The anniversary of the pandemic has been a surprising mental state. It's an anniversary of the last time we did things without restrictive lockdowns or fear of infecting others. It marks the last time you went out to eat, or attended a live concert, or saw your parents/grandparents, and for some the last time you ever saw someone.

In the Bay Area alone, 82% of residential land is allocated to single-family homes, reducing density, limiting housing stock, and driving poorer families out. Without a concerted policy effort to upzone neighborhoods, private developers will follow economic incentives to build new housing developments outside the city center, resulting in increased GHG emissions related to building materials, transportation infrastructure, utility infrastructure, and even agriculture.

The Carbon Footprint calculators are a great first step. Creating an interactive form and handling the calculations in the backend helps take a lot of the work off of individuals. It still takes some time and energy to make the calculations as accurate as possible (i.e. using exact kWh & therm usage), but it is a great step in making household emissions incredibly transparent and accessible.

Simply put, we’re living on outdated technologies like coal and other fossil fuels, which are not only destructive to our environment but also our bottom lines. Renewable energy and the industries that support it have seen enormous growth in valuation and investing in stocks and ETFs that promote positive social and environmental impact is no longer just a commendable effort, it’s a profitable one.

Through the media, we're seeing a growing collective awareness of climate change, but the far more impressive part is the collective understanding of the damages caused by climate change and the willful cooperation and collaboration between individuals, organizations, and industries to help promote a sustainable future.

I've been thinking about the concept of reframing problems a lot lately. I found myself stuck in the process of drafting a case study, which, if you know me, is not typical. Both in writing and on paper, I have an easy time finding words. My problem has always been editing and reducing unnecessary text, but this time I just didn't know where to start.

This is a stark reminder for us as citizens of our cities to rethink our reliance on outdated energy grids. In California, we've suffered rolling blackouts and have learned to live with PSPS as a result of extreme wildfire danger during many months of the year and there is neither recourse nor reimbursement for the damage it causes (e.g. spoiled food, electrical surges for damaged equipment, etc.).

Research is something that I’m personally passionate about. Although I’m admittedly not great at intentionally refining my process, the amount of research and learning I do online has helped me create a rough framework for my process.

I go into my research process expecting that it will be messy before it comes together - I also accept the fact that there may not be a conclusive answer or solution to my questions and that it is an evolving process that involves raw data consumption and copious note-taking.

To be productive beings, we need to give ourselves a chance to take breaks and recover. Just like your muscles, your brain needs time to rest in between sets. When we don’t schedule breaks, our brains tend to lose focus and gravitate towards new activities that are engaging and less intense. Be it Instagram, Reddit, or even TikTok, we need to give ourselves permission to relax our minds so we can be focused and productive when we need to be.

I’m bullish on multi-generational housing as the catalyst to counteract the growing homelessness in America’s urban centers. By creating a housing solution that promotes multi-generational living and cohabitation, we stand to assist families with short-term financial troubles by bringing parents and children home, while also providing the roadmap for a long-term increase in housing stock. An increased supply of housing such as attached and detached additions, will bring the cost of rentals down and opens opportunities for workers in critical, low-paying jobs such as education, healthcare, and trades, to live closer to the places they work.

My thoughts are still developing around Clubhouse and the growing craze of audio-based social networks. As this trend continues to draw more mainstream attention due to the regular cameos of tech and non-tech celebrities, the open dynamic of inviting strangers on stage will feel different — if not already feeling a little exclusive.

When we get too caught up in our constructed environments and our hopeless circumstances, it becomes hard to see beyond our own blinders. We think briefly about all the repercussions of our actions or our inaction and we let our minds project worst-case scenarios when in reality we should be thinking rationally about what our next step will be. Our lives are decided by the actions we take at each moment, not by playing out what could happen.

For me, it's golf. After college, my days of heavy practice and focus turned into recreation. Without the competitive streak, I ended up spending time on the course or the driving range without much direction. Sure, it passed the time and it's always fun to play with friends, but the most exciting part was getting better scores on the course. Why? Because as humans we crave satisfaction — and in sports that looks like improvement.

A good friend of mine recently told me about a saying he’d heard and taken to heart— action creates information. Although Bay Modular may not be in the business of commercial renovation, it was informed by its process.

While listening to my podcast episodes today, I stumbled onto NPR’s Life Kit episode on How Solitude Can Improve Your Mood. As I listened to the examples they shared and the common misinterpretations of the term solitude, I came to a few realizations:

Like anything else worth doing, solitude takes practice and preparation — like you prepare for a conference call or a workout, set your intentions and let others know that you need uninterrupted time to practice

They say “when the going gets tough, the tough get going,” and I agree, but perseverance is only one element of success.

Work hard, yes, but work smart, best. We should learn to rely on the decisions and systems we’ve made along the way to support us in challenging scenarios. The hard work we’ve done in the past should set us up for success in the future.

The smaller you go, the less impactful it may seem to the final goal, but tiny changes beget larger changes, and eventually bring you to the finish line — or at least tell you when you should stop.

So I asked myself — Why? What’s the purpose?

Why would I want to curate a version of myself to seem like something that is less organic than how I view myself. You should not have to discount your accomplishments like you should not lie or falsely represent yourself. Neither path is an authentic approach to expressing your true self.

Investing into more renewable energies is only one piece of the puzzle. Policy makers must encourage homeowners to make their homes more efficient so we don't waste our renewable energy.