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Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Well it’s here - September first - the kick off of my new resolve to be a more organized, efficient person.
It seems I’m not the only one jumping into a new year right now - Georgia Nicols, the Horoscope lady in our Vancouver Province Newspaper, said in Sunday’s paper “At this time of year, many of us have that back-to-school feeling because it’s the beginning of September - I think it feels more like a ‘fresh start’ than the first of January.” I’m taking this as a sign that I’m moving in the right direction
I also received a timely email forward over the weekend. As a rule I am not one to forward emails - heck, half the time I don’t even read a forward - but this one caught my eye. Some of the points seemed to speak to my new resolve so I gleaned a few to add to my personal to-do list.
I’m posting it below - I can take not credit for the content nor acknowledge whoever wrote it - it appeared as it is posted. Perhaps there are some points you’d like to add to your ‘list’ of to-dos this fall as well.
HANDBOOK 2010
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forge issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree…..
Society:
25 Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others…
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Given September first falls on a Wednesday this year and the fact that I start my work week on Mondays I’ve decided to launch my new To-Do list on August 30th - it’ll will be easier to track and pace myself that way.
In preparation for the September to-do list I have inadvertently been working away on a pre-list list - a sort of a getting ready to do to-do list.
I cleared off my desk and took my lap top in for servicing - it got de-fragged and rammed up and is now poised to produce.
I’ve been working around my house. My laundry is almost up to date (this may not seem like it has much to do with work - but knowing what you’re going to wear to the office and being able to find it is a great way to get off on the right foot in the morning).
A clean slate should be just that - clean.
I’m ripping the summer-fried plants out of my garden and getting ready to plant some fall-ish color around the yard. Yep, I’m going to be spruced right up come the first day of my new resolve.
It’s a good feeling this getting organized to get organized - I feel like I should have started starting a long time ago - it’s very productive!
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
I have a growing list of people volunteering to be my ‘accountability buddy’ (the person with which I will share my to-do list to help me stay the course). It seems there are skeptics out there - doubters - those who are dubious about my list-making / organizational skills. The people closest to me are the ones most cynical - given my track record in the organization department I can’t blame them - I’ve been full of these intentions for years.
It may take some hard evidence for them to actually believe that this time I mean business.
Perhaps ‘putting it out there’ is the ticket to getting it done. Choosing a buddy, posting the blog and verbalizing my plan may help me take myself seriously. Sort of like the spokes people for weight loss programs - the pressure of going public, of failing in front of millions could be the catalyst for changing my ways. Or not. Only time will tell.
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
I have written about to-do lists in the past - my entry way back in October 2009 was full of great intentions and enthusiasm for my newly discovered ‘listing’ skills. Alas, I fell off the wagon shortly after that entry and have been wallowing in my usual ‘off the cuff’ fashion for the past several months.
Given my new resolve to truly get organized this September I’m going to give the ‘to do’ list philosophy another shot. This time I’m going to be realistic about it - none of this loose 10 pounds in two weeks stuff or saving X thousands of dollars by Christmas while paying off may credit card. Nope, this time I’m going to start simply.
My plan for this week is:
- 1. Write a blog article
- 2. make a to do list
- 3. keep said list to not more than 10 work items and/or 10 personal items
- 4. put some enjoyable tasks on the list
- 5. put at least one thing I really hate doing on the list
- 6. make deadlines - items may roll over to the next week’s list depending on the deadline
- 7. give myself rewards
- 8. share the list with someone - this will help me be accountable
- 9. post the list somewhere I can see it every morning
- 10. make a point of plotting my progress at the end of the day
I am now getting out a large felt marker and ticking off the first entry on the list. Thus begins my journey toward being organized this fall.
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
There is definitely anticipation in the air - literally. I stepped out of the bank last night to a honking announcement from the Canada geese overhead that they too feel the time is upon us to gear up for fall. They seemed exuberant despite the fact their “V” was a little sketchy - they appeared confident that by the time they lift off to migration they’d have the formation nailed. After all, practice makes perfect.
There are lots of clues the season is about to change - the squirrels in my back yard are stealing peanuts from the bird feeder in quantities that indicate they’re stashing them somewhere. The Barn Swallow’s nest over my neighbor’s side door has long since been vacated. The first leaves to jump ship are landing on burnt grass in my front yard. This is not my favorite time of year - it is at the point in summer where things are winding down. But, as mentioned earlier this week, September is just around the corner and with it all the promise of a fresh start.
I love a clean slate - even a self-contrived one. Perhaps you’d like to join me in celebrating the start of a new year on September 1st - stay tuned for a plan of attack.
Monday, August 9th, 2010
It’s the second week of August and I can already smell September in the air. School supplies have been on display since June, back-to-school sales started in July - the kids had barely enough time to toss their old books and hit the beach before they were faced with the prospect of heading back to school. Summer is short.
Some things never change.
For me September feels like the start of a new year - in some ways it’s bigger than January first. I’m anticipating, planning and making promises to myself about all the things I’m going to tackle come the start of next month. I have approximately 3 ½ weeks left of summer foolery before I have to get down to business.
Part of my plan is to just get organized - I’ve been making this promise to myself for years. I set deadlines like “after Christmas”, “after the skating carnival”, “after baseball season”, “after…”… but this time I really mean it.
Given keeping this blog up to date is on my list of to-dos here at the office I’ll keep you appraised of my progress.
Friday, July 9th, 2010
We are getting our first real glimpse of summer here on the west coast and it is delightful — for those of you headed off on grand adventures for your holidays this year, have a great vacation. For those of us sticking around the area I am re-posting an article written by the Marketeer last year about enjoying your ’stay-cation’…
The “Staycation” - Another word for the vocabulary
According to Wikipedia a staycation is defined as:
”a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in current hard economic times in which unemployment levels and gas prices are high.”
So how do you go about planning a staycation? Well after doing some research I found that there are “Staycation Rules” that have been devised to help you get the most out of your staycation.
- Set the Time and Date - Every vacation has a start date and an end date, so should your staycation. Not doing this can make your staycation feel like any other night spent at home.
- Make it clear that although you’re staying in town you’re still away - One downside to a staycation is that because you are staying close to home the urge to pop in to the office, or check your work email can be pretty strong. However; a staycation, just like a vacation, is just for you and your family so turn off all outside distractions and make it clear to your work, relatives and friends that you are unavailable.
- Make plans - Treat your staycation like you would a regular vacation, make plans and stick to them. When staying at home its easy to fall into sloth mode leaving you and your family feeling like they “did nothing” on their holiday.
- Buy a guidebook - The area you live in probably has plenty to offer its tourists, why not find out what those things are and become a tourist in your own town. You may just find a local hotspot you never knew about or a great attraction just off the beaten track.
- Take pictures - Make a permanent record of your staycation just as you would a regular vacation. Snap pictures of the different sites you hit, or restaurants you ate at and create fun memories for the whole family.
- Tackle that Book you’ve been meaning to read - There’s no better symbol of relaxation that a finished book. Pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read, settle yourself in a lounger outside and immerse yourself in another world.
- Become a member at your local museum - Many museum memberships provide you with free entry to a myriad of other attractions in the city as well as give you insider tips to special events, exhibits and lectures happening at the museum.
- Take a local on & off bus tour - these inexpensive bus tours (often called “Hop-on, Hop-off Tours”) let you tour around to see many attractions at your own pace and may show you areas of your city you didn’t know about before.
However, the most important rule for your staycation is to make sure that you relax and have a good time. You and your family can have fun and create great memories even when the times are tough.
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
According to Wikipedia Status quo, is a commonly used form of the original Latin “status quo” - literally “the state in which” - is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are.
Change in any part of our lives is not always easy. People are generally more comfortable with the status quo - the same old, same old - it’s safe, predictable but quite often stale. There is a subtle resistance to change and although we may not realize it, the status quo can be a resilient enemy - it presents itself day after day in subtle little ways in the form of habit.
The first step to breaking a habit is to admit that it is one and recognize the need to change it. Habits are not easy to change - most don’t go down without a fight. Challenging the status quo requires determination but improvement is always possible.
Being open to and responsive to change is required for personal change as well as organizational change. The awareness of new possibilities can be exhilarating - change is the enabler of growth. Looking for and trying new ways to do things can be one of the most powerful personal skills a person can develop.
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
by popular demand we are re-posting the article written by the Marketeer back in Nov. 2008 - the information is still important and relevant…
Your credit score plays a huge part in the i-Finance loan approval process so we’ve put together a quick summary of what a credit score is and what factors influence it. (excerpt from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada website) (more…)
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
I have been busy typing documents the last few weeks at work - contract documents - copy typing. After a few pages of legal-eez my eyes glaze over - I’m not typing words anymore just copying symbols. Legal documents aren’t the most inspiring read, they are repetitive and wordy but it’s important they be accurate - I’s dotted, T’s crossed - you can be sure if anyone is really reading the document they mean business. Creative writing, on the other hand, is best if kept short, sweet and to the point.
I read an interesting article recently that discussed one of the greatest and most memorable pieces of writing of all time - the Gettysburg Address. Only 272 words in length the address packed such a punch it is still being used as an example of brevity and impact. (the article was so interesting I prompted me to Google the Gettysburg Address - and I have to agree, it is pretty perfect).
Abe Lincoln was a masterful writer with a keen ear for just the right words - most of them just one syllable. He spoke to the people… the average people and he got his point across.
The more documents I type the more I admire people like Abe.
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