Balance between work and study and family life – Time management

This week, I would like to share with you my memory back to the 1st semester (August-December 2012) where I stayed on campus of the East-West Center. This piece of writing is also a small part of my porfolio that reflects how I managed my time in order to balance between work and study and family life. Did I manage a good balance? I don't know, thus you are welcome to provide any comment and feedback.

September 2012 

“Mom, which day will you be coming home; what time will you be home.” That’s my son’s voice on the phone really melting me down. Staying at Hale Manoa for the APLP class at the East-West Center every week, I only can go home Friday afternoon, with that weekend making up all the time with my children and husband. Does that make a balance of time for family and study?

 Enjoyable moment with my children during the weekend

My day starts at 6:30am after about six hours’ sleep. Getting in bed before midnight isn’t possible, because every evening after supper and cleaning up,  I have to reply to emails and check and Facebook, making sure my daily communication is maintaining a good network with those both in Hawaii and Vietnam.

I then call home, talking to my husband or my children, with my main purpose being to remind the two kids to do their homework and go to bed on time. And that way I don’t feel I am not at home and they would feel their mother is still around with them.

Every day, not forgetting about my health, I practice yoga early in the morning at the Japanese garden behind the Imin Center. I spend a half an hour on average for job search, and sometime about an hour for preparation of a job application, targeting a possible offer in December after completing the 1st Semester.

The HUB sometimes drives me crazy with a lot of news and useful information, but I really enjoy reading the news about Asia-Pacific and what’s happening in Vietnam. The APLP assignments are my second priority which requires a lot of readings for master class and group discussion. Always preparing some questions and sometimes inspiring some relevant topics before the class is my study methodology which is also a good way of my learning and participating in the class.

Discussion with a social entrepreneur at the APLP class

The Learning Lab project takes me around half an hour a week, mostly for communication with the project’s partners and coordination with teammates to ensure the project is on the right track and making good progress. Those working with me note I am a workaholic. I don’t know why I can just sit with my laptop for hours and hours without feeling bored. Always having something to do is one thing that makes me happy. I only have time for myself and self-reflection before going to bed. However, many times I fall asleep right when I have just gotten in bed, because I am tired at the end of each day. 

Do I need to improve my time management? First of all, I need to know whether I can control my time or the time controls me. Well, I always write down things and targets that I need to do everyday, and I can almost accomplish them. Except during the weekend, my priority is spending time with my children and my husband.  Cooking delicious food for them is my happiness which is another way I feel better for the balance.

Never in Vietnam, my home, did I think I could be a good housewife, because I never cooked there nor accomplished any housework because I was so spoiled having my mother and maid-assistance. That’s not the case in Hale Manoa where I have to do everything - read recipes and try to cook and cook and finally I can cook. I take my children to Chinatown every one or two weeks for shopping and enjoying Vietnamese pho  (noodles, with chicken or beef) there. In the afternoon, we go to Waikiki beach or the swimming pool at the Sheraton Hotel, adjacent to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. We own and stay in a condo nearby and it takes us just 10 minutes walking to the beach.

Hence, all in all, that is the only way I have been able to manage handling my work and study and at the same time take good care of my children. I’m wishing the first semester will be gone soon so I can move home.  The kids need me around and I need to help them perform better in their study.

More on the balance and time management will be added in my next article - Return to the East-West Center as an alum and colleague of the Asia Pacific Leadership Program Management Team.

Author: Loan Le