The 5 Ds
Twenty years ago, I had observations, from many people I came across. of the 5Ds idiosyncratic of Australian society - Drive, Dance, Dole, Drugs and Dogs. These ostensibly one-sided views of the possible propensities of most likely Aussie behaviour stereotyped the need to cover long distances to do anything; the apparently high drive to express one's self in performing arts at an early age; the strong financial support provided by government for individuals and families without employment income; the easy availability of fixation substances and addictive products ranging from alcohol and tobacco to party sniffers and street poisons; and the presence of so many well taken-care-of canines, who seemed to have a better life in Australia compared to many human beings overseas.
At the cusp of a new decade, I have re-visited the 5Ds of my own Australian experience and now offer a revised update of these original Ds. To me now, they are personally Determination, Detail, Demeanour, Decisiveness and De-cluttering.
Australia can be a comfortable society, and it is vital to maintain the determination for improvement and innovation. It has been a rather Lucky Country, cruising through difficult world economic patches with perhaps timely demand for our resources to mitigate against our mainstream unproductive past times of retail spending, excessive debt accumulation and lack of concern that we have lost our manufacturing base forever. To have determination in human beings, often enough one needs a certain level of hunger, ambition and aim. To quote a micro illustration, I reside in a region of this continent nation where the variety and quality of food and food products, in my opinion, can be rather limited, and that maintains in me a hunger to appreciate good food and produce when I can access it. If Australia as an economy has not had a rather sharp economic adjustment since 1991, how can one ensure the motivation to build up the determination to compete against other nations and challengers? (oh yes, I still have to drive for long distances in Australia - and that has not changed since 1989).
Attention to detail is useful in a nation with the world's possibly most complicated tax regulations, fine print in contracts or equipment manuals/ cd guides and having one of the most litigious mindsets after California, USA. There are too many choices on supermarket shelves, it can take the fun of impulse buying - and one also gets the dollar price indicated per 100 grams or per part of a litre, so there is no opportunity, while walking the aisles, to work out bargains in your own head. On the other hand, there are still many roads in greater Sydney at junctions with no road names displayed, just when one gets lost without a GPS signal and yet there is the repeated same names for roads in every suburb. Everyone must ensure paying attention to the detail on customs declaration and arrival cards at any airport in Australia.
How you hold yourself, apart from the verbal barrage that some people I know at work practice to much relish, is even more important. At times, your apparent demeanour is utilised to interpret things in yourself which you never even dreamed of. Most of Australian society is quickly taken with the gift of the gab when they have made up their minds to love you, and when they somehow otherwise find you irritating, even for no reason at all, they analyse your every non-verbal signal, presentation and look. Be especially wary at interviews, when first meeting strangers and when you try to sell something. The right smile may overcoming everything and lead you to open vistas or new opportunities. And I am sure the right expression always comes in handy if you are making a dance move.
With so little time available and so many things to do in the big smokes of Sydney and Melbourne, a rather good flair in applying decisiveness can get you the last available dining table, the sought after ticket and the right train cabin to jump into on some rather confronting days and scenarios. This is an advantage when trying to place your beloved child in the right school, camp activity or Saturday class. Decisiveness also means when to flirt to the next big bonus, corporate box, share tip or mentor in the ever delectable and delicate game of politics and personalities in the business or political world. People come and go, so decisiveness is most significant when you have the love of your life in front of you and yet you do not jump at the potential offer(and I am not talking about drugs!).
When you reckon you have achieved a fair measure of implementing all the above Ds, then it is time to consider de-cluttering. The average Australian household, I am told, changes location on an average of every seven years, so it is best not to over accumulate things, using the innate fear of removalist day to always practise moderation and the art of letting go. Personally I use the benchmark that I do not need to keep something if I have not used it for over a year. Maybe I have to be more strict with myself going forward. The changing of the seasons encourage us to acquire new plants, electronic stuff, kitchen utensils, software in various media forms, sports, groups, hobbies, clothes and the like. I have since realised all that I need is a new attitude in treating new products or trends as passer-bys, instead of forcing them to join my inner sense of a club. Then I will always have room for the new, the untried and the unusual. Not just in physical form, but more so in ideas, concepts and state of mind.
At the cusp of a new decade, I have re-visited the 5Ds of my own Australian experience and now offer a revised update of these original Ds. To me now, they are personally Determination, Detail, Demeanour, Decisiveness and De-cluttering.
Australia can be a comfortable society, and it is vital to maintain the determination for improvement and innovation. It has been a rather Lucky Country, cruising through difficult world economic patches with perhaps timely demand for our resources to mitigate against our mainstream unproductive past times of retail spending, excessive debt accumulation and lack of concern that we have lost our manufacturing base forever. To have determination in human beings, often enough one needs a certain level of hunger, ambition and aim. To quote a micro illustration, I reside in a region of this continent nation where the variety and quality of food and food products, in my opinion, can be rather limited, and that maintains in me a hunger to appreciate good food and produce when I can access it. If Australia as an economy has not had a rather sharp economic adjustment since 1991, how can one ensure the motivation to build up the determination to compete against other nations and challengers? (oh yes, I still have to drive for long distances in Australia - and that has not changed since 1989).
Attention to detail is useful in a nation with the world's possibly most complicated tax regulations, fine print in contracts or equipment manuals/ cd guides and having one of the most litigious mindsets after California, USA. There are too many choices on supermarket shelves, it can take the fun of impulse buying - and one also gets the dollar price indicated per 100 grams or per part of a litre, so there is no opportunity, while walking the aisles, to work out bargains in your own head. On the other hand, there are still many roads in greater Sydney at junctions with no road names displayed, just when one gets lost without a GPS signal and yet there is the repeated same names for roads in every suburb. Everyone must ensure paying attention to the detail on customs declaration and arrival cards at any airport in Australia.
How you hold yourself, apart from the verbal barrage that some people I know at work practice to much relish, is even more important. At times, your apparent demeanour is utilised to interpret things in yourself which you never even dreamed of. Most of Australian society is quickly taken with the gift of the gab when they have made up their minds to love you, and when they somehow otherwise find you irritating, even for no reason at all, they analyse your every non-verbal signal, presentation and look. Be especially wary at interviews, when first meeting strangers and when you try to sell something. The right smile may overcoming everything and lead you to open vistas or new opportunities. And I am sure the right expression always comes in handy if you are making a dance move.
With so little time available and so many things to do in the big smokes of Sydney and Melbourne, a rather good flair in applying decisiveness can get you the last available dining table, the sought after ticket and the right train cabin to jump into on some rather confronting days and scenarios. This is an advantage when trying to place your beloved child in the right school, camp activity or Saturday class. Decisiveness also means when to flirt to the next big bonus, corporate box, share tip or mentor in the ever delectable and delicate game of politics and personalities in the business or political world. People come and go, so decisiveness is most significant when you have the love of your life in front of you and yet you do not jump at the potential offer(and I am not talking about drugs!).
When you reckon you have achieved a fair measure of implementing all the above Ds, then it is time to consider de-cluttering. The average Australian household, I am told, changes location on an average of every seven years, so it is best not to over accumulate things, using the innate fear of removalist day to always practise moderation and the art of letting go. Personally I use the benchmark that I do not need to keep something if I have not used it for over a year. Maybe I have to be more strict with myself going forward. The changing of the seasons encourage us to acquire new plants, electronic stuff, kitchen utensils, software in various media forms, sports, groups, hobbies, clothes and the like. I have since realised all that I need is a new attitude in treating new products or trends as passer-bys, instead of forcing them to join my inner sense of a club. Then I will always have room for the new, the untried and the unusual. Not just in physical form, but more so in ideas, concepts and state of mind.
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