March Progress Report

Last month, I wrote out my 3 main areas of focus:

1. Writing
2. Videos
3. Dance

With corresponding goals for each week:

• 7x: meditate, stretch
• 5x: dance
• 1x: dance video, article

And project of the month:

• 30 day meditation challenge

Self-feedback / Progress:

As I’m putting together this progress report, I just realized that the last time I looked at my March goals was when I published the February article. *facepalm*. Needless to say, my goals came as slight surprises to me.

While I still ended up doing most of it, for some days I was recording things totally different from my goals, for example:

• skill learning programs: 2 ( video class + skillshare)
• marketing consultations: 1

Because I had no idea what I was suppose to keep track of.

Here’s where I’m at for goals:

• meditated for 25~ days + stretched for 20~ days compared to goal of meditating for 30 days + stretching for 30 days
• danced for 15~ days compared to goal of dancing for 20 days
• recorded 4~ dance videos + 0 articles compared to goal of recording 4 dance videos + writing 4 articles

Here’s where I’m at for March Meditation project:

• I did it! After wanting to do get into this for the longest time, I tried out a whole bunch of apps and after months of on and offs, now I’m able to consistently meditate in the mornings with Calm. It’s really a lovely way to wake up and start the day. You can read more about my 30 day journey here

Key learnings in March:

• Create a system to keep track of goals, and determine whether duration / frequency/ output is more important up front
• Keep the overall monthly goals visible. I’ve decided to use one of those paper monthly calendars and write the goals on top so I can see it everyday
• Review weekly, especially the last 2 weeks of the month, since in the past, I tend to be less active as the month goes on

Notes to myself:

This past month, I’ve been thinking about: how can I deliberately practice writing, videos, and dance to constantly improve?

Rather than repeating the same things over and over again, deliberate practice is practicing in a systematic way to go outside of your comfort zone a bit every time so you’re leveling up each time.

Some key ingredients:

• focused attention
• specific goal
• feedback

The first two bullets I can do myself — the feedback part was where I had the most trouble with. I didn’t want to measure progress with social vanity metrics like “likes” or “hearts” (with some original bitterness sprinkled on top from FB algorithms not favoring me since I rarely post statuses).

Since I’m at various points of the spectrum for these three areas, with some more ingrained in my daily routine than others, I’ve decided to break it down to 2 steps. The first step is making it a habit (and writing about it has helped so much in keeping me accountable). The second step is getting feedback to improve.

Here’s the current state of things:

• Writing (step 1_habit): Writing mostly for myself, although that’s becoming a concern because I have a lot of articles in queue, but nothing finished. I want to make publishing regularly a habit. Instead of weekly, I can start with 1 article every 2 weeks.
• Videos (step 2_feedback): Outside of making monthly montages for fun, I’m also taking a class where I learn from experts on what makes a viral video, incorporate those insights and try to replicate the results myself, and get feedback from classmates and audiences in real time. This is what excites me the most — deliberate practice! And I’m learning so much about the elements of a great video.
• Dance (step 1_habit): This is also mostly for myself. I thought about making an Instagram account but the marketer in me started taking it way too far with a natural urge to go all out on a launch strategy and optimization. I want to make it as easy as possible to instill that as a habit so I’m planning to just take video on my phone, organize it under an album and review it weekly. Stretching went well except for the last couple of days — I’m one yoga block away from side splits.

Aside from the qualitative data, there’s also other lovely things that make my day colorful.

Qualitative things:

Writing / video / dance:

• Still reading Boron Letters
• Taking Kopywriting Kourse
• In$talled and using Adobe Premiere Pro

Learning:

• Learning How to Learn Coursera course
• Relationships: how to take care of others, better able to identify stories I’m telling myself

People:

• Got into the already started video class by showing up, following up, and accidentally meeting the other co-instructor :)
• S. for digital nomad plans and B. for bonding over life frameworks
• T. for the best salmon and honey glazed carrots I’ve ever tasted
• A. for safe spaces, trust and fostering my ability to model others and adjust anxiety accordingly

Concepts / interesting experiments for the future:

• Rather than incurring rent, using that money instead for connective experiences with friends sharing their spaces with me, so we can share better amazing experiences, together
• Present brain with creative problem while walking, daydreaming, etc.
• Write a to do list the night before, using sleep to consolidate
• Having a backup plan for procrastination / when I get bored
• Keep track of how I spend my hours for a whole week so I can better calibrate

Belief updates:

• Thinking of habits as energy savers, similar to chunking in memory, where less willpower is needed to do something
• Process vs. product: Instead of saying “I will solve this task today”, put your best effort for a period of time continuously over the days
• Empathy: Being focused less on what I want versus what they would want (platinum rule). For example, when a dear friend is sick, instead of thinking about what I want (to hang out), wishing them to get better for the sake of their own well-being and health. I’m getting better at stepping into other peoples’ shoes and thinking about situations from their perspectives, rather than molding situations to fit my self-centered wants

Insightful articles:

• How to become a copywriter: A super comprehensive guide that covers different types of copywriters, Neville’s journey to becoming one and lots of tips and resources
• Learning how to learn: The TDLR version of the Coursera course
• One Year of Digital Nomadness: Seeing long term travel as not the end but rather, a way to create more opportunities, a platform for self-discovery and exploration
• Chatbots: Fascinating article on Chabots (communication of the future), how companies are currently using them and how you can build your own

Goals for next month:

They say goals should be a little ambitious and big so that they scare you a little. Right now, these goals aren’t pushing my limits but they are helping me establish the foundations. First, it’s about showing up in the process. Then later, I can challenge myself more.

• writing: 1 article biweekly
• video: 1 video biweekly
• dance: 1 video per week + review

^I’m really excited about this new dance schedule I came up with. In the past, I basically did the same workouts over and over again almost everyday and it became pretty bland. Now I’m going to experiment with mixing in strength training and cardio and yoga in addition to the dance focused practice sessions.

Monthly project:

• The brain (improving brain performance with meditation, cognition and mental models)

Resources — Copywriting:

• Just Good Copy

Books read:

• Black Hole Focus
• Art of Asking
• Become Your Own Hero
• Cheat Code
• When Breath Becomes Air
• The Road Less Traveled

Currently reading:

• Art of Work
• On Shortness of Life
• Power of Habit
• still in process of doing book summaries for these

Thanks for reading! This is month #2 of my monthly progress reports. You can read the previous month’s here:

February Progress Report