1st Family Overseas Trip - Hong Kong (Part 2)

The children enjoyed themselves thoroughly in HK Disneyland. The theme park is a great place for children; also for adults especially during the December period - the entire place was fully decorated for X'mas with a 3 - 4 storey high X'mas Tree at the Main St, Road parades with carols and artificial snow, princess ball, brilliantly lit Castle with spectacular fireworks nightly, just to name a few. We were fully immersed in the X'mas mood :-)

This trip to Disneyland was meant to be "slow paced" i.e. we just want to let the children take their time to enjoy the place. Even though we spent 4 days there, we didn't really manage to walk and see all the highlights in the entire park. We were pretty much stuck at Fantasyland where Joann tried the carousel, musical tea cups and flying dumbo rides for numerous times. Fantasyland is also the place where you can catch Disney princesses such as Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle (remember Beauty and the Beast?), Alice, etc (see, I've been educated well by my daughter ;-)) We spent half a day with Joann, chasing to take pictures with the princesses :-P


As for Jayden, he was mesmerised from day 1 by the "bubble machine" and would spend his daily routine, catching his bubbles :-) He loved catching up with his favourite Disney characters and taking photos with them. He also enjoyed the daily road parades where he could see all his Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy all at one go.

The nightly fireworks is also a highlight not to be missed. The crowd was wooed by the spectacular fireworks and songs! All of us except Jayden enjoyed the fireworks. He was afraid of the fireworks :-( I didn't manage to capture the fireworks using my video cam as I was carrying Joann but you can check it out at the youtube video provided below.

We thoroughly enjoyed our short stay at HK Disneyland and this trip provided a great bonding time for us as a family :-) Looking forward to come back next year if possible!




P/S: More photos at my facebook :-)

1st Family Overseas Trip - Hong Kong (Part 1)

Two weeks ago, we had our first family overseas trip :-) Aileen and I decided to bring the kids to Hong Kong Disneyland for four days.

Jayden had been asking for a trip to Disneyland since June 08 (Aileen and I made a trip to HK with Joann in June 08; we brought back lots of photo from Disneyland that got him excited). Thus in August, we started planning for a second trip back to HK Disneyland - this time, specially for him :-)

We had been talking to the children about this trip and they were all geared up for it - longing to meet their favourite characters from the Mickey Clubhouse in person.

We started our trip by trying out the new Crowne Plaza Hotel (at Changi Airport Terminal 3). We stayed there for a night prior to our flight. We thought that it might be more convenient for both of us and the children to check in for the early morning flight by staying near to Terminal 3.

The resort-style hotel boosts private gardens of tropical shrubs and is eco-friendly (the design of the hotel maximises the use of natural light to save energy). The hotel room was cosy and the children were excited to be able to see airplanes take off from a short distance away.

This is Jayden's first overseas trip by air. Apart from some slight fear during takeoff and landing, he generally enjoyed the 3.5 hours flight.

SCSM 2008

My colleague and I went for the 10km run last Sunday. This is my first SCSM and decided to just start with 10km for the fun. Anyway, I have not ran 10km since my time in Officer Cadets School (OCS). My colleague and I originally targeted to train weekly but as usual, been very caught up with our daily work. So, we went for the run, totally "cold".

The run started at 7.30am at the Singapore Esplanade. The morning weather was clear, with slight breeze - a great start for the run. This year's SCSM registered a record number of 50,000 runners. The place was filled with both competitive and non-competitive runners, young and old.

The first 6 km was ok for me i.e. I jogged with ease. My legs started to ache for the last 4km. So I have to walk and run several times until the finishing point.

Overall, the SCSM was a great big group run in a scenic route. Will surely come back again next year - hopefully for the half-marathon :-P

*Asia Conference*

Tremendously blessed by the messages from Pst. A.R. Bernard, Pst. Phil Pringle & Pst. Kong during the friday services! Every service was packed (not just Hall 8; also Hall 7 & 10 esp. during the evening service with Pst. Kong) & the presence of God was intense! Simply in awe as 20,000 people packed into the evening service! The hunger for God can be seen everywhere.

My Key Takeaways:

• Hunger, Hunger, Hunger! If I am hungry, I will be desperate & not settle for anything less - Maintaining the hunger for God is key to personal revival!
  
• In engaging culture & society, I must insulate myself with the Word of God and penetrate by radiating Jesus in me! External pressures can't crush me if I stay close to God and strengthened by God on the inside
  
• Renewed vision of "Loving God wholeheartedly & loving people fervently"
  

Back from Vancouver

Finally! Touched down in Singapore at 12.30am last night after 22 hours of flight! Have a fruitful conference and a wonderful short tour of downtown Vancouver - city which I would be glad to return in future :-)

Seeing Star....Bucks!!!

Have been in Vancouver for almost 4 days & everywhere I go in downtown Vancouver, I see Starbucks Coffee Cafes! Think almost one every 400m :-P Think the people here really love coffee! But... I have the privilege of drinking Starbucks coffee for free everyday :-) B'cos Starbucks coffee is being offered to participants of the conference! So I make sure that I have a cuppa every session break :-P

3rd Day in Vancouver: Early Morning "Call"

It was 4.30am... My sleep was suddenly interrupted by a "familiar" alarm. The fire alarm had gone off in my hotel!!! I was totally thrown off guard as I slept at about 2am. My colleagues and I quickly took our personal belongings and make our way to the ground floor. I was so anxious to get to safety that I wore my colleague's leather shoes by mistake :-P This is the first time we experienced a fire alarm in a hotel.

The fire engines came about 15 min later and verified that the fire alarm was falsely triggered by some faulty mechanism. Some of the hotel guests were clearly angry over the false alarm. Many beautiful dreams were interrupted, ha.

We decided not to get back to sleep but prepared ourselves for the day conference. The conference starts at Sheraton Wall Centre, 8am daily and is a short distance walk from our hotel. I have started to enjoy the sandwiches at Subway as we took our breakfast there daily. There are quite a number of Subway branches at downtown Vancouver.

Today is the 2nd day of Int'l System Safety conference (ISSC 08) and it started with a "opening ceremony". This annual conference is organised by Int'l System Safety Society which comprises of System Safety professionals, who come together for an exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences. We were sent by our company to learn about this discipline from int'l practitioners. 5 full days of programmes; packed from 8am to 5pm.


Nevertheless, still able to squeeze in some time to experience downtown Vancouver slowly :-)

Finally! Arrival @ Vancouver

I have arrived @ Vancouver! Waited 6 hours @ Portland Int'l Airport & finally took the plane from Horizon Air (on the picture below). The weather was turning bad as you can see and the ride was real bumpy! Will never take a light aircraft again.

Upon touch-down, we quickly travel to our hotel and settle in. It was a simple and comfortable place, right at the heart of downtown Vancouver.

Went for our dinner after settling in quickly and managed to take a 2 hours walk at downtown Vancouver. Nice and cosy temperature @ 14 Degree Celsius. The sky was still quite bright until about 8pm.

We came across an interesting shop (see below) that sells Apples & Mash Mellows, dipped in chocolate & with a variety of toppings! Yumpy! One bite will definitely give me enough Calories for one whole day! Better watch my waistline :-P

Heading for Vancouver

Just touched down at Portland International Airport (now 10am, Sun morning) - after 16 hours of flight from Singapore via Narita Airport, Japan. Quite tired now... Didn't really sleep during the journey. Now, waiting for the next flight to Vancouver in 4 hours time (1 hour flight).

Will be at Vancouver for a week till 29 Aug, for a conference. This is my first trip to the States and Canada. Hope that this will be a fruitful trip :-)

Taking a good rest now....

Passed IPPT!

Went for my IPPT test yesterday morning. Been training for the last couple of months but still wasn't very confident of passing. Nevertheless, decided to go for it... But, Praise the Lord! I passed it! Nearly obtained sufficient points for a silver ($100) :-P

One lesson I found to be true for this episode, mental preparation must be done in tandem with physical preparation. Although I have been training physically for the last few months, my confidence level was lagging behind as chin-up is my weakest station. Thankful for the word of God during the cell group meeting that encouraged me to look to God; to know that I can do all things in Him; to know that He empowers me (2 Cor 9:8, Eph. 3:20). The word came to me at the right moment. So, I envisioned my IPPT victory that morning; I participated with all my strength and mind; and I got it!

Combating Rising Utility Bills!

Just received my latest utility bills recently & was shocked to see about 25% increase compared to my monthly average! For those of you who are still unaware, the Singapore Power has recently revised upward the utility rates again in view of the rising oil price. With the steep oil price affecting transportation and utility costs which are part of our daily essentials, My family & I have adjusted our lifestyle in a couple of ways to combat the rising expenses.

For transportation, we have cut down drastically on cabs and have learnt to plan our time better in order to leverage on the public buses. I find the IRIS system provided by SBS useful as you can sms to get an estimation of your bus arrival time. Furthermore, I do planning for my work, read or listen to sermons on my ipod during my bus journey so that the traveling time can be made more useful and purposeful.

As for utility usage, I have gained a habit to shut down power for appliances after use. Especially when I leave for work in early morning, power to all unused appliances are shut off. Studies have shown that we can save quite substantially just by shutting off standby power to our TV, radio, internet, computers etc. I have also became more conscious when I replace my light bulbs at home by purchasing energy efficient fluorescent bulbs.

Just today, Aileen & I decided to pop by Metro to buy a Thermos kettle to replace our current electric airpot. Decided to go for the switch after reading an article in the newspapers that one can save up to $20 monthly just by changing to a Thermos kettle (if you usually keep your electric airpot on for 24 hours daily). Will keep all posted whether this is true :-)


The current rising cost of energy does make people more conscious of their energy usage and adjust their lifestyles to curb wastage. Seems like a good thing too as we must learn not to take things for granted...

Champion of England & Europe!!!

Manchester United is the
CHAMPION OF ENGLAND & EUROPE for 2007/08!

• Cristiano Ronaldo - Top scorer in England & Europe (42 goals!!!) Surely Player of the Year!

• Edwin Van Der Sar - Save of the Season to give Man Utd the Champions League title!

• Tevez, Owen, Nani & Anderson - Good new inclusions into the squad this season. Received their England & Champions League medals on the first season! Very fortunate!

• Rooney & Tevez - potent & classy striker partnership! Work tirelessly all season!

• Last but not least, Sir Alex - Best manager this season!!!
  

18 May - Jo's 4th Birthday!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS JOANN!!!

5 Kilo OFF!

I am pleased to announce on this blog that I have managed to shed 5 kilo since February 2008. One of my goals this year is to live healthier and be able to shed 10 kg off. Being a food lover (esp. pizzas, burgers and other fried stuff) and was always thinking that I could not squeeze out time for physical exercises, I decided to embark on this seemingly tough task (For your info, I had tried in the past but failed). I knew that to fulfill my goal, I will have to make sacrifices. No pain, No gain (in this case, no loss i.e. weight loss).

Since February, I have been putting myself through a regime of controlled food intake, exercises and supplement intake. For daily food intake, I practise this principle of "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper". I used to take supper every night in the past but now I have removed this habit and do not eat past 9pm. If I happen to feel hungry past 9pm, I will only allow myself a cup of hot Milo. Not easy at the beginning, given my big appetite but now a habit.

Finding time to exercise is another great personal challenge esp. when I need to juggle between my family, work and other commitments. I keep on telling myself that I have no excuse not to take care of my health. I remember someone once said, "When you say that you have no time for something, you are simply saying that you have not given a high priority to that thing. In another word, you will always have time for something that you have given priority to." Now I find time to jog at least 25 minutes three times weekly. On days where I plan to jog, I will leave my office on the dot so that I can jog before hitting my in law's place for dinner. In order to boost my calorie loss during exercise time, I also take dietary supplement pills from GNC (Burn 60).

Now, I feel motivated as I am about 50% to my final goal. More importantly, I feel great physically and more alert due to the healthy regime. I want to encourage everyone who read this blog to start living healthier. You will need a strong body to do the many things that you wish to do in life. Don't ever neglect your physical health. The starting will be tough but as you discipline yourself to stick to your plan, it will slowly be easier as it will become your habit. Soon you will be reaping the results of a healthier and stronger you that allow you to perform better in every aspect of your life.

Sudoku Attraction

Sudoku. A game I chose to be disinterested to, in spite of the frequency I encountered it; whether in newspapers, friends who talked about it or on best sellers book shelves whenever I visited Borders...

Recently I finally gave in and decided to learn how to play this game. Let me give you a brief introduction if you are unfamiliar with this "addictive" game -

Sudoku is a logic based number placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9, only one time each (that is, exclusively).

The modern puzzle was invented by an American architect, Howard Garns in 1979 and published by Dell Magazines under the name "Number Place". It became popular in Japan in 1986, after it was published by Nikoli and given the name Sudoku, meaning single number. It has been an international hit since 2005 (from Wikipedia).

Now, I will play a Sudoku puzzle at least once daily (From my daily free copy of Today newspapers). My wife, Aileen too caught the "fire" after seeing me cracking Sudoku puzzles :-P Think she is more "ON" than me because she bought a Sudoku puzzle book from Popular recently. I prefer to play it for free :-)

If you decide to have a go at it, check out this website - WebSudoku. You can play the puzzle for free online and advance to more difficult levels once you get the "hang" of it. If you wish to download it to play offline on your computer, check out Sudoku Portable too. This game will exercise and train your brain. Enjoy!!!

Impressive SG Airshow!

I brought the children to the inaugural Singapore Airshow 08 on 24 Feb last month. Personally I was excited because it was the first time that the children would be up close and personal with the aircraft which they often see in the sky.

We arrived at the Show Site (Changi Exhibition Centre) a hour before the aerobatic flying display. So we took time to walk around the exhibition hall and view the static display of military and commercial aircraft in the open square.

We were very impressed by the aerobatic display by our country's very own team - The Black Knights. The Black Knights which consisted of 6 F-16C aircraft wooed the crowd with their daring, precise and sophisticated manoeuvres. Joann was thrilled and especially fascinated when the Black Knights performed the "flaming heart" manoeuvre on the sky! As for Jayden, he was making noises; wanting to go home as he was afraid of the loud noise from the aircraft in flight :-P

Overall, it was a great airshow by Singapore and I am looking forward to the next one in 2010. If you missed the Black Knights, click on the video link below!

News of the week: Joann is officially toilet trained!!!

28 Jan 2008 marked yet another historic moment in the life of our princess, Joann. She was finally able to poo poo into the toilet bowl instead of into the cursed diaper. Hurray!!!

For the past three years, we have tried ways and means to get Joann to poo poo into her potty but she adamantly refused. She was very determined - Whenever we tried to train her, she would go on a "poo poo" strike - she could "control" her bowel movement and would not poo for 3 to 4 days. As a result, we had always given in, worried that her health would be affected. This time, however, we decided that enough was enough.We hardened our hearts and decided to strike again, praying hard that we would be able to outlast her determination should she go on another "poo poo" strike. By hook or by crook, we HAD to get her off her diapers this time. Jayden is already off his diapers!!!

Yesterday was Joann's 5th day into her "poo poo" strike and she was increasingly lethargic and hot tempered due to her "choked system". My mum-in-law and I decided to end her strike. My mother-in-law brought her to the toilet and held her captive on top of the toilet bowl as she kicked up a BIG storm. Meanwhile, I stood guard outside the toilet door with a cane. Yes, she refused to succumb to pressure and cried so badly that gong gong was so heart-broken and stormed out of the house in anger. Undaunted, my mum-in-law held her in position firmly and assured her that she could do it. Looking at her, I simply could not fathom why anyone would resist the potty / toilet bowl with such intensity!

We "wrestled" with her for at least half an hour and honestly, there were moments we felt like giving up as it pained our hearts to hear her crying badly. I prayed to the Lord for that breakthrough as I waited.

After about half an hour, she FINALLY POO into her potty! The ordeal was finally over! She broke into a smile. It was a smile that spoke of relief and triumph! The moment had finally come for many of us to fulfill our promises to her! We had promised to buy her story books and toys if she could poo into her potty.

Last night, we went to MacDonald's and marked her passage to "adulthood" with a mini celebration. This could possibly be one of the highlights of 2008 for our family!Well done, Jo!

Interest Rates for Your Savings Accounts

Recently, I did a simple comparison of the banks' savings interest rates in Singapore. We all know that the banks' savings interest rates are meager as compared to other more advanced instruments such as fixed deposits, structured deposits, unit trusts, stocks etc. However in my humble opinion (I am not trained in finance :-P), a saving account is the most basic and flexible (easiest to withdraw cash if needed for emergency) form of personal savings. I feel that one will not only need a savings account for salary credit purpose but also for building up a sizable savings amount so that he can channel the extra money into other more advanced instruments as mentioned above. While the money is still in savings account, we can also make it work harder.

Thus, with this in mind, I did a simple comparison table (check here to download!). The top three savings accounts that offer highest interests are:

• OCBC Monthly Savings (from 1.68%) - 24 months lock-in
  
• StanChart e$aver (from 0.8%)
• Citibank "Step-Up Interest" (0.6875%)

This information only serves as a guide for personal use. Interests rates and savings plans change from time to time. The rule of thumb for your finance goal is to make your money work harder!

Jayden's 2th Birthday Celebrations

My little boy, Jayden turned 2 years old on 20 January 2008 :-) He was excited as we celebrated his birthday with beautiful cakes in 2 locations (at my parents' and in-law's place). We bought him a basketball-shaped cake from RoomforDessert as he loves ball games. The cake combines layers of light chocolate sponge, chocolate whipped cream, ganache and generous slices of fresh banana - both the children and adults loved it!!!

Of course, Jayden got his fair share of presents and red packets! His God-ma and Auntie Annie bought him his favourite "Thomas & Friends" train sets; I bought him a Gazillion battery-operated bubble gun ;-) As for his red packets, he was blessed with over $300!

My heart was so warmed to see my boy happy and blessed on his birthday! Now waiting for Joann's birthday in May...

The Children's Toys

Chinese New Year is about 3 weeks away and we have started to do some spring-cleaning this week. Our first station is the children's toys. We are amazed by the collection of toys that Joann and Jayden have gathered over the last 3 years. Since both of them are taken care of by my mother-in-law at her place during the daytime, they have toys in 2 locations.

As we combed through their toys, we realized some battery-operated toys were damaged due to battery leakage. Here is a valuable lesson: Remove batteries from your battery-operated toys or gadgets if you are not using them regularly or anymore. We also realized that it is safer to use batteries from better brands such as Duracell or Energizer because the batteries are of better quality and do not leak easily as compared to those that you can get a pack of 4 for S$1 to S$2.

Recently I have started using rechargeable batteries from Sanyo Eneloop. They can be used immediately right after purchase, have high power, long shelf life without loss of energy and of course, environmental friendly (I can recharge an Eneloop for about 1000 times!).

After clearing through the children's toys, I cannot help but envy the wide range of toys available to the children nowadays. During my time, I only had Ultraman, WWF figures and Lego blocks.. Sigh... Now there are all kinds of creative toys available in the market - Just drop by Toys"R"Us and you will know what I mean.

Before I end this post, I wish to recommend a number of interesting and creative toys which I have bought for Joann and Jayden. I enjoy these toys too :-P

Short Visit to Changi Airport Terminal 3

The Changi Airport Terminal 3 was opened on 9 January 2008. I decided to pop by to take a look at this terminal which attracted much publicity from the local news.

The Terminal 3 is conveniently linked to the Changi Airport MRT station, through escalators and travellators. From the innovative roof to the green wall, Terminal 3 is designed to be a pleasure for the senses.

The innovative roof is designed to let natural light into the building while cutting out the tropical heat. Soft and soothing natural light permeates the interior at all times through more than 900 skylights with reflector panels that automatically adjust the level of daylight into the terminal.

The Green Wall is a 300-metre span of living plants, interspersed with four cascading waterfalls. Below the wall is a sculptured sandstone art wall display - a visual treat for passengers waiting for their luggage.

At the time of my visit, the place was packed with people - mostly non-traveling Singaporeans who were excited to take a first look at their newest Terminal. We left after one hour in search for food as all the restaurants in T3 were packed with long queues.

To know about Changi Airport Terminal 3, click here.

A New Beginning (by Stacey Chillemi)

There comes a time when the meaning of life begins to make sense,

At first it may not,

The sky at first may look dark,

The path one needs to walk down may be hard to see,

Never let a anyone control one’s destiny,

God created will

The Lord will help you move forward,

The Lord gives you the strength to live life positively

He gives you the strength for a fulfilling future,

Let God into your mind, body and soul,

You cannot give up with a barrier blocks your past,

Ask the Lord for help through prayer,

You control your life,

Accept yourself,

Love yourself now and forever,

You were thrown against a corner when,

Getting up was not an option,

Today is a new day,

If you stay down life will pass you by,

So help yourself get up,

Fight the battle and win,

To win the battle you have to refuse to give up,

Winning the battle is teaching you how to live a healthy productive life,

Helping you cope,

Life may not always become what you want them to be,

The road you lead may have some u-turns involved,

Do not fear,

For change can be good,

Follow your path that was laid out for you,

The sun is now shinning,

You can now see your path

There is a plan, a destiny that awaits you,

Do not question your destiny,

Do not ask questions such as “why me?”

Accept the path that has been laid in front of you.

Do not be afraid,

Take one day at a time,

Be proud of who you are,

Walk with courage and your head up high,

Believe in yourself,

Focus on the positive,

For the footsteps imbedded in ground of your new path will become the solid foundation to you future.

Life Is Short!

For those of you who did not manage to catch this clip from my facebook site ;-) This is one of my favorite clips :-) Enjoy and have a blessed week!



Life is Short - Don't Waste It! - Make it Count!

Change My Life (II)

The last few days have been a fruitful time of reflection and planning for me. I am almost done with my personal goal setting for 2008 :-) Here are my thoughts from the last few days:

One cannot expect personal changes in his life by continuing in his current lifestyle - his current way of thinking and doing things.

"...No one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. That way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved." - Matthew 9:17

Many times, though we desire change and breakthrough for our lives, we are less than willing to forsake our traditional way of thinking and doing things. We are prone to be led by our emotions or situations rather than discipline by decisions (For example - from now on, bad weather shall NOT stop me from exercising :-P)

We need to open up ourselves to new ways of thinking and methods. When that happens, we re-position ourselves and create possibilities. New personal breakthroughs also demand an expansion of oneself. We must continue to thirst and not be comfortable with where we are.

As I reflect upon my unachieved goals in 2007 and forward planning for 2008, I reckon I need to do the following:

1. Change in Mindset - See things or past failures in a different light. Use my past failures and experiences as my stepping stones. Constantly walk in partnership with God.
   
2. Change in Priority - My dreams for 2008 will require me to prioritize my life. I cannot be everything to everyone.
   
3. Change in Motivation - Replace negative thoughts and feelings (e.g. procrastination, lethargy, fear) with faith and confidence. Know that a step taken towards the goal today is a step closer to it.
   
4. Change in Habits (Actions) - Do not underestimate the significance of the little steps taken each day or feeling overwhelmed by the size of the goal/task; think power of compound - Every step I take towards my goal each day adds up!

Change My Life (I)

Change starts with self
Change is necessary for my life to grow
Change begins when my thinking changes
Change is a continuous process - It stops only for fools and dead men
Change by decision is better than change by crisis

My ability to change will determine my success in life

Change begins with:

1. Decision - Do not be double-minded! No more toying with ideas! Let my mind, heart and action be in unison!
2. Dedication - Be committed to my thoughts and actions based on my decision!
3. Discipline - If good decision is goal setting, then daily discipline is goal getting!

My recommended book for your reading:

Have You Experienced Water Bed?

Check out this funny video for this week to find out! ha!



Hope you enjoy the video and have a fun-filled year ahead!

Joann's 1st Day In Nursery

Today is Joann's 1st day in LSK nursery (Praiseland 1). She has been looking forward to this day since December though she changed her mind slightly yesterday :-P

This morning, her ma ma (my mother-in-law) came to our place at 7am to get her ready for pick-up by the school bus at 8.10am. Joann looked so grown up as she donned her uniform. Her ma ma changed her hairstyle twice before she was satisfied that her granddaughter looked her best for school.

At 8am, Joann was ready and we went down to the void deck to wait for the bus. My mother-in-law and I had a good chat before we started to panic as the bus had not arrived at 8.30am (School started at 8.30am!). I almost carried Joann to school (school is about 10 minutes walk away) before we realized that there was another group of parents waiting for the same bus at the opposite block.

The bus finally arrived at 8.35am. The bus was delayed due to traffic jam. My mother-in-law and I felt relieved as the "carriage" finally arrived to carry our "princess" to the "castle" for 2 hours...

What to Expect for 2008?

Today is 2nd January 2008. A new year has begun. A new year marks a new beginning. This new beginning does not mean that all that had happened in 2007 are washed away; our lives carry on - for most of us, we do carry things into the new year because life is a continuation. Some of our challenges in 2007 are brought forward to 2008. Nevertheless, one can "reset" his mental clock and look upon the new year as a new starting ground by learning from past mistakes and adopting a new spirit to approach life with purpose, zeal and hope.

This is the time of the year where I am taking time to reflect upon what had transpired in my life the previous year and to plan for 2008. I believe one cannot plan effective for the new year without reflecting upon the previous year. Questions I ask myself:

1. What had I achieved for 2007?
2. What were my goals for 2007 and did I achieve them?
3. What were my unachieved goals and failures? Why? (poor time planning? procrastination? lack of discipline and commitment?)
4. What can I learn from my mistakes in 2007? (This will prepare me not to make the same mistakes again in 2008!)
5. What are my goals for 2008?

Making S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals!

• Specific - A specific goal has a greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. If one of your goals is to lose weight, a specific goal will be "I want to lose 20 lbs by June 2008" rather than "I want to lose weight in 2008".

• Measurable - Set concrete criteria for your goal. Ask yourself - How much? How many? By which date?

• Action Plan - Divide your final goal into smaller and easily attainable ones which can be achieved within the specified time frame. Decide what you need to do on a daily, weekly or monthly basis in order to attain your final goal. For example, if you want to lose 20 lbs by June 2008, your action plan could be losing 3.4 lbs monthly, starting from January 2008; Jogging for 30 minutes 3 times weekly and heading for gym 2 times weekly.
  

• Realistic - Am I able to stick to my action plan and achieve my goal? Do I need to scale down my goal and subsequently my action plan? Do I need a longer time frame (if allowable)? For example, losing 20 lbs by December 2008 instead?

• Time Conscious - Always remember to tag a time to your goal. With a deadline, you will feel a sense of urgency that will motivate you to work on your goal.
  

• Expectation Management - Be flexible to adjust your action plan. New demands and unexpected events may occur in your life. Be flexible to re-adjust your priorities from time to time. Remember not to deceive yourself by succumbing to your flesh!
  

• Revelation - The bible says in Proverbs 16:1, "We may make our plans, but God has the last word". Seek God for his guidance as you set your goals for the new year. Hear from Him as He directs your path.

How can 2008 be a great year for you and I?

Start putting aside time this month to set goals for 2008! Don't just merely think about them! Write them down as you apply the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal-setting technique! Studies has shown that you are more likely to achieve your goals by writing them down!

Write your goals down and follow through your action plans with discipline! Start today and may 2008 be your masterpiece!

=> Click here for goal-setting card


Some inspiring quotes:

• "Successful people make right decisions early and manage those decisions daily." - John C. Maxwell

• "You will never change your life until you change something you do today." - John C. Maxwell

• "One today is worth two tomorrows; what I am to be, I am now becoming." - Benjamin Franklin

• "Good Decisions + Daily Discipline = A Masterpiece of Potential" - John C. Maxwell

My recommended book for your reading: