About Time Management

Actually its a waste of time learning about time management. Most of the time we have in our hands goes waste in planning and scheduling and re-scheduling. In general we always think about the future or regret the past and we leave out this very important moment of our life. Every second just comes and goes and we are unable to hold on to it. Trying to catch it is as frivolous an exercise as trying to catch air in your fist.

Here are some methods advised for proper time management:

1. Keep a diary of the list of activities you do for the day: Tried that but didn't work. I ended up doing nothing but fill up pages in the diary throughout the day.

2. Finish the most important activity first: Tried this too. But everything seemed important including day dreaming.

3. Identify the wasteful exercise which takes up your time and cut down on that: Most of what seems wasteful is actually quite comfortable and pleasurable. Thats the problem.

4. Classify and put activities according to 

      a. Q1- Important and Urgent

      b. Q2- Important and Not urgent

      c. Q3- Not important but urgent

      d. Q4- Not Important and not urgent.

And just try avoiding Q3 and Q4.: Its easy for you to say but doing is very difficult.

Time is such a powerful resource and difficult to overcome. One may think that they have all the time in the world but they end up having very little time.

The key to manage time is not to be bothered too much about outside factors. So many things are happening externally. There is noise, pollution, injustice, bad weather on one side and also things that seem extremely happy and full of life. The important thing is to not be too bothered about these things whether happy or sad. You have a task in front of you. You need to do that. You may have multiple tasks. You may have lengthy tasks. 

If you have only one thing to do which you mostly won’t, finish that. Put all your mind, life and energy to it. Don’t bother about external factors. If you have a goal then the universe will conspire to help you achieve it as Paulo Coelho said.

For multiple tasks, finish the easiest task first. If you can’t get something right now break away from it. Leave it for time being go to another and then come back to it.

If you have a lengthy task, you don’t have to break you back trying to do the entire thing the very same day. Break it up into smaller portions and achieve the task.

Embrace yourself, Motivate yourself and encourage yourself to do the task. Say often, “You can do it!!”  It really works.

One should always relax and never get worked up for mundane matters. It will take up too much of energy and time. Not getting too excited or worried too much is the success of conquering time. Emotions are very difficult to control but once you do it saves a lot of time.

Have a great time managing time!

Feeling good about myself...

This is surely one of the instances where I felt good about myself. I attended a soft-skills feel good session and our class was given an exercise. We were asked to write down as many good qualities we possess or aim to possess and pass it to others for evaluation.

Others may or may not agree that you have that particular quality. When they agree they put a tick and when they do not agree they just leave it. They are welcome to add to my list of positive qualities and the coordinator asked us all to frame the paper in a place where we could view it everyday. What better place do I have other than publishing it in my own blog?  Please have a look at it yourself:

We should all try this exercise whenever we are gathered in a large group. It surely makes one feel special.

Comments like "Does everything in a unique way","Helpful", "Beautiful girl", "Very much expressive", and  "Good at teaching" are all added by other people in my class. Though I am not most of these, I will surely try to develop all these qualities in me. Thanks people!! :-)

Guilt Complex-the major weakness of women

This is my recent finding, rather what I learn't. I might be wrong and I am not against menfolk or anybody else. This is purely my opinion and what I strongly feel.

I attended Women and Development class last semester and I had a very good teacher. Though ma'am was too liberal and too much of a forward thinker there were certain things she said which really made an impact on me. How many of us girls or women have actually been through one of these situations.

You feel tired after attending class/work and then suddenly when you really want to rest you are asked by your loved one to do something for them and you are so tired you just ignore that person and fall asleep. Next day you wake up and that person is fully blaming you.

You feel really sick but then your family expects you to do everything as before and totally depends on you.

You keep arriving home late and you are not able to give your loved ones enough attention.

I have been always having this dilemma. How do working women in general exist? Especially women who have very young children at home. I believe that whatever people do they must give their 100 percent. The working women neither give their time fully at home nor do they have 100 percent concentration at work. They miss the major part of their child's growing years. They also cannot sacrifice their career for the sake of their family or for the sake of themselves. Women who balance home and career we call them superwomen.

Coming back to what I learn't and relating to the topic of the blog, the major cause of some women progressing in their chosen career is the overcoming of nothing but GUILT complex. My teacher said, "Do what you want to do but never feel guilty about it. Never do anything for the sake of others. It is your life define it the way you want to be." These are really thought provoking words and her voice is still ringing in my ears.

Working women if they feel guilty that they are ignoring their child and family and start becoming  paranoid then nothing is achieved. She succumbs to other people's pressure on her and she can never create something for herself.

I even related her words to some of the tamil film dialogues. Raghuvaran says in silapadhigaram, "Either try to be black or white. Don't try to be grey!" He just simply says either live life for yourself-black or for other sake-white. Don't try to mix both. In another B&W Balachander movie I am not sure which, a woman asks her friend, "Do you want to live life for your sake or for others?" The friend replies, "Both!" The woman retorts, "Appo romba kashtam ma!"

One cannot aim to live life and hope to satisfy oneself  and satisfy others. Everybody expects something of you. They pull you from all directions. It is upto you to decide what you want to do with your life. People may try to emotionally blackmail you especially with unwanted sentiments. We must be bold enough and never let go of our cool at any time. They may say "Oh! You are the cause of all ruin".  Still you must never lose hope and do what you think is best. Everything will happen well at the end.

Remember in your priority list always you come first! This is not selfishness. This is common sense. Nobody knows you better than you. Then when you are more than comfortable, you give time for others. First take good care of yourself then only will you be able to help others.

As I said before..Never ever feel guilty either in the past or in future. Have some principles and go by it.  Take other peoples suggestions but don't get influenced by them.

These I am writing just to remind myself again and again. It really helps me boost my confidence. I hope it does something to the reader too.

Inauguration of the SBI Karpagam Gardens Branch

Hi! I am back. I woke up quite early in the morning to catch a glimpse of the arrangements for the branch opening. My mom was the most excited of all and she got ready by 9:00a.m. itself and it is quite rare to see her in a saree. 

Much to the embarrassment of the bank staff I did manage to click a few pics of the event which are seen below. Hope you enjoy them. The chief guest V.G. Kannan could not make it to the function.  The Dep. General Manager Mr.Abu Kalam cut the ribbon instead of him.

View of the bank from my house gate

The lamp well decorated

Entrance to the bank

 Notice DD News filming the event

The lighting of the lamp by the first residents of Karpagam Gardens.

The house owner Mr. Yogi is holding the mic.

State Bank of India...Is truly India's local bank

STATE BANK OF INDIA  is opening a new branch on the 12th Nov 2010.

You know where?

RIGHT OPPOSITE MY HOUSE....

It is called Karpagam Gardens Branch....

Isn't it really funny? The prospect of a bank right opposite your house?  

I can't help laughing. I just wish everything happens for the good.

See the invite for yourself. Since we are neighbours we have been specially invited by the bank manager. The bank authorities meticulously planned and finished all the necessary arrangements within three days.

Karpagam Gardens is a purely residential area with majority of the population being senior citizens. Having a bank nearby will surely help them to save on commutation.

But this current branch has no ATM yet. It will come soon once they shift to a bigger location. Thats what the bank manager said. Wish this bank to have all the best of luck. May its customer service be good unlike most other nationalized banks which have a bad name for it.

The board had just arrived then.

THE WORLD KNOWS WHY?

This poem expresses my disgust on the current world situation. I have always wanted to save the environment look for changes in society but as for now I could only use up ink, paper and electricity.

The World Knows Why


The world knows why:-
People fight for things rare,
Favours are chased with a scare,
Mothers breaking into tears,
To see kids using spears.
Money is in little hands,
Goodness is buried in the sands.
Fire gives way to fire
There is no end to tire.
Some have sheet of ice as clothing.
For others little cheese cause loathing.
Earthquakes and tsunami's occur often.
Lions are dragged away from their den.
Global warming spills the seas.
Houses are let out for lease.
Bits of hearts clinging to bits of paper.
Even when a  meteorite brings disaster?

An Ode to my most Precious Friend

O Kaanha! What tricks are you upto?

White butter on a dark face,

World, action packed moving race,

Honesty, good Will not a trace!

All busy tying our shoe lace...

O Madhava! What tricks are you upto?

That bright, glowing mischievous smile!

World, stops not even a while.

Having reverted a billion mile,

Jealousy, envy heaped in a pile...

O Achyuta! What tricks are you upto?

Soothing music, flute in hand,

World, fighting ceaselessly for land,

Money spent away careless and grand,

Customers look for the best brand...

O Viswaroopa! What tricks are you upto?

Battlefield sought sound advice,

World, full of bugs and lice,

Has never thought otherwise,

And is paying a heavy price...

O Jagadisha! What tricks are you upto?

Dancing on Kalinga, lake cleansed.

World, has not yet sensed.

What patience! Do you ever get incensed?

And us! forever tired and tensed...

THE ACCIDENT

This poem was composed few days after I banged the rear of my car against a tree. It was an episode I can never forget throughout my life.

THE ACCIDENT

Passing by one afternoon,
I noticed pieces of broken glass,
Scattered all over the ground.

Reflecting the leaves above,
The tears from the tree,
Solidified and lay beside it.

Perhaps it grieved because
Of its strong wooden trunk.
The proud red car had shrunk.

A collision or an explosion,
Or was it lack of vision.
Who is to take the blame for the loss?

I took time to pause.
The stupidity built up over the years,
Took half a second to break.

It was over, the stock had been cleared.
I went onwards, the glass pieces,
An ugly residue; the leaves still reflected!

The technical aspects of poetry writing has been clearly deviated. Composed on the 19th December 2007.

WITHERED

Hey I am back after a long time. This was a poem written by me long ago out of my high emotions. Some of them read it but I didn't make public my poetic skills! ;)

WITHERED

The sun shone on a thick,
Brown wasted mass of wood.
Garbage strewn all over.
Legging to it at the end,
A gypsy girl with uncombed,
Multicoloured hair and
A tin tuna can with dirty
Drinking water stopped
To observe.

Vendors,Hawkers, Policemen,
Little children, Big children,
Blind eyes, Sleeping eyes
Unconcerned legs, concerned mouths
All passed by

But none saw what she saw.
Water sacrificed
Thirsty girl pearled a smile.
Sun shone brightly ,
Sweat trickled from her
Forehead aiming to quench.

Vendors,Hawkers, Policemen,
Little children, Big children,
Blind eyes, Sleeping eyes
Unconcerned legs, concerned mouths
All passed by as usual.

Girl too never gave up.
Heart fresh as ever
Inside a worn out body.
Nature goddess blessed her.
Flowers sold, leaves weaved,
Fruits eaten.

Seasons never failed
The gypsy maiden.
Fearful eyes, hanging tongues.
Breathed on her.
Noise vibrated the leaves.
Maiden never returned.

Sun shone brightly on the
Thick brown mass of wood.
Garbage strewn stood waiting...

Please don't comment/judge on the technical aspects of poetry. Its just something done on my own. Very unscientific and after all, things from the heart are like that!

Random thoughts

Everything changes...The seasons, the world we live in and the entire universe. Even our body changes without us controlling it. Why can't we change ourselves? Our attitude, our thoughts and our perceptions?

The problem comes when we feel that whatever we do is perfect. When we think that we know everything and then what more is there to learn? The truly knowledgeable always feel that they know nothing. Newton has himself said that what he had discovered is not even equal to a sand particle lying on the shores.

Had a look at the picture? What do you make of it? Here are 12 different ways you can perceive the same picture.

1. Leaf/flower petal 2. Candle flame 3. Coconut shell 4. Joined hands 5. The gap between two buttons on a shirt 6. An opening of a bag 7. A shape of an eye 8. Opened Zip 9. Window 10. Bindhi 11. Conch shell 12. Water drop

And there are more ways to perceive this. So one can imagine about every situation in life. In logic there is a principle. If something is true for any arbitrary element, It is true for everything in this universe. Likewise every situation in life can be perceived in different ways by different people.

So how can we expect others to react in our own terms? Let me tell you an example. If you give a sweet yummy chocolate to a child, he/she will love you for it but if you give the same to a diabetic he/she may think you are sadistic.

Everyone around us is actually very good, they are the best in fact. It is only our preconceived notions and partial knowledge that makes a happy situation a living hell.

Mr A. is standing in the shade of a tree. A monkey is swinging from branch to branch above. A group of people nearby are looking at where the man is standing and are laughing. At once the man is full of suspicion. Are they laughing at me? Their laughter is so irritating? What is wrong with them? I better run away from here. Little does he realise that they are actually laughing at the monkey on top of the tree.

I am no sage or saint or sadhu or a genius but an ordinary human being full of petty desires and uncontrolled emotions. I have read many blogs seen a lot of my friends blogging, but they all had one thing in common. They were full of their achievements, their passion and their experiences.

I would like to dedicate this small space in the internet to good positive lightening strokes that entire my mind on and off.

Negative feelings, unnecessary worry, stress, anxiety and tension really drains me out of my energy so why not think positive at least while composing for this blog. What say?

Life is subject to so much experimentation. You succeed in some and you lose some but a true scientist never gives up on his mission. So why not aim to become a scientist?

There is never an end to progress. Even if one feels that one has done something to an utmost perfection there is always scope for creativity.

I end on the same note I started. We can be creative in our attitude, our thoughts and our perceptions.

More to follow don't miss it. Till then. Bye for now.