Sunday, August 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Things heard out of the 13 year old's mouth...
"Did you know there's a cocktail called a Hairy Navel?"
At least she doesn't have enough experience to know what it really is.
Life is good. Be happy. :)
At least she doesn't have enough experience to know what it really is.
Life is good. Be happy. :)
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Things They Say
Unrelated to writing or anything else really...things heard out of the 5 year old's mouth today so far:
Upon studying a U.S. map: 5yo: "Texas is stupid." Me: "Why?" 5yo: "Because it's dusty and there's no water, and you don't have cable or anything."
Watching mazes print out for her and her 7 year old sister: 5yo: "Wow, this one's complex." 7yo: "What does that mean?" 5yo: "Complex means hard."
Upon deciding that 20 mazes is too many to print out, as I reach for more paper to reload the printer: "Noooo, don't do it!"
Life is good, be happy. :)
Upon studying a U.S. map: 5yo: "Texas is stupid." Me: "Why?" 5yo: "Because it's dusty and there's no water, and you don't have cable or anything."
Watching mazes print out for her and her 7 year old sister: 5yo: "Wow, this one's complex." 7yo: "What does that mean?" 5yo: "Complex means hard."
Upon deciding that 20 mazes is too many to print out, as I reach for more paper to reload the printer: "Noooo, don't do it!"
Life is good, be happy. :)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Motivation and Work Schedule
There are a couple disadvantages in being your own boss: nailing down a schedule that works for you, and then sticking to it, and being self-disciplined enough to ignore distractions. These can be managed, but it takes some tweaking.
I tried, oh how I tried, to force myself into a "regular person" schedule--go to bed at 10 or 11pm, get up around 7am. It worked for a while, but my brain does not kickstart very quickly in the morning, so I was seeing less than optimal productivity and would often end up staying up late anyway to play catch up. I've finally been forced to submit to my natural arcadian rhythm which has always been of the night owl variety. So I sit in the quiet of the wee hours and plug away, because it seems to be the only time I can truly focus.
Self-motivation is a dragon which must repeatedly be slain. Oh sure, there are deadlines to be met and bills to be paid which serve as continual kicks in the pants. However they aren't always enough to coax my brain into "on" mode. I'm not an organized person by nature, but if I force myself to organize my goals and priorities, it does make the desk a bit more inviting place to be.
Lists - these are a *must*; I normally do them on paper so that they're right in my face either next to my computer or on the bulletin board. I have lists of ideas, lists of titles and their due dates, lists of pictures that I need, etc., and then cross them off as I go.
I also keep Word open all the time. When I sit down to check email or surf the net and see a project minimized on the task bar, I'll usually bring it up and make a little progress. This makes the long evening work hours less daunting because I have a good start.
I find that getting up and moving around a few times during the work hours keeps me energized and helps prevent that pesky "desk coma" problem. These are my random thoughts for the moment. I'm sure more will occur to me at 4am, and I might even get around to blogging them. Life is good - be happy!
I tried, oh how I tried, to force myself into a "regular person" schedule--go to bed at 10 or 11pm, get up around 7am. It worked for a while, but my brain does not kickstart very quickly in the morning, so I was seeing less than optimal productivity and would often end up staying up late anyway to play catch up. I've finally been forced to submit to my natural arcadian rhythm which has always been of the night owl variety. So I sit in the quiet of the wee hours and plug away, because it seems to be the only time I can truly focus.
Self-motivation is a dragon which must repeatedly be slain. Oh sure, there are deadlines to be met and bills to be paid which serve as continual kicks in the pants. However they aren't always enough to coax my brain into "on" mode. I'm not an organized person by nature, but if I force myself to organize my goals and priorities, it does make the desk a bit more inviting place to be.
Lists - these are a *must*; I normally do them on paper so that they're right in my face either next to my computer or on the bulletin board. I have lists of ideas, lists of titles and their due dates, lists of pictures that I need, etc., and then cross them off as I go.
I also keep Word open all the time. When I sit down to check email or surf the net and see a project minimized on the task bar, I'll usually bring it up and make a little progress. This makes the long evening work hours less daunting because I have a good start.
I find that getting up and moving around a few times during the work hours keeps me energized and helps prevent that pesky "desk coma" problem. These are my random thoughts for the moment. I'm sure more will occur to me at 4am, and I might even get around to blogging them. Life is good - be happy!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Blog catch-up
Blogging has fallen to the bottom of the priority list in the last several weeks, so the time has come to bump it back near the top. Having gone through a few adjustments and bumps in the road, including rearranging my writing schedule to better fit the household as well as my own arcadian rhythm, I think we've settled into a workable routine.
I've also embarked on a new writing gig, doing pieces for eHow.com, which I find to be great fun and a worthy challenge. And, I've discovered that after all these years as a mom - I LOVE working! And I love being able to do it in a way that allows me to spend time with my kids and just goof around when I need a break. Goodness knows it's also a huge blessing to work from home with gas prices the way they are (4.16 at some local stations - ouch!). Life is good - be happy!
I've also embarked on a new writing gig, doing pieces for eHow.com, which I find to be great fun and a worthy challenge. And, I've discovered that after all these years as a mom - I LOVE working! And I love being able to do it in a way that allows me to spend time with my kids and just goof around when I need a break. Goodness knows it's also a huge blessing to work from home with gas prices the way they are (4.16 at some local stations - ouch!). Life is good - be happy!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Getting to happy
5 years ago, this blog may have been titled Life in the Pointless Lane, or perhaps even Life in the Utterly Messed Up Lane. During the dark times that come into almost everyone's life at one point or another, it's sometimes difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It's tough to believe life will ever be different. I was raised on the teaching that we make our own happiness. It's not going to be handed to us on a silver platter, and waiting around for happiness and fulfillment to simply come along is seldom effective. It took me 35 years to put this theory into action. Thankfully, it's never too late to make your own happiness - change is possible at any stage of life.
This blog will contain posts on a variety of topics - whatever strikes my fancy on any given day may be spewed out through my fingers into a post. Subjects about which I'm particularly passionate will likely be frequent fodder - pregnancy and birth, homeschooling, mothering, relationships, intellectual pursuits. Whatever the topic - I will nearly always be writing from my seat in the Happy Lane. :) Life is good - be happy.
This blog will contain posts on a variety of topics - whatever strikes my fancy on any given day may be spewed out through my fingers into a post. Subjects about which I'm particularly passionate will likely be frequent fodder - pregnancy and birth, homeschooling, mothering, relationships, intellectual pursuits. Whatever the topic - I will nearly always be writing from my seat in the Happy Lane. :) Life is good - be happy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
