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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

This was written the first month I moved to Hawaii. It's actually decent advice, but it turned out I rarely get two hours alone, not all my kids are in school any longer, and I'm constantly following everyone else's schedule. If there's a way, I urge you to put yourself and your writing first. For me, it's just not going to happen.

At last I may actually get my writing taken seriously, not because my family
gets it after years and years, but because they are all adults or close to it,
they all go to school in some form or another, and my husband only comes home for lunch. Yes, I may get two hours to work each day uninterrupted.


Had to get that out. It's sarcastic, to be sure. I've only been talking about
this since the day I started taking my writing seriously in January of 1997.


We had a pretty spot picked out and organized for an office when I realized our
room is a great size, no one will walk through it, I can close the door AND lock
it, and I can easily not notice it at bedtime. And for those of you who believe
you shouldn't work where you sleep, fret not, I haven't slept well in years,
after taking everything out for years. It's time to work my heart out.


I have learned to make things easy on myself a bit. I didn't cut down, cut out, or throw things away, I simply simplified. 24 folders - 2 for each month, one is
immediate action because it's due that particular month, and the other is
anything received, like rejection slips, bills, and yes, check stubs! That's it.
Why make it harder? When I'm rich and famous, I still won't change it because
that doesn't happen often for writers, but if it did, I'd HIRE OUT!


Lastly, I ditched the desk and got a big round table. All my work and my laptop
can be there when I'm working and can slide into a small clear plastic tub when
I'm not working. Nothing complicated. I still use the desktop, but that's
downstairs in the office that will never work as an office because it's too
convenient. For. Everyone. To. Stop. Me. From. Writing.

And thanks for sharing my slice of Heaven.

Goodnight!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Simplify



Years ago, when I had way more kids in the house and obviously too much time on my hands, this was my home office set up. I had a big beautiful desk in the corner, but I liked the open space better.

As I writer, I had to research a lot. My website program was only available through Windows (gag). I felt three computers (and a television) was just what the publisher ordered!

No more! I have since simplified - I now use mostly hand-coding for the website, and only my Mac laptop and iPhone - it's all I need. Not only that, but once I downsized everything, I feel better and am more productive.

Take a look around. Is there anything you really don't need? Is there anything creating MORE work for you? Get rid of what you don't need and work the you-know-what out of those few invaluable pieces.




Thursday, January 3, 2013

Before the Tired Sinks In

Let's quickly check up on you all:

Did you use your five minutes wisely today? Have you checked and tweek-ed your calendar? Are you up to date on what you need to do and what you can do tomorrow? This sounds a tad tedious, but it's just five minutes or less to deal with your calendar, which in turn will find you a thousand times what you spend on preparing/organizing/understanding for use in any way you most need. 

You gain time when you know where your tickets are, where the theatre is located, by having the address to the gym, having the names of everyone involved at your fingertips, the dates and times for an event... everything you do, need to do, and want to do at your fingertips. 

Think of it as giving three minutes to go over your calendar once at night and three more minutes to reread in the morning to gain a day where there is less confusion, stress, lateness, there is punctuality, meetings are quicker, energies are higher, you start taking an hour of smart dedicated organized work instead of the three hours it took for the same thing when you were not consistently calendaring your work and life.

Alright, I've not been sleeping all week. The doctor gave me a sleeping pill today and it's starting to do it's magic work. Tomorrow, I'll reread this to make sure it will look more like ramblings than like drunken ramblings, LOL. If you see some funnies or have questions and comments, please do leave us feed back in the comment section.

And before I go, I did come here to complete my five minutes of calendaring and to remind you to do the same. This is my third day-only 27 days left for me to continue so my good habit will follow. What day are you on and how's it working for you so far? After our habit is made (30 days to a habit), we'll go farther on how that five minutes can boost your business sales, income, etc.

Have a great Friday!

~Teraisa

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Tidbits: Cold Calls, Calendars, Money

~at least a half an hour before bed, go over your calendar and schedule for tomorrow; when things come up unexpectedly tomorrow, you'll be more prepared to deal appropriately with them

~some of us need to SEE items marked off on our calendars and that's nearly impossible with electronic calendars; use colors for to-do items: I use orange  for the original to-do, change orange to black with each completion, and just looking at my calendar thirty seconds when the day is near end gives me immediate positive feedback 

~for those of you who write blogs from home for money--no matter one or twenty--your year should end with 365 posts or more

~cold calls are tough, but when you make those calls your first priority, you'll find you'll have more positive energy the rest of the day which will up your production

~joining groups for marketing purposes is fine and does work, but ONLY if you make being a genuine member first... earning money follows naturally, SECOND

~even if you are working on five projects at once and will pull it all out first thing the next day, there's scientific proof that ending the day with a clean desk equals starting the next day with a clean desk and yes, this is good for you and your work; think: a clean desk=good mind=more productivity=bigger income

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2013 & Resolutions: Out With the OLD Ideas

Going out on a limb, here, assuming the majority of readers have, how many of you made New Year's Resolutions and what are they? 

As you probably know by now, I have not made resolutions. I haven't made any since I was in high school, when I learned most women made diet resolutions (this was the 80's, it was about dieting, not health!) and most of those broke them. It kind of stuck on me that if I didn't make them, I'd not break them.

Fast forward back to now (I know, an oxymoron): where has not making the resolutions gotten me? While it's true I've not broken my promises, I have also not really moved forward much. YIKES! Yet... it's the truth. 

If one aspires to nothing in order not to fail, one fails

I've failed. I've failed myself (and deprived all of you of my good works!).

My resolution this year is to make daily resolutions (AKA daily to-do lists). I want to write a page a day; I want to work on the YouTube account; I want to write and share my blogs; I want to train the cheerleaders to be the best personally they can be; I want the cheerleaders to win competitions; I want to have my business organized; I want to locate more missing children; I want to solve unsolved mysteries; I want to earn money; I want to secure my future. And I want to be in shape.

By year's end, I will have at least 365 posts on various websites and blogs, 365 pages written, a grant written, and $365 dollars left over after paying all the fees associated with TrueCrime.co.

Happy new year to all and blessings and success upon each one of us.


Last year's Waialua High School Bulldog's Varsity Cheer Team at OIA competion-Coach Ann Dellatan