Blog School

This is just a quick "check in" post to track my efforts to do something every day for blog and business.  I have been looking at my pictures and taking some new ones when the moment and opportunity hit me.  In addition, I have been thinking up phrases I might use with the photos on stationary or a card.  That has been fun.


I have also been thinking about what/when I might begin my first real blog. Remember, this one is for practice and for tracking my progress for blog and business.  Problem is, I have become sort of stuck with this blog because it is more of a personal blog and not the kind I will likely begin and so there are things I have not tried here. There is more I would like to learn before I proceed.  I want to make the right impression the first time and do it right so I am stalled. So tonight I began going to online blog school.  No, really.  I have read some books, but I really like being able to hear and see someone explain how to do things,even if it is on video. Thanks ProBlogger.net, I am excited about this chance and hope it will help me to the next step.

I'm Hatching a Plan

The say it takes 21 days to make a habit.  Well, I need to get back into the habit of doing something everyday for blogs and business. So I intend to give myself a 21 day challenge. 

I am considering whether or not I need to have a specific focus or will be content with a splatter effect. I may just go for the splatter effect, just to get it started.  I do have one issue though, in 14 days I am going to be away from my computer for a week or so and it will interfere with my 21 day challenge. 

So, here is my plan; I begin my personal 21 day challenge on Monday, November 22. 
I will define my challenge then.

As for today, I joined an online blogging community at Whole Living. I am a member of the Whole Life Action Plan Group. Well I think I am.  I am waiting for an "approval" email. 

Now, if I can just get my computer to keep working. It froze up on me today and some very loud "alarm" went off.  I may be looking at a new computer. 

Catching Up-or Picking up the Pieces

                                            

It is a cold, blustery day here in the Midwest. I got a call early this morning that the offices where I work are out of power and I don't have to come in until 10:00am.  It was nice to get a little more sleep and to now sit with coffee in hand, watching the autumn colors blow outside my window.

It has been awhile since I have looked at, much less written, on my blog.  And although I won't write much right now, I just wanted to let my readers know I am still here. Since my father's passing earlier this month, I have been spent time with memories, getting caught up at home, at work and helping my mom catch up, too. With this brief, but most welcome gift of time,  I thought I would take a few minutes to do a little catch up inventory for blog and business. 

A few things fell by the wayside over the last month and hold some lessons learned. Even though most of these are directly connected to my dad's illness over the past year and the sad events of October, I believe that some of these hold lessons that would be true, regardless.  I take on too much too fast.  A recipe for disaster. And because a lesson learned is really not helpful unless there is a plan for applying the lesson, I will include my plan, too.  And I am stopping at three.

-I totally forgot about and "flunked" my two online courses for photography and online writing.  I flunked them only because I did not finish them by the deadline.  Two online courses were too much with everything else I was trying to do, not to mention working a fulltime job.
Lesson learned; don't be so eager that it becomes too much and nothing gets done.
So, I will take them again.  This time, I will just take one at a time.  My deadline; hmmm, not sure with holidays approaching, but will have signed up by year's end.

-All my plans to get designs into an online store stopped, as did creating more designs
Lesson learned; I don't need a full line of product to begin and to open an online presence. I just need to begin with a few good choices and get the account/store created.
Choose four designs, then open a Cafepress shop by year's end with photo gifts and stationary.

I stopped doing something everyday.  That's ok, the lesson here is sometimes there are more important things in life.
No regrets, I was where I needed to be. Begin again, today. Do Something Everyday!

Now, to be fair, I have done something over the past few weeks. I was very pleased and honored to have created my dad's memorial service program. I worked hard with my new software to get it just right and learned a lot about the Serif PlusX4. The heart that went into this project will be a good standard to hold the rest of my work to.

And so today begins a new day.

Success!

Yea!  Six hours later,

I got my software back!

And, I got my fridge cleaned out, my house straightened up, and several of my garden beds cut back for winter! I guess frustrated energy is good for something besides making me nuts.  

Oh, the Saga of the Day

After trying twice to re-download (once it took so long it timed out, the second time my server disconnected) I gave it one last try. It had already been about four hours of waiting for the download process. They do say the third time is a charm. I am not sure, but I think the first few times I downloaded it I hit "run" rather than "save."  This time, I saw and read download instructions, and followed them.  It went much faster and it did recognize that I had it in the computer and did a repair.  I still have to wonder why I was able to use it for 10 days before it disappeared.  Oh well, I am just grateful to have it back. I am not a technical person so I was very happy to have a successful experience, even if it took awhile.

Determination and Perseverance

Once upon a time I might have seen all this, and some of the other things surrounding my life right now, as a "sign" to give up this idea of my business of the heart.  But not now. Not this time. Yes, I have tried many times over the years to write, or craft, or take pictures mostly for hobby but with intent of someday making a living at it.  The time is NOW and I am determined to ride the rough times and keep going. I cannot imagine a business, new or not, that does not have troubles now and then.  It is the belief in what they are doing, skill, and stubborn perseverance that brings people through to success.

Back on Track

Alright then, back on track. I did my research on trademarks and although there were none with the name I want, there were some sites with the same name online.  I am trying to think of another name, but I may just send the application and see what happens. In the meantime, I continue to play with my software (yea!) and create new designs.  A happy ending to a long day.

Motivating Factors

                                            

Today was a day for getting things done.  This is my working cup.

My Key Three Motivators

Before I relate the successes, and miseries, of today, I want to go back to my last post a little while.  That post about opportunities lost and taken made me think back to my original motivating factors for beginning this blog and the process of reshaping my career.  Now that I am into this process a little further, it was good to remind myself of why it began and to learn if it still holds true.  It does.

And I learned that I was able to define my motivating factors more clearly.

I came up with three things:

Family/Friends

Freedom

Fulfillment

I have much more to say on this subject, however today is an action day so I will save that post for another time.  I actually have a 'future post' file. 

Following the "To Do" List

Lists have a duo edged affect. For now, I find them useful, both in keeping me on task and in keeping me off task. I have decided to follow a process I use successfully at work and keep a weekly to to list with a few notes for future projects. So today I made a list for the week. Here is what I have been able to check off my list today.

• draft mission statement
• draft strategic plan and goals
• blog (goal is 3/week, 1 down)
• get computer fixed- (long, frustrating story)
• download new printer software
• test printer and scanner (yea! they work)
• researched stationary design software-undecided
• researched using a print shop for stationary (awaiting estimates)
• researched supplies for the 'do it yourself' option

I'll skip the miseries of the day as they are resolved now.

For the Future Post File

I will muddle through the strategic plan and goals on my own, it's ony fair.  However, I may look to you for some feedback on my mission statement and name choices. Once I get a few options drafted, I'll post them.

Keep Focus on Motivating Factors

Time to stop and smell the flowers, watch the backyard grow, and visit with the family.

Progress Is Good

Do something every day.

This is what I keep telling myself if my business of the heart, and learning how to be an awesome blogger, is to succeed.  It doesn't matter right now if it is big or little, takes all day or only moments. What matters is that I keep the momentum going.  I feel the pull of that momentum, the passion for the task, the excitement that keeps me moving forward. 

However, I know from past experience that with so many other aspects of life tugging at me for my energy, once the ball stops rolling, the energy stops with it. My dreams and heart are put on hold, by choice, to attend to other things I also hold in high value. Now, I am also choosing to make room and time to give voice to my dreams, my heart. So I do something every day to keep the energy moving forward.

So, what have I been doing since I last wrote? In no particular order (because I don't think I could remember), I have;

1. registered, downloaded and begun two online classes about Internet writing and using my photoshop elements.
2. jotted down many notes, resources, and websites-ordered a few new books (I love books!)
3. continued to try and figure out affiliates
4. researched and read other blogs and businesses similar to my vision of what I plan to create
5.thought, what seems to be 24/7, about various aspects of my business and how it should harmonize with the rest of my life.This is probably the deepest stuff for me. 
6. tried to come up with some sort of financial plan for the transition from full time to hopeful new business
7. decided on my next blog, I think, though I am still not ready to begin it until I have work through some other things-like html codes and customizing pages and affiliates.


Of course, each of those things leads to more things. One of the biggest things I feel I need to do right now is organize and get all this into some sort of working order. I would like to be able to come home from work at my FT job, transition for 30 minutes, make dinner etc, then sometime each evening sit in "my space" and dig into where my passion lies.  Currently, I have been fitting it in here and there and it feels disjointed.

So I think before I proceed with anything new, it is time to recap where I am and establish a working order that gives value to my dream.  This is a hands-on, offline, sort of task.  I'll let you know how it goes.

As always, any ideas and thoughts are welcome.  I would be interested, in particular, on ideas related to successful blogging and home office organization.

I need a coffee refill.  How about you?

Let it Unfold...continued

I may not be writing in my blog everyday, but I am doing something every day.  I have been sitting with my ideas and stirring things around.  Each time I stir, I find a new scenario to sit with and feel  what life with that particular scenario might be like.  I am asking some tough questions to guide my way.  Two of my favorite questions I ask myself when I am trying to make big decisions that will effect my life, and those I love are;

1. When all is said and done and I am at the end of my life, who will I want around me? What memories and values will I hope to leave with those I love? What regrets of things done/not done might I have?  What would I hope people say about me? What stories would they share? (this is really one BIG question).
2. If money and time were no object, what would I be doing?

I don't want to get so caught up in things that I lose track of who, and what, is most important in my life. I would like my greatest successes in life to be my relationships with my family and friends. If I listen carefully to my heart, and head, I believe my business can have that level of success as well, and add to my personal relationships. And if I walk my business path with integrity and have passion for what I do, I believe that some degree of financial success with also follow.

The first question helps to keep me from getting lost, the second helps me to prioritize.  There are things in my plan that are included as ways to support the rest, or to bring in a little more income, hopefully.  I am not sure I would do these things if I didn't have to.  Although, I believe these things I hold in question have value, I also believe they are secondary and supportive.   Then there are the things I really want to do which should take the majority of my time and focus.  I realize this is vague to the reader.  I am not sure the detail is as necessary for me to share as the process.  It is a work in progress and there is still some stirring to be done.

Now that I am closer to knowing where to put my greater energies, I have another question I am stirring around.  Do I quit my full time job and pray for the best.  Or, do I stay as long as I can while my business gets started.  The obvious benefit of staying with the job is the full time pay.  The downside is that I work nights, weekends, weekdays.  My hours are quite flexible and all have to fit into a 40 hour work week.  Then I have home and family time and all that entails.  And I am spending time each week with my parents who live in another town. I also hope to have a little downtime here and there.  So my time to invest in this business is quite fragmented to say the least.  I do know I have many options and I am confident I will know what to do when the time comes.

I have registered for two more online classes that I hope will move me closer to my goal, both personally and professionally.

So, there you have it for today, doing something everyday and letting it all unfold.  I am not in a hurry, yet have my eyes on the calendar.