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.

    

    

HOW MUCH CAN YOU REALLY DO? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 161

Are you a good planner?  Are you good at time management?  If you are getting older are you still able to do all that you used to do?  Have you had an illness or injury that prevents you from doing everything you want to do?  Is there something you want to do but for which you do not have the needed skill set?

Planning and time management are not just for the young or those in the work force.  We still need to plan how to use our time and accomplish our tasks and goals.  Now that I am getting older I do not have the physical strength or stamina that I had ten years ago.  Yet I still plan my days as if I can still do everything as quickly as I used to and as if I can still do as many things in a day as I used to do.

Yesterday I read something that made sense.  It said if the same things keep appearing on your to-do list but never getting checked off, then admit you either do not want to do them or are not going to do them and remove them from the list.  That is good advice because when I do not accomplish all the things on my daily lists I become annoyed with myself.  Truth is I now need to pay someone else to do certain things or prevail upon my children to do them for me when they visit.  For example, anything that involves climbing on a ladder is now beyond my stability and coordination.

Think about it.  Is there anything in your life for which you need to tell yourself:

ACCEPT MY LIMITS

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR SATURDAYS? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 129

Are your weekends filled with to-do lists, household chores, chauffeuring children to various activities, going to your office to catch up, or trying to get a jump on your to-do list for the week ahead?  Do you find yourself thinking always about the future (or the past)?

I used to be that way, and I worked practically 24/7 after my children grew up.  The only thing that did for me was ruin my health in many ways.  So I advise my children to work hard but not 24/7.  Instead of worrying about the future or regretting anything in the past I tell them to live in the now.  Today is the only day we may have so be in it.

BE PRESENT!

IMPORTANT QUESTION - CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 97

Too often we get so busy with daily living, impossible to-do lists, raising children, and working long hours that we end up putting ourselves last.  That does not mean we are suffering from a martyr complex, but it does mean that we need to re-order our priorities.  Not only do we need to schedule time for ourselves on our calendars, but we need to take time to stop and think.

I used to be one of those people who did not take time for myself, and I was at the point of being totally burned out without realizing it.  Then one day my boss's brother asked me, "Are you happy?"  It was a question I never had asked myself or given any thought to the answer.  The real answer hit me like a bucket of cold water thrown at me.  I was definitely not happy, and I realized that the unhappiness was coloring every aspect of my life.  I recognized that my unhappiness had to be negatively affecting all of my subordinates whom I was fond of and who were all too loyal and kind to tell tell me.

Within the next week I submitted my resignation giving ample notice. My boss tried very hard to persuade me to stay, to take a leave of absence if I needed it, but I knew that I needed a complete change.  I had no idea what I was going to do next or what I wanted to do.  Financially I could ill afford to not work.  Having started working at a very young age, I had always had a job so waking up in the morning not having to be anywhere was a new and sort of scary experience.  Some days I found myself second-guessing my decision to resign, but then those feelings would pass.

During the next six months I did free-lance work for three different non-profits, a sector in which I had never been employed.  At the beginning of the new year I accepted a full-time position at one of them and enjoyed the next four years there.  It was interesting work, and I had no subordinates which was a relief after having previously had as many as 250 employees with whom to be concerned.  I was thoroughly happy both at work and outside of work.

I chose to retire after that position.  I moved to the desert, and soon after I launched an Internet business selling handmade clothing and accessories for babies and toddlers.  None of these things would have happened had that young man not asked me if I was happy.  Now I ask myself that question periodically, and I am still very happy.

So do yourself a favor, and from time to time

ASK:  AM I HAPPY?

HOW MUCH CAN YOU REALISTICALLY DO? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 82

There are some of us who have never learned to be team players.  Guys who are part of sports teams tend to learn early on what being a part of a team means.  More girls are involved in team sports than in prior years, but still there are many people who have no concept of teamwork.  There are also those of us who have too much pride to ask anyone else for help when clearly it would be wise to do so.  There are many who think they have to do everything themselves in order for it to be done "correctly" or in order for them to prove their value to others.

Be smart and evaluate your to-do list.  Is it too much for one person, or is it too much to accomplish in a given day?  Do you truly have to do everything yourself, or can you delegate part of the list to others?  Even toddlers can be taught to empty wastebaskets or to pick up their toys.  Elementary school-age children can be taught to make their beds and clear the kitchen table.  Middle school and high school students can be taught to clean their rooms, clean the kitchen, do their own laundry, and help with yard work.

If your work to-do list is too long, evaluate what is necessary and what is desirable.  What needs to be done right away?  What can be postponed?  Who else might be available to help you with some of the items?  If you are able to give clear direction it is most likely that someone else in the office has time and skills to assist you.

Today's message is:
                                                       DON'T DO IT ALL!

CHANGING LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 6

In order for our lives to change we have to stop doing everything the way we have always done it. I believe it was Albert Einstein who said, "The true definition of insanity is doing everything the same way and expecting different results."

Being myself a devout creature of habit, I know change can be difficult to accept until you face the fact that you do not like your life the way it is.  Begin writing down how you want your life to be:

• What things do you want to do?
• What things do you want to have?
• What places do you want to go?
• What things do you NOT want to do?
• What things do you NOT want to have?
• What places do you NOT want to go?
• What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

When you are writing don't worry about what is possible or not or how you will make things happen or when.  Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, prioritizing, or legibility.  Just write.  Continue to add to this list, and removing items is also an option as your wants change.   I know this process works because I started doing it years ago, and here are just a few of the things I wrote on my lists:

• I want to have a boy and a girl whose names will be Scott and Susie.
• I want to be able to put my children through college.
• I want to be as philanthropic as I am able.
• I want to be Vice President of a company.
• I want to have a Cadillac.
• I want to renovate an historic house.
• I want to convert the historic house to a bed & breakfast inn.
• I want to own my own business.

At the time I wrote them I had no way of knowing how or when these things would happen, but in time they all came to pass.  I never stopped making plans and expecting the plans to become reality so today's message is:

Make Plans

It Is Friday, Time Is Flying, But Enjoy The Anticipation

Today is the 16th. Hanukkuh begins on the 21st. Christmas Eve is on the 24th. New Year's Eve is on the 31st. Now I realize all of you know these dates .......so why am I writing them in this post, you ask? If you are like I am, then your to-do lists are overly ambitious and guaranteed to cause stress and anxiety as the days on the calendar go by and the hours on the clock tick louder and louder. When this happens I seem to try to kick everything into high gear and just get it all done (must have been all those years in retailing that did this to me). Well, not this year.......I have decided that I want to enjoy the anticipation of the holidays, the actual preparations for them, the shopping and baking and wrapping and decorating, the parties and music........I will not just rush to get it all done this year. Life is so fragile that we never know what can happen between these holidays and those of 2012. Slow down, take some deep breaths, kiss your children and grandchildren, turn off the lights and sit in front of your Christmas tree or your Menorah and remember what the holidays are actually about and why we acknowledge and celebrate them. Enjoy peace, tranquility, togetherness and happy memories. That is what I am going to do!!!

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!