A new practice, Weekly Reflection
Esta semana inicié una nueva práctica que espero que se quede como algo permanente en mi vida.
Aunque reiteradamente he expresado mi deseo de escribir más seguido en esta pequeña esquina del Internet que es basicamente mi hogar virtual, la realidad es que no he tenido la disciplina ni la intención clara de qué quiero lograr con este espacio.
Las últimas semanas pasaron muchas cosas que me llevaron a reflexionar y clarificar mis ideas y pensamientos. Tuve la fortuna de viajar a Monterrey y pasar tiempo con mi familia. Reconecté con mis colegas en campus y tuve la maravillosa fortuna de no solo recibir una, sino multiples ofertas de trabajo. Después de mucho debate interno y auto-reflexión, acepté la oferta que mejor se alineaba con mis pasiones y planes de vida y me propuse concentrarme esta última semana antes de iniciar mi nuevo rol para re-organizarme y definir un plan de trabajo.
Como resultado, he aquí lo que es producto de ese esfuerzo: A weekly reflection.
Cada semana, voy a escribir una pequeña entrada compartiendo qué logros o avances tuve en la semana en diversos pilares de mi vida. Creo que mantener esta especie de log personal me ayudará a ver cómo voy avanzando en mis planes, sin mencionar que podré compartir tips o productos y experiencias que me ayuden en mi camino.
Este es mi primer intento en lograr eso. Como cualquier otra cosa, es altamente probable que la primera versión no sea la mejor. Pero no estoy preocupada. Entre más lo haga, iré refinando lo que quiero compartir y lo que quiero hacer, y poco a poco las cosas que van a ir acomodando. Lo único que necesito es mantenerme firme en este proceso y no olvidar la disciplina que eso conlleva.
Sin más rollo, he aquí mi Weekly Reflection del 22 de abril al 28 de abril del 2024.
Things That Happened This Week
Back to Journaling!
In My Road to Self-Improvement
* I subscribed to Otter.Ai to take better notes of my meetings, self-reflections, and monthly check-ins with Richard. I decided to take the plunge and buy the 1 year subscription. Let's see how that works.
* I subscribed to Grammarly Pro because I figured I used it a lot already, and (luckily) with my new job, I will be writing way more often. So far, it has been a fun experience. I appreciate how it gives suggestions on how to word things differently in case I feel a little insecure when writing an email or two. Overall, I would say it was worth the investment, and I am happy I decided to invest in something that will make me feel more confident when writing in English in a professional setting. (I mean, I already feel quite confident in my written English, but it is good to know this silly AI agrees with me lol)
* Here is my biggest investment this week: I subscribed to The Productivity Lab. The truth is: The free workshops and tools had really impacted my workflow in a positive way, and now that I am starting a new job that will require at least 4 hours of deep work daily, I figured there was no harm in joining a community that has similar goals as me. I want to commit and offer my 1000%, and accountability is a huge factor that motivates me. So far, I have already subscribed to a bunch of live productivity sessions in May, and I am genuinely excited and thrilled I decided to take the leap of faith. This specific investment was very expensive, but I think that is one of the reasons I intend to take full advantage of it. I will probably have more to say about this next week, since the live sessions will start in May.
* Started logging everything significant that happened this week to start my Weekly Reviews :) That was a huge step for me, and I feel very proud to be here today.
Social Stuff
* On Monday, we had a double date with A and P. It was super fun to finally get to meet P and talk about a little bit of everything. We also loaned one of our spare laptops to A, which I hope will bring her lots of joy and open amazing opportunities moving forward. We went to the Longhorn Steakhouse, and I drank a Margarita. Fun times! (Also, food, as always, was veeeery good!)
* Richard and I celebrated yet another Monthversary on the 22nd, and as I usually do, I wrote a little post and shared some fun pictures. I am so lucky, and I appreciate him and everything he does. I am truly blessed.
* On Monday, I also had a long phone call (at least an hour long) with one of my sisters and received some good updates about a situation that had been stressing me a bit over the last couple of months. I am very happy to say that after we finished the call, I got a warm feeling in my heart. I feel so blessed and lucky that they trust me with their secrets and progress. I love them so much.
*I received and tried on the dress I ordered for Blake's and K's wedding on May 4th. I won't spoil anything, but it definitely goes on theme with Star Wars. May the force be with you!
* On Tuesday, I went to UT to meet the TXI team! I also participated in my first meeting with the team, and to say I had a blast would be an understatement. I ended up hugging everyone, HAHAHA. I toured their lab and noticed the creative and epic vibes in the air. Being surrounded by creative individuals makes me so happy! I am truly thankful to past Monse for picking this job over all the other options. My heart is definitely guiding me on the right path. I also brought some Mexican candy with me, and I was happy to see that the students appreciated and liked it.
* On Thursday, Richard and I connected with J and M, and we had a double date playing video games! It was super fun. They had a special event going on on Fall Guys, so we got a ton of crown shards and chatted about life. I had a lot of fun, and I am grateful for them and the friendship we share.
* Yesterday we got a message from the B family, offering to give us some more baby stuff for baby A. We dropped by and had a nice chat with the family. Their kid is so sweet and showed me a lot of her Pokemon cards. It warmed up my heart and I left feeling grateful and happy they thought of us.
* This hasn't quite happened yet, but tonight, I will have my weekly Zoom with the family. It will be the first one in the last couple of weeks, since many of us were together in person when Richard and I were in Mty. Excited to reconnect and catch up about our week!
Professional/Work
* All this week, I attended the Congress for Inclusive Education online. From Monday to Friday, I logged in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to listen to experts on the field. It was a fulfilling and wonderful congress.
* I took some professional training on Success Factors and completed all the pending mandatory courses.
* I volunteered to help design a block of Universal Design for Learning for a new Master's degree in the works.
* I passed my background check for my new job at UT! I submitted very official-looking files and everything. It's very exciting.
* I attended the monthly meeting for the Estudios SocioCulturales community to which I belong. Heard about a very passionate and amazing research project. I wish the author a lot of success in completing her dissertation!
* I submitted my student's dissertation, which will be sent for reading early next week. Fingers crossed everything goes well!
* Wrote the Methodology for a paper that has been in the works for a couple of months. I actually added 8 more references, buffing up our document as a whole. I had a positive feeling when I finished the deep work session, and I look forward to receiving feedback from the team. Also, Grammarly Pro came in strong. I am excited that this tool is part of my toolbox now.
Fun/Entertainment
* Richard bought Elden Ring for Steam and I have enjoyed watching him unlock the whole map and playing with people online. The bundle came with the DLC, so we are both looking forward to the storyline that will be unlocked soon.
* We finished watching Love in Translation (the reality TV show). It was a terrible show. I would not recommend it. Yikes.
*Attended a Livestream of one of my favorite journaling streamers and earned a "Slow Living" stamp. Very cute!
*Had movie night at home. We watched Dune (Part One) in the projector. I do no know why we missed it when it came out in the movie theaters, but we watched it in preparation to see part 2 on Saturday.
* Watched Dune (Part Two) yesterday at a very fancy Dine-in AMC. I ordered a pizza, and Richard ordered a burger. The movie was long, but I enjoyed it a lot. I think I might look up the original books and see if I will start reading the series before Part 3 comes out.
Health
*Started drinking more water! I cleaned all my Stanley's and made a conscious effort to drink more water.
* Started walking 30 minutes daily again. Yesterday, I had a rest day, but I intend to walk for 30 minutes again today.
* Reviewed my calendar and ensured I had a check in with the dentist sometime next month. Taking care of my health is now an important priority, and I intend to make more appointments sometime next week.
Other Wins of the Week
* Very important win: They announced Vulpix will be available on Pokemon Sleep starting May 6th!!!!! VERY GOOD NEWS!!
*Did my laundry! All of it! Wohoo!
* Had Panda Express for dinner on Tuesday. Felt like a nice day to give ourselves a little treat. Discovered a new side I really like now (it is spicy, and it involves chicken yum yum)
* Received the most expensive Tamagotchi I own now: the Tamawalkie!!!!!! AHHH! A dream come true! I have started my mission. I intend to make videos daily of my progress after my 30-minute walks. Also, I need to edit the video of my first impressions.
* Invested in CETES this week. Feeling good about our Savings.
* We received our EveryPlate box, and so far, we have cooked 2 meals that have been absolutely delicious! I'm very excited to see what we will cook today after we pick up some Habaneros from HEB.
* Yesterday, Richard did some maintenance on the kitchen sink, and everything is working much better today! I'm so proud of him.
* I started writing these Weekly reflections. I look forward to seeing what I accomplish next week.
Anyway, this is week 1 of this new exercise. Looking back, I suddenly realize that a LOT has been accomplished! I wonder how many weeks, months, and years have gone by where I didn't realize just how much I was moving forward because I didn't take the time to reflect on it. Ah well. The past is in the past. Moving forward, I hope these weekly reflections become a positive thing in my life.
M