I'm trying to become the kind of person that actually DOES things, rather than just sitting around thinking about doing things. It's not an easy transition.
One thing that has helped is understanding my own personality. I'm someone who is easily influenced by others. In my quest to be loved, I tend to adapt to the people around me. It's not necessarily a bad thing; understanding this about myself is helping me initiate changes that actually stick.
For example, last year I decided it was time to get my personal finances under control. I finally had a job with a salary, the student loan payments were starting to come due, and it was time to be a grown-up. Besides the internal motivation ("I want to have my house in order, I don't want to always be in debt"), I tried to surround myself with other influences that are pro-personal-finance.
I started subscribing to personal finance blogs. The Simple Dollar and Get Rich Slowly are a couple favorites. Every day, sometimes even a few times each day, my RSS feed would gift me with information, tips, stories, and inspiration about getting my life and finances in order. The more I heard about it, the more it seemed natural for me to integrate budgeting, frugality, and savings into my life. I understood myself well enough to know that hearing about this constantly would encourage me to change, and it has. My goal is to pay down my student loan debt by 10K this year, and so far I'm on track!
I'm not sure that this method will work for all of the life change I'm hoping for, but it certainly can't hurt. So bring on the blogs: health and fitness, Christianity and grace, librarianship, even parenthood. (Never hurts to be prepared, right?) I know who I want to become, so filling my life with wisdom from other folks on the same path just makes sense.
The calls to action don't hurt, either.
Bring it on.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
getting things done
I've been trying to get more methodical about how I live my life. My aim is to fight the inertia that I find oh-so-comfortable. When I've had a long day (or a short day, or any day), all I want to do is sit on a couch and zone out to the television or a book. It's not a bad thing in itself, but it is not a lifestyle conducive to living with purpose or getting things done.
I'd like to become the kind of person who lives with purpose and can get things done.
But... where do I start? And how do I get motivated? And how do I stay motivated? And how do I make sure I don't get discouraged when I fail? And how do I celebrate the little things that go right? And how do I organize my life enough to actually live according to my priorities?
(Overwhelmed, I sat on the couch and zoned out. But this time my reading material was about setting goals and meeting them. Progress.)
The best thing I've read about getting things done was a blog series about a book called Getting Things Done. Apt, I know. I liked the blog so much, I went out and bought the book. And then I regretted it because the blog was so much more helpful and motivating than the book itself. (Hooray, free resources!)
Long story short, I've begun to implement a lot of the Getting Things Done philosophy into my life and general workflow. And guess what?
I'm actually getting more things done.
It's pretty great.
Not gonna lie.
Except when I'm lying on the couch watching TV or reading a book.
Because I still do that.
After I've gotten some things done, of course.
Well, sometimes.
:-)
I'd like to become the kind of person who lives with purpose and can get things done.
But... where do I start? And how do I get motivated? And how do I stay motivated? And how do I make sure I don't get discouraged when I fail? And how do I celebrate the little things that go right? And how do I organize my life enough to actually live according to my priorities?
(Overwhelmed, I sat on the couch and zoned out. But this time my reading material was about setting goals and meeting them. Progress.)
The best thing I've read about getting things done was a blog series about a book called Getting Things Done. Apt, I know. I liked the blog so much, I went out and bought the book. And then I regretted it because the blog was so much more helpful and motivating than the book itself. (Hooray, free resources!)
Long story short, I've begun to implement a lot of the Getting Things Done philosophy into my life and general workflow. And guess what?
I'm actually getting more things done.
It's pretty great.
Not gonna lie.
Except when I'm lying on the couch watching TV or reading a book.
Because I still do that.
After I've gotten some things done, of course.
Well, sometimes.
:-)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
this moment
I've started to wake up one minute before my alarm. As someone who traditionally hates mornings, I'd prefer to stay asleep until the third or fourth snooze alarm rings. But the mornings are beginning to hold a certain charm for me, and I'm starting to enjoy them.
I like the quiet of the house. I like seeing the dawn break outside my window. I like padding across the house to fix a bowl of oatmeal and a hot cup ofsweet nectar of the gods tea. My day goes better when I start with prayer and reflection, remembering who I am, whose I am, and what I'm living for. (Hint: The opinions of my supervisor have no part in this reflection.)
Today is the only day I have. The old ones are over, even if those choices and circumstances are still having an effect. I can prepare for tomorrow's problems, but I can't actually face them until tomorrow. Today is the only day I have to work with. In fact, this moment - right now - is the only time I can do anything at all.
It's very freeing. I'm no longer chained to the failures of the past or the expectations of the future. Right now, this very moment, I am forgiven. Right now, I am redeemed. In this moment, God has called me his own.
Likewise, focusing on this moment motivates me to make a difference. I don't have to resist temptation forever - just for this moment right now. (Totally do-able.) If I'm going to make progress, it's going to be by doing something with this moment. If all I can do is something small, that's okay - tiny moments of small things add up to big things eventually. (Discipline. It's still a scary word, but it's less scary if I remove the expectations and just focus on this moment.)
I like this perspective. It gives me hope. And with the sun rising outside my window, the clock telling me it's time to get ready for work, and a To Do list so long it takes a website to organize, hope is a nice way to start the day. Hope and a cup of tea.
I like the quiet of the house. I like seeing the dawn break outside my window. I like padding across the house to fix a bowl of oatmeal and a hot cup of
Today is the only day I have. The old ones are over, even if those choices and circumstances are still having an effect. I can prepare for tomorrow's problems, but I can't actually face them until tomorrow. Today is the only day I have to work with. In fact, this moment - right now - is the only time I can do anything at all.
It's very freeing. I'm no longer chained to the failures of the past or the expectations of the future. Right now, this very moment, I am forgiven. Right now, I am redeemed. In this moment, God has called me his own.
Likewise, focusing on this moment motivates me to make a difference. I don't have to resist temptation forever - just for this moment right now. (Totally do-able.) If I'm going to make progress, it's going to be by doing something with this moment. If all I can do is something small, that's okay - tiny moments of small things add up to big things eventually. (Discipline. It's still a scary word, but it's less scary if I remove the expectations and just focus on this moment.)
I like this perspective. It gives me hope. And with the sun rising outside my window, the clock telling me it's time to get ready for work, and a To Do list so long it takes a website to organize, hope is a nice way to start the day. Hope and a cup of tea.
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