With the new year comes changes, which means I am making a couple of changes to my Seven-Bullet Monday, which I hope you will like. I will try this out for the next three months, so please give me your feedback, so I can make these bullets helpful and stimulating.
Out goes:
1. My favourite podcast (because all the intrusive adverts drive me crazy and, as a result, I am listening to fewer and fewer podcasts); and
2. Hugh-tips (because I am relaunching Making Money Work in the next two months, and that will be a better forum for sharing personal financial advice)
In comes
1. What I learnt this week – I am discovering so much each week on the Sustainability front, and there are lots of exciting topics, facts and figures that I would like to share
2. Hugh-bits will be a potluck of sorts; recipes tried, new exercises, hacks, music, random thoughts and maybe a poll here or there.
So here goes nothing! Your new and hopefully improved 2023 Seven-Bullet Monday starts here.
1. A quote I am pondering:
"Nothing moves us forward like a deadline." – John Doerr
Whether we receive or create deadlines, they certainly give us an uncomfortable hurry-up. Be sure to share your deadlines with others in writing so that you get genuinely committed to making them happen.
2. A question I am asking myself:
How do I get Making Money Work to as many people as possible this year?
Seeing how poorly many people, young and old, handle their personal finances has driven home to me the need to get Making Money Work into many more hands. I will expand the initial offering into a couple of courses to cater for different needs and financial skills, and it's going to be done by the end of March. #ILovePublicDeadlines
3. A book I am reading:
Silent Spring – Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson first published this book in 1962, raising awareness of the environmental and human dangers of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. She had to courageously defend her truths after the chemical industry ruthlessly attacked her, trying to undermine her findings. I learnt so much from this book and came to appreciate how indiscriminate pesticide use can destroy delicately balanced ecosystems through a host of unintended consequences.
4. What I learnt this week
Our entire mining operations produce ~60% less GHG than the ships that transport our steelmaking coal
I had mistakenly assumed that our mining equipment, which we use to remove overburden and mine coal, would produce more GHGs than the ships that take our coal to customers in Asia. That proved not to be the case because the 8,000-plus km ships must sail on average.
5. The highlight of my week
To be finished moving and unpacking
Although I had mostly moved into 127 Hugh Street in late November, I still needed to complete the move out by my garden suite rental in West Vancouver. This process proved to be longer and more arduous than I anticipated, so I am mighty relieved that it is now all done, thanks to a combination of de-junking, squeezing into small spaces, and a lot of car trips in between. It feels so good to have my evenings and weekends back for productive time.
6. Hugh-bits
Less is more, especially when it comes to possessions
Having to move too much stuff and dealing with overflowing storage lockers showed me how clutter is a joy robber. Marie Kondo's advice to discard possessions that don't spark joy is brilliant for guiding us on what to keep and what to let go of.
7. My challenge for you for this week
Start conversations with, "What's on your mind?" and follow that up with, "What else?"
There are few better skills than asking great questions and thoughtfully listening to the answers. These two questions will help you develop those skills, learn more than when you're doing the talking, and endear you to more people along the way. Now there's a win, win, win!
Have an awesome week