?? Reclaiming Time for a Life Less Busy

Hey friends,

Thank you for sticking around.

Back to regular programming given that the holiday is over.

Perth is a lovely city and I can understand why it is a choice location for Singaporeans to emigrate across to.

The slow pace of life is obvious. First-timers who are city dwellers may find it uncomfortably slow.

Malls are closed from 5 pm on most days (Thursday is an exception).

And meals outside are pretty expensive. With our family of six, every dining out will be between AUD130 to AUD200.

That also encourages many Perthers (is that even a word?) to cook at home which takes time to prep and all.

I met my former manager who migrated to Perth around 2005 I?think.?

According to her husband, they can pursue more personal interests due to fewer "distractions".

I am using quotes here as their definition of distractions would be any city equivalent of entertainment.?

So they spend more time on crafts.?

The husband is into woodworking, wine collection, weekend steak chef and audio equipment.?

This and the rest of my experience in Perth brought me some introspection around the pace of life.

Something I wrote more about in the article below ??

Your job, throughout your entire life, is to disappoint as many people as it takes to avoid disappointing yourself. — Author and podcaster Glennon Doyle

This week's edition

???Reclaiming Time for a Life Less Busy

?? Work It - Stressed at work? Learn to say 'no'

?? Slow Productivity by Cal Newport — when less means more

???Reclaiming Time for a Life Less Busy

A couple of weeks back, I've been feeling that familiar tightness in my chest, the one that comes with too much mental overhead e.g., juggling too many deadlines, inbox overload.

It's a feeling I know all too well, and a recent trip to Perth made me realize just how much I crave a slower pace of life.

We all know the drill: the constant hustle, the pressure to "keep up," the feeling like there just aren't enough hours in the day. It takes a toll.

For me, it meant the inability to fall asleep, constant anxiety and unable to focus well.

Looking around, I see similar stories – friends around my age dealing with heart issues, burnout, asthma relapse or new cancer markers.

In Singapore, especially, the "always-on" work culture makes it easy to get sucked into this fast lane, even neglecting our well-being in the process.

Catching up with friends in Perth was a breath of fresh air.

Their lifestyle is a testament to the power of slowing down. My friend’s husband has time for hobbies such as woodworking, growing aquatic plants, weekend BBQs and many more.

Continue reading...

This issue is brought to you by:

?? Meme of the week

??Podcast

Work It - Stressed at work? Learn to say 'no'

Camilla Dahl Hansen, chief experience officer at Saxo, was once told to take a break for three weeks because she was overwhelmed with work-induced stress. What does she do to keep burnout at bay? She shares her views with Adrian Tan and Crispina Robert.

??Recommendations

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport — when less means more

I am about halfway through this book and it truly resonates with what I have been pondering about for the longest time.

Professor Newport puts it most eloquently on why white-collar work is not right any more, which is the compounding effect of applying industrial work metrics to white-collar work and the introduction of tools such as Slack, amongst many other reasons.

It makes one step back and reflects upon our?trying-do-a-million-thing-at-once approach.?

You can also listen to his recent podcast appearance on the Tim Ferriss show .

Instarem Amaze Card - turn your overseas expenses into air miles

A friend was asking me if I struck the lottery because I seem to be travelling a lot.

I did not and most of those trips are paid with airline miles.

I got into the air miles game a couple of years ago and it taught me how to optimise towards getting the most air miles.

For instance, you can get 4mpd (mile per dollar) if you use an Amaze card and pair it with Citi Rewards (there are other options).

So if I?spend SGD1,000 overseas, I get 4,000 air miles.?

Amaze also give out points which you can convert into free money.

This is just one of the many things as you can also optimise your grocery spend and online purchases too.

Here is a good article to get started .

??Thanks For Reading

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