Just My Thoughts

20/02/22 12:42 p.m.

1. Complexity and Understanding

Sometimes I feel that I am over-complicating things, and other times, I feel that I am over-simplifying things. But largely, over-complicating things. The need to cover all grounds and to leave no stones unturned takes up a lot of my daylight time. Especially in work, I feel that I really want to ensure that I provide a comprehensive (and relevant) perspective to any project that I am in charge of and to be able to really tell the story of where I am coming from. 

Initially, I did not really deem sustainability education as something that is of top priority and concern, but this turns out to be especially important because sustainability education is really about digesting the science-based facts and information (which are really heavy) into bite-sized information that can be absorbed and taken in readily and easily. Speaking the same language as the person on the receiving end is important and I am really glad that Cheryl pointed this out to me. I think it is easy for me to get wrapped up in what I know. Hence, whenever I am sharing or disseminating the information, I will just end up regurgitating everything because that is my way of giving the fullest picture. Though sustainability is complex and there might be no human way around simplifying it, but I suppose it is more so about the reframing of things to allow for better understanding and comprehension.

There are a lot of things out there that I do not know about and I would love to learn more about them. But now, at the back of my head, let me just try to figure out how I can condense what I know and streamline all of which that can allow for maximum diffusion. 

2. Passion and Work

What exactly is work-life balance when you are doing what you love? If I can, I would dedicate every waking hour to doing this. But the field of sustainability is just so vast and broad, there are so many ways I can approach this. And that is an entire can of worms that I don't have the capacity right now to open. 

My current state of mind: just sufficiently appreciative and thankful for having the opportunity to be able to align my work with my passion. I have met so many people in my journey thus far and I am humbled and inspired by the work that they have been doing, really. I want to prioritise and focus on making the best out of my next 3.5 months with Bollore. There are many things I really want to push for and to complete, but I am just very conscious that time is not on my side. Big dreams are no downer, but a big heart and a strong mind are definite prerequisites.

3. Solar Panels

The corporate business model for solar panel solutions is really almost a fool-proof one. I am still trying to analyse what exactly are the downsides to installing solar panels for facilities' rooftops. I mean, just looking at Sunseap and Sembcorp, they deal with everything from installation, to managing, and repairing the solar panels, and they are only charging the management when they were to use the electricity. The utilization of green electricity, in fact, will be at a lower rate than traditional brown electricity. I am not sure why solar panel deployment is still not yet widespread or perhaps not deployed as fast as I foresee it to be all around the island. Let me have a second think at this and figure this out... (I will get back to this soon again when I have more insights and answers)

4. Heart and Mind

My heart has been hurting a lot but my mind has been a lot clearer recently. For the past 2 months, I feel that I have been really moving fast and though, there were definitely times where I got to slow down to enjoy the ride, but I feel that everything is speeding up again and this time it feels different. 

There are a lot of externalities that I have yet to process and understand their effects on me, but I know that I am evolving and changing and becoming a better version of myself. Of course, there are still massive areas of improvement (i.e., self-expression, communication, project management), but I can feel that I am trudging on and improving, albeit step-by-step, every day. I have become increasingly more active in asking for feedback and reviews to improve on the way that I am doing things and on the way that I am thinking about things. 

5. Sleep

I haven't been very consistent in my sleeping schedule and it might be potentially affecting my mood a little. Even though I don't let my mood define how I live my day (because this is just not right haha), but my reliance on caffeine really got to go. I have been limiting myself to just one shot, and only one shot instead of two to three shots per day. But the main point is that I want to be in control of my own energy level and I would want the energy that I have and give off to come from within me - my inner self, rather than externally (i.e., caffeine). 

I will start to track my sleeping time and take it from me that I will be sleeping at 12 midnight sharp daily from 20/2/22 onwards.

Just my thoughts for the week, and I will be reflecting on this month soon. But it is not over yet so let's make February count!

Much Love,

Hui

January 2022

01/02/22 07:00 p.m.

To round up January 2022,

What went well?

1. Good progression for projects

2. Positive feedback from client-based projects and ground study

3. Managed to revitalize my Chinese to successfully converse and liaise with external parties

4. Got to know more of my colleagues

5. Became more comfortable with everyone

Even better if?

1. Better project management skills

2. More proficient in Excel

3. Being more straightforward and intentional

4. Better time management

5. Having more confidence in myself

Some of the highlights of January 2022:

1. Dinner @ Youngs with CW - food was great, but the company was even better. Me in my cat socks and blue shoes, we walked around the aerospace park after dinner. What a sight it was! I was just in awe of how surreal the place was - maybe it was the emptiness or all the pretty golden lights. I remember how windy it was, how clear the sky was, and how round the moon was. 

2. Cycling Adventure @ Pulau Ubin with WY - been such a long time since I've been there. But what can I say - nature is just breathtaking. It was a good 9am - 5pm with wy - endless talks at the beach, by the lake, under the coconut tree, and at the boardwalk. It was unfortunate that he missed his 3 egg prata + iced milo at the end, but we swore to be back to also conquer the black diamond. Couldn't have enjoyed the day without him. We then, wrapped up the day chilling on Changi Beach. 

3. Gardens by the Bay with the Fam - it was a fun-filled morning and a very-much needed bonding session for everyone to kickstart the year. Out of the multitudes of flower beds, I found my love for daisies. Really spend a lot of time with my siblings - shared my limited knowledge of botany with my ever-so-inquisitive brother and was just being a jokester to my sister. I think the day also gave a glimpse of what retirement will look like for both of my parents. Afterall, it is really only a matter of time. 

4. TMI evening: The CO2 footprint of your company @ JW Marriott Hotel - it was interesting to learn about how other companies calculate and benchmark their emissions. Carbon calculations is not about getting it 100% right, but it is more about creating a basis of comparison for future improvements and progress.

5. Ramen @ the Ramen Stall and Ice Cream on Waffles @ Rumi The Poet's Cup with my girls - our girl frin finally flew back from Australia for a good O' break and all of us managed to catch up.  THe night? Brilliant. The vibes? Immaculate. It is always, always a good time with all of them, pretty sure they are of a different breed altogether. Laughed so hard that day, I swear I couldn't even feel my cheekbones. Looking forward to the day all of us 6/6 will be back together (missing you both - sach & shahaf)

6. Hike cum beach clean-up with CW - where to even start, other than the fact that I was literally roasted alive by the sun, it was altogether a good reset for February. Oh my god, it will be a sin not to mention how hard I laughed that day. It was also my first time bringing a friend to do beach clean-up but we really ended up leaving the beach better than before. Under the sweltering hot sun, I am just glad she had a good time, as much as I did. I always think it is rare to find someone, who is able to connect with me on such a personal level. Truly a blessing and these days, I really just count my blessings.

7. Beach Clean-up #1 with PassionWave @ East Coast - it is honestly just such a wholesome morning. Hearing what everyone has got to say about their thoughts and feelings after the beach clean-up truly warms my heart. Sometimes, the amount of trash that we pick up can really be relatively minimal, but what is most important is to become more conscious about the waste that we create daily and become more mindful of how we dispose of them. On the way back home, I had a long talk with one of the volunteers, Amb about work, life, and everything in between. Beyond that, I am pretty sure many of the strangers become friends altogether. It was a good day, for sure.

January was a month with a good balance of laughter, happiness, stress, and sadness. But that's just life!

Heart strong, mind stronger.

Love,

Hui