What the haze and PSI can teach us about life
Have you been seeing Facebook status updates like these recently?
“PSI 400!”
“Can you believe that the PSI is 355 now?”
“PSI at an all-time high.”
“The PSI is now officially ‘hazardous’.”
“PSI surpasses previous high of 226!”
Learning from the haze
The haze has been bad and we've all suffered.
But this article isn't about what we can do to make the haze go away (even though I wish it would go away permanently!).
Instead, this article is about what we can learn from our reaction to the haze situation.
PSI obsession
Over the past couple of weeks, we've become fixated on a single number: the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI).
88.
120.
147.
173!
240!!
321?!?
355?!?!
400?!?!?!
I don’t doubt that the PSI is an important number that we should track meticulously.
But our obsession with the most up-to-date PSI reading got me thinking: What if we tracked other things just as carefully, things that matter even more than the PSI?
Laziness index
Imagine if we could scientifically track Singapore’s laziness index (I’ll call it the “LZI”).
Would you see Facebook status updates like these?
“The LZI is creeping upwards. Everyone, start working harder RIGHT NOW.”
“The LZI is at an all-time high. No more Facebook and Twitter at work.”
Unkindness index
Or what if we could accurately monitor Singapore's unkindness index (“UKI”)?
Do you think you’d see status updates like the ones below?
“The UKI is at the ‘hazardous’ level. All of us need to get out there and do something kind immediately!”
“The UKI has been increasing rapidly—no more tailgating on the roads, please.”
Tracking the numbers that matter
Of course, I'm being ridiculous.
It’s impossible to convert Singapore’s laziness or unkindness levels into an index.
But the point I'm trying to make is that we often fail to pay attention to the things that matter most in life, just because there isn't one simple number to tell us how we’re doing.
This applies to how hardworking, patient, generous, understanding or courageous we are.
Why we’re fixated on the PSI
What is it about the PSI that makes us so fixated on it?
1. The PSI affects us in a tangible way.
2. The PSI is a single number that tells the whole story (okay, not quite the whole story, but at least a good part of it) in a simple way.
3. The PSI is updated regularly.
I think it’s possible to apply these principles in our personal lives, in order to make us more reflective and effective people.
PSI principles of leading a better life
I'm sure we all want to be people who don’t just react to the situations in our lives; instead, we want to respond to them intentionally. We want to lead a principles-centered life that’s both meaningful and memorable.
Naturally, we’ll always have practical considerations to take into account, but we need to remind ourselves of what’s most important in the long run.
Drawing on the three attributes of the PSI that I've described above, here are three things we can do to lead a better life:
1. Periodically think about one area of your life that affects you tangibly, e.g. your relationship with your children.
2. Focus on cultivating just one simple habit every month, e.g. establish some “no nagging” time every day (maybe during dinner) where you absolutely do not nag at your children.
3. Regularly reflect on how you’re progressing in developing that one habit. You could spend just two minutes each day thinking about what you did well and what you didn't do well with regard to that habit.
What matters now vs. what matters most
These actions will ensure that you make better decisions day by day. After all, a great life is built one day at a time, and one decision at a time.
It’s Socrates who observed that “the unexamined life is not worth living”. Following his advice, we’d be wise to examine what we can learn from the haze situation, so that we can grow as individuals and as a nation.
Together, let’s focus on what matters most, not just on what matters now.
Singapore is counting on us.
Daniel Wong is a learning and personal development expert, as well as a certified youth counselor. A sought-after speaker and coach, he is also the best-selling author of "The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success". He offers programmes to help students attain exam excellence while also finding happiness and fulfillment, and to empower parents to motivate their unmotivated teenagers. He writes regularly at www.daniel-wong.com. Download his FREE e-books, "The Unhappiness Manifesto: Do You Make These 150 Mistakes In The Pursuit Of Happiness?" and "Singapore Scholarship Guide: The $500,000 Decision". The views expressed are his own.
