Save time in 2017

Free up time for things you love!

This was a busy week! It was filled with 2 days travelling, another full day event with a local client plus studying for my professional certificate. 28 February is the deadline and having that date fixed, time’s running fast! Last night, I almost lost it looking around the house. It was all messy, stuff everywhere. It’s the worst feeling when you’re exhausted, don’t you agree?

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October is another “No Spending Month”

Will you join me?

It’s a little bit later than my usual blog post. But today, I had a very good reason: I had to store all my groceries and other the other things bought while visiting my family last week. And how much I had to put away! Tons! After all, I flew back with 40 kgs (88 lbs). To my defence, not of it was for me. Some things were presents for upcoming birthdays or requests from friends.

Still, I’ve enough food till Christmas and am making October another “No Spending Month”.

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Why I’ll only commit to one personal appointment per day

Are you, too, over-committing to too many appointments?

When you first come to the region, you’ll notice the differences to your home country. The A/C can be set too freezing cold and you’re wearing layers to prepare for the difference in temperatures. Traffic can be challenge and you’ve learnt to anticipate the erratic driving styles of other drivers. Meetings don’t always start on time and you’re bringing some reading material to ease your weight.

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Dealing with frustrations

Can you handle your frustrations and the negative emotions?

Experienced any frustrations this week? Welcome to my week of highs and lows. I got a new laptop with a new operating system last weekend. Today’s Thursday and I’m still struggling with the different functionalities. It feels like every step takes 2x or 3x as long as with the old laptop. Very frustrating!

But it doesn’t need to be frustrating. Learn here how you can reduce your frustrations by making small mindset changes.

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Focus

Do you focus on your vision?

“Focus on what’s important to you!” That’s my new motto. In recent weeks and months, I’ve had so many things on my plate. Everything required time and efforts from me and at times, I felt like a circus performer juggling 15 little oranges. Despite managing most of the time, I lost my vision and wasn’t focusing anymore. It was almost like auto pilot, just get it done.

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Use your resources wisely

How to get the most with the resources you got

You’ve all heard it: “Less is more.” Especially with Ramadan being here, we will have less working hours in the day and if you’re fasting, your body will feel more exhausted quicker. Managing your resources will be vital during the Holy Month but it shouldn’t stop here.

Once the summer is over (or even before that), companies will be pushing full steam ahead and are expecting high productivity. Yet, you’re probably not getting additional team members to support your work project. How many activities will your kids enrol at school and how many will you need and/or want to attend? Your spouse may also want to spend some quality time with you alone? It sounds exhausting just writing about it.

So how do you manage your resource well and avoid being depleted by the end of the day?

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Choices – You always got them!

Every day, we’re making hundreds and thousands of decisions. To get out of bed or lie in? What to have for breakfast? Who do I call first? Do I need to attend that meeting? Gym or TV after work?

While we may not always realise it, these decisions are actually choices. Think back of the film “Dangerous Minds” from the mid-90s. The teacher is having a discussion with her students about their choices. They don’t see any of them in their desperate situations. And there you have a teacher who made the choice to care about her students. If you haven’t seen the film, read the full passage here.

We always have a choice. Just how do we choose? Follow our heart? Our mind?

Mandela choice

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Me time – Take care of yourself and just breathe

Christmas BeachThe festive season is almost over and the long weekend seems to be months away. It was such a wonderful time celebrating with my loved ones on the beach. But then, I was shocked seeing a Facebook post about my cousin in the US. She was hospitalised – suspected stroke! While she’s better and at now home now, it was terrible news.

It made me realise how important spending time with our loved ones really is. We’d expect something to happen to our parents, not to our cousins and friends.

We’re all so busy wrapping up outstanding projects at work, finalising that sale before year end, preparing for the Holidays, rushing from one party to another, getting the nails done and so on. There’s hardly any time for us to just breathe. Even at the hairdresser’s, it’s writing down what needs to be done next.

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Overcommitment

This year, I led various projects consuming substantially more hours than originally anticipated. Some of them left me feeling exhausted. Yet, I wouldn’t let my personal life be stopped by it. Meetings with friends, participating in races and playing golf, studying for professional certifications, volunteering and travelling to fascinating destinations, you name it. I didn’t want anything to be put on hold or, worse, be cancelled.

Unfortunately, being overcommitted torments me. It makes me juggle my numerous activities and leaves me tired and frustrated. I feel bad for not having given each their deserved focus. After all, a meeting with a friend for a coffee rarely lasts only 10 minutes.

There are different strategies to avoid to being overcommitted.

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