Productivity

#WednesdayWisdom: However you get it done, it’s getting done.

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It’s a sunny day, it’s warm, and suddenly everything is full of green. Real spring, completely present.

That’s not bad.

I’m in one of those moods where there are many things to get done, and I have to decide the best order to them, which could, itself, become the task if I let it. It’s a fun way to go, the feeling of getting something done while not actually doing anything.

If you’re very liberal in your definition of fun.

These are the kinds of days where I find it harder to stay to what I’m doing, I feel like flitting around. Don’t get me wrong, you can cross off tasks either way, and depending on what it is and how inclined I am to focus on it, sometimes flitting is the best bet.

Caffeine may or may not play a role. Let’s be honest.

And we’re always honest.

So I suppose that’s today’s wisdom: however you get it done, it’s getting done. It can be a beautiful, clear ribbon of productivity, or it can a dendrite maze of increments, but as long as you’re moving forward, it counts.

Even holding where you are can count, when it takes what you have to do it.

Anyway, that’s it for me today, have a great Wednesday.

Check out  my full-length novels (affiliate links): 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

My brain at the start of 2019

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It’s 2019 and a Wednesday that feels like a Monday. Only it’s not, it’s Wednesday.

2019 is a little confusing.

I’ve been thinking about organization’s cousin, productivity, so I spent a small part of the morning checking out productivity apps. Because there’s no better way to procrastinate doing what you’re going to do than by finding a way to sharpen all the virtual pencils possible before you do what you’re going to do.

This may surprise you, or this may not surprise you, I don’t know how surprise-prone you are, but there are a plethora of apps intended to help your productivity. Or intended to make it easier for you to mask your lack of productivity by putting a whole bunch of layers between you and it, whatever.

To avoid being overwhelmed, I found an article posted on Lifehack.org. Honestly, for some I couldn’t fathom the purpose. There was one that promised to improve your focus by playing music specifically tuned to your psychological profile…for $9.95 a month. That’s the cost of a streaming service subscription.

No thanks.

Different things will appeal to different people, I found a couple I thought were interesting, and I’ll report back to you, you know, as always.

What’s on your mind for 2019? Hope it’s off to a great, great start.

Check out  my full-length novels (affiliate links): 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

Sheryl Crow said it best

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It’s a super sunny Tuesday, though a cold one, it’s only 20 F right now, and I have changes on my mind. Big changes, small changes.

Changes.

Maybe it was the election that got me thinking about them; maybe it’s because Thanksgiving is around the corner, which means New Year’s Eve isn’t far away.

But sometimes we need changes. For variety, because circumstances dictate. I’m an adaptable person but slow to change. I have to give myself a push to shake things up. Last week when I was sick, I ran out of yogurt, my usual breakfast.

I did not enjoy it.

But life itself is always changing, and either it can change around us or we can dive in, headfirst.

Well, don’t dive in headfirst unless you know exactly how deep it is, because we’re talking change, not recklessness.

I don’t know yet what my change will look like, the form it will take, it’s shape or depth. Only that it’s time to try something different, take on something different.

To evolve.

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing

#AccountaClub Friday, October 26, 2018

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In writing the title of this post, I typed “Frieday,” which I think pretty much sums up how I feel about this week. It’s been a long one, given the assassination attempts on public officials.

Assassination. Attempts. On public. Officials.

So. My goals don’t feel so big or important in the scheme of things. Still, nearly done reviewing the manuscript I need to finish before NaNoWriMo. I got distracted hugely yesterday when my same-day shipping from Amazon turned into a “never show up” package, and I spent hours trying to figure out what happened.

Fun.

So it will be down to the wire, but the concept for the next book is really calling to me and feels fun. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Fitness, another week, another five workouts! I’ve also focused on getting more protein into my diet, and I feel a lot better. Worlds better. I love the idea of being a vegetarian, or a pescatarian in my case, but my body just doesn’t work on that diet.

So that’s me. How was your week?

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing

 

#AccountaClub Friday, October 19, 2018

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Not sure how, but it’s Friday again. Waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy back on Monday, I said I had an inkling of something I wanted to do, and we’d see how it went on Friday.

Well, we’re here.

And how did it go? Shrug.

I’ve made progress, though I’m not sure it’s enough progress to get ready for NaNoWriMo. And I have some other complications; there some emergency work being done next week in my building, and it’s going to impact where I can work.

So there’s that.

But I have made progress. Can I do it? I really want to do it. Maybe it’s time to invoke Yoda.

He’s so wise. For a puppet.

Apparently I can only work on one writing project at a time, though. Alas. So the other one hasn’t been edited this week. But did I mention I did make some progress?

Exercise status: five gold stars AGAIN! It was another very intense week, but I made the workouts, and I did them live. I’ve also improved my eating this week, with an emphasis on getting more protein. I tend to drift toward vegetarian, I’ve never been a huge fan of meat, but in the kind of irony of, well, irony, my body doesn’t do well on a vegetarian diet. I can’t eat many of the newer protein substitutes because of the additives, so I end up lacking in protein (and probably some vitamins and minerals) and often lacking in energy.

So I made an effort to get easy, already-cooked, sources. And I think it’s made a difference. We’ll see next week how that’s going.

And that’s my week. How was yours?

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing

 

#AccountaClub Friday, October 5, 2018

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accountaclub-wood
#AccountaClub time, and it’s been another doozy of a week. Apparently that’s the only size weeks come in these days, doozies.

Terrible, disappointing, grating doozies.

Would I like things to be different? Of course.

Is it within our power to change them? Well, we’re trying our darnedest, but the weight is very, very, very heavy. Crushing, in fact. Still we’re shoving at it as best as we can. So doozies they remain for the foreseeable future.

Minus side: writing and editing were again put aside for advocacy. But I think advocacy matters right now, so I’m counting it.

Plus side: awesome workout week. Live workouts every morning, and I have to say Daily Burn knocked it out of the park with the variety. Every day was so different and every day was a new challenge. That was great.

Talk to me, my fellow AccountAbles. How was your week?

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing.

 

#AccountaClub Friday, September 28, 2018

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accountaclub-woodIt’s #AccountaClub time, and it’s going to be a short one today. All of my energy this week has gone into the farce of a confirmation process for Brett Kavanaugh. As a woman, watching women debased at the highest echelons of government, while male Senators rage about the indignity of even considering women, is pretty difficult to handle.

I was disgusted by every one of their red faces yesterday, decrying the very notion that they should have to listen to Dr. Blasey Ford before handing over a seat on the Supreme Court. As though it were Kavanaugh’s birthright to ascend; his destined throne; his predetermined crown.

Gilead isn’t so very far away.

So obviously, no, I didn’t get much editing done. I will count my live tweeting every single minute of both hearings as an accomplishment, though.

I’ve done another full week of live Daily Burn workouts, and that is the extent of what I have to report. I hope you had a better week, though I understand if you didn’t.

How did it go?

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing.

 

#AccountaClub Friday, September 21, 2018

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accountaclub-woodHere’s the thing. I kinda don’t feel like doing the AccountaClub post today. But that would not be fair to you, fellow AccountAbles, so here it is, brief though it might be.

What is happening in the country right now is deeply disturbing to me, and it is difficult to focus on anything else. Watching how little women, the pain of women, and the damage done to women is valued is tough. Seeing that it means so little that someone can still get the most prestigious legal job in the nation is, frankly, nauseating.

Keeping my eyes on my own stuff has, therefore, been tough.

No editing this week, all that combined with a headache made for a bad week for the writing end. But I did the live workouts, and all five, so yay on that.

You may have noticed, my mood at the moment is not great.

How was your week?

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing.

Blog Flashback!

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person typing on typewriter

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Hope you enjoy another chance to read this post about the Work of Writing! Back with a new Ten Word Photo Prompt tomorrow. One that works; I just saw that something happened to the previous picture, so I won’t use that site again.

Note: The below account is entirely fictional and does not in any way reflect what I may or may not have done at any time, including this morning, even if it sounds like it’s possible, remember it’s totally fictional. Fictional.

  • Good morning! Grasp coffee cup with both hands, staring beatifically out of the window. It’s Monday. Let’s get to it!
  • Oops! Gotta eat! Breakfast!
  • Check twitter.
  • Clean new electric kettle by boiling water. Huh. It needs a trivet.
  • Shop online for trivets.
  • Buy coasters.
  • Read trivet reviews closely. Scrutinize colors. Can it open a jar? Suddenly absolutely, positively need silicone trivets that can open jars.
  • Finally select trivets. Success!
  • Change mind, choose other trivets.
  • Look out window. Onward!
  • Check twitter.
  • Computer slow. Must reboot. Maybe run a check.
  • Shut down.
  • Screen is dirty. Clean screen.
  • Reboot.
  • Run scan.
  • Look out window. Can’t go onward. Must have computer to write.
  • Also must have computer to blog.
  • Also must have computer to edit.
  • Also must have computer to twitter.
  • Check twitter on phone.
  • Still scanning.
  • Pace. Every bit of exercise counts, right?
  • Still scanning
  • Inspiration! Remember the ancient method of writing with pen and paper.
  • Scratch out blog post.
  • Still scanning.
  • Take kettle for a test drive.
  • Scanning finished! Look at handwritten post. Remember why use computer to write everything.
  • Oops! Kettle’s ready. Make tea.
  • Clean out silicone Mana-Tea which also may or may not be fictional (it’s not. It’s adorable).
  • Glance out window grasping mug of tea with both hands. Onward?
  • Check twitter.

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing.

Telltale Tuesday

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animal pet eyes grey

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I’m telling on myself. Today is one of those days where I welcome any excuse not to concentrate like they welcome that great aunt in the movies everyone wishes they had in real life. Big hugs. Great excitement.

To the point where a conversation about cleaning ovens had me thinking about cleaning my oven. Does my oven need cleaning?

Sure. What oven doesn’t.

Do I need to do it right now?

WELLLLL…

the goldbergs no GIF by TV Land

Probably not. Though maybe any time is a good time to clean your oven?

If you use that, makers of oven cleaner, go ahead and send me a check. And some oven cleaner.

See what I mean?

Distractions can sometimes lead to unexpected creativity and to inspiration. It doesn’t feel like one of those days. No, instead it feels like one of those days where this weird hollow tapping coming from nowhere in particular is going to drive me bonkers.

And not the good kind of bonkers.

Having said that, I’ve just wandered away from this post for ten minutes. Distracted.

Hopefully I can turn this into something a little more efficient and a little more productive. And I hope you have the best of Tuesdays.

Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.

Check out  my full-length novels: 

Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   

Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 

 Her Cousin Much Removed

 The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.

And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!

Peruse Montraps Publishing.