Being more efficient

This is the second day I started the whole "Do not check my emails every 2 mins" routine. I should say it turn out pretty well. The first thing I do every morning is no longer checking emails, or surfing the internet. Each night, I left out a piece of work to be done the next day on my table - it may be writing a paragraph in my paper, organizing my notes, reading, or even exercising etc. That IS the first thing I do the next morning. I finished it, and then, I go to my Inbox, read, check and clear everything in the Inbox... then on to some internet entertainment.... and I am never back on the web again until at least about 4 hours later.... Doesn't sound like much, but it is a start for me. This is the product I am using now to notify me of any urgent emails so that I do not worry about missing out on important stuffs. However, let's face it, how many emails are so urgent that they require IMMEDIATE respond? Check it out if you are interested ....

Awayfind.com


On a side note, I am back on an exercise regime again. This time I have no excuses because I picked up (actually Hannah torrented it) a ten-minutes-training DVD. Each exercise is only 10mins - but it is an INTENSE 10 mins! I saw a post on my friend's (Hi ! Justine) blog and she just finished her half-marathon race. I feel that I need to follow through on my exercise goals as well...well, I cannot let her have all the glory :P

I get more work done. And I love it.

I am such a procrastinator

What is the first thing you do when you turn on your computer? For me, it is checking my email, follow by returning all those sometimes-I-think not so important messages, then surfing the net, reading articles about diving, science, the world etc, obviously there is also facebook... and before I know it, it is ALREADY afternoon!

I always lament that I do not have enough time! However, I think too much time has been wasted on trivial stuffs. I want to spend more time on the various items :
- working out to feel healthy and good
- writing my journal paper
- research, reading for my PhD
- my website and blog

So, today is my first step.... I am a compulsive email checker! And this is certainly one area I can cut down. I started using a program call AwayFind, which will scan the messages on my Gmail. It will notify me whenever I received an important email. Thus, I do not need to constantly checking my emails every 3 seconds!

First step to be more efficient.

Glimpse of spring

It has been a while since I post  here. My day usually starts with squeezing in an hour in the morning reading and replying emails, do a quick check on facebook :P, and then start working in the lab. After that, a quick lunch and start writing the proposal or papers until rushing to the ferry to get home at about 5pm. At home, the whole writing starts again after dinner and a quick break. Weekdays, weekends.... everyday seems to blend together into one LONG day! It has been busy.

Managed to caught a quick glimpse of spring the other day when I was working at home.

It has been raining all these time... pretty rainbow after the rain

The daffodil is blooming

The pomegranate is budding

Even the long awaited orchid flowers are budding this year!