Yeah, buddy.

Image source: Photobucket; P.S. Hot dogs are gross.

Today's one of those days when I wish I could say, "Booyah, Grandma!" without getting weird looks.

Why, you ask?

Because I finished a goal.  And I'm the celebratin' type.

The goal was writing a blog post a day for the entire month of November (a.k.a., "NaBloPoMo").  And while a few posts were admittedly a bit on the lazy side, I posted each and every day.  It didn't matter if I was sick, tired, or overwhelmed -- or even "not in the blogging mood" -- I did it.

Okay, yeah.  No big deal.  It's a blog...so, what?

I finished a goal; that's what.

You can't see me, but I am giving myself a big ole pat on the back.  Go me.

Oh, yeah...I forgot

Image source: stevebasu.net

...about a little thing called laziness.

Yes, laziness.  You know, that thing that forces you to watch Netflix instant, even when you have other, more important things to do?  That overwhelming feeling that seems to take over whatever good intentions you had for the day?  Yeah, that.

I'm going to make a radical statement: Laziness can be a good thing.

Okay, so I realize that I spend a lot of time writing about drive, stick-to-it-iveness, and maintaining focus.  I believe in all of those things, and I wholeheartedly believe that we are each on this earth to fulfill our greatest dreams and desires.  But I also realize that we're all human, and as humans, we need a little veg time.

Take today, for example.  After working about six hours (with a solid four left to do), I relaxed.  You see, my threshold for work is only so high.  I can and do maintain high levels of productivity over prolonged periods of time under extreme stress, but today I'd had about enough.  I needed to sit and watch two movies, back-to-back, play with our kitten, and have a glass of wine.

Now, I know I'll be kicking myself for this later, but right now I'm feeling pretty relaxed and, believe it or not, anxious to get back to work.  It's good to get some time away from work and spend a few ridiculously lazy hours doing nothing at all.  (After all, when you work for yourself, it's not skipping work, it's just putting it off.)

Tomorrow, I will approach my work with a fresh brain, and I will be productive.  For now, I'm going to pour myself another glass of wine and allow myself to relax.

Want to join me?

Moving Forward

Image source: http://gurugilbert.com/wp-content/ambition1.jpg

Sometimes, being stagnant is easy.  It's easy to keep doing the same thing, day after day, year after year, decade after decade.  It's easy, yes, but it's not what makes a person happy.

Sure, stability is nice.  I agree with that.  But you know what gets me out of bed each morning (aside from my faith, husband, and all of the other awesome things I have to be thankful for)?  It's opportunity.  Each day is a new and exciting opportunity to make it better than the last.  It's the chance to achieve dreams.  It's the crazy attempt to realize each and every thing I've ever wanted to do.

For me, the key is maintaining a good and positive attitude and work ethic.  It's being excited for each day, and really, truly thankful for all of the good things in my life.

Of course, I could be better.  I've been known to sleep in, cranky face to world, not ready to get up and face the day.  But those days are few and far between (although my husband might beg to differ), and I really do try to approach each day with an I-can-conquer-the-world attitude.

I'm curious what other people do to keep themselves moving forward, from being anything but stagnant. Any ideas?  I'm all ears.

Juggling Things

A few days ago, as I was responding to e-mails, I came to a realization: I juggle a lot of things at once.  From multiple client projects to homework to my own writing endeavors, I usually have several things going, and most of them require a lot of careful attention.

I'm not always the most efficient person in the world, but I am pretty good at juggling my many projects.  So, I thought I'd share some of the tricks of the freelance trade.  Here are a few ideas to keep yourself organized, stay on task, and be as efficient as possible:

1. Keep a planner.  Write everything in it, even things you are sure you'll remember.
2. Make a list.  On a piece of paper, write down all of the thing you need to accomplish.  Then, number them from most to least important.  This will help you determine what to start working on first.
3. Respond to e-mails.  I struggle with this one, but I do try to stay on top of my communication.  It shows people that you care and that their projects matter to you.
4. Honor deadlines.  This might sound simple, but one of the most important things you can do to be efficient is to get things done on time.  After all, if you don't honor deadlines, you might not have any deadlines to honor in the future.
5. Celebrate achievements.  When you finish a big project, allow yourself some down time.  A fresh mind allows you to tackle the next project with efficiency, while forcing yourself to move from one project to another can result in distractions.  Instead of wasting time while I'm working (browsing websites, etc.), I give myself short, designated "breaks" -- this is time I don't feel guilty about "wasting," because it's time I've decided can be used for rest.
6. Get exercise.  It might be weird to see this on the list of things to keep yourself on task, but trust me: exercise will help you get things done.  You'll feel better, have more energy, and be more alert.  Plus, I always feel better about eight hours in front of the computer if I've just run six miles.  

Juggling multiple projects can be difficult, but use these tips to help keep yourself focused.  After all, maintaining focus is one of the most important aspects of meeting one's goal.

Today was pretty splendid. I was awakened to my husband calling me for breakfast and coffee (yes, please!). I then did a little cleaning and went on a nice 6-mile (or so) run.

After that, I watched the BSU win, lounged around a little bit, ate a delicious dinner of tofu fried rice (again, made by my husband), and went to get a drink with a friend. We also narrowly avoided a house fire, but that's another blog entry.

Not bad, not bad at all.

You see, days like this don't come very often for me. So, when they do, I really, really enjoy them. It makes all of the long hours worth it, you know? With my schedule, something as simple a couple hours of free time feels like a little but of a miracle, and down days like this are precious.

I sometimes wonder if this is normal -- does everyone have schedules like mine? When will my life be less hectic? Or, will it? Only time will tell, I guess.

How to Dry a Cat

Giving Thanks

Today, I have much to be thankful for, but I'll list a few here:

1. A great husband who supports me in every crazy thing I do.
2. My family, who never fails to laugh at my jokes and pretend to be impressed by my tiny accomplishments.
3. My friends and extended family, because life would gray without all of their colorful personalities.
4. My health, which has been free of the touch of cancer and other illnesses.
5. My career, in which I have been undeservedly blessed in recent months.
6. A house to call home, a kitty to snuggle, food in my fridge, and money in the bank.
7. My education, because it is helping me realize my dreams.
8. The privilege of being born in the U.S. Despite our troubles, it's still a pretty great place to live.

Those are just a few of the things I am thankful for...and I am so very, very thankful.