sunday evenings

like now,

is usually when the old familiar feeling of anxiety

strikes the hardest.

it creeps up on me,

at first from a distance,

then becomes bolder

as we approach the end

of the week

end.

Clearing

Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world
so worth of rescue.

- Martha Postlewaite 

Duty

Obviously, I have no deliverable this Sunday. And because I did not plan, I had planned for failure. Were there too many projects to choose from? Was there — god forbid — a flinch?

So let's go back to structure. I'm remembering how I tackled each domain last time, with ideal scenarios, main objectives, and actionable items. I'm gonna bring back that format; an update on the direction I'm heading for each domain. I've again streamlined to 20 sub-domains (from the previous 22) pictured below.

Next Sunday's deliverable: Clear plans for 6 sub-domains of high priorities.

1. Sleep (Light)

2. Casesheets (Light)

3. Diet (Medium)

4. Exercise (Medium)

5. Sexualized Behaviours (Heavy)

6. Further Studies (Heavy)

I've also decided on my rewards for Beta Accountability: Film & TV!

For each line unbroken I get to download a new film, or tv series episodes! So each week means 5 potential downloads! But this only applies IF I deliver my Sunday deliverable.

So recently, instead of going on auto-pilot to download what I on-and-off crosses my mind, I've started making a list on a notepad file in my dropbox. The list presently includes Cardcaptor Sakura Season 3, Legend of Korra, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Marlon Brando films, James Dean films, & I'm pretty sure True Blood the upcoming season. 

I'm thinking this is quite a win-win situation. Instead of spending time to watch TV and avoiding the tasks, I delay my gratification by not even downloading it to begin with. I also employ the David Allen GTD method, of placing these possible films in a "Someday/Maybe" type of list so that it's not in my head, draining cognitive resources or occupying psychic space. But I also do really wanna watch them, so it motivates me to accomplish my daily tasks!

So I'm gonna try it out to see how motivating it really is.

Wish me luck!

Subject To Change

Re-e-value-ating; values & principles.

I.. forgot

People I met over the weekend and the things they said reminded me of things I should not have forgotten:

One: Be the change
Two: Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option

Quite awesome

昨日の自分より強く

Click for a bigger version

An updated version: reduced 13 sub-headings to 10. May the uncluttering and streamlining continue.
Persevere. Improve.

昨日の自分より強く　Stronger than you were yesterday.

Rock Lee, Naruto Shippuden Episode 28 

Fire Bird

Click for larger version

In an attempt to renew conviction, dedication, and motivation. An updated version of my previous wallpaper.

Quotable Quotes IV

"It’s up to you to make everyday as perfect as possible.
It’s a question of will and discipline."

Karl Lagerfeld

Tools...

...No matter how inventive, are only useful when they have a purpose.

Remember the iDoneThis tool that Yishu shared about previously? Well I thought it was a really cool tool and have been wanting to find a use for it in my life.

So I signed up and tried to use it for a while to record the things I had completed on a daily basis. But it didn't seem very useful because I didn't actually have a clear purpose of why and what I wanted to record.

Until yesterday when it hit me! I could use it to record the things I am thankful about each day! It would be like my own gratitude diary! Having been a psychology student, I have came across many many studies previously of how cultivating a sense of gratitude for the little things in our lives can build resilience. 

So I'm going to start small, be mindful, and learn to count my blessings each day!

"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back."

It's been quite quiet lately here, hasn't it? :)

How has everyone been? Are you a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday?

Flow

For the first time ever (or at least in a long time), I planned out and ironed the clothes I would be wearing for the week on a Sunday night.

Between Sunday and today, I also completed three reports.

Now, more than ever, it's so important to show up.

Go Go Curry

"Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out."

Anton Chekhov

mid-week post, are you still on track?

to ∞
and beyond

Resolutions: February 2012

"We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day."

And so after close to a month of practicing the habits I set out to cultivate in January, I am happy to report that despite some occasional lapses,  I've managed to inch a little closer to sleeping earlier, having a daily exercise routine, drinking a cup of water in the morning, and keeping an expenses log.

The habits that I would still need to work on are: eating breakfast at home and well, hydration.

Now that the month is drawing to an end, it's exciting to look forward to conquering an additional new set of challenges for February.

Here they are:

1. Plan outfits, bags etc the night before.
2. Wake up when the alarm rings (do not snooze). 
3. Be punctual. 
4. Perform acts of service with a smile.
5. Practice deep listening.

The mini-projects I would work on are in the domains of Self (Grooming) and Projects (Paper Boxes, Script).

Sounds like I've got February all cut out for me now!

The Art of Imperfection

Haha ok apologies in advance if this post sounds a bit frivolous. 

Just wanted to share a small tip I learnt when I was at the hair salon last saturday that fills me with a very strange sense of happiness (as in I don't know why I am so happy also).

You see, I always wondered how people could get hair partings that looked so natural. For years, what I'd do is to comb my hair up when it's wet, find the parting and then comb it straight down on both ends. Which often left me with a "perfectly straight" parting.

The stylist shared that I should find the parting when it's wet, and refrain from combing it through again when I blow dry, leaving it to fall naturally on its own. Finally,  I should leave a small gap at the front and comb perpendicularly straight down at the parting, towards the back of my head and just leave it to dry.

It's just that simple! I don't know why I took so long to ask. I guess things often look unattainable until we discover how do-able they are.

Kenny's Tips: Recycled Materials

I have more photos of my drawers after cleaning and updating them. Added a scotch tape dispenser at the back of this one, which can come in handy (found it unused in the study room downstairs). Today, I shall continue sharing Kenny's Tips, covering: organization with recycled materials!

One thing I find super useful are boxes and little containers, such as those you might receive gifts in. I flatten the ugly cardboard ones and recycle them straightaway. But I've always kept a small collection of quaint lil' boxes, not knowing what to do with them. They could have been sentimental keepsakes, subconscious pillars, or worse still, signs of a hoarder to be born.

However, somewhere between ending my career in the university and beginning another in the hospital, I got inspired by sites like Workawesome, and got to creating a functional workspace for myself. And while trying to organize the first — and most accessible — drawer with the things I use most for work — stationery — it struck me that I could make use of the boxes to segment the space, so things don't just roll all over the place when I open and close my drawers. So I whipped the boxes out and worked them like a jigsaw puzzle, fitting pieces not meant to be together with each other.

I like that my stationery and organizational boxes don't look like a sterile minimalist set; they look like they were collected over time, over places. And within that pastiche are personal memories attached: the two clear plastic boxes at the left are from City Chain where my Dad bought my current K-Swiss watch; the two blue ones on the right housed a pair of Oakley sunglasses, given by my army peeps when I ORD-ed; some of the stationery, previously imprisoned in my box for sentimental stuff, like pencils, Hello Kitty eraser, one of the rulers, were given by classmates; other stationery were garnered all over the house, some I used since sec sch, jc, uni.

I like this idea of recycling materials for organization. They don't incur cost. I imbue them a sense of renewed purpose. Interestingly, while everyone at home used to hunt high and low for stationery in pockets of spaces all over the house where stationery could be, only to ask my mum, "where is the -insert tool- ar?" at the end of the day, nowadays, they just comes into my room, take it, use it, and put it back. I think this fits into one of my goals for Room domain: Every item in the room has a space where it belongs.

So I've shared some tools I use to support me through my journey towards awesomeness. What are some tips and tools you use?

Kenny's Tips: Receipt Holders

Welcome to a new series on Kenny's Tips, where Kenny shares little random tricks he uses to perk himself up on the journey towards A Better Self.

Today's tip involves both the Room domain, and probably Finances domain. In my drawer, I hold all my credit card receipts, until I've settled payment. In the past, they'd fly around in the drawer and become a ridiculous mess. I had to re-organize everything and it was hard to keep track if I've already paid a particular bill. Last year when I had some spare plastic sheet, I cut out small strips and with the labeller at work, I made them into holders!

So I have three of these small holders, for three of my credit cards. With that, the receipts are sorted and clipped nicely into the respective groups. Now, my purchases can be verified and the (non-sensitive) receipts can be recycled after I've settled the bills. It's also a nice clean way to visually keep track of which card I'm using more and what my credit card expenses could be just by seeing how many receipts I've accumulated (though it's also included in my expense budget). I like that it's made with recycled material, I didn't buy anything new, and I've been using it for months and I find it useful for me — no more Drawer of Flying Receipts! Simple & Happy.

At the risk of letting you know what's in my personal drawers, here's seeing it in action:

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The World Can Be A Very Exciting Place When You Open Your Mind To It

I'm really starting to believe this.

When you throw aside all the baggage of things that actually don't really matter (i.e., not sweating the small stuff) and start to trust yourself a little more, when you free up space in your mind and your physical environment so you don't feel so overwhelmed, you will find that when new exciting opportunities start to show up at your door, you are in a better position to say yes.

Yes to the projects that push you a little further out of you comfort zone.
Yes to the projects that allow you to do the things you love, and at the same time, create value for others.

It's going to be an exciting journey ahead.

Un-Panic Room

One of the many perks of incorporating simplicity and leading an uncluttered life is that when Chinese New Year comes around the corner, there is no sudden hectic rush to "spring clean". I've also become less compelled to use 'purge' — suggesting a mega overhaul — and instead use 'de-clutter'. So today, I was de-cluttering my room, working on tasks in my Room domain.

Goals:
1. Have a clean and aesthetic place to live, work, & play in
2. Every item in the room has a space where it belongs

For the tasks, I was cleaning, organizing, and updating the room. I "recced" the room to see what needed work done, and today's focus was more on my desk drawers. Another Next-Action was also to schedule a bi-monthly review of the living space, which would be on a Sunday. Maintenance and cleaning will still happen as and when needed.

The thing is the Room domain might be a little large, and I've worked on it for quite a long time prior to our Better Selves project, albeit not as structured as now. I know what the colour scheme of the room is. A lot of systems had also been put in place. I guess for future consideration: short-term wise, I'm thinking of mini-projects to enhance my living space; long-term wise, I want to expand this domain to include the whole house: make it a better space for my family, help paying utilities, etc.

If I drew a graph of how you spend your time and money, I'd have drawn a picture of your priorities

It's serendipitous that the Golden Globes are held when I'm on leave. Much like how I was on leave at home for Oscars last year.

But I realize I don't care anymore. Not that I don't care about Hollywood or accolades; I just don't feel the need  to sit in front of the TV to spend 3 - 4 hours to honour them. I will read about it later.

And this I think, required no effort on my part. Or any conscious decision. My priorities have just shifted.

Because I have a clearer big picture.

Quotable Quotes III

“In every job that must be done,
there is an element of fun.

You find the fun and
‘SNAP!’
the job’s a game"

Mary Poppins (1964)