My Quarantine Challenges: Consistency, time management, self-development and self-discipline

Hello blockchain and non-blockchain peeps alike! How is quarantine treating you lately? I hope everything is still manageable whichever part of the globe you're in. I for one have a challenging yet fulfilling stay-at-home routine.

One of my friends checked on me the other day with this opening line.

I was like, oh yes! I am surviving well and good. I mentioned to her that I am as busy as if there is no quarantine because I am working full time from home. She was amused. She was not expecting full time work from home when she said there are a lot of tasks that were put on hold in their company. She said they were asked about what to do specially during this Holy Week when even work from home will be stopped. On the other hand, I was very much looking forward to the Holy Week to have a break.

Quarantine has given the general impression that people now have so much time to spare because they are locked at home. That is not the case for me because again, I am working full time. In exchange of the traffic jam and travel time to and from the office, I have to do everything by myself; from doing massive groceries to cooking (even if I don't know how), washing dishes, doing my laundry, etc... On top of that, it is a huge blessing that I still have my job which keeps me occupied amidst a global crisis. That does not mean though that I won't have anything new aside from the routinary tasks that I have. The quarantine certainly brought me challenges to face not just during the quarantine period but also beyond.

Consistency

Years ago, I was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. Allergy as it is, it can keep coming back. Worse is, I do not know what is triggering the allergens. The doctor recommended that I should be more conscious of my immune system and he recommended that I take vitamin C (ascorbic acid) regularly from then on. I never took this except for fruit and veggie sources. Now the doctor prescribed what he said is more expensive but more effective. That was when I started buying the vitamin of 100-piece box. However, I was not really taking them regularly. It was not in my system and I take a tablet only when I remember it or when I get sick.

The latest box that I bought was sometime in December last year 2019. If I have been taking a tablet consistently every day, I should have a new box few weeks ago. However again, it was not in my system. Even when corona virus was already in the news in January, it did not occur to me that I have to boost my immune system all the more. Only less than half of the box was taken before we started the quarantine on 15 March. Thanks to the quarantine that I remember it every day.

I remember one time when I neglected my antibiotics after getting out of the hospital in 2015. That was because I felt fine already but it was against the doctor's advice. I missed a day and the doctor said I have to start all over again from day 1. Serves my negligence right, I guess.

Now the challenge? Take your vitamins or meds regularly if you want to stay healthy. Target? Every day or as prescribed! Consistency is the key.

Time Management

I have three sets of old calendars which I have been hoarding for eleven years at the most. Yes, more than a decade ago. So far, the latest is from 2018. That is because the posters on the calendars look good and could pass for nice wall decors. I thought of putting them on frames instead of just throwing them away so I kept them. Each set has six posters which means I have 18 posters in all. With my "busy" excuses, the framing did not progress until I was finally able to finish one, which was my discovery version, in November last year 2019. That was from the 2009 calendar. Yes again, it took me a decade to finish just one.

Without finishing the first set, I started on the other one last 25 February. So far, so good, it is not finished until now. Here is the set of posters in the corner of my room.

^{If you spot the Nutella container, it does not have Nutella. It was an emptied one which I used to mix the acrylic paints.}

I know I have so many excuses of not having the time to work on framing the posters. Even with the quarantine, I still have my excuses. However after watching the "mess" in the corner every day, the quarantine taught me a lesson to better organize and manage my time.

The challenge? Manage my time and finish framing that poster that I already started within this month of April.

But there are 16 posters more!? Well, let's plot one completion every month starting in May. How about that?

Self-development

I mentioned in my previous quarantine life post that I started a hypnosis bootcamp by listening to hypnosis audio recordings. The program has seven recordings that should be played every day. I do not remember all in the recordings because I had different reactions every time I play them but two statements stayed in my mind.

Make time in your daily life for reflection and just spending time with yourself. You need to give yourself time and space to grow as a human being.

Then I saw this small piece of paper on my table display. It was given to my by a former colleague about seven or eight years ago.

When she handed the piece of paper to me, I asked.

"Why, do I look like killing myself with work?"

She was shy to answer with a straight "yes". She gently laughed before answering.

"Ahhh, not much. Just a bit. You don't have to come to that point."

Filipinos try not to be brutal in giving negative feedback but I got what she meant.

I never thought of having hypnosis course but for some reasons, I took one during the quarantine. One thing leads to another that gave me a lesson of slowing down and think - one thing that I haven't really taken seriously until I listen to the recordings.

The challenge? As I quoted above, make time every day for reflections. Target? Every day. And like taking vitamins, be consistent.

Self-discipline

On top of consistency, time management and self-development is self-discipline that wraps up everything. I keep telling others that "If there is a will, there is a way. Otherwise, there are excuses." Now I have to tell that to myself. No matter how many times one would remind him or herself to do this and do that if one has no discipline and will to do so, it will just be like a broken record.

There is a big room of opportunity to improve and be disciplined enough to keep it that way. And the challenge does not have an end date. We continue to strive doing good every day but should be better than yesterday.

P.S. Instead of worrying about toilet paper or alcohol, boost your immune system with vitamins. Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

^{This article is also posted here.}