The Analytical Imagination: How Numbers and Narrative Help Me Understand the World
The Best Problems Don’t Fit in Just One Box I’ve always found myself drawn to two very different ways of thinking. On one hand, I love structure. I enjoy solving complex problems through logic, models, and data. On the other hand, I also enjoy stories, the kind that explore human behavior, uncertainty, and the grey […]
Values Over Visibility: Why Leading Without Attention Feels Right to Me
Quiet Leadership Is Still Leadership In a world that often rewards the loudest voices, I’ve always felt more comfortable leading from the side rather than the front. I’m not the type to grab the mic or the spotlight. But I do believe in stepping up when something needs to be done. That belief was planted […]
The Discipline of Depth: Why I’d Rather Go Deep Than Wide in a Shallow-Attention World
Choosing Depth in a World of Distraction We live in an age where everything moves fast. Headlines are skimmed, opinions are instant, and attention is scattered across a hundred open tabs. It’s easy to get pulled into the rhythm of rapid consumption and quick takes. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve been […]
Strategic Stillness: Why Thinking Slowly Is a Superpower in a Speed-Obsessed World
The Myth of “Faster Is Better” In a world built on speed—fast decisions, fast growth, fast everything—it’s easy to assume that moving quickly is the same thing as being effective. We celebrate people who act fast, respond instantly, and seem to always be one step ahead. But through my experiences in chess, academics, and high-pressure […]
The Rhythm of Hurdles: What Sprinting Over Obstacles Taught Me About Time, Timing, and Trusting the Process
Learning to Move With Precision When most people think about hurdles in track and field, they think about speed. And yes—sprinting is part of it. But what makes hurdling different from other races is that speed without rhythm will only get you so far. You can be the fastest person on the track, but if […]
Why Every Young Professional Should Compete—on the Field, the Board, or in Everyday Life
Competition Isn’t the Enemy—It’s the Training Ground There was a time when I thought competition was only for athletes. As a hurdler and basketball player growing up, my version of “competition” meant pushing to beat a time, win a game, or earn a spot on the starting lineup. Later, chess became another arena where I […]
Staying Grounded in a High-Performance World: My Approach to Focus and Fulfillment
The Pressure to Always Be “On” We live in a world that moves fast. Deadlines, metrics, expectations—it can feel like everything needs to happen now. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or someone chasing a personal goal, the pressure to always be producing, achieving, or improving can be overwhelming. I’ve definitely felt it. Coming from […]
Jumping Hurdles On and Off the Track: The Athletic Mindset Behind Career Resilience
Where It All Started Before I ever sat in a college lecture hall or opened a textbook, I was on a track—eyes forward, knees up, lungs burning, and hurdles stretching ahead. Track and field was one of my first loves, and hurdling in particular became a defining part of my high school experience. It wasn’t […]
Balancing Brains and Brawn: Why a Dual Focus on Athletics and Academics Is a Winning Strategy
Growing Up in Two Worlds When I think about my childhood in Fremont, California, it’s hard to separate the sound of sneakers on the court from the smell of old chess books. My days were often split between track practice, basketball games, and late-night problem sets—or running chess puzzles on my phone until my eyes […]