Inspiration and Motivation - Lynette M. Burrows

Monday Mashup: From SOPA to Nuts

I don’t know about you, but there are so many great things posted on the web, I often miss them when they are first published online. So today, I’m sharing a mash-up of my recent, eclectic discoveries with you. The links cover everything from SOPA to Nuts.

SOPA and PIPA

Someone once called me a ‘slow thinker’ because I prefer to weigh both sides of a situation before I make a decision. So characteristically, the movement to protest SOPA and PIPA moved faster than I did. I object to the language of the bills known as SOPA and PIPA, but I’m not necessarily against their intent. I practiced a ‘grey-out’ on Wednesday of last week in that I did not black-out my website or blog, but I also did the bare minimum of internet business. And I continue to read a variety of articles on the subject. Here are two that made me go ‘hmmm.’

Were you swept up in the internet protest against SOPA and PIPA? Read why David Pogue suggests we Put Down the Pitchforks on SOPA.

Jaron Lanier opines that we netziens harbor false ideals of the web and that our extreme reactions to SOPA can be doing us more harm than good. Read his article in the NY Times opinion page here.

Has either of these articles swayed me? I’m still thinking about it.

On Writing

Now, this is motivation! Write your story, finish and start the next one as if a sword is hanging over your head! Read Art Holcomb’s “Scheherazade” a guest blog for Larry Brooks on Storyfix.

Thanks to Lena Corazon for putting me onto this post “Ed’s Casual Friday: Everyone is a (one) Star.”

Space Exploration

According to this article, Orbital Junk Threatens the Future of Space Travel. Oh, man! I’ve got to finish revising my Repairman story. Reality is catching up!

How to Achieve Your Goals

Sarah Andre does a gig as a guest blogger at Pat O’Dea Rosin and Lark Howard’s blog: Reading, Writing, & Rambling. She makes a case on how Fierce Alter Egos will keep you exercising when all else fails.

Marshmallow Stuff

You knew I had to include the some of the posts that touched my marshmallow heart.

August McLaughlin tells her story of recovery from anorexia in this touching and inspiring post, Does Dirt Have Calories?

And finally, The Nuts:

A Random Act of Weirdness

This youtube video, courtesy of Lynn Kelley, made me laugh, watch Weird Al Yankovic’s Parody of Lady Gaga.

While this covers everything from SOPA to Nuts, still those are but a few of the blogs and articles I found on the internet during the past week. I hope you enjoyed them and found one or two that were gems for you. Have a terrific week!

Can You Write When You Are Sick?

Can you write when you are sick? I’m still fighting off my cold. It’s getting better, but breathing well, sleeping well, and having enough energy and attention to do my best work are still challenging. So, have I been just laying around feeling sorry for myself? Well — if I’m honest with you, mostly. But I’ve also gotten some work done despite being sick. You can if you follow some of these suggestions.

Be a Good Boss to Yourself

The first thing you have to do is to be a good boss. If you were employed outside of your home, a good boss would notice you are ill and tell you to take the day off.

I realize that for many freelancers taking a day off is frightening. If you don’t work you don’t get paid, if you don’t finish projects on time you don’t get rehired, etc. First of all, you should always build a little cushion into every project for those unexpected events, like getting sick. Second of all, if you push yourself too hard, you could end up with a more serious illness, more deadlines not met, and more disappointed customers.

Take Care of Yourself.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Eat properly. Your body needs balanced meals: protein, fruits, and vegetables, to have the energy to help you heal. If you don’t feel like eating a big meal, eat smaller amounts of those foods or break them up into mini-meals.

Rest when you are tired.

Protect your eyes. When you are ill, your eyes are already irritated, so be certain to take frequent, longer breaks from staring at the screen. One of the things we do when staring at the computer screen is that we blink less frequently. Learn more in this Science Daily article: Blink Often to Avoid Computer-Related Eye Woes.

Adapt Your Usual Work Habits

If you’re a blogger, have pre-written posts for such occasions. Or post a youtube video or a list of questions for your readers.

Lydia Sharp has several tips to offer for writers like throw your usual goals out the window and allow others to help you at Writer’s Unboxed.

At Create Write Inc. the tip I like best is: find projects that are ‘easier’ to work on: if editing is easiest for you do that, or mind mapping, or getting caught up with e-mail. In other words, rearrange your priorities when possible.

No matter what your occupation,(yes, I most definitely believe housewife and mother to be occupations!) do short work periods followed by rest periods. Let go of the things you just cannot do. You’ll get back to it.

If it still looks like you won’t make a deadline, call your customer ahead of time to say, I wanted to let you know that I believe you deserve the best product I am able to provide for you, but I am ill and may not finish on time. Then the two of you can discuss reasonable alternatives in a way that maintains respect.

Employ Your Support System

I hope you are all healthy and do not ever need these tips on how to write when you are sick. I also hope that if you get sick, you have a support system to run errands, fix your chicken soup, and help you take care of yourself until you are better. Sometimes support systems can help you when you can’t help yourself. Like the man in this video helps the puppies who just can’t stop crying:

Can you write when you are sick? Is it productive writing or do you find you have to rewrite? Have you ever made your health worse by continuing to work through it?

The Art of Saying Thank You

Your mother probably taught you to say please and thank you. She probably taught you to write a nice thank you note for birthday and Christmas gifts. Do you practice the art of saying thank you as a grown up?

Unfortunately, research says many people do not write thank you notes. In the rush and scurry to get things done, to read many tweets, or simply running from work to home to school, to children’s activities, it’s easy to feel too pressed for time to write a thank you note. It seems much easier to just say thank you when the gift is opened, the service received, or to dash off a quick text message, tweet or e-mail.

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” ~ William Arthur Ward

Texting, Tweeting, and E-mail have connected people in amazing ways. But does it do justice to the intent of expressing gratitude or has saying thank you become just an expression that you say? Messages like “TY for RT” may represent real gratitude by the sender, but does the person on the receiving end really feel your gratitude? Granted, we can’t send heartfelt thank you notes to everyone we interact with on the internet, but we can improve how we say thank you.

The Power of Two Small Words

Have you ever thought about the power of those two simple words? When it is sincere, the very act of saying thank you impacts at least two people. It’s a form of respect. It creates a bond between two people. A warm, personal expression of gratitude of an act of kindness or to someone you do business with can create a lasting, positive impression. When the appreciation is unexpected, it can lift spirits, be shared as a heartwarming story, and be remembered a long, long time.

How to do it Wrong

I know you’ve received thank you’s spoken, written, or electronic where you felt the insincerity. I’m of the generation whose parents made you write a thank you note for every single gift you received within a week of having received that gift. The notes became rote and forced. It was hard to say thank you to an aunt you’ve never seen for a pair of ugly hand-knit socks. Worse, it was insincere.

If you are spending more time on recruiting comments on your blog, re-tweets, or business connections than you are in saying a thoughtful thank you to those who support your efforts, you need to rethink how you thank those who support you, assist you, and love you.

If you dash off a TY that isn’t personal, you could improve your methods.

How to Say Thank You

Look for opportunities to thank others. Be aware of what others are doing for you – the waitress, the postman, the nurse who cares for Aunt Susie. Find things that you genuinely appreciate about that person. Perhaps it’s that a friend or an employee is always punctual, perhaps it’s the words someone used tweeting about your blog, or it is the service that you got from a salesclerk.

Use the person’s name and not just in the Dear Uncle George line.

Be specific. Don’t say, ‘thanks for the candy.’ Say something like ‘how did you know that chocolate-covered cherries were my favorite?’ or ‘I love listening to you telling stories about your youth, like the time you told me about…’

Be timely. Send thank yous within a month if it’s a big occasion such as a wedding or at Christmas. For other events, days to a week or two would be best.

Give gratitude more than expected: commend people, refer people, send a note, give a gift. Comment on that blog you enjoyed instead of skipping on past to the next one. Tweet or direct message someone.

Keep it short. If you effuse too much, the receiver of your thanks may take that as you don’t really mean it, or get annoyed, ‘enough already!’

And don’t think I’m saying don’t say thank you in person. This is a must. Mean it when you say it – if the gift doesn’t inspire gratitude in you, look at the giver’s actions, the intent or the effort expended FOR YOU. Above all, be honest. If after looking for the meaning, you still don’t feel grateful, don’t say it. And when you do say it, make eye contact and SMILE

Finally, Thank You!

I started this blog two months ago. And in that two months, I’ve found a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction because of your support, your comments. I try to practice what I preach and respond to every comment specifically in reaction to your comment, in deepest appreciation. You’ve given me a gift of your time. It’s the only gift that cannot be replaced in kind. So, let me practice the art of saying thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to each and every one who reads this blog. May you have a New Year of Joy, Peace, and Success!

all graphics courtesy of mycutegraphics.com

Life – It’s a Balancing Act – Really!

I’ve read a lot of blogs during the last week or two that mention a goal or resolution of restoring balance in their lives. Apparently, 2 011 left a lot of people feeling unbalanced for a lot of reasons. Ever the helpful girl scout, I went in search of all things balanced and discovered, as always, it’s a balancing act.

I find webmd.com to be a source of reliable information. Their article: 5 Tips for a Better Work-Life Balance may be helpful to you. I think they are right, we should learn to relax. After all, we could live in Bangladesh and have this guy’s job:

Mayo clinic’s article Work-life balance: Tips to Reclaim Control suggests, among other things, to bolster your support system. I think Henri Fochatin could use a little more support, don’t you? (don’t watch if you have acrophobia, seriously!)

In 5 Essential Zen Habits for Balanced Living, you’re reminded to use awareness and mindfulness, to find some calm in the midst of the madness. How? Allow yourself some downtime. Even just ten or fifteen minutes of time to recharge your inner self. Do what brings you peace. For me, that’s a waterfall in a beautiful setting.

But I think all these articles have missed the mark.

Life is chaotic and messy.

Things happen. Suddenly you have to juggle more than one thing at a time.

If you let it, life’s chaos will divert your attention from the things you want to do and from the ones you love. How do you handle it?

With Silliness.

Laugh, even when things are upside down.

Apparently, 2011 left a lot of people feeling unbalanced for a lot of reasons. Ever the helpful girl scout, I went in search of all things balanced and discovered, as always, it's a balancing act.

No matter how small you feel in comparison to the things that keep you from putting your best foot forward, a smile will lift you up.

Make time to have fun.

Most importantly, take a breath. Recognize what you’ve accomplished: the milestones, the successes, the learning that you’ve done, no matter how small. It’s important.

Celebrate!

If in your struggle to find balance, you take the time to do a few of these things, I am certain that you will find

you have soared higher than you think!

It’s a balancing act, this thing we call life. But with all the tools and methods available to you, you can enjoy your balancing act and fly high.

The Road to Success

They say make resolutions. But others say most resolutions fail so don’t make resolutions, make goals. Make long term goals. No, make short term goals. Not only that, they tell you how you must make goals. And each person has their own rules. You could get whiplash from adjusting your plan. Arg! So which way is the road to success?

Clarity First

I’m not telling you to make or not make resolutions. Heck, if not setting goals works for you, go for it! But if you set goals or resolutions last year and you did not get the results you wanted, stop. Do not make another goal or resolution. At least not until after you get some clarity. Clarity about those two things takes precedence over setting goals.

Make a Plan

But, you can know who you are and where you want to go, and still get lost on the trip. If you didn’t meet last year’s goals or resolutions, examine why. It’s imperative that you know why those things didn’t work before you make your list for next year. If you had a long trip to make to a specific location, would you take off and hope you’d get to your destination? No, you’d at least look at a map. You’d choose a route, plan how long it would take, prepare the car, etc. So, think of your resolutions or goals as a road trip. Look at what you had planned for last year. What detours or rest stops did you take and why?

Actions You Can Control

Were your goals dependent upon others? For example, a goal of going to the gym with my husband or best friend is a goal that hinges on someone else’s cooperation. If my goal had been to have a Big Six Publisher publish my book by the end of the year, that’s a goal I cannot control. I can’t make my best friend, nor even my husband, be ready to go to the gym with me. Nor can I make a Big Six Publisher publish my book.

A better goal would have been that I would go to the gym three days a week. Or that I would send my manuscript to one of the big 6 publishers for consideration every three months. Or even I will research each publisher and check if they would be a good match for me.

Plan for Roadblocks

Perhaps you were more like Dean Wesley Smith in that a life change created a temporary roadblock. Then in your evaluation of how you did last year, you take that life change under consideration. For example, one year we were in the middle of remodeling my kitchen and disaster struck. A 90-foot tall tree landed on my house. Then, my husband had a 5-way cardiac by-pass followed by a stroke. My goals did not get accomplished. The kitchen remodeling stopped cold, and I got zero, nada, zip writing done in the last 6 months of that year. That meant I had to reevaluate what the road to success was under my new circumstances and adjust. In Dean’s posts, Goals and Dreams 2012 Series, he encourages you to plan how and when to start back writing. Based on my experience, that’s a fantastic idea. Small, specific, achievable goals would have helped me negotiate that roadblock.

Things to Remember

Sometimes, you can’t ever seem to get to the finish line. Did you get stuck in a ‘must be perfect loop’ never finishing your project? Or were you too tired or not in the mood and so accomplished less than you had planned? If perfectionism or moods get in your way, read Kristin Lamb’s take on 2012 and Planning for Success in the New Year.

Appropriate-Sized

Perhaps on your road to success, you had goals that were ‘too big.’ For example, your resolution to lose 50 pounds in three months is not only huge; it may not be safe to accomplish in that time period. Or if your goal had been to write the first draft of two novels and revise another novel AND you work a full-time job outside of writing, you have a family or moved, had a new baby, etc., those goals may have been demanding too much of yourself. That’s like trying to drive from Key West, Florida to Point Barrow, Alaska (approximately 5,500 miles or 8,800 km) without a pit stop. Look at this marathon runner’s post on the danger of setting big goals and learn about his motto: Think Big, Act Small, Start Today.

Time-Specific

Perhaps last year’s goals or resolutions had an indefinite future. In this case, your roadmap may have taken you on multiple detours. See Coleen Patrick’s post about indefinite future goals.

Specific, Actionable Goals

Vague goals like: I’ll start blogging, I’ll lose weight, I’ll control my diabetes, or I’ll take a trip to Australia can set you up for roadblocks. These goals have the potential to be great goals, but you need to have a plan that is specific. Specific like, I will read three books on blogging and follow 4 blogs for three months. That will help me plan how to fit blogging into my life. Or for your diet, you could say that for the next three months you will eat a salad at lunch and dinner 4 out of 7 days a week. Or I’ll save X number of dollars per week for X weeks and take my trip to Australia in a specific month of a specific year. See more about how to make SMART goals in the post Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting.

Baby Steps

If you need more help to set goals that are baby steps. Read about ROW80. This kind of goal setting allows for future needs. It allows for unplanned life events or learning something new or changing your mind. With short-term goals, you can easily adjust your goals.

My Road to Success

I don’t know about you, but after reading all these wonderful posts, I will spend January looking at the goals I want for next year. Specific goals that will carry me forward. I will take the long-term goals and break them down into 80-90 day increments. This way I can reevaluate my goals throughout the year and make adjustments as needed.

Remember, the road to Success is NOT straight.

Did last year go the way you planned? What road to success will you be following for next year?