Recently, I came across the news that my old acquaintance secured a position at a major high-tech company with an unprecedented signing bonus. This news made me realize how different we can choose our career paths: Some choose the fast food with immediate satisfaction, while others are committed to Michelin cooking to dive deep into a field and seize this significant opportunity.  Let's reflect on the different paths and analyze it so you can later choose one that works for you. 

The first question is "can we wait for that long?" In the early 2000s, while we were all deeply involved in AI research. We faced numerous challenges: lacking data and very limited processing power. At the same time, other technologies like the web, search, and data engineering were rapidly advancing, which offered a lot more lucrative career possibilities.  So, at that time, most yearned for a career that provided immediate satisfaction, convenience, and predictability. It's the quick and easier path, while few pursued in-depth research pursuing a Ph.D. for 5-6 years that are now highly sought-after talent but it is 20 years later!

The second question is "are you suitable for Michelin cooking?"To be honest, even I dared to take the hard path, based on my own intelligence, I was unlikely to achieve the same level of success. I found this is true to many others as well. Therefore, self-awareness and understanding of one’s strengths and limitations are crucial in career planning.​ Is it a deliberate and time-consuming cooking process always to create the perfect dish?  The answer is it depends. Know yourself first.  

The 3rd question, the long-term planning is riskier because you can't get immediate feedbacks. You never know the area you deep dive will pick up later, while fast food gives quick results so you can adjust and find the best one that works for you. Deep dive has more unknowns and is a darker path to navigate. 

In summary, when considering career options, we are very likely to choose between fast food or Michelin cooking. One is fast and obvious, one takes time and requires highly trained skills and persistent hard work.  Both have pros and cons. If you are making your decision now, ask yourself "Should I plan for the long run or the short term? Do I know what I am good at? Do I need follow a more predictable path? ". Hope this can be helpful for you to make your judgment and plan your career.

Step outside and immerse yourself in the city you live in or visit. It’s a refreshing and relaxing break from your daily routine. This weekend, we visited the San Antonio Riverwalk. While we were there, we simply learned a little about the city’s history, where it came from, where it stands in bigger historical narratives, and why it became what it is right now. Then, we tried some local food and strolled around to enjoy the leisurely weekend time. 

We find it enjoyable to use the teatime to simply uncover the stories hidden within a city and pleasantly know that you’re a part of it at this moment. 

I finally checked a major item off my bucket list: dinner at the three-Michelin-starred Jungsik. They do an incredible job of blending traditional Korean flavors with French techniques. The highlight was the octopus—tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. It’s hands-down the best octopus I’ve ever eaten.

Jungsik 
Address:  2 Harrison St, New York, NY 10013 (Map)
Web: jungsik.com (Cost $400 per person)

The restaurant is named after its founder, Chef Jungsik Yim, who is renowned for introducing the “New Korean” movement to the global fine-dining scene, the restaurant offers a multi-course tasting menu. This menu harmonizes bold, authentic ingredients such as perilla oil, kimchi, and gochugaru (chili powder) with luxurious elements like truffle, wagyu, and caviar. Among their most legendary dishes is the “Jungsik Kimbap,” a reimagined version of the classic Korean seaweed rice roll. This dish features a crispy seaweed shell and premium fillings like truffles or wagyu beef.

Creating a vision board is a delightful and engaging project that we can embark on during the New Year holiday. It serves as a powerful tool to visualize our aspirations and objectives, essentially acting as a brain dump of our dreams. This can encompass various aspects of our lives, such as relationships, travel destinations, career plans, learning goals, and more. By crafting a vision board, we can liberate our minds from the burden of remembering these goals, allowing us to focus solely on their achievement.

When designing a vision board, we can stimulate our minds and motivate ourselves towards our desired outcomes. We can create vision boards for short-term (monthly), medium-term (yearly), or long-term (multiple years) goals. The board should authentically reflect our aspirations and desires, and we can enhance its emotional impact by incorporating inspiring notes or quotes. With the advent of Canva, creating vision boards on the computer has become incredibly accessible and user-friendly.

The final step in the vision board journey is to take action and relish the experience of realizing our goals. 

​This teatime brings our attention back to my eyes. Learning how to massage the eye to relax. Additionally, remember to follow the 20-20-20 rule (taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look 20 feet away or roll eyes) to reduce strain, and wear sunglasses with UV protection to safeguard the vision.