I’ve tried it all before. I listed my tasks in my laptop, used the “to do” notes in my cellphone and tried online organizers. But no matter how spiffy new gadgets or online apps come up, I always come back to my trusty paper assistants to do the job of keeping me sane and organized.

Since Jamaine has permanently claimed my fasyon Agatha Ruiz dela Prada notebook for her “school” notes (which are actually mostly scribbles), I have resorted to using a plain steno notebook as my temporary task manager.

I call it my brain dump.

This is where I list down everything that’s on my mind: notes about bloggable stuff, reminders of things I need to do, and ideas for money projects.

Just as the name suggests, I just dump it all in the beginning just to free my brain of all those thoughts. Then when I’ve emptied it all out, I start sorting through my notes and organize them into proper lists which I will write down in my new Agatha notebook (which I have yet to buy).

I’m always open to learning new stuff and I’m sure there are some cool project management softwares that would make the job faster. But so far, nothing beats my old school system and I always get more things done when I do it the simpler way.

How do your organize your to do lists?

After “ages” of working inside the office, I experienced outdoor coverage again recently and there were a lot of moments when having one of these netbooks could have come in real handy.

Add to that a high-speed mobile internet connection and I would have been on a roll writing stories.

I just realized how cool it was to be writing again, getting edited by brilliant editors and being published.

During the coverage, I had my trusty pink notebook to take notes about what I was seeing and hearing.

But there were times when I wanted to just sit down on a sidewalk and type away the story right there where the emotions are still fresh and raw. (Of course, I would have to make sure that it is a safe sidewalk.)

I think I write best fresh from the encounter I’m writing about because then I can capture the story I want more succintly.

I always feel that my role as a writer is to let my reader see, hear, smell, feel my story as if he was right there with me.

And if I was lugging my heavy laptop around, that would have been inconvenient.

Some feedback I got about netbooks was that they are only good for typing and internet surfing.

But I like to do a bit of image editing so I wonder if these pretty little machines could handle Photoshop as well.

Any suggestions?

Of course, I have one other important requirement: the netbook has to be pink.

I’m feeling better and stronger everyday. I know my body is doing its best to heal itself. I know I’ll feel good as new when the week ends.

I’ve been reciting this mantra to myself for the past days, just a little something to shift my mood and attention away from pain.

I’ve been going through a rollercoaster of postpartum emotions.

Sometimes, I’d feel so happy, I’m like the perfect portrait of a new mom.

Other times, I’d feel so down, even a milk commercial can easily make me cry.

Still, there are times when I’d feel so blank and empty.

I’ve read that in situations like these, it helps to identify your stress triggers and to attack them with stress relievers.

Aside from crazy post pregnancy hormones, I’ve observed that pain is one of my stress triggers.
It gets pretty frustrating when I can’t move around as much and when the simple act of walking becomes so difficult. More than that, it can get a bit depressing when Jamaine asks to be carried and I have to refuse because my body can’t take it yet.

Sometimes, I also feel a certain sense of captivity. It feels like I’m tied to my babies with breastfeeding every two hours, singing lullabies and changing diapers in between. When I’m not taking care of Kalia, I shift my attention to Jamaine and play with her.

What helps me get through these stress triggers are journaling and blogging, my tried and tested stress relievers.

When I’m feeling really low, I put down all my frustrations on paper after which I just feel so much better. Oftentimes, I find that this works better for me than heaping all my emotions on some poor soul who might drown in my momentary negativity.

Besides, after I’ve gotten rid of my pessimistic thoughts, I gain a clearer perspective of the situation and I realize things are good after all. That’s why whenever I feel the blues threatening to hit, I take out my journals and pens and just write away.

Blogging also gives me that same feeling of release. Being able to hit the “Publish” button makes me feel I’ve accomplished something more than just breastfeeding and changing soiled diapers. Plus, it gives me that natural bloggers high, if you know what I mean.

Reading your comments also make me feel I’m still connected to the outside world somehow. I’m so thankful for all your good wishes because they do help lift my spirit. Having blogging friends, no matter how distant, is one of the web wonders I will always be grateful for.

Since my internet connection is up and running again, I’ll be sure to blog and bloghop more whenever my babies are asleep.

Do you have any tried and tested stress relievers for your stress triggers?

Whoah… that guy’s gorgeous. I wonder if he’s single.

Wonder what I’ll have for dinner.

I’d love to fly to Hawaii.

What if I had said no, would it have made a difference?

What are you thinking right now?

It is estimated that each person thinks 50,000 – 60,000 thoughts a day. There have been no concrete studies yet to quantify this but some say the figure could be higher.

Whether you’re a writer or a blogger, I’m sure thousands of thoughts and ideas for articles or posts zip through your mind at any given time.

Have you ever had those moments when you had this brilliant idea only to forget about it a few minutes later?

I used to experience this a lot before. And it could be pretty frustrating as I rummage through my brain for the lost idea.

Surely it would be crazy to monitor each of our 60,000 thoughts so how do we keep track of the most important ones?

I like to use idea catchers.

I’ve mentioned about my notebook addiction before and how I like to compartmentalize my thoughts and notes into different notebooks.

But since I became a Moleskine convert, I now use just two notebooks: a large plain Moleskine journal for my longer and more in depth reflections and a pocket-size plain journal for my random thoughts and ideas.

Whenever an idea hits me, I jot it down on my little journal. Whether it’s a word, a phrase, a question, or a quote, I just write it down in such a way that it would trigger my memory when I read it again.

Oftentimes, when I’m on fire for an idea, I just continue scribbling in bulleted phrases so I can keep my ideas intact.

At the end of the day, I review my notes and scribbles and, when I feel like taking an idea even further, I write about it in my journal.

At times, when I’m in transit and I can’t write in my idea catcher, I reach for the next best thing: the notes function in my cellphone. And then the moment I can settle down to a chair, I transfer the notes to my notebook.

What if I have absolutely nothing at hand? Well, I just hold the thought as best as I could but when it slips away, I just let it go.

Oftentimes, I find that a good idea can be really sticky and it’s only when the best idea comes along that it dislodges from my head.

If you want to keep track of your important thoughts, try to use an idea catcher. it doesn’t matter if it’s a moleskine or a notepad from the corner store, just use whatever works for you. The important thing is you devise a way to capture your thoughts so that you can retrieve them whenever you want.

Remember that the most brilliant creations in this world started with a simple thought or idea.

Who knows one of your ideas may just be the next big thing.

I love clean slates and blank pages.

For me, it means new chances, fresh starts and more opportunities to make the most out of life.

Whether we are coming from a place of difficulty or a place of success, there is always that place up ahead: a chance to learn and grow or a beginning of a new adventure.

I think that no matter who we are, where we are or what circumstances we are in, we all have a chance and a choice to close one chapter and open another.

Resolutions are not exclusive to the New Year.

If we choose to, we can turn our lives around at any given moment at any time we want.

We can only be bound by the limits we set for ourselves.

And if we believe that anything is possible, then everything becomes boundless.

Half of the year has almost gone by and I ask myself, “What do I want to do differently this time? What do I want to change?”

I want to set goals for myself this month. I think it would be more realistic to set a shorter time frame than to make lofty goals for the year that I may not likely accomplish.

I’m a procrastinator. There I’ve said it.

And after years of dealing with this bad habit, I figured the only way to beat the big P is to list down simple goals that would build one over the other until it generates momentum.

It’s time to stop going with the daily flow and to start charting my direction.

My personal goals for May 2008

1. Write in my journal everyday.

With my new Moleskine, this goal has become increasingly easy. (I think my notebook addiction is slowly evolving to Moleskine addiction. I’ve shelved all my notebooks and just carry my Moleskine everyday.) So far, I’ve written everyday in my journal since the first of May and it’s been a really beneficial habit for me. Among the things I write about, I always make it a point to chronicle all the gifts and blessings I receive everyday. This keeps me in a state of gratitude always. Besides I love writing and doing what I love makes me happy.

2. Finish reading Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret.

I’ve actually finished reading this book from cover to cover once. But I have this tendency to read without really absorbing the message of the book especially if I’m distracted. Sometimes the excitement of finishing the book right away makes me miss the important parts and the essence of what I’m reading is lost on me. This time when I read The Secret again, I will really focus on it and take it to heart.

3. Write at least 2 blog posts a week for my passion project.

I’ve always wanted to pursue my passion project but procrastination hits me every time. The good thing is I always manage to kick myself in the butt and start over again. To follow my own advice, I’m trying to keep my tasks simple and accomplish one thing at a time so I don’t get overwhelmed and end up accomplishing nothing. I’ve already written a new post for May about pursuing one’s passion. That means one more article to go for this week.

4. Start to gather materials for my Vision Book.

This is another passion project that I’ve always wanted to do but never made the time to. So to get the ball rolling, I will just do one thing and gather all the materials I will use. When that’s done, I’ll take on the next step.

Have you set your goals for the month?

Post about it in your blog or share it with someone you trust. If you’re a procrastinator like me, sharing your goals can help you kickstart the process of accomplishing them plus other people can help encourage you to keep on going when the big P hits again.

At the end of the month, write your progress report and see what you’ve learned from it.

1. My new moleskine

I finally caved in. But this time, of course, I’ve already used up my two old idea notebooks which gives me “reason” to get this new one. I just decided to have one idea notebook this time since my achy back requires that I bring a lighter bag every day. Does it have to be a moleskine? Not really, but it’s something that I’ve been lusting after for a long time so I just went ahead and got it. It’s only been with me for a day but I’ve already filled up four pages which means it’s inspired me to write a lot. It’s my new writing best friend.

2. My old new laptop

Kernan got a good deal with a new Macbook so he sold my old Neo and passed down his 3-year old Compaq Presario to me. It has a lot of scratches at the edges and some of the keys have faded but I love it because it has a wide screen, it works faster and it has a bigger memory. Practicing in Photoshop and surfing the internet are now a breeze which means I can blog even more. (Blog addict laughter….. )

3. My loving angels

It’s been a tough week for me because of the aches and pains that comes with entering my 9th month of pregnancy. Kernan has been very helpful and understanding of my condition. Even Jamaine has been very well-behaved for the past days, I feel like she knows I’m experiencing some pains and need to take it easy. On days when I feel the blues, I just turn to my two angels and they just make everything alright. Soon, when Kalia arrives, I will have three angels and what a joy that would be.

How did your week go?

Hope you’ll have a great and fabulous week ahead!

Pop on over at Smith Magazine’s Six Word Momoirs and give it a try.

I think writing a 1,000 word memoir is relatively easier than summing up everything you want to say in just 6 words. You have to think harder for words that will really capture the essence of what you mean.

Six Word Momoirs is actually a contest for moms, I entered two entries just for fun.

Smith Magazine also has Six-Word Memoirs where you can write your life story in, of course, just 6 words. I had to think harder for this one, can’t think of six words just yet.

Thanks to Write Now is Good for the heads up.

I’d love to know your six-word story. Fire away in the comments section below.

Have fun!

Remember how I wanted to make a visual journal?

Well, I finally got myself a box of colored pencils and made my first visual journal entry.

It reminded me of kindergarten art class when I was just learning how to use colored pencils and other art materials.

Even when I was a kid, I was intimidated by art. I never considered myself artistic because I was only capable of flat, stick drawings.

I didn’t know how to draw things with dimension. I can’t even draw a proper face other than a circle for a head, black dots for eyes and arches for a nose, mouth and ears.

Then I came across this great article by artist Violet, “Visual Journaling by the Seat of Your Pants” and it changed my perspective about creating art.

In the article, Violet said:

Visual Journaling need not be daunting or inaccessible to the novice visual journaler. The way I like to approach it is in an intuitive manner or by the seat of my pants! This manner of journaling is exciting because you never know where you’re going to end up. Often the journal page has some incredible insights for you which lay hidden in the recesses of your subconscious mind only to be set free by allowing yourself the luxury of being in the flow.

I thought I didn’t have to follow anybody’s standard for what is artistic or not, I just had to be true to what I felt.

Well, the past days have been pretty challenging and less than sunshiny happy. So drawing these images felt liberating and somehow helped to ease my blues.

Two pieces of advice I gave myself through this entry:

Write.

Keep the emotions flowing.

When the going gets tough, writing really helps to release my emotions and to put some perspective.

I also remind myself to “keep the emotions flowing” because I think that’s the best way to handle them.

I take pride in being a very optimistic person but it doesn’t mean that pessimistic thoughts don’t mess with my head. They do.

But when the negative thoughts creep into my mind, I simply accept them and then, I let them go.

There’s no point in pretending to be sappy happy when you really are feeling crappy.

Denial never helps. Acceptance does.

I found out that when I kept the feelings locked inside me, it only gets worse. But when I let my emotions freely flow through me — whether it’s through blogging, writing, or drawing — the feelings eventually just slip away.

Making my first visual journal entry was more than just an exercise in drawing and coloring, it became a discovery in self-expression.

I think setting your creative self free is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

You may be amazed at the wonders that lie within you.