I was so busy my first week of unemployment that I didn’t even make it out to buy a scratch ticket. Luckily though, all of my busyness paid off and I managed to land a 2-month freelance gig at Jeff Kennedy Associates, a Somerville firm that specializes in exhibit design, yay! The best part is that I don’t start until January 6th so I’ve been enjoying a nice, luxurious 3-week staycation. My 90 year old grandmother must have been psychic too, because in my Christmas card this year were 3 scratch tickets, from which I won a total of $4. Looks like the universe is on my side after all.
Next up is my 2010 lent summary and my January challenge: 100 Things.
Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
When Life Hands You Lemons
After I did my dietary detox last month I thought it would be appropriate to build off of the detox theme and do a technology detox for December’s lent. I wanted to observe my current habits; how much I was texting, how many times a day I was checking Facebook, etc. and see just how much I was really overindulging in these activities.
Only one day into my technology tally though, I found out that my contract was running out at the place that I was currently freelancing at. Time to find a new job. With minimal phone usage though? And restrictions on how many times a day I could check my email? And without the help of social networking? Probably not the best idea at this point in time. I think this lent is going to have to hibernate for the winter.
What now then? Well, I bought myself a month of unlimited yoga at my favorite new studio (happy birthday me!) and I’m buying a scratch ticket every day (in addition to looking for work, of course). My goal for this month is to get a new job or win $50,000, whichever comes first.
When life hands you lemons: buy scratch tickets.
p.s. Let's hang out during the week
Only one day into my technology tally though, I found out that my contract was running out at the place that I was currently freelancing at. Time to find a new job. With minimal phone usage though? And restrictions on how many times a day I could check my email? And without the help of social networking? Probably not the best idea at this point in time. I think this lent is going to have to hibernate for the winter.
What now then? Well, I bought myself a month of unlimited yoga at my favorite new studio (happy birthday me!) and I’m buying a scratch ticket every day (in addition to looking for work, of course). My goal for this month is to get a new job or win $50,000, whichever comes first.
When life hands you lemons: buy scratch tickets.
p.s. Let's hang out during the week
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Back-blogged
I'm a little back-blogged. I've got a list of things from October and November's lent that I still want to write about in addition to my lent for December, BTA (Back to Analog) or The Technology Detox. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Creativity & Productivity
Below are links to a couple of interesting articles that I came across this afternoon through Behance. The first is “Getting Creative Things Done: How To Fit Hard Thinking Into a Busy Schedule” which teaches you a system for making sure your creative endeavors don’t get sidelined. Great for people like myself who end up putting their creative efforts in the “if I have time leftover” section of their to-do lists. No more!
The second is “The 1-Step Plan for Super-Productivity”, which basically just preaches the benefits of being an early-riser, something I’ve always aspired to be but have never managed to pull off. A lent for 2011 perhaps?
The second is “The 1-Step Plan for Super-Productivity”, which basically just preaches the benefits of being an early-riser, something I’ve always aspired to be but have never managed to pull off. A lent for 2011 perhaps?
Mantras
According to Wikipedia, “a mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation". A sort of go-to internal phrase that is used to bring you back to center and to draw attention away from troubling thoughts with the intention of turning will into action.
I’ve always wanted a mantra; something I could repeat to motivate myself to push through that last mile; a phrase to focus on during times when I’m feeling anxious or insecure—I’ve just never been able to come up with one that I thought fit. I think the problem is that I don’t need just one; I need a bunch. What I’d say to motivate myself during a run is different than what I’d say to remind myself to relax in a stressful situation.
So, I took a minute last night and listed the various situations in which I’d like to have a mantra for and came up with my own. I’m keeping what I decided on to myself, but I’ll share the categories I chose: motivation, anxiety, insecurity, depression, mindfulness and relaxation.
In addition to helping you through a particular situation, mantras can also encompass a broader life philosophy. I read about a woman in Whole Living who came up with this life mantra: SELF “an acronym for serenity, exercise, love, and food” which she called the “four roots of real happiness”.
A mantra doesn’t always have to be prolific or even make sense though. I’ve read that just focusing on something, even a nonsense word, activates the parts of your brain that are associated with control and attention.
Whatever word or phrase you end up choosing, remember the power of the mind and that thoughts can indeed become things.
I’ve always wanted a mantra; something I could repeat to motivate myself to push through that last mile; a phrase to focus on during times when I’m feeling anxious or insecure—I’ve just never been able to come up with one that I thought fit. I think the problem is that I don’t need just one; I need a bunch. What I’d say to motivate myself during a run is different than what I’d say to remind myself to relax in a stressful situation.
So, I took a minute last night and listed the various situations in which I’d like to have a mantra for and came up with my own. I’m keeping what I decided on to myself, but I’ll share the categories I chose: motivation, anxiety, insecurity, depression, mindfulness and relaxation.
In addition to helping you through a particular situation, mantras can also encompass a broader life philosophy. I read about a woman in Whole Living who came up with this life mantra: SELF “an acronym for serenity, exercise, love, and food” which she called the “four roots of real happiness”.
A mantra doesn’t always have to be prolific or even make sense though. I’ve read that just focusing on something, even a nonsense word, activates the parts of your brain that are associated with control and attention.
Whatever word or phrase you end up choosing, remember the power of the mind and that thoughts can indeed become things.
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