##[22]increase^reduce: t-allocation ] ezlife #starv`=optimal

Posted on Thu, 22/Sep/2022Sat, 30/Mar/2024 by tiger40490

Fact: for some of us, we always feel insufficient allocation to this or that aspects of our lives. (To be fair, occasionally we do feel some over-allocation.)

Our t-allocation decisions are dynamic, fluid and largely run by System1, therefore never precise and /impeccable/. I feel the need to constantly review my allocation decisions over short and long histories, and adjust. I mean Allocation of time + System2 resources [attention, energy, absorbency…] The higher ground I want to push toward is a situation where I find very few items constantly starved/underserved, and ideally the short-term “starvation” is more evenly spread out across [3].
On this higher ground, I would really remember a few (temporary) success stories of adjustment. The success stories empower me to endeavor to correct/adjust my allocation strategy, and avoid the familiar “powerless guilt” driven by the /tyranny/ of perfectionism.

[3] Aha-Insight: starvation=optimal. Simultaneous sunshine/time starvation across multiple tectonic_plates is the essence of optimal allocation. This observation is similar to the “simultaneous saturation” in optimization.

Since 2022,

I have decreased tech xx including deep_work, compared to years ago (partly due to diminishing return), replaced with practical scripting, automation, localSys,,, nearly optimal
.. Whenever I spend some spare time on QQ or CIV, I do feel fitter, “more prepared”
I have 🙂 reduced fren dialog t-spends and created temporary starvation… optimal
I have 🙂 maintained workout t-spends .. optimal
I have 🙂 increased family time, esp. with boy and meimei .. nearly optimal
I have experienced increasing demand (on my Sys2 resources) from BGC, Cambodia, US tax, US stocks, USD TD, calc recon on EGA/RBBT,, nearly optimal
I have increased blogg (and other efforts) as self-care…. nearly optimal. As noted in the blogpost on I-statement, my type of blogging is not easy, not lazy, takes training and effort.

^^ Now I don’t feel the burn [self-discipline, with materialistic gains]
My father, in his twilight years, would probably prefer quiet peaceful time,,, not burn.

Perhaps my current t-allocation is nearly /optimal/, based on the successE definition

jolt: now I have relatively limited bandwidth allocated to tech learning or work projects. In contrast, ~~MSFM period was visibly high intensity “burning”~~ but in hind sight, was it worthwhile?

Q: how do we make this blogpost more unique, rather than just another t-allocation blogpost?

In the current life stage marked by carefree job, brbr, fulltime wife taking care of 2 kids,,,, I see an interesting array of initiatives competing for limited absorbency and bandwidth (in terms of time, mental energy)

I don’t know if my carefree life has brought me to this new “comfort zone”. I used to feel the traction/engagement/accu on tech learning, wellness, parenting. Most of these “domains” require effort or absorbency. I felt the burn and ROTI. Since 2020 (?) my focus has gravitated towards per-finance. Sometimes I’m pulled into news or curiosity searches. See the sink.

It’s always useful to pair up a Increase piece with a Reduce piece.
=====

— Reduce
[v] reduce/maintain t-allocation to the growing fuxi items in git-blog
?slow down blogging outside the specified topics below — git blogging, blog review
reduce friend sharing
- [v] meet-up is most time-consuming. Always prefer jogging before meet-up.
- [v] slow down email; reduce t-allocation to email backlog .. Nearly optimal
reduce and postpone per finance like SIA, FSM, FWD,,, I feel this is growing and taking up more and more bandwidth.
[v] reduce news reading/watching — a popular, approved diversion. In the carefree phase, it may be more practical to allocate some spare time to these legitimate leisure.
- [v] reduce leisure reading despite my growing library of free books.. Nearly optimal
- [v] reduce or warehouse curiosity searches. Optimal
—- now the domains
— wellness
[an s3] maintain (increase if possible) jogging, or increase t-efficiency with shorter workouts as substitute
[n] more frequent yoga. more classes? Time consuming and stressful due to penalty. Perhaps wait till restrictions relax
- ([a] maintain yoga self-practice)
[n s2] maintain nutritional research and experiment
— parenting
slow down: read more books on parenting
review my blog
? bring kids out more often
— career/安身立命
[a s1] c++ critical mass maintenance — thick-> thin, 温故知新. Decline is probably faster than coding drill, therefore more strategic.
[an s1] coding drill refresh — to keep in shape, 温故知新. As I told ChengShi, I had an ideal of continuous practice which may demand a lot of absorbency and concentration. Is it sustainable?
[an s1] more localSys fuxi — I had the bigGun/laserGun concepts, among many blogposts that I revisited. I may need to remove some other “initiatives” so as to concentrate on localSys
— other
[a=absorbency required]
[s1~s3=strategic value. “Not strategic” by default ]
[n=candidate as a new driver]
[v=starvation can be optimal]

afPrime^recreation ^spareTime ^r-ikigai

Posted on Wed, 11/May/2022Wed, 01/Jan/2025 by tiger40490

afPrime .. about pre retirement and retirement
.. r-ikigai .. more purposeful, more meaningful than a recreation
t_recreation .. specific activities
spareTime .. strictly about time management

快餐店 quietime-innovation since%%college

Posted on Thu, 06/Jan/2022Sat, 30/Mar/2024 by tiger40490

k_quietime

— history .. I discovered this opportunity first in West Coast Ginza plaza. I often stayed till restaurant closing time. I did the same in Bedok.

Then in the 2010s I had access to laptop + wifi. Quietime “effectiveness” improved dramatically. Effective in terms of

blogg
tech xx, coding
recreational xx
email

— $Cost is up to $2/session for an icecream or simple burger. I get to sit for hours in a clean, lively (no loneliness) environemnt with free wifi.

I always pick a non-peak hour, unpopular tiny seat like near the trash bin. I kinda prefer window seats, but those seats tend to be popular.

This experience/habit is an example of frugal indulgence. Middle-class and low-income individuals alike .. should explore this option without ~~guilt~~ or embarrassment.

hour-level time freedom #failureZ,retire,successE,,

Posted on Wed, 05/Jan/2022Sat, 18/Jan/2025 by tiger40490

k_quietime k_def_of_success

Overall, time-freedom is a vague phrase, not a memorable impact phrase.

— financial freedom vs time freedom
Time-freedom is the Level 4 of ffree, and a part and parcel of ffree. Jacob of ERE asked

Q: freedom to … do what?
A: Jacob’s question was presumably about time freedom measured in months .

My idea of time-freedom is more granular, like hour-level:

blogg
successZ: techXX for career longevity and to keep the mind active
successZ: workout
failureZ: screen addiction, including random news and curiositySou
recreational reading, but for-a-purpose
recreational investing
see other energySinks

Like ffree, time freedom is highly personal. Once you have a better understanding of what it means to yourself, you may realize that you could realistically enjoy time freedom while employed, at least for a while.

Soon after retiring, you may realize that you want the _freedom_ to work in a team, on a engaging project i.e. return from retirement.

— failureZ (flip side of the same coin known as time-freedom).. too much time freedom leads to unhealthy sleep patterns
Some retirees lose their daily schedule…

— successE … I feel hour-level time freedom is a non-trivial component of successE

— flexible work hours can lessen work stress, esp. if workload is lighter.

== retirement
— time-discipline due to work
If you love your job [personal interactions, engaging, purpose, in-demand,,,,], then yes your job will impose some welcome “time-discipline”.

Many retirees lose that discipline, and decline in health. See Lawrence Wong quoted in my blog

— daily commute .. a huge factor to _MY_ sense of time freedom. Paradoxically, some people treat the pockets of commute as personal quietime, as explained in the CNA article

Similarly, Flexible work hours prove to be another factor to my time freedom.

##powerSurge:which t-spends Feel strategic,here+now

Posted on Sun, 02/Jan/2022Tue, 28/Feb/2023 by tiger40490

This “framework” used to have quick intuitiveness as the main advantage.

“Strategic”/roti are loosely defined here. At any time I would be the jury and judge and I don’t need to be consistent.

Some of these things below are tough (in the burn/rot sense). So without a “power surge” I won’t look forward to them.

tip: BMI .. sunshine on intermittent fasting, raw veg, smoothie
tip: early rise. Q: How to get positive reinforcement?
tip: stand more ] ff.. Start in the early morning. Q: How to get positive reinforcement?
plan gym trips with boy
— some headaches to clear
HR-Block
BGC (Heverly) .. wait till paid up, then proceed with the next tenant.
— not so strategic
PNB: find some deposit account type
call police about Jill’s case
book more yoga classes
tip: reduce movie trips (conflict with yoga). Consider weekend movies (with or without kids)
DIYHI items … possibly time consuming
tip: utilize commute time to remove real stressors (mlphone)
— the low-power, easy items
compliance: move off Robinhood .. pick more names;

long-term ROTI=rare;prejudice about fun time with boy #600@高考 #500w

Posted on Wed, 01/Dec/2021Sat, 23/Mar/2024 by tiger40490

k_tyrant_of_rmSelf k_mellow

What kinda individuals like to point a finger at a school and say “So many students have failed to score 600 marks on gaokao 高考”? Real long-term ROTI is as rare as a perfect exam score:

QQ and coding drill? yes long-term ROTI but feels so fake
localSys .. doesn’t seem to help me keep my QQ knowledge afresh, or help maintain my sense of long-term security
coding drill? Yes long-term ROTI but Only for web 2.0 shops
long-term roti in quant, c#, noSQL, meta-programming…?
long-term roti in my zbs xx — not financial return
yoga roti? yes I would say long-term ROTI, but it feels not lasting
per investment roti? mostly small scale and recreational
— more specific items
work out with kids — considered not burn and low ROTI (too much wasted time) .. Actually tough, and builds family bound. Arguably no less strategic than QQ
reading boy’s exam papers … doesn’t seem to help my career
prepare math worksheet — considered not burn, not hard enough, not strategic, not related to my career
strength training — considered not burn, not hard enough.
refresh zbs know-how — considered not burn not IV-relevant.
refresh GTD know-how — considered not burn not IV-relevant.
refresh QQ — considered not burn and not strategic
bring boy out shopping as reward for him — considered high tcost low ROTI but extremely important to his +/-ve feedback loop

.. So why the hell do I point my finger at family time, boy’s coaching sessions, outing with boy, fun time with boy, relaxed time with boy etc? Any relaxed moment is seen as too “easy” and not burning enough. Such a burn/rot view is poisonous. It’s double-standard because I seldom point my finger at

myself blogging
myself on recreational reading
myself reading news, magazines
my curiosity searches on google
myself watching youtube
myself listening to bbc
my habitual comparison-shopping

I have been utterly prejudiced in my assessment of the value of family-time. I tend to hold highly negative views about my roti with kids, with yoga, MSFM, c#…. I have a habit to adopt a stringent standard (in a blatant double-standard) that invariably casts a bad light on my effort.

It’s like pointing out the imperfections in a beautiful woman.

Einstein doesn’t talk about burn/rot or ROTI. He plays the violin to entertain himself. My dad also listens to tapes for the same purpose.

Overall, I was fixated on materialistic ROTI (rmSelf) and self-discipline over the lazy self, to the detriment of self-esteem, family harmony, parental bond… What are the best ROTI efforts so far?

#1 long-term roti in my java QQ. Higher than c++, python, unix, SQL..
Top 5: long-term yoga — considered not burn and low ROTI… Actually extremely hard. Arguably more strategic than the coding drill etc,
Top 9: long-term roti in strength and endurance training
Top 20: long-term roti in my coding drill? It’s 100% interview driven, and not relevant to GTD.
long-term roti in renzi — even if my renzi coaching did enhance his renzi abilities and comprehension, you won’t see any improvement a few years later if he still refuses to apply his mind.

ctbz(寸土必争)[def]: micro-saving add up over5Y or involution #H2O

Posted on Sun, 31/Oct/2021Wed, 14/Feb/2024 by tiger40490

k_ctbz k_X_power_descriptor k_soul_search

In popular usage, 寸土必争 has a wider meaning, but in my case, ctbz := Once I set a realistic and measurable target for my endeavor, I push myself to execute my plan with ruthless, clinical precision, often semi-consciously beating myself up whenever I deviate visibly.

寸土必争 is often a daily struggle, tough for everyone. Therefore it’s actually my competitive strength! Most adults or young people don’t monitor their burn rate, calorie-quota or regular exercise. The cumulative effect would eventually show up.

Among these scarce resources, usable time is the most scarce, available up to age 60 (only 55 for some).

This is a killer talent and a visible personal advantage. Among the specific talents, the most significant (used to be $$) is calorie-quota budgeting. It has long-term health benefits.

Among these endeavors, my success is most visible and decisive in $$, and least in time-saving.

This is one reason for my carefree life at this age when my peers endure stress. This (and other) freedom comes with responsibility.

— warning .. ctbz can be hazardous. With cherry, other eaters would discard half the flesh. However, due to ctbz, i try to eat all the meat off the core. This is actually dangerous. When I do this without full concentration, the stone can get stuck at the throat or go down.

— domain: water.. in mid 2022, I found joy in saving water. The small actions make me feel /righteous/?/ and earn me self-respect. It sharpens my perception on numerous water wasting scenarios that are often overlooked. The small savings add up to a modest amount, but the sharpened perception will help me score big wins.

— domain: diet
Polyclinic dietitian said .. without precision, calorie reduction will be futile.

calorie-quota is a similar concept to carbon-quota. Each country each year is given a quota. If you over use bit by bit, then someday you need to borrow from the future quota.
— domain: workout
flexibility (+ muscle) declines with aging and requires periodic stretching, perhaps a few seconds each day — ctbz
— domain: burn rate .. my burn_rate_control (ffree) is the front page success story.
Some people save for months then spend all the savings at year end. Other people waste numerous small amounts of money on a monthly basis. Over decades they “throw down the drain” a painful portion (like 10-20%) of their income. elaborate planning of NY/SG trips is a case study.

[19]go`home early4family time

Posted on Sat, 02/Oct/2021Thu, 30/Jan/2025 by tiger40490

Initial trigger: I used to feel the “warm feeling” about going home early … some math with boy,,, some shopping,,, some home movie,, a bit of exercise … but the utilization rate has been disappointing 90% of the times. Leisure is important at this stage in my life (successE + successZ), but beware /mindless/ leisure.

(Analog — family outing is good, but we need to prepare and make it count because we only have a few outing trips a year.)

In Apr 2022 I started coming home early. Ahboy has more chats with me.

Q: what specific lasers would make me feel … justified?
A: more exercise including tough ones like chin-up, jumping jack and hard stretch? Well, I did more with grandpa watching, but this sweetener was insufficient ! 🙁
A: QQ? Still insufficient sweetening ! 🙁

I tried locking myself up in a room, with the earphone on. Still ineffective.
I tried working remotely. Not 100% effective.
I feel sitting in MRT station, Koufu, or downstairs help to some extent, if I can do it long enough.

Actually, my roti in office or in my “bachelor years” are not higher. See long-term roti=rare; prejudice about fun time with boy #finger-point`

— peer comparison.. Coming home early for family time never worked for me. It probably works for many peers but not me. No reason to feel shame, pity, or inferiority. The best I could do in the evening open-house is … see the open-house todo lists?

— serious focus .. As soon as I try to do anything serious, I often realize office is clearly superior — no mother scolding kids. That’s normal mode and the most important mode. There are rare exceptions when I’m more resilient but too rare.

— early sleep.. when I go home early, the family distractions would last until around 11pm. I get to settle down and focus only 1-2 hours later. That’s when I felt the need to focus and get some stuff done. That adds 1-2 hours, so I would often sleep past 1am.

Remember my q3sg email sent to Zeng, SPRaja etc.

Tip: do the “focus and get stuff done” in office. After going home. don’t aim for private-hour progress. Try to sleep early.

allure@late night quietime: enemy@earlyRise

Posted on Thu, 30/Sep/2021Tue, 18/Jun/2024 by tiger40490

k_quietime

##t-allocation frameworkS #0project tag

Posted on Fri, 10/Sep/2021Wed, 08/Feb/2023 by tiger40490

Note Many but not all of these “systems” are focused on spare time allocation.

At any juncture, I can pick ~~one~~ of the frameworks to serve as quick reminder to prioritize, focus, and get my act together. For this purpose, I like tried-n-tested, intuitive frameworks. However, does it lead to any “permanent” change in behavior with lasting impact on family’s life chances ?

— Q on spare time: more spare time can”buy”me__@@ #XR .. new concept
— Q on spare time: Energy Sink a.k.a. collector of disposable time
— Q on spare time: plowback]ez life
— Q on spare time: historical analysis ## where I want2spend spare time #^bachelor
— Q on spare time: historical analysis [16]spare time accounting #Luke Su
— Q on spare time: historical analysis “spare”time allocation history since 2006
— Q: get on the offensive #proactive
— dashboard 0_project category
— dashboard per-week blogpost
— dashboard 0.txt .. might be harder to sync across machines???
— framework (medium-horizon) –> quadrant
Many items are hard to classify.
— framework -> Sunshine ##strategic areas!!receiv`enough”sunshine”i.e.time
— framework (short-horizon) –> more or less — more time on X, less time on Y. Simple yet effective. Therefore frequently used.
##[16] too much/little time spent on and [20]how 2 allocate bandwidth #carefree phase are examples.
— framework -> absorbency and powerSurge
##which t-spends feel strategic,here+now #powerSurge is one example.
absorbency ranking — is another eg
— framework -> ##[17] long^near-horizon stressors: simple framework .. impacting time-allocation

btv-open

≠→≅

Category: spareTime