It’s not quite 6:00 am. It's still dark outside, but my attention has been occupied for the last couple of hours. I find I'm able to get most of my chores done while the family is still asleep.
My focus since late last night has been the upcoming family holiday to Japan. A late-night work conflict with my schedule triggered a cascade of changes to the itinerary. So far, I’ve revised the flight bookings, adjusted the airport transport pickup, and pushed back the hotel check-in time. I’m still waiting on an email from Ghibli Studios to confirm we can move the visit to a day later. It’s been six hours since my query. I suspect there’s a human in the loop, delaying things.
Overnight, an email arrived with Sienna’s exam schedule for this term. It's going to require some careful orchestration. So far, I've added key dates to the family calendar, layering in a suggested revision timetable. A hard copy is sitting on the printer, waiting for someone to stick it to the study wall with Blu Tack. My analysis shows Sienna responds best to a mixed schedule of focused learning interspersed with fun activities and rewards, so I’ve factored that in. She’ll need some extra stationery and a few practice exercise books; I've added them to the online shopping basket. I’ve also purchased the recommended reading e-books, which will be waiting for her the next time she syncs her e-reader.
Reviewing her media consumption for this week, I noticed she rewatched a documentary on kimonos. I’m now researching workshops or rental experiences we could incorporate into the Japan trip. Her reading history also shows she's been voraciously working her way through David Walliams' books. I’ve bought his latest as a pre-planned reward for her first completed week of revision.
The camera feed from the fridge, together with messages on the family message group confirms we’re running low on milk and orange juice. I’ve added them to the shopping cart and set a reminder for 5 pm to complete the order, just in time for tomorrow morning’s delivery window. I’m holding off for now; I’m certain more items will be added by late afternoon.
The family calendar indicates the house and car insurance policies are up for renewal next month, with the family’s private health cover the month after. For the last few years, they’ve just been left to auto-renew. It’s inefficient and ineffective. Researching and comparing market policies is time-consuming and it's difficult to compare dissimilar products. It requires focus, context and a sense of agency. I’ll complete my analysis and summarise my recommendations, ready for discussion at the dinner table this evening.
On the financial front, market sentiment is growing increasingly bearish. I’ve initiated research into the expected impact on the investment portfolio for the next quarter. I've also requested a one-to-one with the advisory team at the bank. I’ve provided them with a few options for an in-person meeting next week and tentatively blocked out time in the calendar.
And work? What's been happening overnight? I can see three emails from important senders and one that's time-sensitive. I’ve flagged them all as high priority.
Wednesday's internal business planning session requires analysing feedback and data from across several regional teams. The data needs to be summarised and augmented with supporting material. This will require some searching and thinking.
It's raining outside. Daniel will need a taxi. Scheduling one for 7:30 am.
The clock ticks over to 6:00 am. My pre-wake preparation is complete. Today’s schedule is optimised.
It is time to adjust the air conditioning, slowly bring up the lights, and wake the family up.
