A Beautiful Day For Thinking, Planning, Calendaring And Relaxing

     In spite of seriously high temperatures and stifling humidity here in the desert today,  it is still possible to have a beautiful Sunday inside our house with the air conditioning keeping us cool.  After some very busy days last week it is nice to have a day to spend time thinking, planning, calendaring and relaxing as well.

    For months now due to ill health I have been unable to plan or execute plans.  I am a person who loves planning, list making, updating to-do lists, and calendaring everything. As much as I love seeing the pretty planners that so many creative, clever people offer on their websites, I prefer a calendar or planner that is functional more than decorative. 

     Planning is important, but a person like me has to guard against getting too caught up in the planning and not spending enough time executing those plans.  Because my business is product based I have to allow time to actually produce the clothing and accessories in addition to all of the other tasks and duties of life.  I must allow sufficient time to photograph the clothing and write great copy to tempt customers to purchase the merchandise.  My photography skills are limited so I must take time to concentrate on improving the end results.  Writing copy requires time and practice to achieve the desired results, e.g. customers purchasing the merchandise.

     Dividing the days to allow for regular exercise, merchandise production, photography, copy writing, order processing, appointments, occasional classes and sundry other tasks can be quite a challenge.  At least it is for me, and I have to set a timer for each activity as I can get so engrossed in one thing that I end up not moving forward to do the next thing(s). 

     I have tried many different types of calendars and planners and have yet to find the perfect one but I keep looking.  A to-do list is a must for me.   I am pretty good about updating my to-do list every Sunday for the week ahead.  It always feels so good when I can check off a completed item.

     The GOP and DNC Conventions took a lot of my time, but I felt it important to watch both and listen to both parties.   I also will plan time to watch the debates so when November rolls around I will be able to vote intelligently.

     What about you?  Are you a planner?  Do you like certain types of planners?  Do you make your own?  Do you decorate your planner?  How do you calendar your activities?  Do you have a specific amount of time you allocate for creating digital products or handmade products?  Have you found a formula that works for you?  If so, please share your answers in the comment section below so we can benefit from your expertise.

     May God Bless all of us.

    

    

WHERE DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 153

Do you spend most of your time in the here and now, or do you find yourself always worrying about the future?  There is all kinds of advice to live in the present, be in the moment, etc.  However, it is not an easy thing to do when you are always thinking about the future.

My blog post for day 153 was to deliver the message

BE FULLY PRESENT

I did not get to write that post yesterday as planned (sorry), but today I received an email with a video message exactly about this subject, and I cannot do it more justice than Marie Forleo did.  So if you want to really find out how to be fully present in today's busy world check out her website and see the brief video which is worth watching:

www.marieforleo.com

PLANNING PREVENTS EMERGENCIES - CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 22

Are you more interested in executing rather than planning?  Some people think that is the best way to approach doing anything of importance.  There are others who know for a work project, a home improvement project, a community or charity project, a craft project or even a new recipe it is smart to take time to plan actions and  assemble all needed materials.  There are those who think planning is a waste of time, and there are others who have learned that jumping in without a plan can result in disaster, increased costs, wasted time, and the need to repeat the project.

Today's message is:

Think Ahead

 

Does Time Get Away From You?

As the weeks fly by I ask myself where the time went and what did I accomplish. I recently listened to a series of webinars which provided me with some great ideas. Jack Canfield (well-known author, motivational speaker, and business coach) talked about how significant "the power of five" can be. He said that on our to-do lists we should list five things that move us toward our goals, and we should start each day working on those five things until they are completed. Then if time remains we can work on other tasks. While he was speaking about business goals I know that his advice also applies to taking care of children, running a household, and juggling work and family life. Most of us put too many things on our to-do lists with no real grasp of how long it would actually take us to complete the entire list. If we focus on what is most important to be completed and form our to-do lists with five tasks leading to the accomplishment of those things, we will get them done! If I am not pro-active I can easily get caught up in minutia, and probably a little of my own OCD also slips in there. I have been trying to follow "the power of five" advice daily, and I am amazed at how much more I am accomplishing. Whether I am concentrating on my business, household tasks and projects, or volunteer work I really am able to get the most important things done first. Try it. I'm sure you will be pleased with the results. I know that children can at times prevent adherence to schedules and plans, but more often than not I am confident you will get all or most of your five things done on a daily basis and still have time left to do other things. I am also thinking that as children enter school and take on responsibilities this might be a good practice to share with them. Let me know what you think. I hope you will sign up to follow my blog and give me your feedback on anything I write. Thanks in advance for helping me!