Day #261 - The Importance of Setting Goals

I realized yesterday I didn't set explicit small (but priority) goals that I want to achieve.
And at the end of the day, I felt like I didn't achieve anything towards my immediate needs of the project deadline.
Therefore, I shall set them today in my work notebook.

Goals of the Day:

• Set priority goals for work and accomplish them
• Achieved
• Meet up with Dearest to shift some items in our new house
• Achieved

Spent most of the office time clarifying work matters instead of actually doing them.

I think one of the mistakes I made at work is that I seek guidance too late.

Gotta learn to change this.

Today's Small Wins:

• Worked together closely with teammate at work to get the job done
• Committed to renovation matters with Dearest after work
• Rest on time

Today's Small Losses:

• Realized the mistake of seeking guidance too late, resulting in last minute panic

Day #260 - What is Priority?

And that is Priority.

Goals of the Day:

• Leave work by 10pm
• Achieved
• Sleep by 11.30pm
• Not Achieved

Wanted to chill a bit back at home before sleeping.

But it ate into my hours of rest.

It's best I kick this bad habit away.

Rest is a priority.

Today's Small Wins:

• Left work before 10pm

Didn't feel like I have won much today.

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't manage to get time to be with Dearest for the renovation matters

Day #259 - Challenge to Go Home On Time

I challenge myself to end work on time today.

Goals of the Day:

• Finish preparing for tml's meeting by getting all the preliminary analysis results and descriptives out
• Achieved 50%
• Get off work on time at 6pm
• Not Achieved

Wanted to get off work earlier to rest.

Dearest was sick today, so also wanted to go visit her.

But was too caught up with work, and OT-ed until 11pm.

Today's Small Wins:

• Focused at work during the last few hours
• Managed to get some results out from the preliminary analysis

Today's Small Losses:

• Lost focus at work from time to time

Day #259 - Sunday is a Day for Personal Stuff

A good Sunday.
That's what I will have today.
That doesn't mean that I should just chill and sit back to watch the world goes by.
But it means to do the stuff that I want to do, and feel satisfied by the end of today.

Goals of the Day:

• Update 3 diary entries with Dearest
• Not Achieved
• Send wedding e-invites to at least 2 groups of friends
• Achieved (all friends)
• Settle toilet vanity closet and toilet fixtures with Dearest
• Achieved 50% (discussed)
• Settle Taobao stuff with Dearest
• Achieved 50% (discussed)
• Spend a nice evening evening with Dearest
• Achieved

Quite a fulfilling day with Dearest.

Met an old friend again today at Tai Seng.

Talked about his work experience; seemed quite broadening with exposure.

Today's Small Wins:

• Sent all wedding invites possible through whatsapp
• Discussed with Dearest about the furniture purchases and narrowed down a few choices
• Had a nice evening with Dearest

Today's Small Losses:

• Slept late
• Didn't meditate
• Didn't manage to update the diary entries

Day #258 - Asking the Tough Questions

Sometimes in life, we have to ask tough questions.
For others.
For self.

Goals of the Day:

• Have a good workshop that Dearest instructed
• Achieved
• Work matters - standardize my data and do analysis
• Achieved 50%
• Reach home before 11 pm to rest
• Achieved

Another day of OT.

Not that I liked it, but I would have to just cope with it for now.

Today's Small Wins:

• Attended the workshop that Dearest instructed and learned about the basics of suicide alertness
• Managed to get the data prepared for analysis

Today's Small Losses:

• Wasn't focused at work for the initial phase of OT
• Slept late

Day #257 - Breakfast Makes Headache Go Away

My headache subsided after some kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and a cup of hot milo.
Time to start work on the last day of the work week!

Goals of the Day:

• Formulate the analysis plan for Approach 1
• Achieved
• Reach home and rest before 12
• Achieved

Managed to formulate a course of actions for approach 1 and 2 of my project scope with the help of my teammate and project lead.

I think that's something good.

Today's Small Wins:

• Formulated the way forward for my work
• Reached home to rest before 12

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't manage to attend the Chillah~! session at work due to work meeting
• Had to return the mini table tennis table I bought for work because it's too small - didn't consider the usefulness of the item and now need to return it

Day #256 - Nagging Headache

Handling all 3 urgent things is hard.
Wedding, Renovation, and Work.

Didn't manage to set goals for the day, so I'm gonna just summarize my wins/losses.

Today's Small Wins:

• Keeping it together at work
• Squeezed time and energy out to coordinate with vendors for renovation matters

Today's Small Losses:

• Sleeping late
• Need to prioritize some work tasks more

Day #255 - Resisting to Work Hard

I found myself resisting to do work.
So that's why I need to consciously push myself.

Goals of the Day:

• Get to 400th row of coding
• Somewhat achieved near 300th
• Have a good anniversary dinner with Dearest
• Achieved
• Scan at least 20 photos for wedding montage
• Not Achieved

Today's Small Wins:

• Mini celebration with Dearest
• 1st time seeing our new house lit up
• Still keeping it together at work

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't manage to hit 400th row
• Disappointment with the strength of the ceiling fan

Day #254 - It's a Day to FOCUS

It's a tough period at work.
So I will FOCUS.

Goals of the Day:

• Focus at work and finish off up to my 300th row of coding
• Only achieved 200th
• Extract photos for wedding montage
• Only the baby ones
• Send out wedding e-invites to at least 2 groups of friends
• Not Achieved (shifted to weekend)

Getting a bit tired from work already.

I better take care to rest more, in order to go further.

Today's Small Wins:

• Somewhat focused at work
• Extracted some photos for the wedding montage

Today's Small Losses:

• Not doing the codings fast enough
• Not practising good habits

Day #253 - New Week, Fresh Start

It's a new week; a fresh start for me.
I decided to not let the mindset of having time for myself as an excuse for not doing work.
I should have time to myself, but when it's crunch period, I also need to adjust the amount of me time.

Goals of the Day:

• Prepare the materials for tomorrow's electrical fixing
• Achieved
• Prepare coding datasets and code for at least 200 today
• Achieved 50%
• Have a smooth session with Dearest to transport electrical appliances to new house
• Achieved
• Practise good habits (wake up at 6am, sleep at 11am, meditate for 10 min)
• Not Achieved

The point of listing down my goals, wins and losses for the day was for me to reflect and improve my life, bit by bit.

But it seems that I'm not really learning from my mistakes.

I feel that because I wasn't conscious in wanting to change for the better.

And that I should.

Today's Small Wins:

• Prepared the plan for smooth explanation for the electrician
• Prepared the datasets for the coders

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't practise good habits (slept very late)
• Only managed to complete 110 codings

I will do better than this tomorrow.

Conscious. Decision.

Day #252 - Fueling Procrastination Kills Motivation

And that's what I did for the whole morning; fueling procrastination.
And now I shall set myself in the momentum of continuous action of work.

Goals of the Day:

• Amend coding framework and prepare datafields for the coders
• Achieved
• Plan the Big Rocks for the week ahead
• Somewhat Achieved

I'm ashamed to say that I have fueled a lot of procrastination today.

I failed to motivate and commit myself to the work.

I gotta be more disciplined than this.

Today's Small Wins:

• Have prepared the datafields for tml
• Did some planning for next week

Today's Small Losses:

• Lots of procrastination
• Didn't practise good habits 

Day #251 - I Commit Myself to My Dream

Today, and everyday, I make a conscious commitment to my dream.

Goals of the Day:

• Plan out my time for today
• Achieved
• Go through wedding schedule and plan out what's to be done
• Not Achieved
• Have a good afternoon shopping with Dearest on our toilet fixtures and kitchen sink
• Achieved
• Amend the coding framework for office work
• Not Achieved

It was late when I got home, and I didn't make time to go through the wedding schedule and coding framework in the morning.

As a matter of fact, I was relaxing and thinking that I should have time to myself.

I wonder if that's the right thing to do, when I said this earlier today that I will make a conscious commitment to my dream. 

The obvious answer is a no.

Today's Small Wins:

• Settled some purchases for the toilet and kitchen for renovation
• Had a good afternoon and evening with Dearest
• Finally submitted the ROM notice of marriage

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't commit time to do work
• Practise bad habits 

I need to do better than this.

Day #250 - Plan To Win

I have to plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
Today, I shall forfeit my leisure time to do self-planning to organise and plan my immediate goals.

Goals of the Day:

• Re-finalize the coding framework at work
• Achieved 50% (with the help of my colleagues)
• Organise and plan my immediate goals and schedule them for the weeks ahead
• Not Achieved
• Plan for the weekend
• Achieved
• Practise good habits (Meditate & Sleep on time at 11pm)
• Not Achieved

Another intensive day of re-organizing and discussing about my coding framework.

Grateful to my colleagues for the time and efforts as yesterday.

The rest is up to me.

Today's Small Wins:

• Did my best on the coding framework
• Planned for the weekend
• Figured out a work-around for my mum to input chinese characters in the computer

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't practise good habits
• Didn't have time to plan my immediate goals for wedding and renovation

Day #249 - Frustration at Work

Didn't make time for myself to make goals in the morning.
So I will just update for the wins and losses.

Today's Small Wins:

• Made effort to visit BTO to make sure that progress is good with Dearest
• Had a good dinner with Dearest
• Managed to maintain my cool with my frustration at work
• Slept on time

Today's Small Losses:

• Woke up late
• Didn't meditate

Day #248 - Living Today Consciously

I will live through today in a conscious manner.
At work, at life.

Goals of the Day:

• Be focused at priority tasks at work
• Achieved
• Have a fruitful discussion with wedding banquet coordinator and be mindful of all the matters discussed
• Achieved
• Have a pleasant dinner with both sides of the families
• Achieved
• Sleep by 11.30 p.m.
• Not Achieved

Was a good evening of dinner between the two families =)

Today's Small Wins:

• Had a good dinner between the families

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't practise good habits

Day #247 - 7 Habits

Went through the 7 Habits workshop these 2 days.
Felt that it was slightly rushed, but overall a good reminder and some good insights.
Didn't manage to set goals in the morning, but I will set them now.

Goals of the Day:

• Go through wedding schedule in preparation for tml's evening
• Achieved
• Do at least 20 codings
• Achieved
• Sleep by 11pm
• Not Achieved

The evening was somewhat fruitful.

Reminded and motivated myself, together with the recent reminders from the workshop, to plan my time out, and to commit myself to the plan.

Today's Small Wins:

• Set up GIRO arrangements for 2 payments related to BTO
• Reviewed through wedding schedule for tml's meeting
• Did 20 codings 
• Watched an hour of Suits Season 1 over dinner to unwind

Today's Small Losses:

• Not that attentive during the workshop; distracted with messages and fatigue
• Didn't practise good habits

Day #246 - Stress and Troubles

Didn't have time in the morning to do my goals setting.
So I will just go straight into my wins and losses for the day.

Today's Small Wins:

• Focused in the workshop on 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• 50% on week's planning

Today's Small Losses:

• Practise bad habits
• Troubles and stress with air con piping with wall tiles overlay

Renovation can be stressful sometimes when things don't go as you planned.

Day #245 - Need More Time

It's not a restful weekend.
Event-packed, but feeling good because of the progress.

Goals of the Day:

• Finish off slides for work
• Achieved
• Submit ROM documents
• Not Achieved
• Selection of lightings
• Achieved

Dearest and I made an impromptu decision to go to JB and settle the lightings.

It went well! #teamJC

Today's Small Wins:

• Finished the slides for the update before I left office
• Bought lightings and ceiling fan from JB; saved money, especially for that Aeratron fan that I liked. haha...
• Corrected the bad decision and ensured the safety of the lightings

Today's Small Losses:

• Bad habits (Woke and Slept late, didn't meditate)
• Tend to do this when I'm tired and packed
• Made a bad decision to send the lightings to the new house

Day #244 - Running Errands

It's a whole weekend of things to do; mainly wedding + renovation stuff and working OT.

Goals of the Day:

• Have a good suit fitting session with Dearest and her bro
• Achieved
• Finalize carpentry works design
• Achieved
• Quality time with Dearest
• Achieved

Tiring day from morning till night; but it's good progress.

Today's Small Wins:

• Good progress on wedding and renovation stuff
• Had a good day with Dearest

Today's Small Losses:

• Woke up and Slept late
• Didn't meditate

Day #243 - Feeling Fast-Paced

Another week passed me by quickly as Friday arrives this morning.
Am I progressing?
Am I going?

Goals of the Day:

• Prepare slides for next week's work update
• Not Achieved
• 50 rows of codings
• Not Achieved
• Consciously enjoy the session of badminton
• Achieved

Only managed to enjoy the badminton game today.

The other 2 tasks were not completed.

Today's Small Wins:

• Went to spend time on badminton (instead of being at work past 5.30pm)
• Spent efforts into brainstorming ideas for carpentry works for discussion tml

Today's Small Losses:

• Woke up and Slept late
• Didn't meditate
• Not that focused at work

Day #242 - A Small Rest This Morning

Hectic schedule, both at work, and in life.
But the one extra hour of sleep this morning makes me feel a bit better.

Goals of the Day:

• Send in the ROM documents
• Not Achieved
• At least 150 codings today for work
• Not Achieved
• Practise good habits
• Somewhat Achieved

I realized I need to fill in quite a bit of information from Dearest for the ROM submission.

So I think it's best to do it together.

As for my 150 codings, I didn't manage to do it last night.

Was feeling a bit tired, so I kinda just focused on my personal stuff rather than office work.

Might be too much codings too.

Perhaps I should aim a bit lesser to motivate myself more.

Today's Small Wins:

• Meditated for 10 min
• Left work on time

Today's Small Losses:

• Slept late
• Planned too much work for myself

Day #241 - A Bit Sniffy

Did I push myself too hard yesterday?
Woke up feeling a bit flu-ish.
Actually since last night.
Should rest more today.

Goals of the Day:

• Prepare my coding dataset and start coding!
• Achieved
• Plan my work tasks for the week
• Achieved
• Send in the ROM registration form
• Not Achieved
• The Cash Inflow for Dec 17
• Achieved

Body feeling a bit weak today.

Slightly flu-ish still.

Take care, me.

Today's Small Wins:

• Officially started coding at work
• Meditated for 10 min
• Completed my cash Inflow accounting for Dec 2017

Today's Small Losses:

• Woke up and Slept late
• Need to be more conscious of this
• Didn't plan time to send in the ROM registration form

Day #240 - Difficult Times are just Challenges to Overcome

It's not the best situation to be in.
But through these, I will grow.

Goals of the Day:

• Have a smooth meeting in the morning
• Achieved
• Plan schedule for the week ahead (carried forward)
• Achieved
• Log down wedding and renovation expenses so far (carried forward)
• Achieved

Dragged my ass out of the office after 45 minutes of OT.

Was thinking in my head, "Screw this".

So I will just do what I can and leave on time. Or slightly late. 

Today's Small Wins:

• Focused and did priority tasks at work
• Delegated tasks to teammate consciously
• Stood by my viewpoint at work against the temptation to go with another's actions
• Leave work (almost) on time and reached home in time for dinner
• Planned the week ahead
• Settled the wedding car rental
• Log down all the current Wedding and Renovation expenses
• Meditated for 10 min
• Woke up on time

Today's Small Losses:

• Slept late

Day #239 - The Power of Negative Thinking

The Power of Negative Thinking uses the strong feeling of not wanting something, to propel me into a place that I want to be.

Goals of the Day:

• Manage my stress level at work and execute priority tasks
• Achieved
• Plan schedule for the week ahead
• Not Achieved
• Log down current expenses for Wedding and Renovation
• Not Achieved

The kitchen light was down. 

My family of 4 was trying to fix it from the time me and my sis got home, to 10 p.m.

By then, I was in a grumpy mood and too exhausted to do any work.

Rest is more important than achieving the goals; Rest is a higher priority goal.

Today's Small Wins:

• Managed my priority tasks and stress level at work
• Whole family worked together to solve an issue

Today's Small Losses:

• Spent an extra hour at work
• Didn't sleep on time, and didn't meditate

Day #238 - Alone, and Not Afraid

It's not easy wanting to, and striving towards an unconventional life.
But as eagles fly alone, I too can, spread my wings in the sky solo.

Goals of the Day:

• Tidy up my room
• Achieved
• Finish my work task
• Achieved 50%
• Financial accounting for the month of Dec 17
• Achieved 50%
• 1 Diary Update with Dearest
• Not Achieved

Office work took up way too much time than I expected.

Committed most of the day to it since after lunch.

This job is getting more and more dissatisfying.

I shall practise the "Power of Negative Thinking"; I wanna get out of this job within 2 years.

Today's Small Wins:

• Room got tied up; looks better and more comfortable to be in
• Committed focused time to do office work
• Did the 1st level financial accounting to prevent late payment fees
• Meditated for 10 min

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't make time to do diary update
• Didn't allocate enough time for office work
• Didn't sleep on time

Day #237 - Get My Shit Together!

Reading this type of book inspires me (somewhat), and keeps me on my toes on what I want out of life.
And I want to win.

Goals of the Day:

• Be on time to collect my new NRIC in the early morning at ICA
• Somewhat Achieved (late for 10 min, can do better)
• Settle wedding matters with Dearest (Wedding card template, photo album review, trying on the jewellery)
• Achieved
• Make a conscious decision to enjoy the evening concert of a singer, whose songs make up the majority of my brain's music archive
• Achieved

It's a new realization between me and Dearest; expensive concert is not our thing. 

Today's Small Wins:

• Wasn't late (beyond 15min) to collect my NRIC
• Wedding stuffs planned today were settled
• Air con purchased
• Spent quality time with Dearest 

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't keep to my words to Dearest on some matter
• Will keep this in mind
• Slept late
• Didn't meditate

Day #236 - Reminder on Health

3rd trip to the hospital for a follow-up on the throat issue.
Doesn't seem like they can pin point what's the issue; mainly just attribute to diet.
Alright, I will control my diet consciously.

Goals of the Day:

• Settle the wedding customary stuff with Mum
• Achieved
• Enjoy a session of badminton today
• Achieved
• Review the work done by my teammate
• Achieved

Was a event-filled day, with me going to my medical appt in the morning, settling the wedding customary stuff with Mum in the afternoon, going back to office for 2 hours, and playing badminton for the rest of the evening.

Felt good to destress with badminton after the first week of feeling rushed and somewhat failing my own personal standards of work.

Not a good feeling to have, but I gotta work towards better management of my time and work tasks.

Today's Small Wins:

• Secured the wedding customary items for my big dates!
• Checked and reviewed the work done by teammate (Not a thing to keep doing, but I should check for the first time in case there's any deviation from my expectation)
• Destressed through several games of badminton
• Good progress in reading the current book (finishing up)

Today's Small Losses:

• Still didn't practise good habits (wake/sleep/meditate)
• To do tomorrow (categorized under MUST-DO for wake and meditate; got a concert tomorrow night, so I doubt I will sleep by 11pm)
• Lost a Singles game to my long-time Doubles buddy
• Next time, keep focused in the game (This was proven when I was leading 10 point in the 2nd match, but we didn't get to finish the match because the court was taken up mid-match; or maybe he was getting tired. haha..)

Day #235 - Revival of the Phoenix

I used to identify myself strongly with my horoscope (Scorpio).
And one of the better representation that I hope I possess, is the Phoenix; destroyed and rises about its own ashes.
For every time I fail, I die, and emerge stronger, rising above the burned image of the past.

Goals of the Day:

• Practise good habits (Sleep @ 11pm + meditate for 10min)
• Not Achieved
• Complete the coding framework at work, together with guidelines
• Achieved
• Finalize the plan for electrical works
• Achieved

Rather exhausted from work and renovation discussion in a very noisy environment because the worker was working to finish the flooring.

Today's Small Wins:

• Settled the coding framework. Time to code!
• Finalize plan for electrical works 
• Progressing well with wedding stuff (Arrangement for food tasting, Wedding card template)

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't practise good habits
• Will plan it inside tml's schedule
• Didn't complete my diary update (brought forward from yesterday)
• Will plan it inside tml's schedule

Day #234 - I Accept My Failure

I failed.
But I tried.
And it's okay.
I have to remind myself about this.

Goals of the Day:

• Give a clear update on current status of work today to project lead
• Achieved
• Get off work on time to inspect cement screeding works at new house
• Not Achieved (have arranged electrical works discussion tomorrow on site, so Dearest advise me to go tomorrow instead)
• Complete 1 day of diary update with Dearest
• Not Achieved 

Back at home, I was feeling mentally drained from being stressed about work for the past 2 days.

It was a long work discussion during the update too, and I was mostly confused and having doubts and confusion on what my team members are talking about, and what is the right way forward. 

Therefore I took a mental break from all those back at home, and focused on talking to parents on wedding stuff; since we were all in the living room watching tv. haha..

Today's Small Wins:

• Not an ideal progress, but still some headway into work task
• Confirmed the wedding dinner menu preference from my parents
• De-conflict the dress's colours for both mums

Today's Small Losses:

• Appearing not proficient in my work scope
• Start to be more proficient in my work by carefully examining and thinking things through, and look into things that I am not familiar with instead of depending on others' experties
• Didn't practise good habits (woke up and slept late, didn't meditate)
• Tomorrow, I will sleep on time at 11pm and meditate for 10min. Waking up is still a bit hard given that I slept late.
• Didn't Goal #3
• Finish Goal #3 tomorrow

I suppose I should reflect on what I can do to manage my small losses.

And so, I did.

Day #233 - Clear and Focused

Gotta to strive towards a clear vision in my work.
That is the only way for me to survive.

Goals of the Day:

• Finish the tasks needed for update tomorrow
• Not Achieved
• Rest on time
• Not Achieved

Was tempted to stay for extended OT at work, but manage to get my butt off the chair before 7pm.

Just accept that I can't finish my aims, and I will have to adjust my work schedule, and update accordingly.

Today's Small Wins:

• Good progress in reading the book, "Get Your Shit Together"
• Meditated for 10 min
• Managed to go home for dinner and not OT
• Kept focused at work task

Today's Small Losses:

• Slow progress working towards the update tml; gotta be more clear on what's the MUST-DO tasks
• Woke up late
• Slept late
• Didn't do anything productive after I got home; brain-drained and needed the rest

Day #232 - A New Beginning to Start Something

I know.
I start.
And I trust.

Goals of the Day:

• Cook french toast for the gathering in the morning
• Achieved
• Have a good sunrise session with Dearest
• Achieved (it was good, but cloudy without sunrise)
• Have quality time with Psych friends
• Achieved
• Arrange for rectifications for cement screeding
• Achieved
• Shop for electrical appliances at Mega Discount Store
• Achieved
• Quality time with Dearest
• Achieved

The 1st day of the day has been busy, but very good!

We managed to settle quite a bit of the renovation stuff, like discussing with the lady contractor on how to fix the cement screeding problem, and buying our hood+hob+oven. 

It was a nice morning as we woke up super early to catch the sunrise; too bad, it was rainy and cloudy.

Today's Small Wins:

• Woke up early to enjoy the morning with Dearest
• Had a good gathering with Psych friends
• Managed to reach a resolution with the contractor for the cement screeding
• Bought the hood+hob+oven, and changed the electrical appliances according to our current needs after some assessment
• Had fun being with Dearest the whole day

Today's Small Losses:

• Didn't sleep early
• Didn't meditate