For the past few years, the biggest buzzword in tech has been AI. I’ve never really been a fan of AI or ML ever since I was first introduced to them in college. Back then, it always seemed to revolve around image recognition projects, training models with a Python library, and little else. To be honest, it never really fascinated me.

But recently, AI has finally caught my attention not because LLMs are amazing (though they are impressive), but because there seem to be genuinely interesting problems to solve at the infrastructure level. That’s where my curiosity lies.

Hardware is becoming increasingly expensive, and it feels like we’re reaching a point where software has to step up and make this whole AI thing cheaper and more efficient. I’m pretty much starting from scratch here. Sure, I played around with some of this stuff in college, but I absolutely dreaded it back then.

So this series could go one of two ways: either it becomes a spectacular flop and this ends up being the last post on this topic you ever see from me, or it finds at least a little bit of success. We’ll find out together.

Why am I writing about this in the first place?

There are a few reasons. The main one is that I want to reflect on how I’m going to learn new topics in this era of AI. Things have changed dramatically since the rise of LLMs. Learning is easier than ever. I can ask an AI to explain concepts, generate diagrams, create visuals, or even produce videos to help me understand something.

But will I actually learn anything that way?

I’m not entirely sure.

I want to experiment with using AI to learn faster while still preserving some of the aspects of traditional learning that I think matter. This series is essentially a record of that experiment. At the very least, it’ll help me document my journey. If it ends up helping someone else along the way, that’s a bonus.

The second reason is accountability.

Accountability creates discipline, and honestly, I could use some of that right now. If I keep writing consistently, missing a “Monday Mandatory” blog post will eventually feel like a bigger deal. Then again, I’ve always been pretty shameless about abandoning self-imposed commitments, so we’ll see how that goes too.

No promises.

Anyway, that’s enough rambling for today.

See you next Monday.

Peace.

By mid-2021, when things finally started calming down, I was desperate to go outside again. As restrictions slowly lifted, I began taking walks early in the morning. Eventually, I started going to a small, secluded gym late in the evenings. Those were the only places I really went outside my house. With nothing else to do, that became my routine day in, day out for almost an entire year. Ironically, the predictability came from having no other options. That was also the period when I lost 15 kilograms. Losing weight was never even the goal, but the routine was so consistent that it became a side effect of simply living better.

But things took a turn once I started working in 2022. Suddenly, I had deadlines to meet and real responsibilities that couldn’t be put off. Combined with the constant uncertainty brought on by layoffs, work kept me on edge and gradually became my only priority. I was doing a good job, but I was only doing my job. I tried to maintain an active lifestyle, but over time the pressure of looming deadlines pushed those priorities aside. Activities that once felt natural and enjoyable began to feel forced. Even when I gathered the willpower to do something, my mind would still be occupied with thoughts of work and everything I could have been doing instead.

Fast forward to 2026, and things at work have only become more challenging. As I’ve moved up the career ladder, I’ve taken on greater responsibilities, started making more money, and had more at stake. The problem has only intensified. Over the years, there have been multiple occasions when I managed to build a great routine for a month or so, only for something unexpected to disrupt it. The cycle has continued, although I have at least managed to reach a stable baseline. Even so, making meaningful progress from here often felt impossible.

The root of the problem is that my brain becomes attached to a routine, and once that routine is disrupted, I lose control of my day. I slip into autopilot mode, where I'm simply focused on putting out the fire directly in front of me. Instead of adapting, I convince myself that I just need to wait for the disruption to pass before I can get back on track. Eventually, I do rebuild my routine but only until the next obstacle comes along and the cycle repeats itself.

Although routines are valuable, modern life is inherently unpredictable. An urgent deadline appears out of nowhere, you get sick, or a friend invites you out to dinner. One obvious solution is to simply say "no." That approach often works, and sometimes it's necessary. But if I optimize too aggressively for consistency, I end up protecting my routine at the expense of everything else. Relationships, opportunities, and spontaneous experiences start feeling like threats rather than meaningful parts of life. A quote from a show I watched has always stayed with me:

“The thing about saying no: You say it too much... people just stop asking.”

— Modern Family

The quote resonates with me because it highlights the cost of treating every disruption as something to avoid. A routine is supposed to support life, not replace it. The challenge isn’t learning how to say no it’s learning how to absorb the occasional yes without letting everything else fall apart.

So whats the solution, well that gets to why I am writing this blog…..“Flexibility”. I've realized that I get bothered whenever my routine is disrupted or a day doesn't unfold the way I expected it to. For some people, it might be not having their usual morning coffee. For me, it's something different, but the underlying problem is the same. We introduce a certain rigidity into our lives and begin treating these deviations as far bigger than they actually are. Missing a morning run shouldn't feel like a disaster, go for a run in the evening instead. We need to be less rigid and more flexible in how we organize our lives. The reality is that circumstances will never be perfect. Rather than waiting for ideal conditions, we need to adapt and make the best of what's in front of us.

The biggest obstacle preventing me from being flexible is my tendency to believe that every condition needs to be perfect before I can do anything effectively. Instead of focusing on what needs to be done, I spend too much time thinking about everything that's making me uncomfortable at that moment. Ironically, this is one area where I think less thinking is often better. Sometimes it's best to act on the first reasonable thought that comes to mind. If I have a 20-minute break, my first instinct might be to go for a quick walk and make up for a missed morning workout. But then the overthinking begins: What if I get sweaty? What if someone messages me while I'm away? What if it's not worth the effort? More often than not, I end up doing nothing during those 20 minutes. In hindsight, I would have been better off trusting that initial instinct and simply getting it done.

With all that said, this isn’t an easy change to make. Life is ultimately about balance knowing when to push back against disruptions and when to accept them and adapt. Not every situation can be controlled, and the more we resist that reality, the more frustrated we become. Part of becoming flexible is learning to be comfortable with discomfort and uncertainty.

I’ve also realized that flexibility becomes easier when you have options. Most experiences won’t change your life, but every once in a while you’ll discover something that works for you. And once you do, you’ve added another tool to your toolbox. For example, I’ve never liked the idea of forcing myself to run no matter what. If it’s pouring rain outside, I don’t see much value in stubbornly sticking to the original plan just for the sake of consistency. Recently, I started skipping, and I’ve found it to be a great alternative. Other times I play tennis or go for a swim instead. The reason I have these options today is because I was willing to try them in the first place. Had I insisted that running was the only acceptable form of exercise, every disruption would have felt like a setback.

The same principle applies beyond fitness. We only discover what works for us by trying things that initially feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Most won’t stick, but some will. Over time, those experiences give us more ways to adapt when life doesn’t go according to plan. Being flexible doesn’t mean lowering your standards or abandoning your goals. It means being willing to adjust the path while keeping the destination the same.

We live in a time where anyone can ask AI to spew out a hundred ideas in seconds. Does that mean ideas have become valueless? Not at all. I work in tech, where AI penetration is at its highest, and I’ve realized the real challenge isn’t generating ideas it’s sifting through the noise to find the one thread actually worth pulling.

That requires deep understanding. It means being able to honestly answer: Is it actually worth investing time in this? Will the intended impact justify the effort? Is it too ambitious? What are the hidden pitfalls? Great ideas are the ones with the highest ratio of impact to downside. Not everyone can find those; only those who understand a system deeply enough to visualize its success and rationally weigh the risks can produce them.

So, is that the end of the story? You have a great idea, so you just “do it”?

I wish it were that simple. The truth is that implementation is messy, tough, and scary. While an idea gives you a pristine starting point, execution is where things refuse to line up. You encounter the “unknown unknowns” the obstacles you could never have anticipated. Sometimes you get stuck; sometimes you realize you’ve progressed in the completely wrong direction and have to redo everything from scratch.

It’s an uncomfortable area, and my mind naturally wants to avoid it. It’s hard to deal with that uncertainty without the assurance that the idea will even work in the first place. But the reality of growth is that you have to dig multiple times to hit the gold mine once.

I came to this realization the hard way. Between the weight of this project and my existing obligations, I’ve often felt too tired to move beyond the “idea” phase. I blamed my schedule, but the truth is it’s on me to find time for the things I value.

Recently, I had a chat with someone from a sister team about the problems we were facing. When I explained the nuances and why the issues were so difficult to solve, he wouldn’t take my word for it. Instead, he dismissed our current solutions as “primitive” and “wrong.” His arrogance frustrated me; he had no appreciation for how hard it is to actually make things work in reality. I challenged him to go ahead and find a better way.

A month later, nothing had changed. He was still stuck in his perceptions, with no results to show for his critiques. In that moment, it hit me: I was no different from him.

I had my own list of “great ideas,” and I had silently judged others for their “inefficient” implementations. But I realized I have absolutely no right to judge anyone else’s approach until I’ve actually built a better version myself. Having the idea isn’t enough; being the person who “gets shit done” is what matters.

It’s time to move out of the notes and into the discomfort of the “doing”. I’ll leave you with a quote that has become my new North Star:

Lately, I have become a master of the “perfect” schedule. My daily routine is a finely tuned machine, a sequence of habits designed for maximum efficiency. But there is a glitch in the system. The more I master my routine, the more I feel like a robot simply executing its code. I hit every milestone, yet I feel like I’m not living at all.

Occasionally, I rebel against my own efficiency. I’ll break the routine to do something completely useless, a desperate attempt to feel like something “new” is happening. Usually, this just leads to guilt; I feel like I’ve lost my progress and sabotaged my discipline. But recently, I’ve realized that these “useless” detours aren’t the problem. They are a symptom of a much larger void.

The missing factor isn’t discipline. It’s inspiration.

The Paradox of the “Career Freedom”

We enter the workforce chasing a specific promise: work hard now to buy freedom later. We prioritize our jobs to secure our well-being, yet, ironically, the first thing we sacrifice for the job is that very well-being.

I’ve spent the last few weeks observing my workplace with new eyes. I see my colleagues and myself working toward the next task pinned to our digital boards like moths to a flame. We are so focused on the how that we’ve entirely forgotten the why.

This hit me with painful clarity during a conversation with my sister about business school. As we talked, I realized that in 3.5 years of professional life, I had committed a quiet betrayal against my 21-year-old self. That younger version of me had dreams that weren’t measured in salary bumps or title changes. While those milestones are important, they aren’t the destination. I’ve been sprinting toward short-term goals while the marathon I actually signed up for has been forgotten.

Finding the “Random” Spark

For a long time, I thought inspiration was something you found by looking “up” at CEOs, industry leaders, or career idols. But I’ve found those sources surprisingly shallow. They feel like blueprints, not sparks.

The revelation I’m leaning into now is that inspiration is found in the “random.” It isn’t in a LinkedIn thought-leader post; it’s in the grit of a sports match, the rhythm of a well-told story, the depth of ancient mythology, and the disorientation of travel. These things don’t just offer a “break” from the routine; they open the doors of the mind that the routine has slammed shut.

From Functioning to Living

I am still learning. I don’t think I’ve opened my mind enough yet, but the realization itself is a start. Routine is a great tool for functioning, but inspiration is the only thing that makes us living beings.

I’m learning to stop viewing “useless” moments as setbacks and start seeing them as a search for the spark I lost. The goal isn’t just to follow instructions correctly it’s to remember why I wanted to follow them in the first place.

I have ignored my health this year, I have gained around 15 kgs in weight, I exercise irregularly, honestly I don’t think I have done anything to be better in my life physically, mentally or relationship wise. Yes above things take a lot of effort, and I would not agree with saying it was not worth for what I have lost, but I feel i could have done a better job. Last year although sucked in this aspect, I think I have learnt a few lessons, I hope to at least incorporate this year. P.S. The reason I’m writing this is not for someone to get inspired by what I am writing but rather for me to reflect over what I have done and what I should have done instead.

Sleep is the core of all things

I have never have felt good the day I have lost sleep, 8 hours is plenty imo, 5 is super less, 6 is survivable for a single day, 7 is the sweet spot. Weekends are for catching up on sleep if your sleeping for less than 8 in weekends, well that’s not good. I feel we compensate for bad discipline with less sleep, you have either spent way too much time binge watching a show, or zombie scrolling on insta, and now you suddenly remember you need to complete your work before tomorrow, 99% of the time it’s never that important if you complete it or not, it’s just the artificial pressure we put on ourselves. I believe that pressure is good in a sense since it makes us do things well before a deadline. With that being said convince your brain it’s okay to tackle that work tomorrow (fyi I would not consider this as procrastinating, if your missing out on sleep your procrastinating on that ), I have been more productive when I get a good night of sleep and deeply focus on that the next day, in the end I would say I would have completed the goal more or less at the same time, so why lose sleep in first place.

There is always enough time

I don’t think this needs any explanation, this is a universal truth everyone would accept. We make time for things we consider important. We have programmed our brain that we get tired after work and we need to relax. On the contrary there were days where I had work to do, and get on it right after I’m back from home. Imo It’s because we don’t value our free time or we have nothing worthwhile to do while we are free, so we just get on the show we are watching and spend an hour of just rolling on the bed. Our goal for everyday should be to make as much free time as possible, I’m not saying we should completely avoid to relax, but we need to relax only when we need to. When you delay your gratification to only when you need it, it makes space for more free time where you can do something new; where you can learn that new sport, the language you always wished you spoke, or tuning your vocals to be win the next “Voice”

Train your brain to tackle hard things

Don’t be afraid to tackle hard things, take calculated risks, be confident with yourself, put yourself out there where you might get embarrassed or lose badly. Remember your not doing yourself any favor by skipping hard things, you have to tackle them at some point. Hard things are what make you better, push you to improve, benchmarks you. You can never learn without making mistakes.

Journal everyday

When we were kids, we had our parents who used to monitor our lives and gave us the constant feedback which made us what we are today. But as we grow older, we live a life of our own, your family cares about you but they expect you to make the right choices since your an adult now. Bad habits creep slowly, and they becomes so part of our live and before we realize how it is affecting us, this become such an integral part of us and has made a significant impact on your life, it makes it really hard to change. This is the first time I’m journaling in years, but I would like to make this a daily thing, at the least give a single line update, if I’m that busy. It will be a self-reflection of my day which keeps me true to myself.

Talk less

Energy is limited, give your input only to people who are ready to listen to your input. Keep your cards close to your chest, majority of the times I have got something bad out of speaking unnecessarily.

Finishing thoughts

I’m sorry if this post is just randomly shifting thoughts, but I don’t plan to re-read it today and edit the mistakes, I’m just writing as thoughts arrive in my mind. I want it to be as raw as possible. With that I would like to conclude with this amazing quote I read somewhere

For a long time I always had a feeling being disciplined sucks, cause that makes you not human and more of a machine. But that is a wrong mindset, when your disciplined, it let’s you be more spontaneous to have that cheat meal, go to that sudden trip planned.

Good things take time, you need to build it one day at a time, every day lets make one small step towards what we want to build.