Day 3

This is a belated post for yesterday... To be honest, I'm not sure if I was able to hit my goal of making an impact yesterday. It was a day filled with doing research on freelance opportunities, and catching up with friends about their careers and start-up endeavors.

Oh, I did sign up for a bunch of NY Cares volunteer opportunities in the next few weeks! So planting the seeds of good deeds in advance, I suppose :)

Day 2

What a beautiful day for Day 2. Started off with an awesome outdoor training session with client E., who has boundless energy and loves it when I challenge her to the max.

I think I got at least one - maybe on the path to two - good deeds in fairly early this morning. May have facilitated a friend or two getting new jobs - or at least the opportunity to take a look at those positions. Also reached out to the good folks leading the charge on saving the roller hockey games at the park on Houston & 6th Ave, to see if there's any way I can help (as ex-journalist that's currently on sabbatical).

Day 1

Ahhh, the first day of feeling truly liberated from finance/investment-related work. The CFA exam, though less than 72 hours past, already feels like ancient history.

Today was a productive Day 1 of sudden liberation.

- helping a fellow alum with finding nutritionists to speak with so that she could explore a new career path

- writing and submitting an article to a local personal trainers group that will hopefully be helpful in both sharing training tips and generating client leads

- talking with someone about potentially getting involved with his fitness/entertainment-related start-up opportunity

- completing my profile/application to seek potential funding to fund my own start-up idea

All to be followed by some meetings / calls lined up for the next week or two to discuss other opportunities.

Wrapped up the day by making dinner for my J (baked tilapia and fingerling potatoes; power greens salad with roasted beets and ranch dressing; and a quinoa fruit bake that tastes suspiciously similar to bread pudding - yum!)

May the adventures continue!

Before:


And after:


:)

Back from the Dark Side

And after a 4 year hiatus, I've finally escaped from Corporate Zombieland!! Only this time, I'm armed with some more degrees/certifications/skill sets, and a whole lot more savvy. Goes to show you can't escape destiny...

Here's the plan:
- Pre-liberation (until June 1): study (well, cram like crazy) for the CFA Level II exam, and kick its *ss from here to Uranus :) Not sure what I'll do with this in the future, but figure it can't hurt to have a strong grasp of ethics and fiduciary duty in this crazy, crazy world we live in.

- Over the next 6 months: do personal training full-time, learn to code (thanks Code Academy!), learn new languages (suggestions welcome), reconnect with long lost friends, and meet a whole bunch of cool people. get involved with some cool start-ups. maybe write a book based on the long list of ideas created 3 years.

- Every month: plan/execute a project/event that shares the joy of fitness with the world.

- Every week: learn/do something that will better equip me to make the world a better place. share it with others.

- Every day: do something that will make the world (or some microcosm of the world) a better place. write it down.

- Every second: be thankful to have the opportunity to do this, and commit to making the absolute most of this freedom that I can.

I've taken a lot in the last few years as part of the almost 1% (fine, still pretty darn far from the 1%). Now it's time to give back.