Failure, Focus Hacks, and the Powering of AI
Reflections on resilience, productivity tips, and tech companies reshaping the energy game
Val’s Sunday morning random thoughts
Hi everyone, and welcome back to another edition of my Sunday morning random thoughts. In this week's newsletter, I reflect on handling failure, revisit the Pomodoro technique, explore tech companies’ energy investments, and share thoughts on the AI-driven future of data centers. Grab your coffee, and let’s get started!
Life
How good are you at handling failure? For me, not very well! I’ve always been an overachiever, and I really dislike failing, no matter the situation. So, a month ago, when I took the AWS AI Practitioner exam (designed to test a solid understanding of AI skills) and didn’t pass, it felt like a hard hit.
Why bring this up now? Because I took the exam again this week—and passed! But here’s my toxic trait: I’m still not enjoying it as much, knowing I failed the first time. This is definitely something I need to work on, as aiming for constant success isn’t the healthiest mindset! I’m always open to new perspectives, so if you have any book recommendations on resilience or handling failure, feel free to reply to this newsletter or share them with me on LinkedIn.
Beyond that, it’s been a hectic week. Exam season at school meant little sleep and a lot of time spent behind the computer studying.
Books
Sadly, I don’t have a book recommendation this week since I didn’t get a chance to read much. However, I’ll be spending next week at my parents’ place, dedicating my time to reading and preparing for a marathon, so hopefully, I’ll have some good recommendations for you next Sunday!
Learning and Productivity
This week, I gave the Pomodoro method another try to help me get more done. For those who don’t know, Pomodoro is a time management technique that uses intervals of deep focus followed by short breaks. I’ve always found it a bit challenging since the first or second break often interrupts my focus. However, trying it again this week, I realized it’s actually a solid way to extend my productivity during longer work sessions.
I also downloaded Opal on my computer to block distracting websites, and may I say—it works like a charm! If you’re looking for a productivity boost, I recommend giving it a try. You don’t even need the premium version to get a good experience.
Do you use any apps on your computer or phone to help you stay focused?
Tech talk
This week, I read about tech companies starting to invest in electric plants and nuclear reactors. Amazon just signed an agreement with Dominion Energy, and Google and Microsoft are following suit. They’re doing this to help power their data centers, which are increasingly used to support AI. While this is promising news in terms of reaching net-zero carbon emissions, it’s also a little unsettling to think the AI race is now reshaping our energy infrastructure.
All this is unfolding in the context of the U.S. election, which has the potential to significantly impact how much freedom these companies will have in the coming years. I’ll definitely be watching closely to see how the election affects the tech world.
That’s all for this week’s newsletter. If you enjoyed it or have any comments, please reply with advice! I appreciate all constructive feedback—I’m new to this and would love to improve over time. Thank you!
- Val