Merry Christmas!

Hope you are enjoying the holidays with your loved ones! ^^

083. Minimalism

I've been reading a lot of articles/posts about minimalism. My favorite site is Becoming Minimalist.

I live in a house with 3 bedrooms and 3 t&b. I look around and I feel suffocated by the amount of things I own.

Starting today, I will embark on a quest to de-clutter my house. I will follow this principle: Keep only the things that you love and need.

It will be a long journey. I don't think it can be done within a few months since I frequently travel for work.

 Minimalism is not only about de-cluttering one's house. But it's a start. :)

082. In love with paper planners

Since my last post about purchasing a Raspberry Saffiano, I got more in love with paper planners. There are lots of facebook groups and blogs that are dedicated to planning so it was easier for me to feed this planner love. :)

To-date, I have
1 A5 Kikki K Lilac planner - used as home and health planner
1 Personal Raspberry Saffiano - used as my budget and finance planner
1 Personal Purple Malden - used as my personal and work planner
1 Pocket Raspberry Zipped Pennybridge - used as wallet
1 Pocket Purple Malden - not used, since it's in NY. :)
1 Hobonichi Techo cousin - used as my journal

Trying not to purchase anymore but I am thinking of using a personal domino as my calendar archive. Let's see, I'm trying a no-Spend April so might buy it in May, haha :)

081. Slow Down now

Came across this story while I was browsing thru my favorite productivity sites -

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn’t say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, “Do you have a fixed parking space? I’ve noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot.” To which he replied, “Since we’re here early we’ll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don’t you think? Imagine my face.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of “hurry” and “craziness” generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of “having in quantity” (life status) versus “having with quality”, “life quality” or the “quality of being”. French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US’s attention, pupils of the fast and the “do it now!”.

This no-rush attitude doesn’t represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the “now”, present and concrete, versus the “global”, undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans’ essential values, the simplicity of living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It’s time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.

Note to self: Slow Down Now!

I love this site International Institution of Not Doing Much.

080. First Filofax

I've fallen into a rabbit hole of all things filofax.

For the past few years, I've been using my Starbucks planner to somehow organize my life, haha.
It's effective but I want the customization that filofaxes can offer.

So, I ordered my very first filofax personal organizer in Purple (of course!) Saffiano leather. It arrived in our house in.. New York... lol. My sister will ship it today so hopefully, I can receive it next week.

So excited!!! ^^

079. Rant: smart(doesn't)care

Nov 2013
I was in Japan and I used smart's unlimited data roaming service using their partner's network.

Dec 2013
I received my November bill and was surprised to see Php 16,000 charged to my account for roaming charges.. I was only expecting around Php 2000 since I stayed for just 4 days. I raised a billing dispute with them via their customer service. They said they will need to email their partner network to get the detail of the charges.

Jan 2013-Nov 2014
I frequently called up their unreliable customer service to follow up on my issue since I don't like seeing that Php 16,000 in my billing statement every month. Usual response: We'll follow up, Ma'am.

Nov 2014
I received a call from them and they are demanding that I pay my outstanding balance. Imagine my confusion which turned into anger. You demand that I pay considering  I raised a dispute??? They can't even produce support to claim that I used the Php 16,000.

Icing to cake: After the call, they immediately disconnected my line. Great. /rolling in sarcasm
More icing to the cake: they gave out the details to me via the call without verifying that they are really talking to the account holder. Nice.

Nov 8, 2014
I went to the smart store in SM Aura and asked to permanently disconnect my line. Why would I stick to a network that do that to me?
The CSR has the audacity to ask me the reason why I am disconnecting my line. I literally laughed out loud and said to him, "After hearing my experience, you are still asking me that? Please write terrible customer service as the reason." (Checking the document, he did not write it. See how great they are?)

I might be Php 16,000 short today but definitely good riddance, smart.

I know that there is a reason why I still stick with Globe for 14 years.

I just put subscribing to smart a moment of weakness and put the whole experience under 'lessons learned'. Never again, smart. Never again.

078. Revisiting

2.5 years since my last post. Some of those I follow are still active in the blogging world! That's good to see! ^^