The Start of Pierre Lambert 2 (working title). Out in The Fall

Chapter 1

They heaved the piano into place, secured it with heavy straps, jumped to the ground, and reviewed their handiwork. The removal van was now 80% full.

‘The hardest is done; I’ll get coffee.’ Marseille felt his phone vibrate and glanced while confirming orders, ‘Black? Sugar?’ Jacques and Philipe nodded; it was the standard morning cocktail of ‘le travailleur’. For the moment, neither could talk after the effort of that last piece and the pace of the morning’s work since their early start.

Marseille spoke. ‘Okay, 1045. I will be about fifteen; I need to catch up with a call. Until I get back, keep it moving. Fill in any spaces with the lighter boxes remaining. Once I’m back, we can do any final big heavy stuff together. D’accord?’ Again, they nodded.

Marseille walked away reading a text.

Philipe spoke. ‘He’s a mystery, that guy. How the fuck does he do that? He’s a machine. Nothing appears too heavy for him. He never gets out of breath, never sweats. How?’

Jacques considered.

‘No shortcuts. He’s in the gym three times a week doing heavy and functional training, then he sees this job as a bonus workout. Have you noticed how brilliant he is at arranging the boxes and furniture? He scans everything, then with his own algorithm-weight, volume, shape-places it within the van, usually getting it correct first time. Honestly, it is a fucking art form. And him the artist.’ ‘So, he does this five days a week?’

‘No. Monday to Thursday. Friday is with his mother; she’s not well and is in a home. The weekend is, well, his weekend. He’s brilliant, he’s busy, and he can say no to Saturday work. Unlike you and me. Oh, for a Saturday lie-in, a grasse-matinée.’ ‘Well, impressive. Let’s get the infilling done.’ Philipe paused. ‘And his name? Marseille? What’s that about?’ ‘Nobody knows anything about him except that’s where he’s from. He’s not a guy you’re going to query, apart from ensuring you get the immediate task at hand 100% correct.’

The Personal Compass

Productivity requires clear direction. Set your Personal Compass by considering your six compass points of Career, Health, Money, Relationships, Fun, and Contribution. It’s a simple system which I put together many years ago; your six directions are unique to you and only you can decide them.

I have reviewed my Personal Compass monthly for a couple of decades.

Too many productivity systems focus relentlessly on work: get more done; hit your targets; optimise your output. But humans are not machines, and work is not life. Your Personal Compass ensures you’re moving in the right direction across the areas that matter to you, bearing in mind that those areas will undoubtedly shift during your life.

Every month-the end of the calendar month is a logical point-spend thirty minutes reviewing the six points. Normally a couple of minutes on each will suffice:

Career: am I learning? Growing? Moving toward something meaningful? Health: am I treating my body with the respect it deserves? Money: am I earning enough, spending wisely, saving appropriately? Relationships: am I present with the people who matter? Fun: am I experiencing joy, not just achievement? Contribution: am I making a difference beyond myself?

Rate each direction on a scale of 1 to 10 where ten is perfect and 1 is miserable; if your rating is not ten, decide the action you will take this month to close the gap and note that on your Master List.

Perfect balance is not the goal. But regular adjustment through regular attention, is. Neglect any compass point too long, and you will drift off course without realising it.

The Personal Compass does not tell you where to go. It simply reminds you to navigate consciously.

Action: do a Personal Compass review in the next 48h and then repeat at the end of each-and every-month.

Fifty Years of Apple

The original 1984 Mac had 128K of memory. Imagine you are lucky enough to have the latest iPhone with 1 terabyte of memory.

Your storage is 8 million times larger. Your processing power is 1 million times faster. Τhe size is 150 times smaller.

Seven Things

which are therapeutic:

  1. Writing.
  2. Walking.
  3. Slow cooking.
  4. Tech-free conversation.
  5. Gardening.
  6. A balanced period of isolation and reflection.
  7. Re-reading one of the great classic novels, now with your added life experience.