The No Excuses Project: The responsibility you avoid the most

I think we all have something that we know responsible adults take in stride, but which we personally don’t.  Maybe for you that’s cleaning the hair out of the drain, or getting the oil changed in the car. For me, it’s routine doctor’s appointments. I have no problem going when I don’t feel well but actually making the time, money, and stress allowance for a routine physical, well, it takes about 10 years inbetween.

It would be unrealistic to plan to make it every year but sticking to some sort of regular schedule is definitely a goal. I’ve conquered the dentist but it’s time to extend that to the full spectrum.I’ve used a lot of excuses in simply avoiding something I don’t want to do or don’t want to face the consequences of – namely:

The timing isn’t right – if I lose that 50 lbs I won’t have to hear about it.

I don’t have time – nobody schedules on the weekend, do they?

It’s too hard – sorting through that insurance-approved list, finding someone taking new patients, it’s exhausting

Next week: the plan to face the unlikeable goals on a regular basis

Holding myself accountable:

The garden – on track thanks to continual rain

Jewelry – making up for lost time on production

Photography – haven’t touched it this week, need to make it   a top priority

Chores – ok, but not great

Family & friends – doing well

Romance – well, I didn’t squash some friendly match-making out right (not yet)

Treasure hunting – not on the radar this week, probably need to put some time there

Travel – starting to think seriously about the next small and large trips

Losing weight – not very good; caught myself stress-eating goldfish crackers. That’s just sad.

Another busy week

As the week comes to a close I’m exhausted, but in a good way.  I got about half of the necessary work done on jewelry to be able to schedule my follow-up appointment with the museum shop and got some much needed blogging work underway. I’ve also put in some overtime and tried to get some sleep in.

Outside of work, an old friend got back in touch after 15 years which I’m absolutely thrilled about and I ordered the wallpaper to fix up the unfinished closet – one of my remaining home projects. Lots of small steps in all my chosen directions. It seems boring to relate that but this the most challenging phase – the slogging part. The part that isn’t glamorous, is only not boring when it’s not going well, and generally you can’t wait for it to be over and get to the good part. I have to say this is kind of fun though; it’s the testing part, can I do this? what will happen if?  I enjoy finding out the answers for myself…

The No Excuses Project: Travel is essential

While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, travel is a critical part of staying creative; not only to bring in new experiences but to see the old with fresh eyes. So when I say travel is essential it’s with that perspective, not just a need for regular vacations.

It’s also perilously vulnerable to excuses – time and money being critical components in disrupting the everyday routine.  Goals around travel and seeing foreign cultures are common but achieving them is not.  So what am I going to do about it for myself? The  goal here is to eliminate excuses, not common sense which means getting creative and persistent in keeping travel as a critical element of a life well lived.

The first part of the solution is simply research, on a regular basis (once a week) how to travel more affordably, ways to get paid to travel, and so on.

The second part is to set aside money and time – a little bit of the first on a regular basis and block out the available vacation way in advance of even figuring out where to go – that way the excuses begin to crumble.

Lastly, is simply making the commitment to take those trips every year, whether they are nearby or across the globe – letting it slide is not one of the options.

Next week: Being more consistent with medical check-ups

• Holding myself accountable

• Garden: thanks to all the rain recently, I’m still on track (without having had to do very much of anything)
• Chores: still working out the kinks but fewer excuses to put things off
• Treasure hunting: no activity but no excuses either
• Losing weight: took the next step in revising the diet, still behind on exercise
• Jewelry: was productive in refining techniques and making new pieces
• Photography: definitely the victim of time and excuses this week and will be working on that
• Family and friends: doing well
• Romantic relationship: making progress

Technorati Tags: balance, no excuses, traveling solo

Hills and valleys

As much as I might like to try to plan for an equally balanced life, there are simply times when one aspect takes over for a brief period.  This week was one of them  – the day job claiming overtime hours and the off time spent recovering from that.  That doesn’t mean, however that nothing else got done.

A new short story got started, friendships were cultivated, and so forth. This weekend is dedicated to getting caught up with jewelry. It becomes tempting to lose focus during these phases to let things slide until it feels like there is genuine free time instead of available time. But the reality is that cleaning out the bathroom shelves can wait another week while getting the new earring designs done can’t.

Technorati Tags: staying focused

The No Excuses Project: Traveling the world

It seems like big trips to new places are one of the most common sinkholes of excuses. You got the idea into your head that it would be fun to see the castles on the Rhine in person and then suddenly it’s ten years later and you still think it would be fun but you haven’t done anything more about it.  I know that’s true for me and while I’ve managed some of the trips I’ve wanted to undertake, some others have been hanging on the list a little longer than I would like – who knows what adventures I’ve missed by spending more time with the excuses than planning the trip.

Here are the ones I know I’ve used in this arena:

• I can’t afford it – self-explanatory but it’s still an excuse
• Help will not be available – I’ll have to pay full price AND get stuck in a foreign country
• It’s too big (there’s a lot to plan and coordinate)
• I’m scared
• I have too many other projects
• The timing isn’t right (this will be so much easier next year…)
• I don’t know what to do (where to start, where to go?)
• It will require too much risk (safe is boring but…)
• I don’t have any experience (yes, that is the point but it’s also scary)
• I’ll compromise because I’m not confident enough to fully commit (such as going someplace where I won’t have to face driving on the left…)

That’s quite a list of powerful excuses – but they are standing in the way of fabulous adventures.

Next week: what I’m planning to do about getting more travel in on a regular basis

• Holding Myself Accountable

• Garden: Mother Nature has been conspiring against me lately but I’m on track with my committments
• Photography: Behind this week a little
• Jewelry: Definitely behind and will be the focus of this coming weekend to catch up
• Treasure hunting – the weather did not cooperate so there’s been a slight postponement
• Family and friends – doing ok
• Romance – releasing my inner Frenchness which I’d been misidentifying as flaws
• Chores – making progress, not completely there yet but progress
• Losing weight – getting more exercise and refining the diet this week

Technorati Tags: achieving dreams, common excuses, traveling solo

What French women know and other musings

That was the title of the book I picked up last night at the used book store – a place of great serendipity when it comes to things catching my eye.  French women obviously know something so I figured it was worth a few dollars to find out exactly what. It’s both thought provoking and entertaining – I’ve no desire to turn myself into a Parisian elite but it occurred to me that there’s another version of ‘having it all’ out there; Gallic confidence, Italian fashion, American ambition and Latin dance moves.  Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Although there is no backing away from the contents of the family photo album featuring dour ancestors of a decidedly puritanical persuasion I came away contemplating that my soul may be far more French than I’d previously thought. Certainly not completely, but some of the attitudes and perceptions I’ve held for years were on the page as uniquely French. Hmmm.

The rest of the week has been basically productive – small tasks taken towards larger goals. Unremarkable in themselves, but progress just the same. Even though there is always more to do I’ve set aside Memorial Day weekend for some serious lazying about and pampering. I can hardly wait.

Technorati Tags: gain self confidence

The No Excuses Project: Making time for important people

Good friends and family members can be both the worst hindrance to a new endeavor and the best support. And what a great excuse if you want to avoid doing that scary thing like write a business plan. Picking up the phone for a minute  can quickly turn into an hour with a sibling.

So how to find and keep the happy medium? First off, let the phone go to voicemail if you’re in the middle of something. Return the call the same day if at all possible but when you’re done with the task at hand.

Second make appointments on your calendar to check in with the friends that you don’t see on a weekly basis – doesn’t have to be much; a phone call or email. Time can slip by when you’re busy and suddenly five months have gone by since you chatted – that’s no way to preserve a friendship

Lastly, let go of the guilt if your mother thinks she doesn’t see you often enough (or grandmother, or whomever) If you’re honestly making time on a regular basis, just treat it as a compliment and let go.

Next week: getting travel into the mix

Holding Myself Accountable

So here’s how things are going

Gardening – still going according to plan and the spinach is up

Photography -moving along and picture taking continues

Jewelry – baby steps but progress is being made

Losing weight – more exercise is happening but not enough

Treasure hunting – budget is growing and plans for the next weekend

Chores – settling into the new routine

Romance – breaking some old bad mental habits and it feels good!

Technorati Tags: family relationships, time management

Why things take so long

It seems like the “experts” keep telling us it’s easy – whatever it is they’re talking about. Even if you know it’s not, a little bit of that thinking can creep in, particularly if the message seems to be coming from all directions. Not too long ago I was reading an article on the Launch Coach totally an another topic but it brought home the point that we’ve become conditioned to believe that life is supposed to operate on a push button. Life is difficult when you have to write something out by hand and impossible beyond that.  No wonder so many people stop in their tracks.

And yet studies are starting to show that what truly makes people happy are challenges, and the accomplishing thereof.  We aren’t wired to have life be easy. So if you’re stumped by something that seems impossibly long and hard maybe it’s time to reset the scale.

Technorati Tags: achieving goals, challenges, the way to happiness

New technology

Oooh, I love this new little laptop. It’s tiny and fast and weighs less than three pounds. Now that I have it up and running I’ve been getting a few more things done here and there.  The broadband signal isn’t as consistent as I’d like but it’s a place to start. Gradually I’m working on building links and moving forward with newsletters.

Beyond that things have simply been busy with life and such. Getting in some more exercise and the garden.  The big projects have been incubating and now it’s time to make them a reality.  I was reading something the other day that pointed out how much we’ve grown to expect life to be easy – that manifesting and visualization can replace the work of “doing”. Not only does it not work that way but I’m not sure I’d want it to. The perspective though is helpful in framing the approach. Hard work requires down time too!

Technorati Tags: achieving goals

The No Excuses Project: Important relationships

While relationships can also serve as an excuse “can’t make those calls – need to take Mom to lunch” too often they are the victim of having too many other things to do. Relationships can also be a goal unto themselves – those more strained that you feel the need to improve.  But what about the ones with friends and family that are just fine but which you manage to neglect rather than avoid?

I know I’m guilty of looking up from everything else and realizing that I haven’t seen a particular friend for two months or that maybe it’s been a bit longer than I thought since I reciprocated on family stuff. It’s neither conscious nor deliberate but “I’ll do it later” or “I don’t have time” still slip in there.  All the other goals are going to lose quite a bit of meaning if these folks aren’t there with you when you achieve them.  Delayed gratification has some merit but not when it comes to people. Relationships like so many other things are about process not the end result.

Next week – some thoughts on carving out time for the really important people

Holding myself accountable

• The garden – still going strong despite the appearance of the first mosquito
• Photography – an unexpected request for more information that took up the allotted time but that’s acceptable
• Losing weight – renewed focus after a frustrating shopping trip, doing better with exercise and not picking up the office treats
• Jewelry – ok – this one is a miss for the week
• Romance -doing ok on the plan to get out more
• Treasure hunting – also ok – nothing due this week!

Technorati Tags: balance, excuses, family relationships

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