Fall Planning

It is Saturday morning, I have been “doing” since 4:30, I have a full schedule today. 

This year has flown by, I blinked and I found myself in June.  While here, I may as well plan for the Fall, it will be here before I know it.  

I wanted to write today about the structure I follow to keep my mind sharp.  

I will begin with reading. I typically read 1 - 2 books per week, for instance this week I finished Big Money Thinks Small and last week I read Quantum Supremacy.  I find that this habit helps me to make sense of the world around me.  I primarily read non-fiction, and lately I have been exploring ever more complex topics.

Next I will highlight what I do to exercise my creativity, my camera.  I have taken pictures for the better part of 20 years, but it was not until I started shooting with a Leica that I became passionate about it.  I just switched back to a 50mm lens, I had a 35mm on my M for the past 4 months.  Taking pictures with a manual camera is harder that I ever gave it credit, I take more bad than good photos.  But, the joy of the “capture” makes this pursuit something I will continue to try and master.  

Learning from a master, apprenticeship.  There are so many sources of knowledge, for instance, most Tier 1 colleges have so much content available online.  I had the opportunity  and privilege to study at Rice University, the deciding factor in choosing to study at Rice was the “Lifelong Learning”.  This is the commitment of the University to continue to provide a place for students to learn, little did I know that this would help shape me into the person I am today.  In the 12 years since I have graduated, I have Audited 18 courses, I try to take at least one per year.  There is something special about sitting in a classroom, listening to lectures, I have come to embrace that I am a “nerd” at heart.   This fall I have decided to Audit a course called Corporate Rivalry, it is taught by an incredible professor, from the course description it will be high-level game theory and strategy, think about the movie, A beautiful Mind.  

So what you may be thinking, good for you.  I view this pursuit of knowledge as essential as we begin to navigate the course that technology has us on.  We cannot outsource our thinking to machines, rather, we have to strengthen our minds so that we can capitalize on the speed of thinking with the machines.  In recent conversations with friends from a variety of industries ranging from finance to teachers, AI will make the lazy, lazier, and the ambitious, smarter, faster and more powerful.  In a season where the answers to any question are as easy as pressing a button, I am fueling my mind to ask better questions.