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Livin Large and Recharge
10 Plays2 months ago
Keeping it fresh
Recommended
Transcript
Vacation Highlights and Reflections
00:00:23
David Isaacs
Hello everyone, it is March 8th at the time of recording tonight, and i am joined, as always, with our friend Brian. Brian, what's going on?
00:00:37
The Big Dog
Oh, there's not much going on with me, my friend. I just got back from vacation so we can chat all about that, but feeling relaxed, recharged and just overall in a better mood. So, ah but how are you?
00:00:51
David Isaacs
Good. I'm kind of in need of a vacation myself.
00:00:56
The Big Dog
Yeah, sure.
00:00:56
David Isaacs
Not that i i'm I'm pretty much a homebody, but some time to also recharge, you know, kind of get a reset and just clear my mind for more than two days at a time.
00:00:57
The Big Dog
Sure.
00:01:13
David Isaacs
um
00:01:14
The Big Dog
Yeah. yeah
00:01:14
David Isaacs
But yeah, your trip, how was it?
00:01:17
The Big Dog
It was good. I went to, or it's called Kissimmee. It's right outside Orlando, Florida. Um, it's like half an hour outside of Orlando. It's, it's where, um, Disney world is. So we didn't end up going there cause I think it's quite expensive. Um, but you know, it was great weather, great time. you know,
00:01:43
The Big Dog
I didn't, I worked the first couple of days I was there just to kind of finish out the week. And then I had about five days off, including the weekend. So, uh, overall really enjoyed my time. I went to see Coco beach. Um, I got that confused with pebble beach cause I wanted to go to the golf course. And then when I'm standing outside the, uh, like the clubhouse, I'm like, this doesn't look like this world famous golf course, this looks kind of crappy.
00:02:11
The Big Dog
So, um, but we did go to Cocoa beach, which was amazing. Um, white sand and, huge waves clear blue sea or clear blue, uh, water. So, and it was just an overall a great time. I got this out in the sun, you know, touch grass as you, as it were. And I don't know, I just feel refreshed and kind of have a more positive view of things right now. And just to do, you know, kind of different perspective on things.
Unexpected Challenges and Health Scare
00:02:44
The Big Dog
So I didn't, I,
00:02:48
The Big Dog
was very adamant that this vacation, I was not going to go against my, ah my diet, my, you know, my, my plans. And I didn't, I, I did go over my calories on a couple of days, but overall for that week I was down. So, um, overall, you know, a very great vacation and, um, hope to do it again next year or or later, but, you know, I, I always,
00:03:15
The Big Dog
kind of dismissed just because the, I haven't been on a vacation in four years, like the year following, uh, the last time that I went on vacation was when we were graduating bootcamp and, was our final project. So I couldn't really take off time. Although one of our partners did took off, but felt like a whole month and just kind of showed up to the one final product. Shout out Joe though. He was great the whole, the whole time, uh, for the most part.
00:03:44
The Big Dog
Uh, And so I, you know, I, I was like, you know, I'll just take an extended weekend. I'll play some video games and I'll be fine. But, you know, kind of comparing the two of, you know, seven days in a state in ah and a condo where there's a pool every day and just not having to worry about much. um There, there is quite a difference. And I, I, you know, glad that I got to experience that and just reset my mind a lot. So.
00:04:12
David Isaacs
Yeah, that's great. Yeah, shout out to Joe. Hope he's doing well. Hope all the people from boot camp are doing well. Haven't kept up with him as much as I would have liked to. But
00:04:25
The Big Dog
for sure.
00:04:26
David Isaacs
I think, a yeah, as far as the the calories thing, I think it's good to kind of be set expectations, but also be realistic. And glad to hear the vacation was good and you feel like you got out what you wanted out of it. And I think that's the the main part, right?
00:04:45
The Big Dog
Yeah. um The only thing that was kind of a ah bummer or hindrance is my wife and son both got influenza A.
00:04:55
David Isaacs
Oof.
00:04:56
The Big Dog
my, yeah, so they were, my wife started not feeling well, like the second day we we were there and then she like woke up, she had like a fever and then she had the chills.
00:05:06
The Big Dog
So I took her to urgent care and that's a whole other story i can get into later. But I was like, felt like half a day was gone between trying to figure out insurance and which place would take us and all that good stuff.
00:05:21
The Big Dog
So, um but she got,
00:05:23
David Isaacs
Always something, right?
00:05:24
The Big Dog
yeah Yeah, it was it was February 28th, so it's the last day of the month. And our insurance for the year switches over March, not i January. So for like whatever reason, the last day that our insurance was active, they couldn't find her in the system. So we ended up paying out of pocket. I mean, it was only $200, but I told my wife that we're going to start like a reimbursement.
00:05:52
The Big Dog
you know, whatever request I think is what the insurance company calls. Uh, it was just very strange, but she got prescribed like Tamiflu and inhaler and then, um, like a breathing treatment. So, um, she, they're actually, I'm home now. My wife and son were driving back home with the in-laws. Just, they drive down there cause they take all of our stuff and we generally tend to kind of just stick to ourselves we'll go out and shopping or you know do some adventure on one day or another but for the most part we just kind of stay there but um yeah they both got sick but they both felt better after a couple of days but it was a lot of uh sanitizing and um that was like the only kind of stressful thing those that really happened but wasn't too much of a vibe killer
00:06:42
David Isaacs
Yeah. They at least get to enjoy some of the trip then.
00:06:46
The Big Dog
Yeah, yeah. they might I mean, my son unless he has some sort of physical ailment, I don't like, he's just i'm immune to like feeling sick. um He was like, we were like, had him in the pool or had him in the hot tub or... Um, you know, he's just like running around and still in a ah good mood. So, but overall, yeah, we did get to enjoy everything.
00:07:08
The Big Dog
Um, even with the the influenza, a kickoff. So, um, but yeah, uh, what's up?
Managing Stress and Work-life Balance
00:07:17
The Big Dog
What's, what's new with you, sir? Uh, last time we talked, you were, uh, in a bit of a funk, but I'm hoping, hoping to hear some good news.
00:07:29
David Isaacs
Yeah, I mean, it's kind of just one day at a time, right?
00:07:35
David Isaacs
Trying to manage things, trying to check in and be present, just trying to find time to really understand my thoughts, understand my feelings.
00:07:48
David Isaacs
And that's been it's been good to be trying to keep on top of things, but there's so many different variables every day. you know outside of dealing with know your wife and your son getting sick and you're on vacation and all the stress that comes with that. They really need to do something about airplanes because they are just giant germ-infested tubes in the sky.
00:08:14
David Isaacs
i don't know if they...
00:08:14
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:08:15
David Isaacs
i think you said they didn't fly, but...
00:08:18
The Big Dog
my, so my wife and I flew down there just cause she had to stay in close up the the restaurant. Um, and I just didn't really want to take, you know, like two weeks of PTO cause I only get like three and a half. So, um,
00:08:35
The Big Dog
But yeah, we, we flew, she sat behind and she the girl couldn't have been more than like six or seven, but she was just like hacking up a storm. And i don't know if ah my wife caught something that from that, or just, you know, the general disease center that is the airport and an airplane.
00:08:53
The Big Dog
um i'm I'm fine. I haven't even exhibited any symptoms or anything like that. So I'm not sure.
00:08:58
David Isaacs
Knock on wood.
00:08:59
The Big Dog
Yeah. Not kind of up to two weeks though. So,
00:09:03
David Isaacs
Yeah. Uh, cause they're, they recycle the air too. So even if you're not by someone who's sick, I mean, obviously you have a higher chance of getting sick. If someone's hacking up a storm right, you know, next to you behind you or in front of you, but all of it just like circulates.
00:09:18
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:09:22
David Isaacs
So it's, uh,
00:09:22
The Big Dog
Right. Yeah, I have heard that. So it could have been that too. um But glad it's behind us.
00:09:29
David Isaacs
yeah Yeah, some things.
00:09:31
The Big Dog
But it's kind of a theme maybe for this episode is a leave it behind.
00:09:41
The Big Dog
For sure, yeah.
00:09:41
David Isaacs
Some things. It's not to take away from the trip, right? it's You were able to go. You had some problems. she had to figure them out. That's just life and what we deal with every day.
00:09:54
David Isaacs
Right. And different flavors, obviously.
00:09:55
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:09:58
David Isaacs
But um yeah, it is.
00:09:58
The Big Dog
Right.
00:10:02
David Isaacs
It's kind of one of those things so you like look back and think about and could do like what was me or what have you. But kind of the understanding you know, there's always going be something and people will like,
00:10:17
David Isaacs
don't want to get too apathetic and think like, Oh, there's nothing I can do. Like, um, why does things always happen like this and, and whatnot. Um, but I think that's just the, you know, the way that I see it was like, yeah, I mean, stuff, stuff's always going to pop up and it's not always fun.
00:10:36
David Isaacs
Most of all, it's never fun when things pop up like that. But, uh, yeah, at least for me over the last, couple of weeks or so, Kind of same stuff, you know, the weekends, trying to take some time back and still just feeling, you know, kind of lazy outside of, you know, the work that I do of not really taking care of some of the stuff that I want.
00:11:05
David Isaacs
Kind of procrastinating some of these like house projects. I've done some things here and there, but I talked to my therapist this week of,
00:11:15
David Isaacs
you know, kind of the the difference between work and what you do for yourself. And, you know, at least how I was raised of, you know, the need for validation or something of me doing, um me doing good work. And like when you're just doing things for you, you don't really get that validation.
00:11:38
David Isaacs
Um, so between like what I did at home growing up versus school is like, you know, I kind of just did things and took care of, you know, what I needed to take care of.
00:11:39
The Big Dog
Oh, for sure.
00:11:51
David Isaacs
And, um, that's school and work. It's kind of the same, but around the house or, you know, what I'm doing for myself, it's like kind of hard sometimes to really have that motivation, really that feeling.
00:12:07
David Isaacs
Like I definitely feel better than I had. And I feel like I've come, you know, pretty far from where I was. But taking a step back and thinking about it of just, you know, the amount of change and kind of the habits that I've developed over the years. so like it takes time and trying to do things in small steps and trying to have that management of, you know, a little bit at a time, like when you have time.
00:12:38
David Isaacs
versus you know some urgent things that come up at work or things that you know you have a deadline. So just thinking about
00:12:50
David Isaacs
you know kind of time management in that regard and not trying to lose out on, you know, well what's, what's the best way to approach it and then start from there and, you know, kind of peel back considering the amount of time that I'm given rather than just like, okay, read this, jump in right away.
00:13:13
David Isaacs
so you still want to have that. So want to have that time to think, you know, I think that's at least for me when I'm most effective of having that time to think, having that time to,
00:13:25
David Isaacs
try to chew on something and then come back to it, you know, whether it's 30 minutes later or maybe it's something that doesn't have like a real strict deadline. So I just kind of, um,
00:13:40
David Isaacs
you know, come back to it, maybe toy with it few times a week. But I think that can also kind of be attributed to, you know, personal life and personal improvement in that.
00:13:52
David Isaacs
It's like, you know, exercise, there's not a strict deadline. Sleeping better, you know, taking care of yourself in general, there's not really a strict deadline on any of it.
00:14:03
David Isaacs
But a lot of the times, like, feel most proud about my work is that I've had the time to be able to work on something. So I think with, uh, developing better habits and that it's like, yeah, I mean, they're the only deadline is that, you know, you get older and you wish you would have done these things sooner, or you wish you would have started these habits sooner.
00:14:23
The Big Dog
Thank you.
00:14:28
David Isaacs
You don't want to develop medical problems or something from not exercising or know, not managing stress or, you know, et cetera, et cetera.
00:14:39
David Isaacs
So really just trying to, you know, formulate and figure out a way to kind of layer these things in throughout the day. And i do pretty well about like planning out the week, planning out my days.
00:14:51
David Isaacs
Things always pop up, obviously, but just trying to be adaptable, trying to be open-minded, trying to have that kind of student mentality of there's always more to learn.
00:15:04
David Isaacs
There's, always different ways to approach a problem and, um, yeah, try to fold that into my time and my personal life and, you know, kind of expand from there.
00:15:16
David Isaacs
So that's my thought. I'm going to commit to going to the gym at least once this week. Um, and yeah, just, um, kind of some other things have just changed in mindset in a little bit at a time.
00:15:24
The Big Dog
Nice, nice.
00:15:33
David Isaacs
rather than kind of the you know same old, same old. And once I get enough motivation to do the dishes or do the laundry or go grocery shopping or whatever, like try to get more attuned to a schedule again, because I feel like i've i'veve I've fallen out of balance.
00:15:56
David Isaacs
And I had for a while, but I need to, you know, they're remembering... I remember like the little one gram weights and it was like elementary school or something, but they had like the scale and there's like little one gram weights or they would do like paper clips or something they would try to get things into balance.
00:16:13
The Big Dog
Oh yeah. Yeah.
00:16:15
David Isaacs
So I've got, I feel like a thousand gram weight on one side and nothing on the other. So I just kind of want to take it, you know, a couple of paper clips at a time and see what I get out of it.
00:16:32
The Big Dog
Yeah. That's, that's smart. Um, yeah, i feel like, uh,
00:16:39
The Big Dog
in a way this reminds me of like my last job where it was just, I just felt like I was behind on things and whether there it's like just learning or actual projects. Um, and I never really, never really took any time for myself to just, or empower myself to kind of like speak up and like, Hey, I need to actually spend, you know, time learning this or like maybe need more guidance. I just kind of like,
00:17:07
The Big Dog
it was at a place where you had to put your nose to the grindstone. Cause you know, billable hours were like what we were all about. So, um, you know, from a certain standpoint, we, it felt like we couldn't really, ah you know, take the time to get organized and, ah you know, that they carried over to my, you know, non-working hours.
Family Time and Personal Goals
00:17:30
The Big Dog
Um, just kind of fell out of whack. Like I felt just getting down on myself and,
00:17:37
The Big Dog
you and then part of that, I think just was just having a good schedule, um, to like make sure I was scheduling time away from that and just, you know, having wind down time or just really just time to myself. So, um,
00:17:58
The Big Dog
you know, that was, that was my failure. and one, one thing that's, I'm, I've made a priority for, you know, this job is, uh, work doesn't really come home unless it has to, which is rare. I mean, I could probably count on one finger and even then I'd be holding or holding down several fingers, you know? So, um you know, I'm taking time, um spend and time with my family and,
00:18:28
The Big Dog
my son more specifically because I've, you know, I've been reflecting on, you know, that my, my career trajectory is finally going up. So I feel secure with myself. Um, even though the two really shouldn't necessarily be, um you know, high contributing factors, to my identity, but unfortunately they, they do when it comes to work. Um, you know, trying to be present and for my son and, you know, really just be there for him. Not that I haven't, but,
00:18:58
The Big Dog
um I just deal with like bootcamp and, you know, trying to get a tech job um that I didn't hate and want to just i have dark thoughts about, but um you know, just, just be there for him actually teach him life skills that,
00:19:16
The Big Dog
or passable, you know, that'll set him up for, and good hit give him good values that will set him up for success to be ah just a good human. um i was listening to the Pivot podcast. ah who's It's like a sports podcast with ah Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark, and Fred Taylor. They're all former NFL players. And they had John Brown on, who is Amon Ross St. Brown's father. And, um you know, obviously I've,
00:19:45
The Big Dog
seen him on the sidelines at Lions games. and But his whole thing was
00:19:56
The Big Dog
you're you're you're not supposed to be your kid's friends, which that part I might be little I'll push back on. But ah basically the core of a story is you're supposed to be setting examples and you're supposed to be raising uh, kids i have a good education and um just to be, to be good people, like teach them great social skills and great, great values. And, um, my huge takeaway was that, you know, I need to be doing more like, um, just from a a personal standpoint, um, there's always more we can be doing, but, um, you know, the one thing that I,
00:20:41
The Big Dog
a bit more self-reflective these days, but I'm not using it to beat myself up like I had in, you know, years or or months past. So, um, just using it to formulate a plan. Like, um, you know, I know you said you were committed to doing the gym.
00:20:56
The Big Dog
I'm committed to being spending more time with my kid and be better dad. That's kind of more of like a longterm, you know, short attainable goals in between though, uh, using, you know, the smart system,
00:21:09
The Big Dog
Um, but my goal for this week was to be very, take meal prepping very seriously. i mean, I think I went a little overkill because I've made 18 days worth of food and then I'm going to clearly all have freeze most of it, but, um, I want to get in my I wanted to give myself a variety. So I'm not just like eating like, you know, uh, you know, protein egg bowl, uh, you know, every morning and then eating like, um, uh,
00:21:39
The Big Dog
quesadilla for lunch. So I'm not eating it like three days in a row. Cause I know myself and I will for sure get burnt out of that. And just like not even want to eat it after like the second or third day and, or or third or fourth day and just like binge on fast food or something or, you know, over snack at with the things that we have at work. So, um,
00:22:02
The Big Dog
But I had the time because my wife and son are still out of town. So I took the opportunity to put in, I went grocery shopping at at Walmart and Aldi. then I made everything. I didn't eat fast food. i may have drank some zero sugar pop, but you know ah not the worst thing at the end of the day.
Meal Prepping and Incremental Improvements
00:22:21
The Big Dog
But I think I'm getting a little...
00:22:26
The Big Dog
ah past my point, but um to your, to your point that you were speaking on, I, my goal kind of for this week was to to meal prep. And I think I've achieved that for several weeks. So kind of onto a next goal that we can measure in the short term.
00:22:42
David Isaacs
Yeah. So that's good. Uh, yeah, i think the, um, kind of the approach that I've taken is you know, focusing on time, guess.
00:23:01
David Isaacs
And, uh,
00:23:01
The Big Dog
Yep. yep
00:23:03
David Isaacs
to what you're speaking of, like setting an example and, um, setting up people for success, setting your son up for success and leading by example and, and these things, um, I think it comes down to, uh, well, at least with me, like thinking about it's like, yeah, I mean, it's time, right. It takes time to get good habits. It takes time to,
00:23:29
David Isaacs
or commit to doing some of these things, um, as far as meal prepping, and the time it takes to go to the grocery store, the time it takes to cook, the time it takes to package everything, the time it takes to clean up after yourself. And, you know, also the time you commit to take with your son, you know, on vacation or, you know, just every day and what have you is, uh, yeah.
00:23:57
David Isaacs
Uh, as far as the influence that we have on people, albeit friends, family members, and in those things. I really think
00:24:11
David Isaacs
like time spent is always good to be able to to learn more and to be able to do more and you know keeping that balance all the time. I thought too of like, you know,
00:24:30
David Isaacs
mistakes at work or some other things uh like dwelling and and failing negatively it's just like you know i started taking this like i don't have time for this approach so like all my but only specifically like my negative thoughts of like oh okay messed up well i don't really have time to dwell on it i have other things to do Um, not that I didn't reflect and, you know, refactor, you know, kind of the things that I was thinking and, you know, make a note to have like a stop gap in the meantime to make sure that I don't, I'm not a little overzealous of things, but, um, yeah, I think it's just, you know, for me, that, that time aspect of, okay, well, what do I have time to do today? Well, I don't have time to sit in misery because I got stuff to do. so I'm going to take care of that.
00:25:24
David Isaacs
Um, and if I can take care of that, then I'll have time to do some things later on. I time to go to the grocery store, go to the gym or what have you. So, um, yeah, I think that's kind of one of the thoughts that I had had over this week is like, okay, well, what about my situation? How can I, you know, kind of put more of a positive spin on it?
00:25:47
David Isaacs
Not exactly that it's a situation, but, you know, just kind of being present and being aware of, you know, kind of what I'm dealing with and, you know, how do I come back to the other side and not play scared as it were. And, know, that was kind of where I came to. It's like, well, i don't really, i don't have time.
00:26:08
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:26:08
David Isaacs
Like I have, i've my time is better served elsewhere.
00:26:16
The Big Dog
Yeah, for sure. i Always the struggle is is time management. I think if there's a person who is very good at that, please reach out to us, me specifically, or more me specifically. um But ah you know one of the the big things that I'm always constantly...
00:26:39
The Big Dog
working on is is time management, you know, whether, because i have to split time between three different websites. Obviously I have the one that I'm working on, you know, 99, 90 to 95%, but we're kind of we were switching platforms from big commerce, which is a,
00:27:00
The Big Dog
I guess like the second place e-commerce platform to Shopify, which, you know, I mean, anybody who knows anything about e-commerce or even the internet really will know that Shopify by name. So um I, you know, I kind of had to hit the floor running on Friday. That was my first day back. um My boss is like, well, I have two major projects that are going to probably take your whole day or even more. Cause some code that I had,
00:27:27
The Big Dog
on our previous site just for whatever reason, wasn't working. I decided to take down,
00:27:35
The Big Dog
um and the first project was I had you know, remove a bunch of, like a hover over effect on like 1200 different listings that we had, but, um, kind of just was able to work through it quick more quickly than I thought. And, the other one I, uh,
00:27:53
The Big Dog
didn't really have to fix. I think it was just a caching issue, but, um, you know, not so much of the nerd talk, um, or enough to then talk. Uh, one of the things I've been working on at work specifically is time management. And, you know, it's like, I'm still really bad at estimating how long something's going to take me. So, you know, my boss and I are kind of slowly working on that. And my one-on-ones of, Like, hey, this might sound crazy, but I think this is going to take me 10 hours or, you know, make up any number in your head. And she's like, okay, well, um kind of just like, let me know.
00:28:34
The Big Dog
If it goes over that, you know, we can kind of talk through that. But, um you know, if it goes quicker than that, great. You kind of have, you know, document that or or keep it in your head that, you know, this type project is going to take, you know, X, Y, Z. So if we have anything that's similar comes up.
00:28:52
The Big Dog
um Yeah. So working on that a bunch and, you know, feeling great that I'm doing incrementally better. But like as you said, sometimes there's always things that come up and, um you know, I'm in my webmaster role. I'm, you know, dealing with like signing up customers and I'm doing 10 different things being at what job aren't, aren't you these days?
00:29:17
The Big Dog
um
00:29:19
The Big Dog
And so it's like, you know, how much time should I set aside for, you know, if A random signup comes through or, you know, a tech question for the site comes through, ya you know, those type of things. And it's kind of just all incorporating it. And, you know, this is my long return to response of um you kind of just have to deal with it as it comes.
00:29:41
The Big Dog
And we've talked a lot about this. you have your main projects. And as you're saying, you know, I don't have time to do some of these, so they might have to kick the cam down the road, but it is what it is. You know, you do the best that you can and you communicate it to your peers. um So at least they have an understanding of where you're coming from. and they may not agree with it, but at least they can get a firm understanding. So think communicating all that too is important as well.
00:30:13
David Isaacs
Yeah, yeah, communication being the big thing. And then also when we're strapped for time, like I was saying, still doing what you you would normally, like if you had all the time in the world to mess around with something.
00:30:31
David Isaacs
you like thought you had like some idea and you're like, oh, OK, well, you know, well let's dig into it a little bit and see, you know, kind of what the first step is second step and and those things.
00:30:43
David Isaacs
And also like breaking down the problem too. was like, okay, well, you know, I identified there's 1200 things that have a 1200 listings that have a hover over effect that need to be
Efficient Work Management and Self-Improvement
00:30:55
David Isaacs
changed. I know the component exists here and,
00:30:59
David Isaacs
um you know, maybe there's two or three other things, probably not with a hover over effect, but maybe two or three other things that will be affected by this that I have to do some testing on.
00:31:10
The Big Dog
Yep.
00:31:10
David Isaacs
So for each one of those things, it's going to take probably about two hours. You know, i figure like eight to 12 hours, you know, for a buffer time for anything else that's going to come up while I'm trying to fix this.
00:31:24
David Isaacs
Uh, and, kind of the same with me. Like I deal with a lot of discovery work. Hey, do we have this? Can we get this? How quick would it be to put this together? Hey, we got a presentation on Tuesday. Can you get this?
00:31:37
David Isaacs
Um, so and in that sense too, like, okay, well I still just kind of need to communicate it, as much as like, you know, level of effort. These are the other things that I'm working on. Like, you know, what is my knowledge on this specific subject? Like what's our problem statement? What are we what's the story we're trying to tell?
00:32:00
David Isaacs
um what are we trying to catch? ah You know, kind of some of those things. And, um, Problem is you're never going to get like those answers and kind of just have to go with like what you think is going to be the best interpretation of the requirements that you've been given.
00:32:18
David Isaacs
But um yeah, I found like, you know, the time I spend kind of on things that I've been interested in looking into, like that time invested does pay dividends down the road when I'm asked to do something similar in the context or the logic kind of lines up.
00:32:36
David Isaacs
for what we're trying to look at. Um, so yeah, I mean like, it's always going to be something and, um, know, how, at least for me, maybe like selfishly, like, okay, well, you know, I, I know this has to be done.
00:32:53
David Isaacs
I know it has to be done at this specific time, but you know, what can I, if I think about this, like, what can I do differently in this request that I've done previously?
00:33:05
David Isaacs
Like how would this make things easier? What's like a more efficient way of doing this? And, um, a lot of times that's tough. Um, cause you don't, you know, that's kind of one of the things that gets dropped off when you have like a urgent deadline.
00:33:21
David Isaacs
Um, but I'm going to, try to fold that in a little bit more I'm going along. So we'll, we'll see how that goes and where I can fit that in at.
00:33:35
The Big Dog
Yeah. i mean, as he said, you do the best that you can and just get currently incrementally better at it. And first you got to jump, you know, get your feet wet a bit. Um, just to kind of get, I guess bit, ah hang a hang of it. And then, you know, uh, do do, like I said, you just do the best that you can with it. And,
00:34:03
The Big Dog
um you learn from it and you move on and ah yeah next time around, you're going better for it. So, um,
00:34:12
David Isaacs
Yep. One day at a time. And, uh, yeah, I always think about where you're at in the present and wherever you were at in the past. And, uh, yeah, I mean, I've already come down in like, okay. Um, you know, I spent eight hours on this like two months ago. Now it'll take me five minutes and it's around the same vein of something that was asked before. So I can do it, you know?
00:34:37
The Big Dog
Yeah, for sure. um The hard hard thing for me is like for that is kind of trying to put my myself back in that mindset of when I was working on it the first time, you know, retreating my brain to kind of think like that.
00:34:49
David Isaacs
you
00:34:52
The Big Dog
um Or maybe, you know, maybe they don't even have to do that sometimes. Maybe it is also just better to look at sometimes with a fresh perspective because maybe you miss something the first time. So um maybe that's a better way to to think about it. But um yeah If I'm working on like a webpage and um doing something different, different type of product or a different display. So, you know, I feel like the the code that I write sometimes isn't always necessarily the same, but I also like to think that it's improved um or, you know, just working on something that's kind of similar, but not so, you know, I can,
00:35:37
The Big Dog
maybe it's just a perfectionist in me that I go back and, you know, add, add some new lines to the previous code or or, change it. So, um, constantly evolving. um you know, I would say the theme of our, our podcast, but, um, it's going to be a little, it's going to be an everyday situation. Like nothing's ever going to, to be the same. um you can try and get yourself in that mindset, but you know, it's, you got to,
00:36:07
The Big Dog
ah learn from what you did and then you gotta just, you gotta move forward. So, um,
00:36:15
David Isaacs
It's not exactly recycled topics. It's just the reality of things.
00:36:19
The Big Dog
yeah, right.
00:36:19
David Isaacs
Like you, you can iterate over something as much as you want. You're never going to be completely done with it. And we've joked before, like you come back to code you've written like three months ago. you're like, Oh, who did this? This looks terrible.
00:36:32
The Big Dog
like
00:36:32
David Isaacs
And you want to make it look better or flow better or, you know, be more easily readable. you're like, Oh, who wrote this? I can't even read it. And it's like, Oh, it was me.
00:36:43
The Big Dog
Yeah. Yeah. And I hear what's the joke that was seeing LinkedIn, like you're as a programmer, you're the murderer in your own story, ah or you're the murderer in the story of the mystery you're trying to solve basically. So, um, I mean, you could, that really goes for any job on any line of work that you you think like, whether it's a desk job or you know,
00:37:08
The Big Dog
ah doing like general or kind of being like a contractor, you're like, Hmm. like, look at your like painting job or painting pictures from like, you know, say we'll use the same time frame three months ago. And then you like, you know, you're trying to maybe pitch something to a client and you're like, look at that. And then you look at your work now and you're like, you, what did I, how did I ever do that? Like, that looks terrible. But, um, you know, that's just, that just comes with repetition and, you know,
00:37:42
The Big Dog
learning i was, you know, I've talked about last for the last few weeks, just, um, learning from failure. yeah, just repetitive strokes is the best way to, to learn anything. Um, and get, you know, given the time that you'll be better for it. Um, mean, I've, I've been playing battlefield six for, i think almost 200 hours now, and I'm way better a player than I was, you know, 199 hours ago. so um,
00:38:13
The Big Dog
It's always just it's about camaraderie, even if it's within yourself, um you know, and just keep it pushing and be a better version of yourself, you know, one incremental percentage at a time.
00:38:29
David Isaacs
Yeah, that's always the takeaway. The variables are always going to be different no matter what day it who you are what you're trying to deal with. um But that identification and that understanding of first you have to identify You know, not the problem, but identify something that you want to get better at and then learn and adapt to, OK, well, what's the first step? What would be one percent better? What can i do about this one particular thing today or this week or this month?
00:39:07
David Isaacs
uh and it's different for every person and every day and every topic and you know go down the list but it is uh it's beneficial and um you know it's also beneficial to track those wins track those uh your thoughts that you're having when you do have um, those blocks of like, Hey, I said, I was going to go to the gym this week and, I don't feel like I'm going to be able to, what is keeping me from doing that.
00:39:41
David Isaacs
And then maybe you got to take a step back and maybe there's a step before that, that's causing you not to be able to, to start something. um But you learn by doing.
00:39:54
David Isaacs
And if you you can't do the thing that you set out to do, well, maybe there's something that you're that's keeping you from doing it you know a step or two before actually being able to do it.
00:40:06
David Isaacs
But yeah, it's, it sounds needlessly complicated and sometimes it is, but the only thing that we can do is try to dig further as much as you can take time for yourself and um you know, you and you'll benefit from it.
00:40:26
David Isaacs
Definitely. You're, Your relationships, your work, your, you know, your own health, etc, etc, will benefit from it. So it will behoof all of us to look to be better in whatever facet of life that we've identified.
Maintaining Focus and Closing Reflections
00:40:47
The Big Dog
Yeah. Um, as, uh, lot of the, uh, food, you know, food deficit or cleric deficit people, uh, you know, bodybuilders and all that, that I follow, there's also a term that I kind of notice it's, uh, you got to lock it in. So, um, you know, whether it's being present or, you know, the thing that you're focusing on, um, kind of stay locked in and keep your eye eye on the prize, whether it's, you know,
00:41:17
The Big Dog
meal prepping, um, doing a little bit better at work, um, going to the gym, setting a schedule. Uh, all of these things can be attainable. you just have to put in in the work to do it. You have to be quote unquote locked in. So, um, it's hard. get Don't get me wrong. I like had to take breaks, you know, like I like, I didn't exactly cook the food right away. There was a couple of hours after i was shopping,
00:41:45
The Big Dog
ah that that got made and uh probably a couple of days before the dishes got done but uh you know and maybe they may have been done probably right before i did this podcast so but uh just one other thing to add to the cog in the machine of life and you know as long as they're done
00:42:06
David Isaacs
Right.
00:42:08
The Big Dog
ah I guess that's good, but I know that I got to do, i got to do dishes, uh, way far in advance or, uh, way sooner than I did them. So, uh, you know, just one further example of that. I'm not a perfect person, but I am just striving to be, to be better than I, my, I currently am, even if it's just a half a percent every day.
00:42:36
David Isaacs
Alrighty, that pretty much wraps up most of what I have in my brain on a Sunday night. But I don't know if you have anything else.
00:42:46
The Big Dog
No, I think we're good to end it there.
00:42:49
David Isaacs
Alrighty, well, you stuck around this long, and thanks for listening. Hope you got something out of it, and we will see you again soon.
00:42:58
The Big Dog
Yeah. All right. Bye everybody.