"managing" stress

As I was reading through my emails, I saw one email about assessing your stress level. I went thru the assessment and after reading through the results, I realized, that I really spend a lot of time meeting other people's priorities and expectations. Here's my results:



And just because this is what's expected of us, managers. I remember from another email sent to me that one of the top reasons why people leave the company is because of their direct supervisors/managers.

If you connect both facts -- the boss(es) are the ones who are giving us all these stuff to do and setting up expectations that are really stunting our (career) growth. Hmmm. What do you think?

Comment naman kayo!

Random Thoughts on a Saturday Nite

It's a Saturday....

...and I'm here at work. I got used to going home on Saturday mornings and then sleeping and lazing around all day that I'm longing for it. Not that I can't do that anymore when I go home, hehe. Just that -- there aren't any people here! There's no one to support, plus, I'm almost done with my deliverables. Hmm.

It was, however, a very productive week. I was working almost 10-13 hours here at the office (no OT!), just trying to catch up with my deliverables. I've caught up. And have juggled other stuff at the same time. Sometimes, I think about what I'm doing and think if this is what I really want to do. I like being busy, I guess.

I have been trying to log in to our remote server for almost 2 hours now -- ARGGGGGHHH!!! And to add to that, my system so slow! Hay naku. Lemme get some coffee na nga muna!!

GRRRRR.

adik.

i have been awake since... well, yesterday. i don't remember drinking any coffee. or munching anything with caffeine. nagulat nalang ako, 11:30AM na halos. why am I still awake?

was away from the office for almost a week and i guess after all that katamaran that I did:


1. watched TV literally ALL day;
2. while watching tv all day, i'm lying on our very comfy sofa
3. while watching tv all day, i'm lying on our very comfy sofa, i sometimes fall asleep and so I finally take short naps.


i did that the whole day of Sunday. i even saw the commercial on ABS-CBN that they'll be showing "Kidnap" the documentary about Ces Drilon's kidnapping. It was after TV Patrol and just imagine how late that was. By time they were talking about world news, my eyes were drooping and I was ready to sleep -- AGAIN!

and so that's how i spent my weekend. by Tuesday, i already missed the office and was ready to finish the stuff I needed to do. i guess that's what I needed -- just time off from work and i'm back with a bit of a spring on my step.

hmmm. i even told my manager that i might just stay til the end of the year. i told her, "Ask me again by January." (she was asking if I was still thinking of leaving IBM).

after that, i was on a roll, doing my stuff, finishing a lot of things. PRODUCTIVE. wow. I'm usually just productive at the end of the month, hehe. guess i'm back. i hope this isn't just a phase.

so there. matutulog na ako dahil may pasok pa ako ng 8pm.

Zzzzzz...

postscript: i will definitely ask the girls to watch Mama Mia this weekend!



07/25/2008
6:30AM

Just thought I'd talk about Mama Mia (really quickly!) and rave about it -- I LOVE IT! Bring your mom when you watch it -- if you can't, bring your girlfriends with you. You'll find yourself singing "Thank you for the Music" or "Dancing Queen" or simply be amazed with Merryll Streep as she's so youthful and beautiful! Pierce Brosnan is still as handsome and charming too!

I love the part when Merryl sang: "Winner Takes It All..." -- whew! Mindblowing!

WATCH IT!!

Missing In Action

I haven't been in the office for almost a week now. Not that I wasn't coming in, but because of some adjustments made because of a seminar that I had to attend to last Thursday and Friday.

Here's how hellish my week was:

7/7 -- I experienced some leg cramps the night we flew back to Manila from Bora, because of this, I barely can stand so I called in sick.

7/8 -- Because we had this scheduled meeting, just the DMs/AMs with our OM, Alyce, I had to go to the office at 7am. I also came in at 6pm that night for an early shift, only to find out that it was Recognition Rites for 2008 Top Talents. Talk about busy! Of course I have to spend the rest of the shift working and catching up with my audits. I didn't even have the time to talk to my team and catch up with them. Sigh. Was on a time limit bec I had to come in early at 3pm.

7/9 -- Came in before 3pm because I was too sleepy the other night. I arranged my shift to be like this because I had to go to the seminar the next day at 8am. Naturally I was really awake the early parts of the shift. Around 11pm, I was drifting off, falling asleep on my desk. Oh well.

7/10 - 7/11 --Diversity Learning Seminar over at Club Filipino, Greenhills. Thought we'd be late but came in on time. Facilitated by Lorraine Toucouni from Australia. Very interesting discussion. Helped me realize that I still really need to try to understand my agents, especially the difficult ones.

After 7/11, I take my weekly off, including my new weekly offs, Sunday and Monday. So medyo napahaba talaga. Not that I miss work --I'm more worried about a full mailbox, the backlog of work waiting and the admin stuff that I need to do.

Hay hay hay. Hirap pag MIA.

Not too late for the Beach

I was deprived of doing anything for a year because I have to pay for some investment that I made mid-year last year. I have been longing for a vacation outside the metro - our dates consisted of a quick dinner, coffee and a movie. And the usual malling.

And we heard about the Sea Air promos to Bora - and we booked a flight right away. Some old friends in PeopleSupport heard about it too and they jumped right in and joined us.

We're off to BORA tomorrow, WEEEEE! Please help us pray for a safe trip and excellent sunny weather -- we'd appreciate it :)

"All my bags are packed... "

More thoughts ...

I realized that I have kept this blog for a few years now. Hmm. It's so me that I am all over the place - one blog in Friendster and another one here. I bet if I open a Multiply account, I'd start writing there too. I even started posting some thoughts on my Facebook account.

Is this a sign? Of boredom? Of restlessness?

Hmmm.

whiff of inspiration

Just recently, one of our old family friends added me on Friendster. I was a bit surprised because I realized, she's no longer a kid and that she too, is already an adult, living her own life.

She was the cutest thing back then - one vivid memory that I have of her was back in our old church in Friendship and it was communion time. The priest was about to break bread (hostia, the big one), everybody was kneeling and had their eyes closed when suddenly, you hear a little girl saying:

"Ang takaw!"

Hahahaha. We were trying our hardest not to laugh. I think the neighborhood kids back then were up front too, us being the choir back then.

While growing up and leading our teenager lives, I have always seen her as the quiet one. Anyway, I stumbled upon her blog while checking out her profile. I got hooked reading about her life. Ang daldal pala ng batang to! And just like Tita Jo, she got her wits and humor from her mom.

In short, I got hooked to her writing. And of course there's this sisterly pride that you get that you would want to say,

"Kalaro namin si Nang dati! Kami pa nun mga ate nya at lagi syang saling pusa sa mga laro namin! "

Thus, the whiff of inspiration - after reading everything on her blog (Yes, Nang, binasa ko lahat!), I wanted to write my thoughts again the way she does.

Think.Think.Think.What else will I write today.

Hmmmm.