Back to the Grind

It's a Monday again and I bet most of you feel the same way I am feeling right now. Where in the world did my weekend go? Was there actually a weekend? Hahaha!!!

Why can't there be longer weekends? Why can't it be three days instead of two? Three is the perfect number - first day is to unwind and let it all out, second day is for time with family and loved ones ,and the third day is to just simply relax...nothing more, nothing less. Now, that would be just perfect. But unfortunately it does not go that way. Darn. :P

I guess the least we can do is make the most of whatever short break we have before getting back to the grind. What I usually do is plan for the weekend. Oh yeah you heard me right, I actually schedule my weekend along with the rest of the week. At least this way I get to maximize the 48 hours I have to unwind and relax and do whatever needs to be done which I can't on a regular weekday.

It may sound a little too "organized" for some but it works for me. I get to do what I really need to . Then if there is actually "extra time" left in my weekend schedule I am free to do "bonus" activities. Then before the last few hours of my weekend is over, I can actually look back and say "Yeah, at least my weekend was well-spent."

How about you? How do you go about maximizing your weekend?

Working on a Saturday Night

It is a Saturday night. It is such a relief to end such a hectic week. I am sure this is how most of us feel. We all can't wait to rest, relax and unwind.

But for some unexplainable reason, I have this urge to do some work on a Saturday night. Yes, you heard me right. I still feel like working even if I already had such a busy week. I know, I know. You are probably thinking on which side of the bed did I wake up this morning to make me a workaholic.

I guess it is just one of those nights that you had a good day earlier and was able to get enough rest as well as relax at the same time, which I did. That is why I still have a lot of energy and motivation left to do some productive things. Besides, there is no point in sleeping or trying to sleep when your mind is still wide awake. I will just end up tossing and turning in bed for hours. So why waste time and instead just do something worthwhile, right?

What do you think? Am I being a little workaholic here?... =)

Household Chores Online ?

How I wish!! It's online banking that I'm raving about.

This is a really neat innovation! It is very convenient for busy people like us moms who don't have the time to go out of our way and run to the bank to do some transactions. I know it's not like new or anything but it was only today that I really appreciated it.

Since I am online the whole day everyday because of the nature of my work, doing online bank transactions is undoubtedly the more practical thing for me to do that will not throw me off my crazy schedule. Imagine, I was able to check my account, update information and pay some bills in less than 15 minutes!

It takes forever in the bank to do all these since there are other people in line and you need to wait for your turn. Not to mention the hassle of travelling to the bank and finding a parking space. Lastly, I did not need to spend anything! Now that's the best part of it all. Right?

Now if only someone can find a way making household chores accessible online, that would just be so cool!!

Best Time

"God is always on time, never behind and never ahead. Happy is the man who learns to wait as he Prays and never loses Patience with God. For God's time is the best time!"

I received this forwarded text message from my Tita Nits earlier. I just thought of sharing it because it made a lot of sense to me.

We are all so caught up everyday with meeting deadlines, completing tasks and trying to reach our personal goals the soonest possible time. We forget to look at all the good things that we have already accomplished. As well as be satisfied and thankful for what we have now.

Of course, it does not mean that you just stop working on the smaller tasks that will make you reach your personal goals. It is more of reminding us not to be caught up so much with reaching the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We will all get there. When? In God's time.

Are you a CMT?...

...a Certified Multi-Tasker =) hehe..got you there didn't I?

I'm sure all your eyebrows were raised trying to figure out what that acronym stands for. It's just my own term for us busy mommies or should I say SAHMies and WAHMies...

People think that staying at home to work is a piece of cake but reality says otherwise. We all know very well that there are a lot of distractions when you have a home office. It's not just about accomplishing your work duties but trying to juggle it with mommy duties too such as watching your kids, preparing lunch and dinner, answering the door, attending to calls, doing the laundry, doing homework, naptime and the list goes on and on.

It's so easy to get caught up with all the activities that you need to do at that moment. And by the end of the day, you realize you really did not end up accomplishing the important tasks you set out to do for the day. This has happened to me often.

That's why I try my best to keep track of all the important things I need to do in my planner. Yes, it's still the old school way that I got used to doing ever since I was a kid in spite of having gadgets that can also do the job.

Here are things I do to manage my time and organize my day:

1. Make a list. - I list down all the things I need to do for the week. These would include appointments, things to do, reminders etc.
2. Prioritize. - I take note of which things in my list are urgent, have deadlines and needs my immediate action.
3. Plan it out. - I plan out my week. I write out in my planner the things I need to do according to the day it should be done. This way I will not feel so overwhelmed that I have a lot to do since it has been spread out through the week.
4. Color code. - I like to color code the things I need to do so that it will make the tasks seem lighter when I look at the colorful page in my planner as well as making it easy to spot.
   
5. Check it off. - This is my favorite part - checking out from my list what I have finished doing already. It gives me a sense of accomplishment especially when all I have set out to do for the day are done.
6. Be flexible. - There are some things that you just can't plan like a surprise visit from your in-laws or having to run to the grocery coz you ran out of oil for cooking. No need to panic or get all flustered since things did not go as planned. Just try to get back on track.
7. Be positive. - If at times it seems things are not going as planned, just always look on the bright side and keep trying. You will get it done - eventually. =)

Do you have any tips that you can share with me?