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

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

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

The No Excuses Project: Chores still need to get done

There’s nothing glamorous about taking out the garbage or loading the dishwasher. It’s even hard to relate that to making that trip to Italy happen or retiring to Baja. But. not getting them done, at least the basics, does keep you from achieving those goals. Partly because the rest of your life doesn’t flow as smoothly and partly because the guilty part distracts you from those projects every time you walk by the dishes on the counter or that pile of unironed laundry.

I’m as guilty as most of putting these things off with an easy excuse until they grow overwhelming and turn into a project of their own. In the past, it’s worked to assign a chore to each day of the week instead of doing everything on the weekend. That won’t work with my current schedule so well so I have another approach. Simply finish what I start – if I run the dishwasher that means putting everything away when it’s done, laundry gets done, folded, ironed and put away the same day adn so forth.

That may seem simple but it’s a committment none the less and designed to root out the ‘I’ll do it tomorrow when I’m not so tired.’ If you’ve never ever said that then I’m pretty sure you can ignore this entirely!

Next week: Keeping up relationships with family and friends

Holding Myself Accountable

First off, I made myself a chore chart – not that different from the one when I was six that resulted in a trip to the toy store when I got enough stars.  Most of life relates to when we were six.  This one I did in Excel but this way I’ve got a single point of reminders of what I’ve committed to.

• Gardening: This one is going smoothly; hanging baskets planted and everything fertilized
• Losing weight: funny how that chore chart made me hit the treadmill immediately – all in all, better
• Photography: next set of pictures selected for the book
• Jewelry: working on improving some techniques, a little low on the marketing efforts
• Romance: well, I’ve enlisted someone else to keep their eyes open so I guess that’s a start.
• Treasure hunting – found a new hunting buddy so that may help get me out there a bit more…

Technorati Tags: achieving goals, common excuses

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