Frustration

Advice: Missing Pictures

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(Have you had this problem?)

I have gone back to look through some past blog post and found that my pictures are not showing anymore.  This has happened to me 3 times so far.  All of my pictures are gone except for the last one I posted with pictures.  This post was from 4 months ago.    Strange!

It is now going to take me quite a while to go back through all my photos and find the ones I used on the different posts.

My advice:  Put your all your pictures that you use for your blog into a  Blog folder on your computer.  That way if there is any problem you can go back and quickly find them and insert them again.

I have been trying to find why this keeps happening.  So far no luck.

Have you had this problem?  What is the fix or am I doing something wrong?

 

My Newest Strategy – School?

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(What 6 things would you like to be working on or learning?)

I have read several books on bettering myself, procrastinating, how to stop the negative thoughts in my head and how to get organized.  They all have good advice in them.  I try to follow their advice, though nothing substantial has stuck.  I have learned a little from each book and at times I think back to my favorites, but I am still looking for that magical strategy that will work for me.

I have been journaling in my notebook so I can figure out what I am going to do with the rest of my life.  Right now I am working 4 jobs and volunteering a few hours at a Senior Center.  When you put these all together I am working 7 days a week.  If that wasn’t bad enough I am not breaking the 40 hours a week mark.  That could be a good thing, though with 4 jobs you would think I would be making extra money by working over 40 hours.

So one of the several things I am trying to work out is what jobs am I going to have coming September and how I am going to accomplished what I (keep telling myself I) want.

As I write in my journal I vent and then tried to problem solve.  I started thinking about High School.  During school I was taking 6 classes and doing homework for these classes.  I liked learning new things.  What if I treat all these ‘wants’ as classes.  As long as I fit some homework in every week then eventually I would get to my goals.

I have more than 6 things I want to work on, though I decided to pick the top 6 to start with.  Here is my list:

  • PE  (I need to get exercise back into my day.)
  • Blogging about decluttering  (This way I can cover decluttering and blogging in the same class.  I do plan to do other blogging topics also.)
  • Make $ on the internet  (I want to learn how to make money from home and try to learn about passive income.)
  • Making furniture   (We are going to build a loft in one of our bedrooms… I need to figure out a plan for this, the materials we will need, and how to actually build it.)
  • Planting, gardening, yard work  (Since all of these are outside in the yard… I just grouped them together.  I am not sure I am ready to garden, but I want to grow food.  I have blackberries, a plum tree, a pot of strawberries, and I just got me a raspberry plant.  I am hoping to get blueberries next.  I want to utilize them this year… in years past many went to waste.)
  • Swing Trading  (I have looked into this some but then stalled out.  I feel like this would be a good fit for me, though I need to learn more about it.)

These are my six classes that I want to spend time doing homework for.  I hope this strategy will work for me.  If not, I am not sure how many more ideas are out there for me to try.

I look forward to completing these classes or better yet having them become a habit or future job.  Then I can go onto my next 6 classes.

What 6 things would you like to be working on or learning?

When You Think You Have It Planned

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(Have you ever thought you had something all planned, then have it fall apart?)

I have been working hard making plans for my summer and when I think everything is settled, all of a sudden it isn’t.

I have been looking for a new job to go along with my others.  I have quit my morning job (they knew I was looking) after I have found a new morning job.  I had figured out my hours, how much money I will be making, and how much time I would have off to get projects done this summer.  It was all looking great.
I went on a camping vacation with my family and I was to start the new job on the Monday after returning.  The night before I got a call from a different boss telling me they are closing their business with no warning.  I am now losing about $400 a month.  Then to find out that the new job I just got may not be steady work, but come in as needed.

I am not panicking because I really wanted more time in the summer to do my projects, though I do need to make sure I can pay my bills.  Walking that fine line can be tricky.

So, I am going to go with the flow and hopefully if I start to struggle I can ask for more hours from another job that I still have.  Sometimes there is a benefit working for more than one company.  Like the saying says….  Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

This is life?  As in the movie Matrix…  if life was all easy we would get bored.  I will definitely say I am not bored and at times I just want to laugh at this situation.  Stay tuned and see if I make it through the summer.

Have you ever thought you had something all planned, then have it fall apart?

Days Fly By… Little Progress

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Stuck  (my first title for this)

(What are the things you want to accomplish?  Are you working toward them?)

One minute, one hour, one day, one week, one month, one year flows into the next.  It can go by so fast and I look back and see very little accomplished.  Nothing has really changed.

I am working just to pay bills I have caused.  These bills from fixing my car, buying a few things I didn’t really need, going out to eat that shouldn’t have gone on my credit card, and the most fun Vacations!  I need to do better not turning to the credit card.  Watching all the videos about minimizing, and living without debt is making me crave it, though to get there work is involved.

So ‘Do the work’ I think to myself.  I have many excuses why I am not doing the work.  Most of them are not good excuses.  But even if the excuse is bogus it will hinder me from getting to what I believe I want.

I want to be debt free
I want a decluttered house
I want to spend quality time with my family
I want to remodel my house
I want to be able to follow my passions without worrying so much about money
I want a job where I am happy, satisfied and know I am making a difference.
I want to be healthy and have a healthy family

Doesn’t sound too hard!  Though most of these take time and determination.  I need to stay motivated if I am going to accomplish them.  That is what this blog is about for me.  If I know people are watching, then I hope it will keep me motivated.

Keep watching, liking, and encouraging me.   Thanks in advance.

What are the things you want to accomplish?  Are you working toward them?

My Procrastination Problem

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(Do you have a procrastination problem?  Have you come up with any tricks to help you?)

I am the queen of procrastination.  Leaving things to the last-minute is the way I live.  It frustrates me, it’s depressing, and I just don’t get things done that don’t have a deadline.

If there is a deadline at work I will have it done!  I had a job once that my boss would give me a list of things to do in the office that day.  I would do bits of the jobs all throughout the day and I would get it done.

A few times my boss would add something that needed done halfway through my shift which would mess up my plan and throw me into stress.  I was not very good with things just popping up.  Saying that I still almost always got everything done by the end of the day.

So why can’t I do that for myself?  I write a TO DO LIST in the morning.  I know what needs to get done, but by the end of the day only a small portion gets done.  I have enough time to do it if I would just work and get it done.  I just don’t stay focused on my list.

I recently read a blog by blogger ‘my one life. today’ and she put in a great video into her blog titled ‘Unopened boxes’.  I am so grateful I came across this.

The video’s name is ‘Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator’

This video totally explains how my mind works.  I have a monkey problem.  I have put deadlines on myself, though if I don’t get it done I just have me to report to.  That is not much motivation for me.

I started this blog to help me declutter my house.  I am dragging my feet.  Working on my house seems very daunting.  Even a small pile of papers seem like a mountain at times.   I am not giving up.  I will be decluttering again.

I just need to get the monkey to shut up and stay in his tree.

Do you have a procrastination problem?  Have you come up with any tricks to help you?

Personality Test

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(Have you ever done a personality test?)

I have gone though a couple of personality tests at different jobs.  My first one was at a preschool.  I guess some of the teachers were complaining about each other.  We were all co-worker friends, but some dealt with change better than others.  Some didn’t take constructive criticism well.    The director decided to have a person come over and do a personality test on the group.

After the talk/test I found out I was a helper.  I like things fair.  No one should be overlooked.  I was also a planner which mean I do not like sudden changes.  I like a back up plan.  A fellow teacher which was one of my better friends was a helper too.  One teacher (the K teacher) got her work done, went to school, and had many things on her plate and accomplished it all.  She couldn’t understand till this test why we were not getting it ALL done.  This test was a good thing and opened our eyes to how we think different and alike.

At another job the boss brought in a personality tester for the group.  There it was me that was singled out.  I was the only A personality in a sea of (7 employees) B personalities.  Before that I was getting a little bit frustrated not understanding my co-workers as well.

I have enjoyed these test and would recommend them if you are having trouble at work.

Have you ever done a personality test?  Did it help or open your eyes?

 

 

When is Your Best Time to Declutter?

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(When is your best time to declutter/clean?)

I am finding right now it is hard for me to start my next decluttering project.  I am realizing that I do my best decluttering when I have time off and when I am alone.

Right now I do not have much time off and my husband works from home most of the week.  So, when do I find time to declutter?  I am a former morning person, though have turned to a kind of nighttime person.  I say kind of because I can stay up till 11- midnight, though I am super tired and can’t get anything done.  So, again when can I fit in decluttering without disturbing the household?

I have a friend that goes on late night cleaning/decluttering sprees because it is quiet in the house and she can concentrate.  It is a time she doesn’t need to entertain the children or stop to help anyone.  She is not getting phone calls at 2am.  If I could stay up and not be a zombie the next day it may work if my husband wasn’t a night owl.

As I am typing this I know that it is just an excuse.  I just don’t want to declutter.  I haven’t gone though my mail for about 3 weeks.  To help with the clutter of the mail piling up on the table, printer, my side table about 3 months ago I started to put all my mail in a Sterilite 15 quart container.  The family knows that all my mail needs to go in there.  This has helped a lot, though out of sight… out of mind.

I am glad I blogged this because I will now be going through my mail.  Thanks all for watching me and making me accountable.

Give me ideas how and when you get decluttering and cleaning done.

When is your best time to declutter/clean?

 

Important Rule of Decluttering

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(Have you ever taken a long time to get rid of the box or bag of giveaway items?)

Important rule of decluttering:  Get rid if it!

Have you ever decided to toss an item or give away a full box or bag just to have it still sitting around a week, month, even year later?

They say as soon as you fill a box or bag take it out to your car.   That way:

  • It is not in your house.
  • You are not as likely to reopen it and decide to keep it.
  • That when the thought hits you… it is already loaded and easier to donate.

So today I loaded my car with the bags from my closet decluttering job.  Talk myself into driving right to the donation truck and get this over with.  I am feeling pretty good about my decision.

I get to the truck and they tell me it is full.   UGH!   I need to come back another day.

At least it is in my van and ready for when I have that moment to take it back.  I will say that this is the first time this has happened to me.

If you get derailed in life – do not give up.     I will try again.

Have you ever taken a long time to get rid of the box or bag of giveaway items?

 

Missed Opportunities and Adventures

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Missed Opportunities and Adventures

(What is or was your passion that you have followed? Where did it lead you?)

I have noticed that I go through phases in my life when I am really excited about doing or learning something, but then never follow through thinking that I will do it later. But then my excitement wanes and I end up not really wanting to do it. I often feel sad that I didn’t follow the passion when it hit me.

I am excited that when I thought about making a blog I went ahead and did it. I am very proud of myself. It would have been very easy not to try at all. It was hard and frustrating those first couple of weeks as I researched how to do one.

I have now thought of something else I wanted to look into and I almost talked myself out of it, but I decided to go for it. I am just looking to get more information though to do that I needed to reach out to someone.  It was scary, may be a little embarrassing, and out of my comfort zone.  Why should I let that stop me?

“It never hurts to ask.” Right?

I think I am going to try to follow these passions more often. Who knows where they will lead me or how much fun I am going to have along the way.

What is or was your passion that you have followed? Where did it lead you?

How Do You Get Things Done?

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(How do you get yourself to do something you want to do, but don’t ever seem to make the time for?)

I was out in my backyard having a bbq and a fire in the fire pit.  Usually my husband cooks and starts the fire and when dinner is ready he calls me.  I stay out for a little while then get back into the house.  But today he asked if I could help by making the fire in the fire pit and keeping it alive while he cooked.  I really enjoyed my time outside in my yard.  This yard is partly rustic and I love it that way because I don’t get myself out often to do yard work.  It isn’t that I don’t like to… I just end up in the house in front of the computer a lot.

That is why it was so nice to be outside.  I now want to go out and do some of that yard work that really needs to be done.  At least that is what I thought yesterday.  It is now Monday and I need to go to work.  I work 7 days a week, though not 8 hours every day.

I hope I can get myself to go out and actually do some of that yard work.  But will I be able to tear myself away from doing things indoors?  Stay tuned.

How do you get yourself to do something you want to do, but don’t ever seem to make the time for?