Tonight I managed to achieve something I thought impossible: having an inbox count of 0.
I watched a talk my Merlin Mann on the "Inbox Zero" technique of dealing with email, and implemented it tonight. Successfully!
Any AIESEC member knows how much emails they receive per day. Any AIESEC team leader (or above) also knows how much MORE they receive per day than the average member. That's why it's such an achievement for me to have nothing in the inbox, nothing to respond to and nothing to take action on.
There's a certain satisfaction in knowing that there are no emails begging for my attention as I head to sleep. Anything I find in there tomorrow is brand new, and I'll know exactly how many emails I'll have to deal with, so I can get on with more important activities, like work!
This Saturday (tomorrow), we're holding a Youth Sustainability Forum at the University of Sydney. We're bringing together youth from across Sydney and representatives from business, government, NGOs and academia to discuss the environmental issues we face today, and how youth can address them.
The initiative behind this event is what I've been working on all year, so much blood, sweat and tears have gone into it!
When: Saturday, 18th August 2007, 1-5pm
Where: Holme Refectory Room, University of Sydney
Why: To demonstrate the wealth of opportunities available to youth to address the environmental issues we face today.
Visit the Project Echo website for more information and to register!
A couple of us attended the Dalai Lama's talk at The Domain on Friday (while wet, it was really good!).
Prior to the start of the talk, we couldn't help laughing at this part of the recorded message being spoken in the style of an airline safety spiel:
This is a not-for-profit tour. In the unlikely event of a profit…
I'm still trying to digest the report from the Prime Ministerial Task Group on Emissions Trading… although there are people in a far better position to comment on it than I, I read an editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald today that pretty much sums up my feelings on this:
The Howard Government's enthusiasm for such a leisurely timetable [in implementing an emissions trading system and setting an emissions reduction target] can only suggest that on global warming its main purpose is not to act, but to appear to act. In an election year is the proposed "detailed assessment" of a future scheme just a smokescreen, so to speak, to deflect voters' concerns?
I am saddened that climate change has become such a politicised issue that we now have mock action by the government, rather than concrete, progressive initiatives to address climate change. Prominent Australian businesses are already backing a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, yet the government needs another year (or more) in order to set a national target. These delaying tactics not only show a lack of leadership, but hurt businesses, communities and puts our future at risk. Where is real leadership when we need it?
"Schools are too left wing, says Stoner"
I can imagine the glee on the faces of the Sydney Morning Herald editors when they thought up that one.
(The actual article)
Anyone who's spoken to me recently (or has me on their IM list) is probably aware that on most nights I'm up slaving away to the wee hours of the morning on my AIESEC project (I still haven't really explained that, have I?).
I've come to the realisation that between the hours of 10pm and 2am (when the bulk of the "work" is done at night), I achieve very little. There's a couple of reasons for this:
- FaceBook
- I'm chatting to people on MSN/Google Talk/AIM/ICQ/whatever
- FaceBook
- I'm constantly switching to GMail and Mail.app to see if I have new mail (I'm tempted to remove the "Get Mail" button from the toolbar to stop this behaviour!)
- My body is screaming "Go to sleep you freakin' idiot!!!"
- Did I mention FaceBook?
I'm also sick of constantly feeling tired, sleeping in and not being able to think clearly until after 10am.
At the suggestion of a friend, I woke up early (yes, 6am is early for me) yesterday and managed to get a huge chunk of good, clear work done. Plenty of writing and brainstorming, and by the time my housemates had woken up, I was pretty happy with what I had achieved. I repeated it today, and while not so effective, it's something I'm going to try to continue. (That, and staying off IM and FaceBook, and shutting down email unless I need to actually check it.)
Let's hope I can be far more effective this way!
Our new house was officially broken in (but not into!) last Saturday night:
Thanks to all of our friends that came - we hope you had a blast!
(Photos)
There's something about sunrise and sunsets that I just love. It might be the vivid colours streaked across the sky, mingling with the clouds, or just the serenity of the moment. I can't seem to get enough photos of them!
My housemates and I braved the dark and the cold to watch the sunrise at The Gap in Watson's Bay on Monday morning… boy was it worth it! There were patches of clouds across the sky, which turned pink, yellow and orange as the sun rose across the ocean. A wonderful way to start the week!
(More photos here)
As part of my ongoing process of Bharat-ification, Sheryl and I went to the Holi Mahostav (or, the festival of colour) at Darling Harbour today (organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia). The main attraction was the powder-throwing, which left Sheryl and I looking like this:
(More crummy mobile phone pictures here)
It was a funny experience to be able to go up to a stranger, shout "Happy Holi!" and smear the powder all over their face. I guess that's the point of the festival - to promote harmony and equality between people!
The walk to the station and train ride home was interesting. Lots of weird looks. I found people fit into three categories:
- Those that looked and smiled at the fact I was covered from head to toe in different coloured powder
- Those that looked and quickly turned away, afraid I might see them
- Those that didn't look at all and pretended like there was nothing out of the ordinary
I tried to get a few smiles out of the last two groups, but no luck. There's always next year!
I gave my housemate, Sveta, a big hug when I arrived home. It's pretty safe to say she was none too pleased about it.
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