#sbfpc

So when I bumped into shrinkingblonde’s The Full Potential Challenge and realized that a new month is about to start (I like making new projects each month), I decided to join this challenge! (Disclaimer: some of the things listed below are taken from the original challenge.) W E E K D A Y S

Every Morning

Wake up before 8 AM. I’ve always loved being a morning person but college has forced me to become a night owl. I think it’s fulfilling to wake up early and be able to tick off half of my to-do list before 12 noon. It gives me the feeling of productivity and achievement (trust me, it’s addictive!).

Make bed. I’ll thank myself later at night when it’s finally time for me to crawl into my bed. In addition, a clean bed gives me an illusion of a clean room which is an environment conducive for working.

Wash face. To wash off any remaining desire to go back to bed and slumber.

Prepare and eat breakfast. It’s a vital meal for me since I have to commute every morning to school and, most often than not, I use my travel time to study; thus, it is a must to keep myself from getting hungry so my brain’s quite active.

Take vitamins. For several times I’ve tried to stick to taking vitamins every day but I keep on breaking the momentum and the tablets end up expiring eventually. Because of my sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy sleeping pattern, my immune system has always been weak (my doctor keeps on reminding me to rest). But I’ve learned my lesson and I’m really trying to take care of my body so here I am, hoping to achieve this habit.

Brush teeth + Floss + Mouthwash. This can do wonders.

Check “To-Do” List and start ticking off boxes. I am a master planner and my life is composed of stuff I need to tick off. But I fail *suck* at following through because I procrastinate a lot. I hope to develop discipline, focus, and determination to stick to my plan because they are for my own good.

Study. I am no longer ashamed to admit that I like studying; there is just no drive for me to do it. But I cannot wait for that drive to just appear otherwise I won’t achieve anything. If I need to force myself, then so be it.

Work out. So far, I’m winning at this habit. Although I wake up every morning thinking of the pain my muscles would feel during HIIT, I still haven’t skipped an exercise session. I just hope I’d be able to continue this even during internship.

Learn French. I think learning different languages would definitely come in handy in this generation where travelling has become so common. I had a bad experience getting lost in a country where several taxi drivers abandoned me and my friend upon hearing us speak English. It would have been easier for us if we knew, even a little, how to speak their language. I still have a long way to go but I already have a list of languages to learn: Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, and, yes, Cebuano language.

Drink water. Oftentimes, I bring a bottle full of water to school and go back home with the water barely reduced. Hydrating is important to keep our organs healthy and in full function.

Read news. Be informed, be aware, and be involved. It is a responsibility we all have to take hold of.

Every Afternoon

Minimize time using electronic devices and time being online. How many times have I went home at 5 PM and start scrolling my fb / twitter / IG feeds only to realize that it’s already 9 PM? And that I need to take a nap because I’m too tired to function? But there are just too many things to do? I lost count. I (You) should be a master of technology, not a slave to it. Be wise.

Study. Smartly. Do not memorize, understand. Take all the time you need. Re-read. Revise. Don’t ever stop.

Move around every 30 minutes. Have you ever heard of the statement, “Sitting is the new smoking”? No? Read this. It’s been backed up by studies that sitting for prolonged periods of time has harmful effects on our health. Therefore, it is imperative to walk, jump, climb the stairs, or just MOVE every 30 minutes.

Eat fruits > junk foods. There was a time when I hated eating junk foods. Then one magical night, I just decided to take a break from studying and went to 7eleven to hoard lots of chips! The following days and weeks, I craved for more (and I guiltily satisfied those cravings). I need to decide now that I will only take in nutritious foods.

Eat lunch! Lunch is the meal I tend to skip most of the time. There are just too many things happening during lunch time that I (un)intentionally skip it on most days. I end up being famished at around 4 in the afternoon.

Drink water > milktea / juice / coffee / soda. I take in too much sugar; I think I am pre-diabetic already.

Meditate. It’s great for improving our focus and attention span! Plus, it’s a good way to rest our mind when we are stressed / troubled / feeling depressed / not okay. Now if I just cut off my time on social media, I would have probably developed this habit a long time ago.

Follow through my “To-Do” List. Stick to the plan! The schedule should also leave room for any inevitable circumstances that may come my way. So it shouldn’t be too cramped nor too loose.

Be present. Being an INFJ makes me a very internal person. I think too much, but speak too little. Sometimes, I would zone off for hours. This needs a lot of work but I will definitely reap a lot if I get to control my mind and keep it from thinking too much.

Be mindful of your posture. Do something now that your future self would thank you for.

Every Night

Upon arriving home, rest for 20 minutes and then wash yourself. I can actually meditate during this rest period or just take a nap. But I should never, ever open any social media--or any of my electronic devices--until I get to rest and bathe.

Study. Do what needs to be done. If I really am tired, I will rest -- and NOT SCROLL AND SCROLL AND SCROLL THROUGH MY SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS.

Follow through my “To-Do” List. Evening, for me, is the most crucial time for following through the “To-Do” List since it’s the time to cram work. If I don’t finish the stuff I need to do, I have to transfer the remaining activities to the “To-Do’s” for the next day -- which will just give more work for the future me. Thus, it’s really, really vital to start early so I don’t need to worry much about how I will finish the work within due time.

Turn-off all electronic devices at 10 PM. If I would be honest, I should be done on most of my work / assignments if I start upon arriving home without any distraction. The only reason why I go past 10 PM writing a paper is because I’ve spent the hours between 6 PM to 9 PM scrolling my social media feeds. L This has to stop. Virtual life shouldn’t be like a full-time job. I should pressure myself to finish work early so I can get more sleep time.

Write on my journal. I used to write on my journal to vent or rant because I don’t really like to bother people (and I just don’t feel like venting to a friend via chat--it doesn’t give me the same relief I feel when I rant in person.) Then I realized upon re-reading my past entries that I really do have a lot to say. I want to see

Write “To-Do” List for the next day. It’s nice to know the things I need to do for the next day so I know how hectic or how free my day would be.

Allocate 5 minutes of putting things to their places before going to bed. I am currently occupying two rooms in the condo: one for studying and another one for sleeping. Both of which are messy because I tend to leave things the way they are after I use whatever I used. “A place for everything and everything in its place.”

Read the Bible. Some days I will read only 2 pages while some days I will be able to read 20 pages. The number of pages doesn’t matter as long as I read and reflect. I need God in my life.

Exfoliate face 3-4 times per week and brush your teeth / floss / mouthwash. Do not eat after you brush your teeth! Exfoliate every MWFSat.

W E E K E N D S

Practice watercolour painting. This one which started out as just a way to waste my 4 month vacation turned to become a therapeutic activity for me. I no longer just write, which just intensifies whatever negative feeling I have. But I now have a venue that allows me to take my mind off of whatever is bothering me and lets me make something beautiful out of being blue.

Read a novel for 30-45 minutes. I know that it would be too difficult to try to read during weekdays but I don’t want to completely give up reading. Although, to be honest, I think I have also lost the will to read since I cannot even remember when or what book I last read. But! I am not giving up on myself!

Clean electronic devices. Mix 50% alcohol and 50% water, spray on a cloth, and then wipe. Also, delete unnecessary files or e-mails.

Clean room. Just in case the “A place for everything and everything in its place” couldn’t keep my room from being a dumpsite. Also, spray on some air freshener. Wipe the tables and floor with wet cloth to remove dust.

Do something with family/friends. Cook with them. Go to a coffee shop and study with them. Watch a movie. Play with the dog. Even if it’s only 10 minutes, do something with them.

Track my progress. Take anthropometric measurements (waist, 1 in below belly button, arm). How’s your attention span? How much time do you spend on social media? How’s your savings? Are you behind, just right, or advanced with your papers? Do you workout regularly? Do you read articles? Do you re-read your school books or transes? Do you read novels? How good are you in French? How tidy is your room?

Be grateful and voice it out. I need to make the people around me feel appreciated. Spread love and positive vibes. Don’t let hectic schedules keep you from putting a smile on somebody else’s face!

Drink and Eat! I cannot emphasize this enough. Start as early as now to practice good eating and hydrating habits. I need to take care of my body since it’s the only one I got!

Learn French. It’s only through relentless and unyielding trials do we ingrain these lessons. Keep practicing.

Catch up on studying/reading/doing work. Whatever lesson you study will soon come in handy in the future. You don’t know what you do not know so read, read, read! Think of your patients. Think of providing the best quality service. Don’t. Stop. Improving.

O C C A S I O N A L L Y

Learn how to cook at least one meal per month. Preferably a Filipino dish. Since I might miss this when I finally leave. :’)

Do something exciting at least twice a year. Hike a mountain or two. Surf. Join COLOR Manila RUN. Travel solo. Go to Boracay and try snorkelling or paragliding. I am turning 21 this year and I haven’t experienced much. It’s time to brush off the fear and do. Something.