Sunday morning, November 8, 2015
It's early. That's normal. I'm looking forward to a nice day weather-wise and just overall. It's still dark out and it's quiet in the neighborhood. It's a good time to collect my thoughts and see where they might take me. Let's solve all those pressing questions, find solutions to the things that matter. It seems like a tall order for a quiet Sunday morning.
The fact is there really isn't anything pressing. The things that matter don't need any solutions because there isn't a problem to solve. Things are not in a bad way by any stretch. So it sounds like it is going to be a really nice day. Choices can be made for the fun and enjoyment of doing them instead of any pressure of needing to get anything done. It's all taken care of for now and it's time to take advantage of the other side of that balancing act. Slow down, relax, and enjoy. It's early.
TT
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Saturday, November 7, 2015
My run will wait
I missed my 10-minute 'sprint' yesterday. I didn't set my timer
and go for it. This morning it looks like I'll have more than enough time to
write. I had every intention of putting in a load of laundry in the wash and
then heading out for a long leisurely run. I pictured it in my head as a slow
and steady, easy, breezy run. It was to be a relaxing, invigorating, totally
stress-deflating type of way to start off the weekend. It was to be a kick-start
to the rest of all the activities I was going to do.
I didn't realize how bad the weather really was. I wasn't expecting the constant dripping of rain. I don't even mind the temperatures right now. Those are fine, even if lower than I would normally call fine, but that isn't what but a damper on my activity.
The damper is the wet. Now I'm known for running in the rain in prior instances. It isn't exactly something I shy away from doing anymore. That happened only once, or was it twice, when I had never done it before. In that one, was it two, instances that a race was approaching I made anxious inquiries if the race was still going to happen. What if it rains? The answer was always the same. It will go on. So I went and pretty much lucked out since the rain didn't happen until after I was well into the race. One 10K it didn't come down until I was crossing the finish and then I got to watch it afterward. I've always started out in regular weather and didn't mind the rain coming down once I started running. Many times it feels pretty good to have that happen. But I can't seem to get out my door if it's already coming down.
Like this morning. I don't think I can push myself to go on when it's already pouring down. I realize skin is waterproof but only if it isn't raining when I first start. That only seems to apply if it's dry when I start, or not actually coming down, and starts after I have.
So I will need to re-arrange the timing of everything I will do today. The laundry still goes in right now to get that started. I will have another cup of coffee and probably clean up the kitchen. I'll make a grocery list and see about heading out to the store. I am crossing my fingers that there will be a break in the rain and I will head out for that run, even if I need to adjust the fantasy I have in my head. That's okay. I can still picture it happening.
Then, I will have more time to set that silly timer for more than 10 minutes and let loose on another story. I'll work on one of them. My thoughts keep bouncing back and forth between a few I've started, one or two I've finished and which needs major editing. And my 10-minute timer you ask? It went off at least 4 minutes ago. It was at least that long ago so I've gone over the 10-minute mark.
TT
I didn't realize how bad the weather really was. I wasn't expecting the constant dripping of rain. I don't even mind the temperatures right now. Those are fine, even if lower than I would normally call fine, but that isn't what but a damper on my activity.
The damper is the wet. Now I'm known for running in the rain in prior instances. It isn't exactly something I shy away from doing anymore. That happened only once, or was it twice, when I had never done it before. In that one, was it two, instances that a race was approaching I made anxious inquiries if the race was still going to happen. What if it rains? The answer was always the same. It will go on. So I went and pretty much lucked out since the rain didn't happen until after I was well into the race. One 10K it didn't come down until I was crossing the finish and then I got to watch it afterward. I've always started out in regular weather and didn't mind the rain coming down once I started running. Many times it feels pretty good to have that happen. But I can't seem to get out my door if it's already coming down.
Like this morning. I don't think I can push myself to go on when it's already pouring down. I realize skin is waterproof but only if it isn't raining when I first start. That only seems to apply if it's dry when I start, or not actually coming down, and starts after I have.
So I will need to re-arrange the timing of everything I will do today. The laundry still goes in right now to get that started. I will have another cup of coffee and probably clean up the kitchen. I'll make a grocery list and see about heading out to the store. I am crossing my fingers that there will be a break in the rain and I will head out for that run, even if I need to adjust the fantasy I have in my head. That's okay. I can still picture it happening.
Then, I will have more time to set that silly timer for more than 10 minutes and let loose on another story. I'll work on one of them. My thoughts keep bouncing back and forth between a few I've started, one or two I've finished and which needs major editing. And my 10-minute timer you ask? It went off at least 4 minutes ago. It was at least that long ago so I've gone over the 10-minute mark.
TT
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Another 10
Shall we try for another 10 minutes?
This is an exercise to start slowing getting back into a routine that you want to have. It's a way of prodding yourself ever so slowing into doing something you claim you have no time in the day to do. The idea is to take 5 minutes, set a timer and only do that one thing. No preparation, no thinking ahead, no planning and just doing that one thing for the entire five minutes until the alarm goes off.
After you have mastered the five minutes each day and realize you have that short amount of time to do this thing, you can move on to doing it for a longer period, say 10 or 15 minutes. Soon you will be on the road to making it something that fits nicely into your regular schedule. That is how it should work. I have only attempted it once, yesterday, and it worked. I thought it couldn't hurt to try again today and see where it might lead.
The only difference is that I had to be my own silly overachiever, my own rebel that won't follow the rules exactly as laid out. I had to do 10 minutes not 5. It worked out yesterday. I managed to keep going, to keep writing for the full 10 minutes. I posted that crazy thing yesterday without much of a second glance and (goodness) any editing. I haven't had the time to really read through it again with much focus but the one time I did read it, it wasn't too bad.
The ten minutes was my way of giving myself an out. I mean, the only logical reason I wasn't taking the time to spend on this anyway was because of the fears that well up whenever you think you can't do something. By making myself do this for 10 minutes was an easy way to tell myself, "I told you so," when I didn't do it. I would become the self-fulfilling prophesy of my inner voice that tells me I can't. Do you see how I can set myself up for failing? That voice lies constantly and yet how much attention is always given to it. If a real person was constantly telling me the same things I would have walked away from them a long, long time ago. But this voice isn't as easy to walk away from. Or is it? Doesn't it really take the same amount of courage to walk away from those inner voices you know are lies as it does to a real life person.
Oh, listen. That 10 minutes alarm is going off already! Success, two days in a row.
TT
This is an exercise to start slowing getting back into a routine that you want to have. It's a way of prodding yourself ever so slowing into doing something you claim you have no time in the day to do. The idea is to take 5 minutes, set a timer and only do that one thing. No preparation, no thinking ahead, no planning and just doing that one thing for the entire five minutes until the alarm goes off.
After you have mastered the five minutes each day and realize you have that short amount of time to do this thing, you can move on to doing it for a longer period, say 10 or 15 minutes. Soon you will be on the road to making it something that fits nicely into your regular schedule. That is how it should work. I have only attempted it once, yesterday, and it worked. I thought it couldn't hurt to try again today and see where it might lead.
The only difference is that I had to be my own silly overachiever, my own rebel that won't follow the rules exactly as laid out. I had to do 10 minutes not 5. It worked out yesterday. I managed to keep going, to keep writing for the full 10 minutes. I posted that crazy thing yesterday without much of a second glance and (goodness) any editing. I haven't had the time to really read through it again with much focus but the one time I did read it, it wasn't too bad.
The ten minutes was my way of giving myself an out. I mean, the only logical reason I wasn't taking the time to spend on this anyway was because of the fears that well up whenever you think you can't do something. By making myself do this for 10 minutes was an easy way to tell myself, "I told you so," when I didn't do it. I would become the self-fulfilling prophesy of my inner voice that tells me I can't. Do you see how I can set myself up for failing? That voice lies constantly and yet how much attention is always given to it. If a real person was constantly telling me the same things I would have walked away from them a long, long time ago. But this voice isn't as easy to walk away from. Or is it? Doesn't it really take the same amount of courage to walk away from those inner voices you know are lies as it does to a real life person.
Oh, listen. That 10 minutes alarm is going off already! Success, two days in a row.
TT
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
10 not 5
I've just set a timer for 10 minutes. It's supposed to be a way to
get your incentive going. The idea is you aren't doing something because of all
the many reasons you have for not doing it so doing it for a short time will show you how to get started. So many times the main reason you
don't get going on what you want to do is because you don't have time. You go
to great lengths to make that a feasible excuse. Even when you know you have
time you will sometimes rearrange the things in your life and find out,
"Oh look. No time." Point that rigidly straight index finger down at
that trim wrist. "See." Shrug.
So I've come across yet another piece of
information that explains all the things I already know about this. It
suggested you sit down and do whatever it is you are not getting done for five
minutes. Just five minutes. You have that much time. You can do it. Do this every
day until you get past the idea and excuse for not doing it. It’s only five
minutes a day.
So, I've decided to give myself a built-in excuse for why this won’t
work. I went for 10 minutes. Sure. I knew what I was up to and doing. I knew
there was the possibility of there being a reason behind only five minutes. You
might actually be able to do five
minutes. And when you finish, you get to jump up and celebrate and feel good
and say, Yeah! I can do this. I can check this off my list! I did this today, I
can do it again tomorrow, and then instead of having days in a row of nothing,
I will have an accumulation of daily five minutes concentrated on this
thing.
So in order to give my inner self a way to
get out of this really working, I set the timer for 10 minutes. I doubled the
time in the suggested article. One of the many I read and think why should I read
another article about this? I already know what they say. I've already scanned
the universe and the even bigger internet of all those articles. I already know
the plotting points to get myself to get up, go, and do. And then something
happens.
TT
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Take the initiative
I've been procrastinating for so long I think I've become very good at it. It's the exact opposite of what I was going for, but isn't that always the case when you convince yourself you will never succeed at something? You do the exact things you shouldn't, so you can prove to yourself it could never happen. You prove that it isn't worth the time, the work, the efforts, because it will never happen. By doing nothing, you've saved yourself all that time and work and hurt feelings. You should be rejoicing that you made the right decision to not tackle that thing you can't possibly accomplish because, well, you haven't and you never will.
Then why, if you've made such a great decision, do you still think about it? Why do you still ponder away on this idea and that idea, still gather information, and try to absorb every thing you can about it? It might be because you think you really can do it, but you've gotten really good at finding ways to not do it. You've become the expert at all those other things and those things become the accomplishment. You know it isn't. You know you are just hiding behind that comfortable barrier of feelings. So what do you do?
The obvious thing would be to stop doing what you've been doing and start the actual work of what it is you want to do. It's easy to say, not so easy to do. That means change, that means doing something that you've already decided is uncomfortable, something you are unsure of doing. That means testing those feelings of thinking you can't and still pressing on, and ignoring them. All those things that have been so comfortable doing need to stop, and replaced with only the one thing you need to do to get going. As an example, it would mean, stop buying running gear and just go for a run instead. Stop reading about writing and just pull out your project and write on it. Concentrate on the story at hand without letting all the other things become a distraction or a way to procrastinate. Ah, there it is, procrastination. That thing I have become so good at doing. The thing I have allowed myself to carry around like a security blanket as a way of getting myself out of doing what I know I should be doing. That thing that keeps me safe from the fear and the failure because I've been doing everything I should or want to do to avoid it so I don't mess it up.
It takes a first step to start or continue on any journey. Walking around in tight circles is sort of ridiculous. It's time to look up, smile, and start walking ahead. Don't forget to smile, because you have to remember, it's something you want to do. Deep down inside, even when you keep trying to tell yourself you can't, there is something there that makes you feel otherwise or you wouldn't still be thinking about doing it. Take the initiative to do it. Go on and stop worrying about how it will turn out and give yourself permission to mess it up!
At least then, you will have given yourself the push to take the next step.
TT
Then why, if you've made such a great decision, do you still think about it? Why do you still ponder away on this idea and that idea, still gather information, and try to absorb every thing you can about it? It might be because you think you really can do it, but you've gotten really good at finding ways to not do it. You've become the expert at all those other things and those things become the accomplishment. You know it isn't. You know you are just hiding behind that comfortable barrier of feelings. So what do you do?
The obvious thing would be to stop doing what you've been doing and start the actual work of what it is you want to do. It's easy to say, not so easy to do. That means change, that means doing something that you've already decided is uncomfortable, something you are unsure of doing. That means testing those feelings of thinking you can't and still pressing on, and ignoring them. All those things that have been so comfortable doing need to stop, and replaced with only the one thing you need to do to get going. As an example, it would mean, stop buying running gear and just go for a run instead. Stop reading about writing and just pull out your project and write on it. Concentrate on the story at hand without letting all the other things become a distraction or a way to procrastinate. Ah, there it is, procrastination. That thing I have become so good at doing. The thing I have allowed myself to carry around like a security blanket as a way of getting myself out of doing what I know I should be doing. That thing that keeps me safe from the fear and the failure because I've been doing everything I should or want to do to avoid it so I don't mess it up.
It takes a first step to start or continue on any journey. Walking around in tight circles is sort of ridiculous. It's time to look up, smile, and start walking ahead. Don't forget to smile, because you have to remember, it's something you want to do. Deep down inside, even when you keep trying to tell yourself you can't, there is something there that makes you feel otherwise or you wouldn't still be thinking about doing it. Take the initiative to do it. Go on and stop worrying about how it will turn out and give yourself permission to mess it up!
At least then, you will have given yourself the push to take the next step.
TT
Monday, November 2, 2015
All Souls
Here it goes.
Take a moment today before the whirlwind of holidays and events sweeps you up into it's vortex. We've gotten through a rush of Halloween activities. They were some of the best days with time spent working toward making the moments meaningful and something we all will remember in our own ways. Now with the weather making its turn toward cooler temperatures it pushes us into the coming holidays, Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas, and the end of this year.
Before we get pulled headlong into the events that are destined to come our way, take a moment and give a thought to the ones we no longer have here with us. Think about the good things they showed us. Pause and remember those good times and reflect on what makes us grin because of who they were and how they gave us something, so much. Remember the simple things, like the way that memory makes me smile when it wasn't more that a whisper of a thought.
Happy All Souls Day!
TT
Take a moment today before the whirlwind of holidays and events sweeps you up into it's vortex. We've gotten through a rush of Halloween activities. They were some of the best days with time spent working toward making the moments meaningful and something we all will remember in our own ways. Now with the weather making its turn toward cooler temperatures it pushes us into the coming holidays, Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas, and the end of this year.
Before we get pulled headlong into the events that are destined to come our way, take a moment and give a thought to the ones we no longer have here with us. Think about the good things they showed us. Pause and remember those good times and reflect on what makes us grin because of who they were and how they gave us something, so much. Remember the simple things, like the way that memory makes me smile when it wasn't more that a whisper of a thought.
Happy All Souls Day!
TT
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Pumpkin
Let's take care of that little pie pumpkin. He went over well as a part of my chips and guacamole centerpiece the other night but this morning after Halloween it's time to give him double duty.
We needed a sharp knife and let's cut him up! Into the oven to roast and toast up those seeds.
After it was all cooled, we bake up a bread with walnuts and oh, oh, oh.
And last night? With all the ghoals and gobins out and about we had a fine old time. Just look...
What a scary bunch! BOO!
Happy All Saints Day
TT
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