The Challenge: Accessorize your wardrobe today with a touch of childhood.
Because we used to have Spirit Days at work, I do actually have quite the dress-up box going. I could have thrown on a handmade Renaissance dress, but I elected to go simple and just wear my tiara.
Admittedly, I do sometimes just thrown on my tiara when I’m writing. Or my cat ears. Just to shake things up. It has actually helped me work through writer’s block.
For the past few years, I’ve tried to set goals instead of resolutions. I make them part of my to-do lists, and occasionally I even get some work done on them. (If anyone is curious, I’ve got a set of goals I’ve been working on for two years. I’m so proud of myself.)
Truth be told, I can’t even tell you what my goals for last year were. They got lost somewhere in my to-do lists. Maybe they were finished. Maybe they were deleted because I decided they were pointless.
This year, I haven’t really focused on thinking about 2009. This might have something to do with the fact I’m sitting in San Antonio, trying to convince myself to get some sleep before I hop on a plane back to Seattle in the very early morning. I’ve managed to set a couple of goals, though. The first two aren’t fair- I decided late last year I was going to do them anyway. The third, however, might actually be interesting.
I’ve set a goal for myself to start (possibly finish) a writing project that is written in my natural voice instead of the formal tone that was beat into my head at my lovely college prep school. It’s so frustrating. My blog posts come out sounding like I do when you talk to me. My stories…don’t. And that has to stop.
I think part of the reason I’ve spent so much time over the past few months trying to talk myself into rewriting Writer’s Block is because I feel like that was the start of this internal struggle to quiet my formal voice when I don’t actually need it. Kaori and Toshi were both written more from my natural voice (and they were the two everyone liked). My second attempt at my NaNo last year was another glimmer- I wrote the two main characters from the two voices in my head that fight with each other whenever I’m creating.
In fact, I’ve realized I could potentially combine Writer’s Block with parts of my manuscript to create a stronger piece that sounds more like me.
But, I’m also up to my ears revising an older NaNo manuscript that is so stiff and formal that it causes everyone to miss the point of the story. Can I really shift back and forth between revising the old voice and creating in the new voice? Is it possible that working on the new voice will rub off on the older project?
With 2008 rolling in at midnight, a number of people are talking about resolutions for the new year. Some are sharing their own resolutions. Some are offering the advice to make very few resolutions because no one ever keeps them anyway, or they’re suggesting that resolutions by ignored all together.
I actually gave up on resolutions a couple of years ago because I was getting frustrated at not meeting them. Somehow, in the discussion that took place in my head, the resolutions were replaced with goals. It was no longer a case of, “I resolve to (some unfeasible feat).” It became, “This year, I’d like to (task), and this is how I’m going to do it.”
My goals for the new year became a to-do list, and I found myself more capable of doing what I wanted (except for when the program I was using to keep track of my to-do lists was no longer available to me because I migrated to a different OS before I discovered the joy that is Todoist).
So…don’t make resolutions for 2008. Really think about where you’d like to be a year from now, and then set those goals, break them into smaller steps, and make them part of your to-do list (or a similar motivation tool). See how far you get!
Happy New Year’s!
This morning, I’m trying to get rid of all the saved posts in Google Reader, and I thought I’d drag you along for the ride! (Besides, no one’s asked any questions, and I don’t feel like reviewing the book I read yesterday.)
My favorite WordPress blogger Lorelle wants to know about my favorite or worst blogging blunder in this week’s blogging challenge. At the moment, that would be some disparaging words levied against a character played by a gentleman I’ve now contacted twice. (I’m pretty sure he’s never seen it, so there’s small comfort. And at least it’s not a character he’s joked about with me. That would only make it worse!)
A List Apart has this great post that everyone’s been referring to all week with good reason. If you’ve ever had problems staying motivated through a project, this post should help you out! I use some of these ideas in my own attempts to bring my to-do list under control.
At some point today (maybe later this morning, I have to take a picture of the bag that goes everywhere with me. (I’m glad I’m getting a second chance with this one.) Maybe you’d like to show off your bag to the world, too?
Then there’s an interesting thought on how to keep a paper journal. I’m obsessed with notebooks, but I never quite seem to get them used well anymore. I’ve actually had to put a ban on buying blank notebooks just to force myself to finish out the unfinished ones. (I tend to note in Google Notebook these days because I broke EverNote, so these notebooks might be in for a bit of a wait…) (This gem was found via Lifehacker!)
In yet another lesson for the creative souls (wrapped up in a post I need to show some of my students…), Lifehacker also pointed to this list of suggestions on ways to think for yourself. The short version- ask lots of question, don’t accept things at face value, and become more self-reliant.
For whatever reason, Google Reader keeps deleting posts I’ve marked as “not read”, so I’ve lost a number of posts I wanted to read on education, e-learning, Learning 2.0, and the like. Somehow, it did leave me this list of open courses. I like free online courses. They’re quite useful! If I had an mp3 player, I could make use of those Japanese lessons before my best friend gets it into her head to start calling me anything more unkind than “slacker”. (In my defense, my hiragana and katakana flash cards are literally a foot from my elbow. (No…they aren’t being used… *casts a shamed look at the floor*)
Finally, no tour through my saved posts would be complete without sharing the quotes hanging out!
“The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.”- Ralph W. Sockman
“Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century.”- Dame Edna Everage
Well, that’s it. Only two posts left in the aggregator. One is the post about the go bag. The other will likely show up on Career Niche tomorrow.
I have no idea what I’m going to blog about the rest of the week, outside of the book review. You can still send me questions and ideas. Leave a comment, catch me on IM, or send me an email.
Last month, Rosa Say asked people in her Ho’ohana community to step up this month and post on hospitality and customer service. Despite the fact my job, teaching, is primarily about customer service and making people feel comfortable, relaxed, and generally good, I stared at the request and thought, ‘But I have nothing to contribute to the conversation.’
Last week, Scott Ginsberg posted the following Qreativity note to his Facebook: Is your service philosophy so good … that other companies STEAL it?
I used to participate in a Renaissance recreation LARP (live-action roleplaying game). Toward the end of my time in the game, I ran the gate for one of the larger events, one that brought people from all over the country. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. People found out I was running the gate and volunteered to help me out. Our job was fairly easy: we greeted people as they came in, collected the entrance fee and all the appropriate releases and medical forms, and sent them on their way.
There was no shelter, so I acquired a portable gazebo that we set up for the gate crew to hide out in (It was March in South Texas.) We put a bunch of chairs inside the pavilion around the two tables. I had brought some water and snacks for the gate crew, and then others brought us more as the weekend wore on. Performers came up to practice in the quiet around the gate, which meant we had entertainment. Others just came up to visit me, and often ended up helping out. It was a calm, relaxed, fun weekend at that gate.
After the event, one of the women who had worked on the gate posted a message to a list for an in-game group we were both part of. She was part of a small group that ran a much smaller event in her area of the country, and she was praising me for how I ran my gate. In fact, she was planning to steal what she saw and implement it at her own event.
I was flabbergasted. As far as I knew, we’d just sat there, processed people in to the event, snacked, chatted, and generally had fun while we worked. I asked her what specifically she would be stealing, and she said it was all about my organization and the spirit I cultivated around the gate by including food and encouraging people to come visit and entertain us. By doing so little, I’d made the gate crew, the first people seen at the event, a lively, efficient bunch.
Sometimes, providing good service is as simple as taking care of those who are supposed to be providing the service.
This is probably the best advice I’ve read all year. It certainly struck a chord in me.
2. Play your own game
I was astounded when it came to the second set. Nadal did not play aggressively. Federer had shots that Nadal didn’t seem to have an answer for. Somehow though, Nadal was able to keep his cool. That was wisdom. You’ve got to play your own game. Don’t play aggressive just because everyone else is doing that. The key to winning is to develop your own goals and timelines. This is your game, not someone else’s. (Source)
The true key to being successful is always remembering it’s your game to lose. If that doesn’t motivate, nothing will!
Over the weekend, I read repeatedly from a wide variety of sources that if doing something puts you in the zone, then that is your passion. If you’re trying to find your passion, then I think that’s a good place to start, but I think falling into that mindset fully is akin to falling for the belief that you should always pursue what you do well.
For example, I sometimes work with a student who is a very gifted athlete. He’s pushed to at least pass his classes so he can stay eligible to play his sport. One night, he and I got to talking and I asked him what he saw himself doing in a few years. His answer nearly killed me: “Not wrestling.” He did it because he was good at it, but not because he felt a driving inner need to do it.
If you find yourself doing a task that often puts you in “the zone”, reflect on it. Is it the activity itself that gets you there? Is there something in the course of doing that activity that puts you in the zone? Reflecting on the doing of the activity will help you determine whether or not the activity is actually your passion, and help you move one step closer to finding your path.
While I was sick, I did something fairly out of character. I eschewed my beloved cartoons for reality television. Seriously. I got hooked on Top Design.
If you’ve never seen Top Design, it’s about a series of interior designers and architects (I think they said one of them had a background in something else, too) competing to create the best design for each episode’s challenge. Sometimes, they worked in teams. One time, they worked as one big team. Sometimes, they worked alone on their own designs.
It was interesting to see how each person approached each challenge. To see how they approached working as a creative team. To hear how they talked about their work.
Somewhere in the middle of watching the last several episodes over and over again, I planned out my room redesign in my head and went hunting for the blank sketchbook I bought with the intention of working on attempts at sketching out Writer’s Block. The sketch book is still blank, but at least it’s now in my bag along with a pouch full of colored pencils. Maybe I’ll actually start designing again!
I’ve known for a while that I’ve been struggling with inspiration issues. Where I used to re-design in my head every single room I walked into, I now just ignore the room altogether. I need to break myself of that habit. I need to stat playing with the space around me again. I need to just randomly pull out my wire and beads and design some jewelry (I owe my best friend a piece or two, so it’s the perfect excuse…along with the tens of sketched out designs in my jewelry notebook). I just need to get back into the design frame of mind again.
Who knew something good could come from watching a reality television show?
Last New Year’s, a friend and I sat together at her kitchen table discussing plans for the new year. She was listing her resolutions in her journal. I was staring at my own blank journal feeling as empty as the pages.
While she made decisions about her wishes for her life, I realized I didn’t care about resolutions. I started writing out goals for myself. I broke them up into smaller steps, and transferred them to my note organizer on my computer when I got home.
This year, I’m amused to see so many people feel the same way I do. I think it has a lot to do with the mindset behind a resolution. I can resolve to do yoga every day all I want, but if I don’t put a plan behind it, the chances are good that i will never actually do it. I wish to do this, but nothing is compelling me.
On the other hand, a well-written goal demands action. Consider my goal to do yoga daily. By starting off doing yoga three times a week, I will add a day every two weeks until I am doing yoga daily.
I’ve set small, attainable steps for myself to help myself grow into the habit of doing yoga on a daily basis. I feel pushed to do it for fear of letting myself down.
Maybe it’s just me, but if I had to offer one piece of advice, it would be to set goals instead of resolutions for yourself. Set clearly defined goals and break them into baby steps to make them more achievable. It makes accomplishing change so much easier.
Originally posted at Collective Genius
I’ve been following a story on the Writer’s Weekly site about freelancing for friends. At first, I was pretty upset at the author. He came across as someone who is an utter jerk when his friends and family ask him to do a job for them for free. He emphasized rather proudly that he charges them full price, or gives them a break the first time with a stern lecture to not expect it again. In the course of the article, he implied that he did it because his friends were all freeloaders who took advantage of him.
That really rankled me somehow.
With very few exceptions (my tutoring and my jewelry), I’ve never thought twice about doing a favor for a friend using one of my money-earning skills. My friends and family have done so much for me, and in most cases, the only way I can repay that gratitude is through offering my skills. Even crazier, my friends tend to agree and remind me of this when I start feeling badly for not being able to contribute in other ways.
Maybe I just fell in with the right group of people.
The conversation on the site has continued, though, with people responding on both sides of the coin. Finally, the original author came back and said that he didn’t think he was being a jerk because you would never hit up a lawyer or doctor for free advice, therefore you shouldn’t expect it from a writer. But here’s the problem: I don’t think any industry is exempt from friends hoping for a little free advice or service. Some industries might be less willing to just share their skills, but we all get hit up.
I’m a teacher, a writer, and an editor, and I’ve definitely been asked for free work more times than I can count, especially as a teacher and editor. I probably do more free work than I should, but I try to gracefully accept payment when it’s offered unexpectedly by a friend. I’m not afraid to barter skills with friends (or anyone else who might approach me, actually). I don’t think I could ever bring myself to willingly charge a friend my full rate on most of my services.
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