Ever since I have started working, balancing my life has been quite a chore. Juggling between family, friends, work and study can be a challenge when time is never on your side. Some how you wish that there was more than 24 hours in a day so as you can finally finish up everything for the day.
During my first few months into the job, things were pretty light, starting work at 8.30 am and going back at 5 pm religiously. I had ample time for my family and friends. Plus, I still have some "alone" time allocated for myself, time to unwind and just sort things out.
However, since I have started my CIMA exam, even my day-to-day life has become a challenge. Work load has accumulated, with higher responsibilities attached to it. Datelines had become thighter with bosses expecting everything to be completed almost immediately. Weekday classes was also a burden, due to the fact that the tired body and the unfocused mind just could not take the extra 3 hours of lecture when all was needed was rest.
If you think that weekend is 2 days of relaxation, my weekends were 2 days of torture. The fact that I have lectures every other day during weekdays does not mean that my weekends will be free. Especially when your lecturer just "loves" to teach. He will then carry out lectures every single weekend from 10 am to 6 pm with only one hour of break in between. When I am not attending lectures, my weekend will be spent in the library trying to digest what the lecturer was trying to say throughout the 8 hours lecture.
Hence, it can be said that my priorities then was my work & studies. However, for the past few months I've been trying to make an effort to come back home early to catch up with friends and family. I try to have a chat with Mum on a daily basis just to make sure that the mother-daughter bonding still goes on strong. To me, she's all I have left, besides my two sisters, thus I should put them as my top priority.
Why am I babling about priorities? Received this article in my inbox yesterday and it had touched me deeply..
Professor & a Jar
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A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Binx: Starbucks anyone?
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