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Apr 2, 2022Apr 2 at 5:41pm
I would describe myself as being motivated and disciplined. I strive to be my best at anything I do and seek to encourage others along my journey. What brought me joy as a child was spending time with family and attending church events. I also enjoyed sitting on the porch with my grandpa and watching Hee Haw and The Lawrence Welk show with him on Saturday. What brings me joy now is seeing my grandchildren and living a quiet life. My greatest accomplishments in life are when I mentored young girls and attending college. I never thought I was smart enough to go to college and to see where I am now is a major accomplishment for me. My biggest dream was always to be a teacher. I never thought I would accomplish this dream. I also never imagined myself teaching on a college level, but teaching at a community college is what I plan to do after receiving my Master's. I believe my biggest fear is the fear of failing. There are always those what-if questions. I am reading a book titled, Chasing Failure. In this book, the author asks the question, "What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?" I think this is a question we should all ask ourselves.
Leak, R. (2021). Chasing failure. W. Publishing.
Edited by on Apr 6 at 7:07pm
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MondayApr 11 at 11:27am
I would describe myself as a work in progress, determined not to give up, to find solutions to issues within my control and to let go of issues that are outside my influence. I enjoyed playing outside and hanging out with my family as a kid. I don’t know that I have done anything I would consider a great accomplishment, but I am proud of myself for goals I have set for myself, completed, and working on. My greatest fear is to give up without trying as hard as I believe I can. To accomplish things that matter to me, I work hard even when I don’t want to and I push myself as hard as I can until I accomplish it, if it turns out that it is not within my power – (in my Nigerian-speak) We move!!
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Mar 18, 2022Mar 18 at 11:09am
Week 3
Paradigm Shifts
Think of a time when you had an issue or concern and you were full of negativity. How could you have shifted your paradigm to be more positive and completely changed the outcome of the situation?
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I remember when I was in school, I forgot to do my homework one day. Since I couldn't submit it on time, I came up with the idea not to go to school because I was so scared. My teacher was a very strict lady, so I made a lot of excuses for not finishing my homework on time, and I chose not to go to school, which made it worse. When I went to school the next day, I got penalized because I was absent and did not turn in my homework on time, so I got into double trouble. If I had gone to school the previous day and explained to my teacher why I did not complete my assignment, she would take away some points but might have given me an extension to complete it, and I wouldn't have missed class attendance.
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MondayApr 11 at 12:52pm
My math teacher in junior high/high school (secondary school) was not a very nice teacher. He made learning difficult, would embarrass students in front of the class, and write nasty comments on work sheets if you did it wrong. He also hit students indiscriminately in class and sent many students to the clinic for injuries he inflicted on them. So, I hated math for the longest time, would claim to be sick to avoid class and was not learning.
In retrospect, maybe I should have let my parents know sooner. It took me two years to finally let my parents know that I would need a tutor as I barely passed a third year international exam we take in West Africa. For the remaining three years of high school, I had a tutor, but was so far behind and hated math that I barely passed math in my A’ levels exam.
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Mar 18, 2022Mar 18 at 11:09am
Week 8 – Shrink your circle of concern
Things you can’t control
Change – The weather – Your height and skin color – What others think and feel – what others say and do – Traffic – The past – The future – Other people’s happiness and expectations – Where and when you were born – Who your parents are – Blading – Your natural talents – Luck – Several Diseases – Time and growing old – The international economy – The government – Death – God’s will – Natural disasters – Gas Prices – War – Famine – Physical and mental limitations – The outcome of sports championships – People who have wronged you – If ( and how much) people like or dislike you – Pain – The fact that life is not always fair – What – if scenarios – Your physical needs (food, sleep, etc.) – The exact outcome of anything – Cats
How much time and energy did I waste this week on things I can’t control, like those listed above?
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YesterdayApr 12 at 8:57am
Sometimes, I waste a lot of time and energy trying to prove my worth to other people. What people feel and think about me is something I can't control, but this week I spent my energy trying to prove to people that the idea they have in mind about me is not correct. I understand that people feel what they want to feel, or think what they think, regardless of the actual situation. “When a new problem explodes, you can get back in control quickly with a new mind sweep instead of taking everything back up into your head. You identify desired outcomes, projects, and next actions about this circumstance as soon as you can, as opposed to simply worrying about what’s happened “(Allen, 2019, p. 295). I wasted my energy this week on things I can't control, and I worry too much about unnecessary things.
Allen, D., Hall, B., & Allen, D. (2019). The getting things done workbook: 10 moves to stress-free productivity. Penguin Books.
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Mar 18, 2022Mar 18 at 11:10am
Week 18 – Use your time well
Observe the Time Management Matrix Quadrant
Which quadrant do you spend the most of your time in? What are some rewards and/or consequences?
Edited by on Mar 18 at 11:11am
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Mar 18, 2022Mar 18 at 11:11am
Week 25 – Building your emotional bank account
What are some steps that you can take in the future to ensure a positive balance and as a consequence, a stronger relationship?
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MondayApr 11 at 11:37am
My mom used to say to us, when teaching us about human relationships, that “no man is an island” as we will always need people in our corner in every season of life. I have learned and still learning to give time to my family, people that I consider friends, and people that I admire. Do I always succeed? No, but I am always open and willing to learn and to apologize when I err or over-step. I appreciate people when they admit their shortcomings so that we can move past it. I ‘seek to understand, so that I can be understood’. It does not mean that the relationship will become perfect, but it gets better, the more we understand each other.
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YesterdayApr 12 at 9:16am
A balanced life is essential, so I will use the following steps to help achieve some positive results and relationships. Steps that I can take in the future to ensure a positive emotional balance would include- having low and realistic expectations to avoid disappointments. What's more, trying to be very clear with other people and share ideas. So, if people are still looking at you negatively, you know they've heard the truth. I want to try to be more flexible with my time and schedule and be open to any changes that come my way. It might help me get real and move on without struggling with things I can't control.
“Doing a straightforward, clear-cut task that has a beginning and an end balances out the complexity-without-end that often vexes the rest of my life. Sacred simplicity. —Robert Fulghum” (Allen, 2019, p. 254).
Allen, D., Hall, B., & Allen, D. (2019). The getting things done workbook: 10 moves to stress-free productivity. Penguin Books.
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Mar 31, 2022Mar 31 at 10:51am
“A paradox has emerged in this new millennium: people have enhanced quality of life, but at the same time they are adding to their stress levels by taking on more than they have resources to handle. It’s as though their eyes were bigger than their stomachs” (Allen, 2019, p. 5).
Do you feel guilty for having free time?
Allen, D., Hall, B., & Allen, D. (2019). The getting things done workbook: 10 moves to stress-free productivity. Penguin Books.
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Mar 31, 2022Mar 31 at 11:07am
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Mar 31, 2022Mar 31 at 10:57am
“In the old days, work was self-evident. Fields were to be plowed, machines tooled, boxes packed, cows milked, crates moved. You knew what work had to be done—you could see it. It was clear when the work was finished, or not finished” (Allen, 2019, p. 5).
Do you feel like you’ve never done enough?
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Mar 31, 2022Mar 31 at 11am
“Only having to deal with a messy kitchen would be a relief! Small leaks, with added pressure, become big ones” (Allen, 2019, p. 28).
Do you get stressed out when your home chores are not done?
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Apr 2, 2022Apr 2 at 6:46pm
No, I do not get stressed out when my home chores are not done. With only 2 of us living in the house, there is not a lot to do. Things are going to happen and there will be times when I or we may not be able to get to something, but I don't get stressed about it. If I walk into the garage that may be a different story. I can become stressed just looking at everything in there. We clean the garage at least twice a year, throw away a lot of stuff and I still look around and think, it still looks junky. My goal is to have a path to be able to walk through.
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SaturdayApr 9 at 1:53pm
The stress of home chores ebbs and flows for me. It is easy for me to overlook tasks if we have some laundry to do, some groceries that we want, and some mail sitting on the counter. However, home chores become stressful when the proverbial scale tips from "some" to "needing." For example, when we no longer have clean laundry or groceries or need to make payments to avoid late fees, I overcompensate by trying to get everything done. Then, I am exhausted and frustrated by everything that I could not complete.
In the short time I have been using the Getting Things Done method, I have found the two-minute rule (Allen, 2019) extraordinarily helpful in preventing some chores from piling up. For example, when I get the mail, I immediately determine what items are trash, what needs attention, and what I can delegate. In addition, the items requiring action are typically activities I can complete quickly to keep them from becoming chores.
Edited by on Apr 10 at 8:46am
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MondayApr 11 at 8:11am
Greetings Irina.
Due to my current living arrangements, I am not stressed due to the chores, as I am divorced with no children, and only have minimal responsibility for a very small space, and only cleaning up behind the mess that I make in shared areas like the kitchen/bathroom. However, as Allen (2019) mentions, "the complexity of life and work" increase (p. 28). Therefore, while one area is minimal, that time only is re-directed to the many other responsibilities I have. There is always so much to do. No different from the average person in our culture. Unfortunately, our culture has produced a fast-paced, multi-tasked, and way too much to do society. We really do have to be very intentional to practice methods like Allen mentions with the capture, clarity, organize, reflect, and engage, to have a quality life that we envision (p. 28).
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Mar 31, 2022Mar 31 at 11:06am
“Many people don’t look ahead at their own calendars consistently enough to stay current about upcoming events and deadlines, and they consequently become victims of last-minute craziness”
(Allen, 2019, p. 29).
How to keep up with your calendar?
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Mar 31, 2022Mar 31 at 11:07am
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Apr 2, 2022Apr 2 at 6:38pm
I do not like doing anything last minute. For this reason, I am constantly checking my to-do list. An example would be working on this assignment. Today is April 2 and I am already working on this assignment that is due April 15 and has already completed the next assignment that is due April 22. I try to stay mindful of due dates. That includes bills, assignments, birthdays.
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SaturdayApr 9 at 1:59pm
I feel like this is one area of organization in which I excel. As a parent, doctoral student, and preschool owner, there are always projects on my horizon. I look at both short- and long-term activities and projects on my calendar to stay sane. However, I need to improve my capturing system such that I trust my calender is complete (Allen, 2019). Frequently I find myself reviewing my syllabi and children's sports schedules because I worry that I forgot to add something to my calendar. However, I expect this issue to resolve as I practice Allen's (2019) philosophy.
Edited by on Apr 10 at 8:55am
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Mar 31, 2022Mar 31 at 11:23am
Practicing Stress-Free Productivity.
Implementation—Whether All-Out or Casual—Is a Lot About “Tricks”
“We trick ourselves into doing what we ought to be doing” (Allen, 2019, pp. 83-84).
Could you share about your tricks?
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ThursdayApr 7 at 10:34am
Do you have a functional workspace at home? If not, do you believe creating one would help you to more easily enter a "productive state" when needed?
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SundayApr 10 at 9:14am
Before COVID-19, I had a functional workspace set up in my bedroom. Then, once the orders to shelter in place were issued, my husband needed that workspace because he began working full-time from home. Psychologically, that was still "my" workspace even though I could not possibly use it since his workstation takes up the entire desk. In addition, he purchased a new office chair to better support his back; I despise that chair.
So, recently I have begun using a corner of my daughter's room as a functional workspace now that she has moved to college. I am more productive there than anywhere else in the house because there are minimal interruptions. Because I enjoy that workspace, I am now evolving it from simply functional to aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.
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ThursdayApr 7 at 10:43am
Allen's processing guidelines model is:
· Process the top item first
· Process one item at a time.
· Never put anything back into the "in."
When working through a to-do list of items, or your "in," do you find yourself hopping around through each of the items or focusing on one thing at a time? Do you think adapting this model to how you approach different lists would be helpful?
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ThursdayApr 7 at 11:31am
How often do you review your calendar, both long-term and short-term entries? Do you find yourself reviewing previous calendar data to reference events and prompt any thoughts/ideas you had to apply to upcoming events?
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ThursdayApr 7 at 11:36am
Would implementing the "tickler" system into your everyday life be practical for you?
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ThursdayApr 7 at 11:50am
Implementing organizational tools all for one's own personal benefit. But, life can happen and everything might not always be accomplished as planned, even after you have used organizational tools or systems. Allen suggests that there are three options for eliminating negative consequences from broken agreements:
· Don't make the agreement.
· Complete the agreement.
· Renegotiate the agreement.
Which one of these solutions do you tend to fall into, and which would you like to be better at?
