Two Steps Forward, Three Back

December 5, 2012October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

Every year Christmas season seems to come earlier. Before Halloween decorations are down the Christmas lights are going up, and the shopping frenzy begins.

Tis’ the season to be merry with Christmas lights, music, and decorations filling the stores, crowds of people materialize from nowhere and everywhere. The hours of the day are suddenly crammed with to-do-list so full it makes my head spin.

I wonder how I ever managed to work a full time job, raise a family and still finish the things on my list. Hats off to young mothers everywhere. Maybe it’s my age, who knows, but for whatever reason, my list keeps growing. It feels as if I’m taking two steps forward and three steps back.

All I can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other; I’ll eventually accomplish what I set out to do. For now, I intend to relax, enjoy a bit of this Christmas spirit, and my family. There’s sure to be a few stories I can glean from this crew!

Preventing Holiday Fatigue (greatergood.berkeley.edu)
Holidays, Bah Humbug! (ninure.wordpress.com)
One Foot in Front of the Other (terrysthoughtsandthreads.wordpress.com)
Celebrating your success (jwfinancialcoaching.com)

Decisions

November 30, 2012October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

There’s an old saying I keep in my desk drawer. I pull it out ever now and again when I need to be reminded. Today was one of those days.

“Indecision is like a dull knife that hacks and tears, leaving ragged edges behind.”

When I worked, making decisions came easy. Perhaps, it was the added responsibility, or the multi-tasking. Regardless of the reason, in my professional life it was easy.

I can’t say the same, now. I’m always the holdup when we go out to dinner. Unable to decide between two menu items, the waitress will end up waiting on at least two other tables before I can make a decision, and in the mean time I have to listen to my family’s stomach’s growling and their protest urging me to “just pick something.”

Shopping isn’t much different. I no longer have my best friend, having lost her three years ago, so it’s less fun and deciding which shoe or dress I like the best has become exhausting.

So, you can imagine my consternation today, when I was handed a bigger, more important decision to make, especially when someone close to me differed in their opinion about what I should do. Boy did I feel those ragged edges.

I sat back, thought about it for a long time, and remembered who I was. I may not make the same high-powered, fast-pace decisions I once did, but I am still the same person. I haven’t forgotten the process. Decisions are like a sharp razor quick and smooth, leaving no ragged edges in sight. I know and I will.

Six Tips For Making A Conscious Decision (superaalifragilistic.wordpress.com)
Decision Making (aumparasamgate.wordpress.com)
Does It Matter How You Make Decisions? (surrenderdorothy.typepad.com)
Stop Treating Every Decision as Life or Death. A Conversation with Alana Mbanza (createyourrealityradio.wordpress.com)

Best Laid Plans

November 29, 2012October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

I had the best plans laid out yesterday morning. I was up bright and early at my keyboard, ready with an article outlined for Cow Pasture Chronicles, and Morning Pages was brewing in my head. I had pulled my notes and was prepared to start back to work on my novel, mid-morning, when….

Well, stuff happened… Instead of getting any of those things accomplished I ending up spending the next twelve hours in the emergency room with my daughter. It wasn’t as simple as the flu, but she will be fine. It’s going to require more family support, but taking care of family is my top priority, right now. Even, the best laid plans don’t always work out.

So, what’s the writer supposed to do? Here are a few of my suggestions.

Schedule like hell.
Make a to-do-list
Use micro moments of time – use travel time to revise, or work on previous pieces.
Have a notebook and pen with you at all times, even at the bedside to jot down ideas, outline notes, etc.
Assign a limited time to social networking each day, otherwise you may find yourself wasting enormous amounts of time.
To save time group tasks together.
Learn to say,”No” to unnecessary drains on your time.
And, keep on writing one word at a time.

The Daily Routines of Famous Writers (brainpickings.org)
7 Tips for Professionals to Stay Productive On-The-Go (grasshopper.com)
10 steps to writing your book (davinarush.wordpress.com)
The Secret to Creativity and Productivity (thedailymuse.com)

Another Year

November 27, 2012October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

Well, another year older, another year wiser. Yeah, right! Today is my birthday. I won’t bother revealing which one. Suffice it to say, on the one hand, the number depresses me, and on the other, I’m happy to still be here, the alternative is not very appealing. So, I’ll take this birthday and enjoy it. My husband often tells me to relax and enjoy the aging process.

“You can’t do anything about it, honey, you might as well enjoy it.” I roll my eyes and walk away.

He’s one of those men who believe women should grow old gracefully.

“I think you would look beautiful with grey hair. I don’t see why you need to go to the hairdresser. ” He tells me.

I hand him my hairdresser’s card. “She’ll be doing my hair till the day I die and for my funeral, understand.” I tell him.

He shakes his head and puts the card in his shirt pocket. But, as time passes I think he might be on to something.

I still go to the hairdresser and I do what I can to fight the aging process, but there are advantages to accepting where I am in life. It seems everywhere I go, I’ve been there, done that and not much in life surprises me anymore, including people. So, I can sit back, relax and choose where, when and how I want to enjoy the ride of life.

Shopping and a birthday lunch sounds like a good place to start today.

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