Changing The Order
The Preparation - Entry #9: Fluency in Spanish
This week forced a correction I should have made earlier. The Entrepreneur Cycle wasn’t the right place to start my preparation.
Entrepreneurial work lives in abstractions like ideas, systems, and long feedback loops. Progress is subjective, and it’s easy to confuse effort with traction. Right now, that kind of work isn’t especially useful to me.
What is useful are skills with clearer benchmarks. Things you can practice, test, and improve with obvious feedback and little room for interpretation.
I’m also intentionally stepping back from technology as the center of gravity. Not because it’s bad, but because I’ve spent enough time in front of screens chasing outcomes that were hard to measure. I want work that pulls me back into the physical world. Language, movement, navigation, situational awareness. Things that exist whether the internet does or not.
Preparation, for me, needs to start with capability, not creation.
With that in mind, the next phase had to change.
Preparation Cycle Progress
The Entrepreneur Cycle is closed for now.
The focus now is narrow and practical. I’m shifting into a Spanish language-focused cycle built around repetition, structure, and clear feedback. Progress is straightforward, and it’s easy to tell whether the work is happening.
Winter in the Mid-Atlantic makes this a natural fit. You can’t spend much time on the water or outdoors, but you can study, practice, and build things within the home. Language learning works for this season.
This phase is about staying focused long enough to see real improvement.
Skills, Hobbies, and Life
A recent three-week trip through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula helped cement this decision.
The family and I dove in cenotes throughout Homún, explored Mayan ruins near Valladolid, sailed across Lake Bacalar, snorkeled in crystal clear waters off the coast of Cozumel, visited cultural sites in Merida, swam with green sea turtles in Akumal, and spent other days just relaxing outdoors. We ate well and moved slowly, without trying to cram too much into each day.
I’ve always enjoyed traveling in Latin America, and I’ve spent time in Guatemala in the past. Being back in that part of the world reinforced how much more engaging travel becomes when you can follow conversations, read signs, and understand what’s happening around you.
Alongside daily language practice, I’ve put together a reading list of ten books for the academic portion focused on the history, culture, and politics of Latin America, with some attention to Spain. The aim is to build context alongside the language, not rush through material for its own sake.
Family life still sets the rhythm. Time and energy are limited, which is exactly why this approach works. Short sessions, consistent practice, steady progress.
Looking Ahead
This cycle runs through the remainder of winter and into early spring. As the weather improves, the focus will shift towards outdoor-based skill work.
The long game hasn’t changed.
The order has.