Day 20: Yamas!
Today
I ended up skipping my morning run today. I woke up about an hour before my alarm — my mind was awake by my body was still in sleep mode. I spent some time writing my thoughts down on paper. That helped, and I was able to fall back asleep. I’m not a fan of running on limited sleep, especially interrupted sleep, because that’s when mistakes happen while out on a run, and mistakes can lead to injuries. I’ve been there many times before, and I always opt for more sleep over getting in a run.
It’s a lesson I’m still learning to make sure I prioritize my rest before physical exertion. Translating that same mentality to my work endeavors, I’m trying not to over-work myself and rush through decisions just because I perceive that things are getting done. It generally only leads to situations where I wish I spent an extra hour deliberating more completely. Sometimes, you can get lucky, but you can’t count on luck.
At some point, though not now, I’d like to share my thoughts and opinions on the benefits of alignment, how to prioritize execution, and what it means to develop organizational agility and excellence. There are so many models, opinions, and stories from people who spend a lot of time thinking about these things. I find the ones that are the most helpful to learn from are the testimonies from people who have “successfully” developed organizational cultures and from people who tried but “failed”. I’m still building up the courage to share those thoughts publicly, and I also feel I still have a lot to learn, so I err on the side of caution of not rushing to conclusions too soon.
Post-Work
Following another solid day of work, it was time to get out of the office. After work, we went to a nearby Greek restaurant in Vaihingen, another ‘burb of Stuttgart, about 20 minutes away from Sindelfingen. Vaihingen is a sleep city, with lots of parks and open areas that are great for walking.
The restaurant is Taverna Elia on the Universität Stuttgart Campus Vaihingen. I’ve been to this restaurant a few times before. It’s a crowd favorite of some coworkers, and the restaurant owners/staff recognize my coworkers as soon as they walk in. The university campus next door is busy as students mill around after class back to their dorm rooms. I find the architecture of the buildings and structures to be interesting. One building looks very nice and modern, while the building across the street looks more like an industrial complex building. I'm not sure what either building is used for, but I can imagine one building was probably built much more recently than the other one, and I have a feeling I know which one is the preferred one for students, and probably faculty too.
As we sit down and order beers, a bottle of ouzo is carried out. Ouzo is a Greek aperitif. It’s not uncommon to have multiple shots throughout the course of a meal. It tastes like licorice. I find it to be refreshing while eating, although you have to be careful to remember that it’s still pretty strong. One is plenty good for me.
We started off with some Vorspeisen (translation: appetizers). We had the Miktos Meze, which is basically a variation of hot and cold appetizers, along with the pita bread with optional oregano or garlic. The appetizer platter had hummus, beets, eggplant, tsatsiki, olives, dolmadakia (dolma), kopanisti, and taramas (preserved fish).
Following the appetizers, for my main dish, I had the Bifteki, which is a seasoned beef patty with rice, Horiatiki salad, onions and tsatsiki. I cleared my place in 15 minutes.
Dinner was followed by little dollops of Greek yogurt topped with honey and nuts. Add this to the list of places to check out in Stuttgart. Their seafood is exceptional (I had the Octopus last time and it was prepared very well).
Nóstimo 👌🏾 (Greek translation: delicious). My food coma is kicking in now, so it's time to turn in.
Frieden und Liebe ❤️ (translation: peace and love)