The second layer

It’s been an interesting week – almost completely occupied with work drama. The very reason I want to avoid working for someone else. What’s interesting to me is that the explanation given for some bad behavior was being tired and stressed.  Fair enough, most of us release our inner toddler under those circumstances.  But what about the decisions that led to the sleep deprivation in the first place?  I’m pretty sure an adult made those. Consequently I’ve made some decisions of my own to stay true to my core beliefs about not getting in that state.It’s not going to go over well – another human standard. We all seem to take it personally when someone chooses not to make the choices we’ve made.

Beyond that I’ve gotten some volunteer work in. Not the most productive week in terms of output but maybe one of the most in terms of personal growth. It’s been a long week but I feel better at the end of it than the beginning and that seems like a major accomplishment.

Technorati Tags: Health and Happiness, time management

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: 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

The No Excuses Project: Finding time for hobbies

It’s harder than you might think to figure out how to carve out some time from what’s available when there are already so many competing ‘more important’ goals.  But balance is the number one goal and all things stem from that.

I spent some time really thinking about this one -how to fit in treasure hunting which by it’s very nature is out doors and not that close to home.  I’ve looked into local clubs but quite frankly what’s available nearby doesn’t excite me that much (mostly fossils and yellow agates.)  So here’s my plan:

1) set aside $50 a month towards a fund for gem hunting trips (turquoise in Arizona, tourmaline in California, etc.)

2) explore some historic mining areas nearby to see what’s accessible and on public land – at least plan some hikes around that to see what’s there.

3) Layout the tide tables against the weekends so that if the weather is tolerable and the tides are favorable I can grab the metal detector and go – at least once every two months.

It’s a plan which is more than I had before and I think with something like a hobby that’s what it takes.

Next week: the jewelry making side of my career

Holding myself accountable

• Photography – far fewer excuses! Taking more pictures, better pictures and pursuing more opportunities to profit from them.
• Losing weight – well, there’s way too much chocolate and cookies within reaching distance at work and I keep reaching for it.  Otherwise basically okay although it’s probably time to step it up a notch.
• The garden – the plan here is also working well – not feeling guilty for not getting to everything that needs doing all at once.
• Romance – I think my thinking is beginning to shift although I can’t really describe how; continuing to work on how I think about things, before I rethink what to ‘do’ about it.

Technorati Tags: excuses, time management

Can you really achieve your goals on 2 hours a day?

There’s no big status report  this week – my big accomplishment has been losing my voice as a not-quite-bad-enough-to-stay-home cold has occupied my  time. What I’ve notice though is the amount of pressure I’m putting on myself to still accomplish great things on a very routine basis. It’s always interesting to note where you put punishing pressure on yourself to be superhuman.  And yet not doing those things is not an option to my essential self- it’s going along with this working 8 hours for someone else because my essential self is also fond of its house and warm bed.

Then last night as I was coming home on the train I was listening to a podcast – figuring that would be about all my cold-ravaged brain could really handle.  Synchronicity or not, the phrase ‘most real work happens in just two hours a day’ caught my attention.  The idea being that two separate hours a day, completely focused on the task at hand is what accomplishes great things. I have two hours a day, mostly uninterrupted with wireless access on the train.  The only thing I can’t do is make jewelry during that time  so I’m re-evaluating to how to do less while doing more in that time frame.  If I put in those ten hours a week then time at home can go to eating right and exercising and maybe an adventure here and there.

I am worried about getting to that point of self-sustainment, but it won’t happen if I keep getting sick and this just may force me to be a little more efficient in my writing.  I’ll let you be the judge:-)

Technorati Tags: achieving goals, synchronicity, time management

The value and danger in prototyping

I am definitely one of those people that likes the research and development stage far more than day to day business.  That’s not always a bad thing but this week I saw the reality of the downside.  I’ve been pushing other things aside to get jewelry done for the show this weekend but as I was packing it all up last night I realized that what went into the box didn’t  reflect the amount of time I had invested.  In short, I’ve been prototyping maybe a little too much; trying out completely new designs and styles and re-engineering when the first models didn’t come together.  So I only have about a third of what I’d hoped to have ready.  That’s ok for the first time out because I’ll get some valuable information from what people buy or don’t buy and hopefully a lot more feedback than I’ve collected so far.  But, the next time I get out my supplies, I’m going to need to build on the knowledge I’ve collected instead of exploring new territory all the time.  There are certainly people that get to live in R&D mode, but they tend to have staff and suppliers that handle replication which is where profits truly exist.  I am pleased that I have a variety of colors, prices, and styles to show and I’m really looking forward to doing something else on Monday!

There hasn’t been too much time for anything else this weekend although somehow I also fit in volunteer work and taking the car in for a recall.  Also because the recall related to the gas tank I had to drive it around extra to get the gas gauge down to a certain level.  Probably the only time in my life when using up gas was something to celebrate.

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving week being quieter.  Time to take a day or so and re-evaluate the to-do lists and make plans to put time in on what I’ve been neglecting.

Technorati Tags: Health and Happiness, solopreneur, the way to happiness, time management

Patience may just be paying off

I’m resolving from here on out to start doubling my estimates of how long it’s going to get something done – it ends up taking that long anyway and I beat myself up for not getting to the rest of the things on the list!  That aside, it’s been a productive week, at least for the jewelry side of the business.  I finished a few show-stopper pieces and got them photographed, got a few smaller and lower-priced items loaded up to Etsy and finally got a website up – http://jewelry.julietchase.com so that I can direct people to the buying end of things.  My view for website analytics now stretches to two pages.  I will not even make the attempt to blog on this page – my goal is just to keep the pictures fresh with the latest and greatest and make sure any show and selling information is accurate.  It took me a full day just to decide on the WordPress template I liked the best, sometimes too much choice is a bad thing.  I’ve also configured some online advertising and ordered business cards and even got a free car decal included – I’ve never been one for bumper stickers but if I can pull in just one person to take a look at the website, then it’s worth it.

And then yesterday I got a request from a major magazine to use an old photo for an internal advertisement.  I chose not to push for money but instead hope that the wide distribution with a photo credit is like free advertising for me. It was completely unexpected although it did result from my putting some things out there for free Internet use which I talked about back in April.  I think it was probably a very good idea.  Crossing my fingers that this is just the beginning of something great.

On the non-business front, I’m picking a new volunteer case today, it’s always interesting to learn people’s stories and find out what I can contribute to the kids.  I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter there. I’m also keeping the exercise in my routine although I’ve not put in quite as much time the last few days – I’m determined not to let that dwindle into nothing, however. I have a good feeling about the next few months…

Technorati Tags: achieving goals, Health and Happiness, solopreneur, synchronicity, the way to happiness, time management

Setting priorities

This week I sat down and figured out where I needed to be spending the bulk of my time.  The list is still impractically long, at least to be working on simultaneously. It does show me what I need to stop doing, or relegate to spare time so I’ll be working on that.  Blogging and photography remain high on the list.

I’ve been putting a lot of time in figuring out how to best attract and keep the right audience. One step in that direction was to decide to phase out the Google ads; not that they’re bad but I don’t pick them and I can do better with a little time and attention – the same way I handpicked the items in the Amazon book widget.  I think in the long term it will give me and readers better service, but I admit I’ll be missing checking those analytics!

I’ve also decided to bite the bullet and get e-commerce going on my photography site. It’s something people have asked for but I’ve always been leery of dealing with the ordering and payment aspects; an easy thing to push to another day, but I think that day has finally arrived.  I haven’t modified a pixel yet but my plan is to get that in place within the next 60 days.  Feel free to hold me accountable to that, it might help;-)

Also in top place is my brilliant idea from Wednesday, which I’ll wait to discuss until I have it in place – more because it’s likely to morph a bit than for secrecy.  Lower on the list but not requiring much effort right now is submitting two class proposals for continuing education at the local community college.  I’ve got the form downloaded so all I need to do is fill it in twice and get them submitted before June.  I’ve learned my lesson from the last time I did this, when I spent hours crafting the course materials only to have it cancelled at the last minute for not meeting the minimum number of students.

I’m already feeling guilty for not having the vegetable garden in yet and various other chores have slipped while I worked on this but I think the fog is thinning a bit and I’m looking forward to moving forward.

Technorati Tags: achieving goals, inspiration, setting priorities, time management

Letting go of what isn’t working

I was checking out other blogs this weekend and found myself relating with some chagrin to the latest post on Zen Habits, Productivity tips for people that hate GTD.  The chagrin was due to having recently re-added my tattered copy of Getting Things Done to my to-do pile because not much of it stuck from the last time I tried to follow it.  So this article got me to thinking about all the times we use precious hours trying to get something to work for us that simply isn’t a good fit.  Morning pages don’t work for me either (see Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.)  I know they work for others, but after three months all I got was notebooks full of nothing.  I think maybe the obvious non-working things are easier to stop doing, but how often have you seen an author address the need for more time by saying “just get up a half hour earlier in the morning” as if theirs is the only advice/exercise/task you are trying to follow.  Pretty soon you’re getting up two hours earlier, and not seeing results because you are now critically deprived of sleep, which you probably were already if you’re like the majority of the population. Maybe it’s time to pursue only the things that add the most value.

As a reminder of what’s important, I have an ideal day schedule posted on the wall behind my desk.  This is simply how I would love to spend an ordinary, everyday kind of day.  What surprised me when I put my thoughts to paper is that without keeping track, everything added up to between 23 and 25 hours a day – guess my subconscious was trying to tell me something;-)

My ideal day looks like:

• 1.5 hours meditation and visualization
• 2 hours physical activity
• 2.5 hours cooking & dining
• 2 hours with family and friends
• 6 or 7 seven hours working
• 1 hour chores
• 8 hours sleep

My real day doesn’t look like this – yet. But living a life where this schedule is a normal day represents success to me, not how much gets done. I have to ask myself if GTD or other things in that to-do pile are aiding or detracting from living this ideal day? And much as I hate to admit it the answer is detracting. I think I’ll stick with the parts that stuck with me from the first time I tried it (I have a bill paying folder and a basket for stuff I need to deal with) and leave it at that.  A new pasta recipe and an after-dinner walk are going to do more to move me towards my real goals.

Technorati Tags: achieving goals, getting organized, getting things done, ideal day, letting go, routine, time management

5 Things you can do now to reclaim your weekends

It’s easy to fall into the trap where Saturday and Sunday are catch-up days for what didn’t get done the rest of the week. But does that really give you the mental break and relaxation you need or does it just heap on the guilt for not getting it all done as you vacuum while staring out at the sunny blue sky?  There’s no one size fits all solution and you may have to sacrifice some “I should’s”  but you can keep your weekends for the other areas of your life that need your presence too.  Here are 5 simple, not necessarily easy, things you can do to get your weekend time back.

1. Divide up the routine chores among family members and among the weekdays.  Have a dedicated chore hour every night when everyone chips in and maybe even put on some great dance music.  For example, clean the bathroom on Monday night, change the sheets Tuesday night, grocery shop on Wednesday etc.
2. Stay in on Friday night and get ready for the week ahead (clothes, frozen lunches, etc.) Use that as your wind-down time from the work week.  That way you won’t sleep Saturday away and won’t have Monday’s demands eating into your time on Sunday.
3. Limit your kids’ sports and club activities to one each.  They’ll still get into college and it’s been shown that boredom can be good for kids.  If the adults in the house are hyperactive joiners; cut back there too.
4. Have some potential ideas worked out for what you want to do with all this free time. Have a tentative plan for a sunny day, rainy day, stay at home day etc. That way if your first choice isn’t quite so appealing because it’s pouring out, you won’t waste the day wandering around wondering what to do.  If you need supplies for a craft project or something, do that shopping earlier in the week. Don’t forget to leave a little free time for just enjoying the moment.
5. Lower your standards on housework, lawn and garden.  Turn your back on Martha Stewart and settle for good enough in these areas.  Your soul needs feeding even more than the lawn and if it’s an inch or two longer than the neighbors’, you’ll be giving them a chance to feel superior;-)

Technorati Tags: getting things done, relaxation, routine, time management

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