How to be more organised...

As my planner continues to fill up with my part-time job, my private English lessons, and other networking and volunteering assignments, I am coming out of hibernation into a 'busy' mode, trying to squeeze in everything onto the page with little room to breathe. Before I feel overwhelmed and stressed out, I need to organise my life a bit and maybe you can use some of my ideas to get yours in control too.

As my ex-employer said to me ages ago, nothing is that urgent and everything can wait unless it is a life or death situation. I need to keep reminding myself what role I am playing at different time of the day, knowing that there is only so much I can give.

Priority is everything! Narrow down what you want to achieve in the next few months,  and create a routine to fulfill a small step everyday which is related to your said priorities. Take out tasks which are unrelated to your goals so you can focus on the ones which move you forward. I love creating my to-do list on my monthly planner and it is my bible to get anything done at all. I check with my list everyday to make sure I have my priorities cleared and tasks done to facilitate the process. I always go for planners with the time on the side so I can write down the places I need to be in chronological order. Schedule in every single appointment and chores to be done is extremely calming and mind freeing.

To make my planner more pleasing to the eyes, I color code my tasks based on project types. I try to keep everything in one planner (an A4 size one is just perfect!) and only use a Steno-notebook for ideas and drafting on the go. 

Meanwhile, I suggest leaving a generous margin in your schedule as back to back appointments don't work in real life. Shits always happen such as the traffic, an unexpected shower on a sunny day, or stains from your favourite pasta on your shirt. I like to have a leeway in between to account for the unexpected and as a result, I won't be devastated when shits hit the fan. Personally I am the least creative when I run on the wheel without pause. Running on autopilot is not my style and I like to make everything I do with intention. Downtime is a must for me as I need the space and time alone with my own thoughts.

I have hitherto learned to accept that I can do anything but not everything.It takes a lot of effort to decide on spending time on things that matter but it's so worth it. I don't believe in long term planning and creating a weekly/ monthly schedule is the best I can do. 

Where is HOME?

In the past 40 odd years, I have had the luxury to spend long periods of time living in different countries, and to be honest, I seem to like the nomadic lifestyle and it is tough to call a particular place home as my definition of home might not be yours.

Home is where the heart (mom) is.

Home is where the heart longs to be.

Where is home?

It is a space where you feel comfortable being you, the place where you are treated with respect and dignity, where the landscape and the people inspire you to be your best.

A place where you grew up.

A peaceful place. A resting place.

A place where you are loved and accepted for who you are.

A place of security, warmth, comfort.

A place that welcomes you home from a busy day, nourishes your frazzled soul and send you out again, replenished and restored.

A place that supports you.

I have been 'looking for' a place called home all my life as the feeling of belonging doesn't come easy to me. I thought moving to a new country would be the solution but it wasn't. It is not how the new place fits into your lifestyle but the other way round. You need to be willing to sacrifice some of your habits, outlooks and sanity to make it work.

It doesn't matter where you are right now, living in a shoebox or a mansion, you can be grateful for having a roof over your head by beautifying your surroundings; and there is nothing exciting about a blank-walled, cookie-cutter home to make it a signature yours. Personally I believe our 'home' should be presented in a way that reveals our personality and character. 

[If you are interested in wall hangings with a vintage twist, I invite you over to my online shop www.etsy.com/shop/lamaisonsimple/ to transform your home with original one of a kind designs beckoning for appreciation! Turn your pad into a place that feels like you!]

I hate repetition!

Rituals and routines reflect how we conduct our lives regardless of the kind of lifestyle we pursue. They seem to provide structure and purpose in our days, but more often than not become an automation which may lead to a waste of time and effort if we are invigilant. 

I am anti-routines as they always bring about boredom or plateaus and breaking the familiarity every now and then is simply cathartic. Breaking the routine helps to get a deeper insight into why we do things a certain way and re-prioritise, subject to the constant changes life involves. And only after could we rebound and start anew. I must emphasise that this is an inevitable process if we are to reinvent ourselves with a new set of rules. All we need to do is to be open to re-evaluation of common assumptions about ourselves and prioritise the most important in our schedule. Reviewing our values and making sure that our daily activities are in alignment is the key.

Don't we all make decisions correlated with who we believe ourselves to be? Doing things intentionally is the recipe for following through our routines. Instead of going through the motions, I need to know that I am doing something on a daily basis that will get me where I want to be in life. Isn't this the most powerful motivation in itself? 

I make time to write. 

I blog and create newsletters.

I learn something each day.

I change my routine to suit my different life circumstances.

I adjust my habits to fit into the rest of my day.

Care to share yours?