3rd January - Action

Happy New Year 2018!! So it is the time for new year resolutions, and with the peculiar situation that I am in, and the decisions that I have to take, I was thinking about what should my resolution be for this year? Then suddenly it struck me that why not make a resolution of writing an activity blog entry everyday! A lot of people have done it, and it gives me many benefits like:

1. An outlet to how I feel to preserve my sanity
2. Document what I've done everyday to help me track of my accomplishments to give me motivation
3. Improve writing and communication skills, particularly expressing myself in general rather than practising just formal writing
4. Helps me organise my thoughts and direction of action to be more productive

It seems like a great positive step which can be very effective if I make it a point to spare 10 minutes everyday and write at least 50 words.

I have recently moved to Pittsburgh, PA from Tokyo as another step towards being hyper-successful *eye-roll*. It was a big decision especially leaving my job and potential comforts with Citi in India (to whom I'm thankful for giving me the opportunity to work!). This decision is very troubling at the moment due to the personal uncertainty of what I'm doing and the uncertainty of the job environment in the US, courtesy President Trump. The decision to move may have (and at least I believe it has) bigger benefits in the longer run, than comfort in the short. It is this belief and the opportunity all around me which helps me stay motivated to work towards a goal which I don't know yet. Just that it would be great, whatever I would end up with.

Going through all the coursework, talking to people from literally all around the world about philosophy of life and seeing the technical work being done at CMU, I finally decided that intelligent systems is the place that I would like to make a career in. As a result, I started applying to places that I think would help me understand and prepare for success fast in that sphere, I don't know where I'd end up yet, but what I do know is that I've set my sights on this and I will do it with or without help since I know I've done well in whatever situation I've been put in over the years, smashing expectations.

Another thing that I've realised is that in addition to the technical knowledge, the ability to learn fast, I need to be able to communicate perfectly. Sometimes, communication itself can win somethings that I've not even realised technically, or solve problems that do not actually require technical knowledge. This is more essential for a successful career than the emphasis people place on it. And I also realised that I take way more words to express myself, and sometimes loose the points that I need to really emphasise on. Hopefully, this blog writing may help me with this.

Today I looked at companies where I could intern in the US to help me reach my goal, see what is the work that they are doing, and whether I could get CPT to work there. The same with college programs. The work that I have to do right now:

• Apply for the SSN
• Talk to Dr. Erica, Saqiba Aunty, Amex

Alright. Lets do it.