39 Tips for a Productive Life

Take some time during the course of this summer and practice at least ten of these regularly. You will be a better writer, parent, spouse and citizen.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water... Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:’ in five years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. GOD heals everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change!

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I'm thinking of ya!

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: 'I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney world and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

Write it down,

Carma

Do You Write for Free or for Fun and Profit?

Who has not written for free, especially in the beginning of your career? My quandary is how long is beginning supposed to last?

Nonetheless, as I sat bemoaning the fact that I don’t have any “traditional publishing credits” and all I can do is write for free, Tiffany’s post, “The Controversial Writers Meme—at long last” at Rockstories popped up. Thank goodness I subscribe. I recommend you go over and check her out.

This is the headline that grabbed me.

Guidelines are critical; job requirements are not.

This is especially what I needed to hear today. In part, Tiffany wrote: As a writer, you're not selling your background or experience--you're selling your ability to write.

Where I come from, background and experience is all important (must be the civil servant in me) so that is why this post encouraged me. Go on over and read the rest of her post. I am taking this statement and posting it by my computer screen.

How does one write for Fun and Profit? It is easy for a new writer, like me or you, to become overwhelmed with all the tips and instructions that are out there because it is not easy to know which tip is reliable when you are new to this line of work.

I for one have jumped at too many “EBooks” on how to earn X amount of money by making purple widgets. It is painful at times to look at my PDF file in my computer to see all those un-read books taking up valuable bytes. Downloading Ebooks is akin to walking into a B & N where every new book on self improvement, writing or etc is begging me to take them home.

I know you all are book lovers like me so take this Ebook Writing for Fun and Profit by Brian Scott home with you and find out how it will help give your writing the confident jump it needs.

Write it down,

Carma

The Myth of Motivation

After a trip to the local library I came across this wonderful book “What To Say When You Talk To Yourself” by Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D. I was instantly inspired and became a fan. Helmstetter’s perspective on motivation and the definition of responsibility are quite enriching.

The term “The Motivation Myth” intrigued me and it answered my long nagging question “Why don’t motivational speeches and classes work for me?”

There are different kinds of motivation and different kinds of motivators. The most familiar type of motivation consists of an audience of anxious listeners, sitting entranced while a dynamic enthusiastic speaker weaves a web of pure magic, the spun gold of riches and success. For an hour or two (and in some cases days) the listeners are shown a new destiny, a grand new vision of their unlimited potential. All they have to do is believe. They leave the conference with new and uplifting, life-changing self-esteem. Tomorrow they will break all the barriers of defeat.

If you have ever attended a motivational meeting or conference, you have felt the contagious spirit a popular and experienced speaker can compel you to embrace. These speakers are like pied pipers and for the most part they do their job… They motivate, but it is temporary. It is external. External motivation works against us.

We may believe this external motivation for a time but the Motivator goes home and we face the next day alone, again. Our poorly fed internal motivator waits patiently for us to come down to earth and believe what we have fed it for years. “No!...you cannot (insert word).

How about being your own motivator? Take charge and put yourself back into control. You can do this by learning that the only kind of motivation you can depend on is internal motivation. Imagine being able to rely on yourself and never again need anyone else to prod or push you into activating your own best efforts.

Read about self-motivation. Then write about it.

One of Helmstetter’s self-talk mantras is “I accept the responsibility for living my life in a way which creates my strengths, my happiness, my positive, healthy beliefs, and for my past, my present and my future.”

If this is a little too lofty try “I like how I feel, and I like how I think and I like how I do things. I approve of me and I approve of who I am.”

Write it down,
Carma

Art Deco Opens Creativity

Thanks Robyn McMaster at Brain Based Biz for your thought provoking meme. It’s not a real meme because it doesn’t ask how many of what and how often do you, or what do you want? It asks “Have you ever thought of your life as a building?” This is one question that will jar your gray matter.

I enjoyed Robert Hruzek’s of Middle Zone Musings description of living his life forward as a building. It was grand. Imagine your life as grand as New York, New York casino in Las Vegas.

Robyn McMaster is a girl after my own heart with her depiction of how she could live life in a luxury tent, described my kind of camping. Let's not forget how Joanna Young at Confident Writing, got us started by showing us how fantastic and exciting life can be lived when we put our minds to it.

As I progress beyond the PM years, I find myself drawn to older things such as Art Deco style buildings and homes. Art Deco is from another era when creative minds were not so stifled by government regulations. This artistic style of architecture is making a comeback. The colors and designs are one of a kind. To live my life as an Art Deco Building would mean I would use my imagination to create beautiful things that would inspire and motivate people.

I would love to know what type of structure Lisa Gates of Design Your Writing Life envisions for her future life. Also let’s hear from Hope Wilbanks, Suzanne Lieurance. Yes, I know you all are busy writing so let’s write about buildings.

If you are reading this post you can also consider yourself tagged so jump on in.

Write it down,
Carma

Is Your Passion Enough?

As I was driving to an appointment today I added a new CD, (which had been sitting on my dresser for about 2 years), into my car’s multi disc player. The CD was given to me by the artist when I visited my daughter in Washington. She and her husband were giving a Welcome Home Party for her son who had just returned from Afghanistan.

Although his voice was not remarkable I remember that he played the guitar pretty well. He mixed Spanish and English into the verses of his songs very effectively. He played his guitar through out the party whether we were listening to him or not. We called him The Guitar Guy.

I punched button number 6.

Whoa! I Instantly realized this guy did not have the capability to carry a tune. I acknowledged to myself that anybody can produce a CD or a video for that matter. No one asks if you have talent. Just show the green. Is it possible that it is easier to produce a CD than publish a book?

However, through the agonizing torture of listening to just a few words of each song, I did sense his passion. That is when the question came to me.

Is passion enough?

We are passionate about our work as writers, but does that mean it will be sellable? Will people want to read what we write? With this thought in mind I began to analyze my own desires and penchant for writing. Is my passion enough? I don’t think it is by itself. I will write something inspired by anger or some other strong emotion, then hours later it will not translate into the same message it did when originally put on paper. Passion and emotions can be flighty. Skill and passion need to emerge. Our passion needs structure.

The Guitar Guy believed in himself enough to pay for the recording of his CD. His songs were not original, although he did occasionally burst out into English with a “Let’s all sing together now” as his rendition of La Bamba was brought to a new level. Also, this was the first time I had ever heard “Wooly Bully” sang in Spanish.

Write it down,
Carma