This week, I attended yet another conference. The conference was about cyber security, and I was responsible for one of the tracks of the conference. It was a positive experience, but also quite draining. And today, Thursday August 29th, I held a 1 hour presentation for colleagues at work, together with one other guy. That was also a positive experience, but also – again – draining.

Tomorrow is Friday August 30th, and on Sunday is September 1st. I have other conferences coming up in October, November and January that I am either fully, or partially, responsible for.

Today, I finished reading my book #50 for 2024, and I recently upgraded my goal for 2024 from 50 to 75 books. So I now have 4 months or so to read 25 books; around 6 books per month. That should do fine. I find that I don’t do much in my spare time anyway. I spend time with my 13 year old son, I read, I go to the cinema in the weekends, and I meet friends sometimes, and sometimes I go to the gym.

But is this life of mine structurally sound?

Let’s see. What does Google Gemini Advanced have to say?

From the response:

“Structurally sound” in this context could refer to whether your current lifestyle:

• Supports your well-being: Does it allow for adequate rest, relaxation, and time to recharge, especially considering the demanding nature of your work with conferences and presentations?
• Promotes a sense of balance: Is there a healthy mix of work, personal life, leisure activities, and social interaction?
• Aligns with your values and long-term goals: Are you prioritizing the things that matter most to you, both personally and professionally?
• Is sustainable in the long run: Can you maintain this pace and lifestyle without experiencing burnout or neglecting important aspects of your life?

Long-term goals. That is the tricky one. Because I see that – – yes, I do have my long-term goals. I work in a big organization in Norway with over 100.000 members. I work as project manager at the Competence Center of that organization. Ok. I have goals for my work there for the next 6 months, and the next 3 years, and the next 7 years. They are not fleshed out, but they are definitely there. They are there, and those goals fill me with a sense of mastery; of accomplishment; when I move one step towards my goal.

I feel that my lifestyle supports my well-being, and a sense of balance. I work a lot sometimes, but that is the exception. I am far from some workaholic.

I want to study again. That is a main thing. The last formal studying I did was in 2015 when I finished my bachelor programme of Project Management at BI business school here in Norway. So, I want to start studying again in 2025. Next year, in January.

Structurally sound. I may regret things that I have done, but mostly I regret the things that I did NOT do. I don’t regret the moves I made when I was enthusiastic about something; that gut feeling is important for me, and when I had it, I just let it flow, freely, without much consideration.

I have become more careful, and more introverted. I often prefer the company of a book to another person.

But I will think more about those long-term goals, that is an important point for me.

I started blogging in 2000; 24 years ago. The online name then was “Ehich”. I used Livejournal. And then in 2002, my online handle became DLTQ – Don’t Lose the Question.

And later, I was uncertain whether it was just a Question. Or if there are Questions that I should not lose.

Drop my questions on the floor vs Drop my question on the floor.

It’s a subtle difference, but it is also very real, very in my face. Because if it is A question that I should lose, then it points to a Core Question in my life; a starting point, that I should not forget even as I move through my life.

But if it is instead the plural, the QUestions that I should not Lose. Then – so what? Wha would that mean? What would it mean for me to know that it’s the totality of the questions that I should not lose.

And what does it mean to Lose a question? To forget it, lost in my past? Or that I drop it, on the floor, on my graveyard of questions and thoughts and ideas; I drop it, and I then decide to forget about it.

59.

Now, it is the 59 that is my focus. Will I lose that? In 5, or 10, or 43? The 59 that slowly drips down; decreases towards the nil, nothing, zip, nada.

DLTQ
Ehich

During my childhood, I recreated books in my fantasy, and I changed some things. Elements in the story. Now I might say that I change some of the parameters. Like twisting some knobs in the sound studio, making those little twisting movements, left or right, and I then see/notice the changes, or I don’t.

Weekend. August 23rd 2024. 59.