Random Review Friday: 52 Mondays: The One Year Path to Outrageous Success and Lifelong Happiness

 

I have a love-hate relationship with a lot of self help books and programs out there.  Vic Johnson's book, however, completely surprised me in a very pleasant way.   I read it today while I was dying on the elliptical, having come across it awhile back on the 'ol Kindle.  While I'm not sure he truly introduces anything new (the basic message is:  Get off your butt if you want to accomplish anything) his approach is definitely new and falls more on the pragmatic side.

The book is, as you can imagine, broken down into 52 different sections, one for each Monday in a year.  Each chapter builds upon the last so you get a little reminder of what your lesson for the previous week was.  There is a lot of what you'd expect from a self help book--positive encouragement, anecdotes from famous and wealthy, inspirational quotes--without all of the nonsense a lot of authors try to sell about our desires and wishes being enough to attract great things.  

Don't get me wrong....I strongly believe that our energy and thoughts have a significant affect on our lives, but wishing all day to be rich isn't going to get you there.  This is where "52 Mondays" is different.  It's angle is to get you up and going and keep you in motion as you work towards your goal.  

I know it's nearly the end of January, but it's not too late to start implementing these ideas into your own life.  In fact what better time than now as those all around you give up on all of those New Year's resolutions.  Here's a way to help you stay strong throughout the year.

Craft Fail: New Year's Resolution edition

When a crocheter tries to knit

One of my resolutions is to learn to knit, specifically to knit well enough to make us all (four of us) knitted stockings for Christmas 2013.  My goal for the month of January was to make 20 baby hats for the hospital Little Bit was born at.  Above is what happened when I attempted to combine the two.  EPIC. CRAFTING. FAIL.  Perfect hat for the temporary cone head, I suppose, post birth, but after that--awkward poof.  Oh well...practice makes perfect I suppose.  Time to start frogging...On the bright side, knitting this poor hat took me away from my computer nearly half the day, and cut into my obssessive Face Book checking, so I guess it wasn't a 100% total wash.

Making Better Resolutions?

I read this article today, How to Make Better New Year's Resolutions and it struck a major cord.  Resolutions aren't sacred to the end of December in my world.  I resolve and resolve often.  I'm always (even mid-year) resolving to do something that I know I'm probably not going to be able to maintain.  For example, I've tried countless times to force myself to write the stories in my head (any story) or even just write on a daily basis, to no avail.

Things will start off well enough. I'll get on the computer everyday for a week and write the required number of words.  But something happens over time--I get too busy to get on one day, random blogs on the Interwebs are way more interesting than the writing a description--and before you know it, my little resolution is over before it even started. 

The author of the article would not agree with my "resolve and resolve often" mantra--he makes the point that by committing ourselves to too much, we take away from everything, including the things we're already committed to.  I can completely see the truth in this and agree, except this does not apply to those of us who waste vast amounts of time on a daily basis. 

See, I have a major problem with time. 

I'll be the first to admit, I'm so easily distracted.  How easily distracted you ask?  Instead of getting on the a news website and just reading through the latest headlines, I'll find myself still on hours later reading a human interest piece about PTSD helper dogs that I found linked at the bottom of a page of a story about Kim Kardasian's pregnancy, which I found linked at the bottom of a page about the who is leaving the Obama cabinet, which I found linked at the bottom of the original page I started on.

So resolving to do less in my case (when I'm already doing less) doesn't seem to be very productive.  So maybe I should resolve to limit my time on my beloved Interwebs?  Get one of those programs that shuts off your access after a certain amount of time?  But then what to do about TV?  Books?  Crafts?  I'm in a pinball game of non-productivity, bouncing from one thing to another.  I'm probably not going to change.  I'm going to keep on making a million resolutions.  Only this year, I'm going to work on being kinder to myself about breaking them.

Thank you for this little bit of serendipity

Right after the Newtown tragedy, my best friend from high school posted a request on Face Book for help for two of her 5th grade students.  Their parents were out of work and the kids (growing insanely fast, as kids are wont to do) really were hurting for new clothing, shoes, etc.  Months ago, when I was employed, spending a couple hundred bucks on something like this would have meant eating at home a lot more during the month, but it would not have kept me from paying a bill.  Now that we are a one-income household, every dollar must be carefully considered (a work in progress for me--something that is sure to bite me in the rear end at some future date.)

I really wanted to help these kids though.  I could do nothing for those 20 lost children in CT, but I could certainly do some small thing to help these two kids.  I looked at all of the accounts--all of the Giftmas money had been spent, money in the checking account was already accounted for...then on a hunch I checked my Pay Pal account, where all of my money from my readings go.  I'd had used this account to supplement Christmas spending as well and was pretty certain there was a 0 balance.  Strangely enough, I still had a balance of $65--just $10 shy of what I need to buy both boys "cool" shoes. 

As an extremely poor kid growing up, I can't tell you the importance in kid/teen world of having "cool" shoes.  Other kids are ruthless and generic brand shoes from the big box store don't cut it.  A day after they arrived, I got this message from my friend:

"The shoes were a hit! I wish you could have seen their faces! They said to tell you thank you! The rest of the kiddos kept complimenting their shoes and the boys smiled all day long!!!"

So thank you, all of you, who have made my first year on Etsy wonderful.  I've always known I had great clients, but this tiny bit of serendipity you brought into my world was a great way to end 2012.   Have a blessed and safe New Year!

Be the Good

Last year around this time I wrote this very stuffy article about New Year's Resolutions and how best to maintain them throughout the year.  This year a lot has changed in my life and public tragedies such as the shootings in Newtown, CT have left me with a very acute sense of my own mortality.  I spent the weekend after that horrible shooting in a depressive haze.  All around my little town, flags a half staff waved in constant reminder of the evil that had occurred. 

I live my life like most human beings, with death pushed into this tiny compartment of my brain where it gets ignored.  But events like the shooting bring death out of its corner, as I'm suddenly reminded of how quickly everything I take for granted can be destroyed in mere minutes.  Right after the shooting, a picture of Mr. Rogers was circulating Face Book.  Attached was the following quote, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

So this year I'm approaching the whole New Year's Resolution thing differently.  I cannot save the world, nor single-handily stop tragedies like that from happening, but I can be a force for good. I can be a helper.
 
There are still practical elements of my resolution list...for example, I'm creating a list of goals that don't have absurd requirements attached (getting up at four a.m. to go running when I never get up at four a.m., no thank you).  On the not so practical side, I'm trying to work out my goals to be an even mixture of giving and self help.  The problems of the world seem to great to tackle on one's own, but there are little things that one can do everyday to be the good in this world.

And so I encourage you, on that list next to the "go to the gym," "find a new job," "lose ten pounds," to include a small service project or two, commit to helping out a local shelter or soup kitchen, vow to save a tiny sum each week to donate at the end of the year.  As a friend posted a few days ago, "Somehow, not only for Christmas, but all the long year through, the joy that you give to others, is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessings, the poor and lonely and sad, the more of your heart’s possessing, returns to you glad.— John Greenleaf Whittier

Many blessing to you and yours in the New Year!

The New Year is Fast Approaching!

Welcome to my new blog! I'm so excited about the coming year and I hope you are too. It promises to be a year full of exciting changes for me personally and professionally as well.

I've spent the past week enjoying the break from Boring Day Job and have spent far too much time on the couch. Luckily I've been able to read for a few clients over the past few days to break up the nonstop eating that seems to go on when I have too much time on my hands.

The New Year is traditionally a time of change.....or at least attempted change. Very soon (if it hasn't started already) many of those around you will begin to make BIG promises about resolutions for the new year that will die a quick and guilt-ridden death. If you find yourself in that same boat, I appeal to you: Please stop the insanity! Getting into shape, eating better, reading more, volunteering, getting out of debt [insert your goal here] are all good goals, but reaching them and better yet, maintaining them are nearly impossible without moderation. Moderation is the key to making realistic change in your life. Here are some key points when starting toward your new year's resolutions:

• Start Simple--the simpler the change, the easier it will be to maintain. Want to finally start that vegan, lactose free, gluten free diet? Pick one area at a time to slowly eliminate from your diet.



• Think hills instead of mountains--a series of smaller, realistic short-term goals is far easier to obtain--want to loose 50lbs? Set a goal for five.



• Rewards--Living on a strict budget to get out of debt? Create a series of milestones along your debt repayment plan and reward yourself for reaching your goal.



• Don't give up--OK, so say a month and half into your diet resolution Valentine's day rolls around and you find yourself gorging on that box of chocolates or you sleep through three morning work-outs in a row. Your resolution is not dead! We all slip from time to time....give yourself leave to be human. As the cliche goes, tomorrow is, after all, another day.
  
  
  I hope you all have something wonderful in your life, and if not that 2012 brings it to you. Blessings in the New Year!