James Hsu

Apologies for the haphazard list-like format of this update; I haven’t written anything on here since December 2024. I want to make this post as random as the randomness of life itself; hopefully this gives you an idea of what I’ve been living through.

1. I just turned 43 years old this week. I feel physically and mentally better than ever. Turning 40 was an “oh shit” moment for me—I felt something existential about crossing that line, and wondered to myself, “have I accomplished enough?” Now, turning 43, I feel much better about who I am.
2. I’ve gotten better at self-talk and being more self-compassionate. I feel very fortunate to have been raised in a stable family environment. I also recognize that a lot of my adult life has consisted of telling myself that I was not good enough; that I needed to achieve more. Obtaining a healthy balance of “do nothing” vs. “do everything” is my ongoing challenge.
3. I don’t have kids; I have cats. One of my cats recently got very sick and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I’ve gotten better at taking care of him and being there for him when it counts. Thankfully, he’s doing a lot better now with the right type of care.
4. 3 days after turning 43, I ran my fastest half-marathon ever: 1:47:10. That’s equivalent to 5-minute kilometer pace for 21.1 straight kilometers, and 7 minutes faster than my previous half-marathon…just 2 weeks ago. I’m a little sore today, but I feel absolutely great.
5. With respect to my latest half-marathon, I have to shout out my friend “brother Jo” who paced me for the whole race. Every time I felt like going slower, he encouraged me to keep pushing. I truly couldn’t have done it without him. If you want to go far and faster, don’t go alone.
6. I recently gave a talk to a Toastmasters chapter in Shanghai. One of the points I made is that life is a series of cherry-picked moments you use to tell a story. Nonetheless, some of those moments are absolutely true. I look back to the days when I worked for a Canadian company called Telus, 20 years ago, and how it taught me so much about public speaking and working with others. Those moments have shaped me in ways I didn’t expect at the time, and I’m grateful.
7. Despite being a massive introvert, I’ve enjoyed scheduling time for catching up with friends online and offline. I recently met up with an old colleague from two years ago; we had a wonderful catch-up in Shanghai. Distance, and time, heals a lot of things.
8. I really enjoy what I do professionally right now, which is building product for a company called Goodnotes. I like the team and culture a great deal. I’ve encountered many bumps along the way, but it’s all part of the leadership and learning process.

It feels fitting to end the list at 8 items, given that 8 is a lucky number in China.

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How has your year been so far? I’d love to hear from you.

Take care of yourself and be well.

James