happiness levels.
The mindset in itself isnât trying to say âdonât try.â Rather, it tries to help us play at our best with the cards that weâve been dealt. Itâs about putting in 110% and staying true to yourself, regardless of circumstances.
Action Items:
Stop using words like âI have toâ, or âI wishâ - reactive language. Focus instead on taking ownership, with words like âI want toâ or âI amâ.
Begin with the end in mind - the principle of memento mori, or reflecting upon oneâs death.
Bias towards actionâ
Pretty straightforward - think less, do more. Humans have a tendency to become paralyzed by thinking repeatedly about what could go wrong, rather than what could go right.
Itâs this tendency that prevents us from starting things - whether itâs a new company, book, or applying for that internship.
Action Items:
If thereâs something you want to do, make sure it makes sense to you - and then, just do i.
Rather than learning from courses/lessons, immediately start doing - this way, youâll learn 80% of the information in 30% of the time.
Goals đŻ
Alright, Iâm going to be 100% honest here - this month, I didnât make as much progress on my goals as Iâd like to. This month, the intention is to grind on my goals without attaching myself to the end outcome.
Goals for February:
Getting the autonomous vehicles projectâs video done and uploaded!
This is going to be hard, but worth it - earning an AI internship within two weeks.
Starting (and potentially finishing) my second replicate project.
Re-establishing my reading habit by finishing âThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleâ.
And that, brings an end to this monthâs newsletter!
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Thanks for reading!