The No Excuses Project: Finding the strength to climb mountains

Excuses come easy for things that are a means rather than a goal.  That’s where truly being fit falls for me – I basically couldn’t care less. Until it means not being able to get to that mountain side where rumor has it rare gems still hide deep in the earth. Then I really care! So how to keep that in focus on an average day when all other priorities seem higher?

The first thing is to combine it with other projects from the obvious (losing weight) to the less obvious like treasure hunting. It’s a little like parking at the far end of the lot to get more walking in, not a huge deal but it adds up.

The second thing is to up the effort of working out (more inclines, and the like) and lastly to spend one day a month (the whole day) out doing real exertion from hiking to whatever – pack a lunch and plan to sweat.

The hardest part is simply to fit this in with everything else – getting rid of excuses doesn’t magically create more time in the day. It just means you don’t waste what you have.

Believe it or not – this post concludes the year. Next week I’ll do some wrapping up and reflecting on what I’ve learned.

Holding myself accountable

• The garden – I could wish it looked a little better but basically things are on track
• The house projects  – progressing slowly but also in the works
• Chores – doing better
• Treasure hunting – amazing what you can do by mail these days.  Making definite progress
• Travel – trip all booked for a week in San Diego; that will probably be it for this year.
• Friends and family – a little behind in email but otherwise on track
• Romance – doing a little more inner work in that area and feeling good about it
• Writing – a bit behind here
• Photography – progress on getting things out and researching more opportunities
• Jewelry – an off week except for identifying next steps
• Losing weight – a much better week for exercise and hey, the jeans are fitting better already
• Medical – off the dentist for that crown this week (next doctor after that’s all concluded)

Technorati Tags: common excuses, getting things done

The No Excuses Project: Getting fit

It might seem like the goal of getting fit is the same as losing weight and I suppose they can go hand in hand. But there are plenty of skinny people out there that can’t make it up a steep hill and that’s what makes it distinct.

Not being skinny can even serve as an excuse for getting to this later. Unfortunately it’s not something that can be achieved sporadically – lifting weights or going on a hike once every two months will not get you a cumulative result. Without a doubt, I don’t have time and I’ll get to it later have been my favorite excuses for not making an effort. And yet as goals go this one plays into so many of the others from travel and treasure hunting to photography (got to get up that mountain!)

Next week: The steps to make it happen

Holding myself accountable:

• Treasure hunting: more research and concrete plans for San Diego
• Travel: on track for a week exploring San Diego in September
• Writing: no action this week but clear steps outlined for the next few months
• Photography: research and submission for a multi-leg competition (I guess finding these things a week before the deadline beats a week after)
• Jewelry: a quiet week except for planning next steps
• House projects: a week off to recover before tackling the closet again
• Garden: keeping up with the plan
• Losing weight: finally making some strides to forging a  new exercise routine
• Friends and family: on track for making time to socialize
• Romance: made some changes to my environment with more to do

Technorati Tags: excuses, getting things done

The No Excuses Project: Home improvement on top of everything

Like most homeowners I’ve got a list of things that need doing that never seems to get shorter. It’s not hard to come up with an excuse as to why sitting down with a book is more urgent than painting the airless unfinished closet (left over from 1950). That’s on top of all the other little things that come up and need attention. Sooo… while it will never be as efficient as a 30 minute home improvement tv segment, here’s my basic plan going forward:

1) make a list of everything that needs time and attention for each room during spring cleaning (when you notice that the latch isn’t catching right or the trim needs repainting

2) Get one major project done a year (this year it’s that dreadful closet) by breaking it into smaller steps that can be done each week – research, trip to the hardware store (or two or three) priming, etc.

3) take care of the small stuff room by room and as the budget allows

It may not seem like much but gradually things get done and looking the way I want them with the excuses staying in the background

Next week: Getting in shape – different from losing weight and the last topic!

Holding myself accountable

• Garden – hanging in there but the snails maybe getting the upper hand
• Jewelry – on hiatus for the week
• Photography – ramped up again and working hard on getting exposure (the marketing kind)
• Writing – small steps on the current project
• Losing weight – have got to find the time for more exercise (not exactly news)
• Check-ups – see me after the dental crown in August
• Chores – it comes and goes but ok for the moment
• Family & Friends – a veritable social whirl last week, now for some downtime
• Romance – back to researching social activities I actually want to participate in
• Travel – decided that the lure of beaches and gemstones is taking higher priority than people:-)
• Treasure hunting – got out the maps for local gem hunting – not a lot to work with but that just means less competition

Technorati Tags: diy, excuses, home projects

The No Excuses Project: The dreaded DIY home project

I think it’s simply human nature that those who undertake home improvement projects will always have at least one unfinished, 5 just started and 20 more on a list somewhere. It’s just when the unfinished one lingers for ten years that there just might be a problem. An uncomfortable space, or one with uncomfortable reminders, can become a nagging voice against everything else you’re trying to accomplish.

Just a few of the excuses I’ve used to avoid dealing with peeling wallpaper and the like:

• It will take too long
• I don’t have the right materials
• I don’t know where to start
• I have too many other projects

Next week: making more progress on home projects

Holding myself accountable

Photography – progress on editing images, now just need to take some new

Writing – small steps towards an outline, a necessary first step

Jewelry – whew – turned out being late was actually early so on target for now

Losing weight – a little more exercise but more to do here

Checkups – ah the dentist just can’t wait to see me again but making progress

Friends and family – made this a higher priority and did a little catching

Romance – sometimes going for something means turning away from what won’t work

Garden – staying on course

Travel – working out the details for some long weekends

Treasure hunting – looked into what else might be nearby

Technorati Tags: common excuses, finishing things, home projects

The No Excuses Project: Writing on top of everything

Excuses don’t have to be innovative to be effective in holding you back. That’s certainly the case with the ones I’ve used to delay various writing projects or leave them half started on the top of the filing cabinet. The cure is no more exciting really.

First off – keep the focus on only two actual projects plus the regular blogging. For now that’s the meditation book and the road trip book. Until those are done, nothing else gets worked on

Beyond that, a hard and fast goal for each project to be done every two weeks. I’m great at polishing or staring into space so it’s important to take the focus off of the quality, at least initially.

That’s really all that needs to happen. If I keep to that the excuses won’t be taking charge. Like so many things getting into good habits will keep everything else flowing. That doesn’t mean there won’t have to be some juggling with all the other goals – that’s why a summary calendar is in the works.

Next week: Home improvement projects

Holding myself accountable

• Jewelry – almost caught up and a specific action plan in place for this week
• Photography – worked on marketing, but behind on taking new photos
• Family & friends – doing ok but a little behind on correspondence
• Romance – proud of myself for not falling into some old  that were tested this week- probably time to work on expanding my environment
• Losing weight – my horoscope promised better results. Right there that says enough about what hasn’t happened!
• Check-ups – on track for now
• Garden – keeping to the plan with good results
• Chores – had to do some catching up over the holiday weekend but now on track
• Travel – making plans for both the practical and the un – should be a busy year
• Treasure hunting – maybe a little behind here but even I don’t care for treasure hunting in the pouring rain…

Technorati Tags: excuses, getting things done

The No Excuses Project: Writing for profit

Maybe because it can be done basically anywhere, for any length of time, makes writing even more prone to excuses.  There’s really no good reason why anyone that’s said that they want to write a book hasn’t done so already. Getting published is something different; actually writing the thing is completely under your control. I know this and yet untold projects sit in an outline or first chapter state waiting for me to simply focus and finish.

Writing is something I very much want to be part of my overall career mix – from blogging to writing novels, photography books and so on. But somehow getting those projects completed is lagging, to say the least.

There aren’t really any new or special excuses at play for this one – the old stand-by’s do the job just fine:

• I’m too tired/ not in the mood (meaning I don’t feel creative)
• It’s too big
• It will take too long
• I don’t know where to start
• I’m not good enough (a couple more books on the subject will help, right?)
• I have too many other projects
• I’ll lose interest before it’s finished

Next week: How I’m going to turn this around and fit it in with everything else

Holding myself accountable:

The garden – needs weeding but is otherwise doing ok

Jewelry – is on track for now and the priority for this coming week

Photography – continues to take a back seat, not a good thing

Travel – the fund is growing, plans are being made

Romance  – possibilities are emerging

Treasure hunting – not on the current agenda

Chores – holding their own

Family and friends – doing ok

Losing weight – somewhere in the middle on this one

Medical health – off to the dentist next week

Technorati Tags: common excuses, creativity, getting things done, writing

The No Excuses Project: Dealing with what you don’t want to

A part of getting what you want to happen is getting the stuff you need to do (but don’t want to) out of the way so it’s not distracting. Personally, I have low tolerance for any kind of medical appointment when I’m feeling well – even though rationally I know they’re a good idea.  If only they didn’t keep having to be done I’d grit my teeth and get through it.  But, like most unpleasant tasks they are re-occurring.

So here’s how I’m tackling that so it stops being a nagging thought and simply becomes a normal part of life:

1) Whenever location or insurance changes I’ll select and confirm providers in the first three months

2) Every two years I’ll set aside two weekdays and get all appointments scheduled in that space

3) Every birthday year ending in 0 or 5 will be catchup for everything else that needs doing.

That’s it – nothing complicated, no overly aggressive schedule that I know I won’t keep anyway.  Just a means to an end and breaking it down so that it doesn’t become an overwhelming thing that has to be done immediately.

Next week: Fitting writing into the career mix

Holding myself accountable:

Hate to say it but pretty much everything went on hold this week due to the day job taking over briefly.

Technorati Tags: getting things done, time management

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.

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

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

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