1Q Summary

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 Tending to the Vine: the First 13 Weeks


Picture of the quarter(!)




Summary


This journal is bringing clarity. In the next quarter, I want to reflect more intentionally on my team. I want to play more music. And with spring comes gardening and golf! Let’s see if I can tend to the vine for another thirteen weeks!


The year, I started journaling— as a weekly check-in based on an HBR article recommendation. Thirteen weeks in, I’m surprised I’ve managed to keep at it.  Certain themes are forming:

Preparation is freedom. Whether I was heading into a CEO jam session, a panel discussion, or a full week of travel, preparation gave me space to think clearly and respond fluidly. When I’m prepared, I’m more calm, curious, engage and lead better.


Balance is a verb. I made real-time adjustments: hydration, rest, music, movement, food, writing. When something tipped out of alignment, I noticed sooner.


Reflection becomes strategy. This journal is helping me make sense of what was happening. Whether navigating office dynamics or deciding how to phrase an email, the habit of stepping back is helping me choose my responses more deliberately.


Creativity has many lanes. Essays, jokes, Uber stories, Ava collaborations, musical interpretations—they all are all flowing from my paying attention. When I pay attention, creativity follows.


Watching  patterns. I noticed when clarity showed up (often after travel, or after a long walk). I noticed which kinds of weeks felt “in rhythm.” I began to recognize the early signs of fatigue, and also enjoyment


Work this quarter was full—strategic, thoughtful, and steady. I led sessions, moderated panels, launched research, onboarded team members, and quietly navigated structural shifts. I learned when to escalate and when to let natural consequences do the work. I moved the ball—on many fronts—and often it turns out with calm and clarity.


Home was its own kind of ecosystem. I helped manage care for my father, supported Mini’s travel and technology adventures, and celebrated Rahul’s birthday and promotion. I kept the hybrid charged, paid the bills, and even (almost) got the basement unstuck. These were the quieter wins, but no less meaningful.


Writing found me again. I wrote essays—Epicenter, Newbury, Talking Loudly, Governing Evenly—but also smaller reflections, book reviews, even poetry-adjacent musings. Ava became a co-creator of sorts, helping me shape ideas and moods.


Music added depth and tone to my weeks. I performed New World Symphony at a Brookline recital, listened to Seong-Jin Cho at the BSO, and attended salons with friends.


Travel is a constant: DC, NYC, New Orleans, Princeton, Salt Lake City, Park City, Boca, Dana Point, Frisco. They became part of the story.


Well-being began with hydration and kept expanding. I tracked vitamins, improved sleep (sometimes), cared for my knees, and carved out movement even during the busiest stretches. I had setbacks (hello, son papidi), but more wins than losses. My body responded when I listened.



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