Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – How Writer’s Defeat Themselves

Tags

Excellence, motivation, Perfection, psychology, Self-Defeat, Vince Lombardi, Writing

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

I am learning more and more that writers defeat themselves in their head before they put their pen to paper. Writing is all about getting your work done and getting it out there. Some people will like it; some people will not. No one writes the perfect book. They write lots of books and a majority of people think it is good.

It’s about getting stuff done and getting it out there. I am working on a technical recruiting book and I will finish my draft this year. Then it’s off for cover design and editing. Then I’ll get it published.

For those of you who are struggling with writing your first book or doubting yourself, it’s ok. From what I have been reading, everyone does it—everyone goes through it. Just like anything else, a writing career has its rite of passage. It is writing a volume of work. It is writing for the sake of writing. It is writing every day and improving as you go. It’s the love of the art that matters. I have enjoyed writing all my life and looked forward to the day I could do it daily without worrying about other things. That is one thing I have as an advantage.

Many writers starting out like I am but have full-time jobs to worry about. Since I am retired, I have all the time in the world. I like balance and pursuing other things, but writing is something I really enjoy. I enjoy blogging. I enjoy journaling. I enjoy learning all the things other writers do and the various tools they use.

I am also enjoying connecting with other writers. I met a gal who lives in Australia who just signed a contract with a publisher a few months back. Now she’s working on book #2. It is very exciting. I also enjoy reading articles written by other writers. I recently started a subscription with Medium. It runs about $5.00 a month and it is terrific, so far. I am enjoying the advice these experienced writers have to pass along to us newbies. It is terrific.

This week will involve continuing my workout routine, KETO diet, writing schedule for this blog, my journaling, and my book writing. It will also involve continuing to take my online courses, programming work, and a book discussion class tomorrow afternoon at 4 PM. It will be a great week!

Well, I hope all of you have a terrific week. Your goals are within reach. You just have to keep. Here’s to your success!

Until next time…

Dave

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Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – It’s Great to Learn New Things

Tags

Coursera, family, God, Learning, Life, Reading, Udemy, Writing

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Today I am grateful for the ability to read, write, and learn. Think about some people on the planet that are illiterate or have suffered from a traumatic brain injury or a learning disability that precludes them from learning the same way you and I learn. My wife is a special education teacher, and she works with these kids every day.

I am grateful for my interest in learning new things. I truly enjoy learning something I didn’t know yesterday. I enjoy taking a trip with an author and walking through the mental libraries they have created in their books. “Look here”, they say. “Look there. This is really important.” I am also grateful for the free repositories of books online and my local library. So many books to read and so little time.

Online learning is also a terrific thing. Think about it. You can learn a great deal by reading other people’s blogs, reading books, and attending classes and webinars, most of which are absolutely free. Why learn you ask? It adds to you. It provides you with skills that you can continue to earn a living with. It gives you a wide berth of experiences through other’s eyes that you may not have the ability to do on your own.

I recently read a book about finding out what you love to do. Think about how many people are in jobs they hate. Can you imagine going to a job that stressed you out and made you unhappy? We all have to make a living one way or another. People who are trapped in a job they hate is a really bad place to be in. Yet, many do not take advantage of the learning opportunities that are available to them. I am grateful that I am not one of these people.

I am always looking to improve. I want to improve my physical body; I want to improve my spiritual practice; I want to improve my skill set, and I want to build my knowledge. I am grateful I have that drive to do these things, day in and day out. Recently, I started listening to albums on Spotify, starting with various jazz artists. I also enjoy the classics, but wanted to start with Jazz. I listened to albums by Miles Davis and Bill Brubeck. Wow! What a treat. I am going to listen to Dizzy Gillespie next. It will be a nice treat. When I listen I put in my earphones, close my eyes, and picture myself in some speakeasy, listening and watching the band and the people there. It is terrific how music takes you places when it is really good.

I hope each of you can find things in your lives you are grateful for. It is a great feeling to sit back and think about all the things that contribute to your life and how nice it is to have them. Gratitude for God, for family, for your life, with all of its difficulties, and the rich experiences each of our lives contain, if we only look and appreciate them. Life is too short to be pissed off or afraid all the time. Take some time each day to express your gratitude for even the smallest thing. It will change the way you engage with the world and interestingly, when you have cultivated the gratitude habit, the world will give you more things to be grateful for.

Life is grand.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – New Schedule and Exercise Routine

Tags

Bradley Whitford, Brainy Quote, Exercise, Goals, journaling, Learning, Reading, Writing

“Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.” Bradley Whitford Read more at: From Brainy Quote

Happy Monday, folks!

This week will be full of activity. I’m taking a course on Neuro Linguistic Programming and a course on Politics. I am working on my recruiting book. I am also doing a lot of reading. My exercise routine will involve a new 6-day split. Today, I got back into the gym.

My 6-day workout plan is: Monday (Chest, Triceps, and Abs and 20 minutes cardio), Tuesday (Back, Biceps, and Calves and 20 minutes cardio), Wednesday (Shoulders, forearms, 20 minutes cardio), Thursday (Quads, Abs, and 20 minutes cardio), Friday (Hamstrings, calves, 20 minutes cardio), Saturday (Chest, Back, Shoulders, and 20 minutes cardio). I typically do 3 sets of exercises per body part.

It felt good to get back in the gym after a 4-month respite. I also adjusted my schedule. I now start my day at 6 am. Then I tackle my day in 2-hour increments starting with journaling, then reading, then learning, and then writing. In the evening I get my relax time with Netflix, Hulu, and some game time on my XBOX.

What are your plans this week? What are you trying to accomplish? Where are you with your New Year’s resolutions? Today, is the day to get all of that back on track. We’re in the 2^nd Quarter and you have a lot of time left before the end of the year.

If you are interested, leave a comment about one of your goals you’re struggling with. I’d like to offer suggestions. Well, that’s it for today, folks! Have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Making Adjustments

Tags

Exercise, Goals, Learning, Losing traction, Reading, Resolutions, Slipping, Writing

Hey, folks!

What’s the game plan for my week? I’m glad you asked. I’ll be working on the 3rd re-write of my book, shooting for a chapter a day. I’m hitting it hard in the home gym with a mix of cardio, abdominal work, leg work, chest work, Pilates, and Yoga. I’m also taking a Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) course on Udemy. I’m still going strong with intermittent fasting. This week I’m also learning AJAX within the Web Development Path at Codecademy. Finally, I raised the bar on my meditation practice. I’m up to an hour daily.

What do you have scheduled this week? How are you progressing on this year’s goals? Are you on track or are you missing milestones? If you’re off track, don’t lose sleep. Figure out where you are, retool your plan and get back at it. You can’t lose if you don’t quit, right?

I lost my motivation for book writing a few weeks ago. I discovered my motivation fell away because my process lacked detail. The rewriting process was the culprit. So, I sat down one day and thought it through, retooled, and got back to work. Since this is my first book, my process still needs to ironing out, but I’m back on track again.

If you’re stuck or losing momentum on a goal or resolution you set in December, try this. Think about why you set the goal. Think about what caused you to resolve to do whatever you resolved to do. You still have 8 months to achieve it.

Striving for goals or changes in your life are hard. If they were easy, everyone would accomplish what they set out to do. Don’t be a quitter. Don’t stop. Don’t come up with excuses. You wanted to achieve a goal. Achieve it. Maybe you are doing too much. Maybe you need to whittle down what you’re doing every day. The way to keep going is to keep taking steps towards your goal. Even if they are microscopic steps, continue. It may take you a while but you will succeed. You have it in you.

I hope all of you are making great strides toward your projects and goals. I’m cheering for you! See you at the finish line!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – The Simple Things

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Peace, Reading, rituals, Simple Things, solitude, Tranquility, wisdom, Writing

“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”―Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I took quite a few years to realize the wisdom Paulo Coelho refers to in this quote. Like, all young men, I sought fame, glory, and riches. I had a terrific military career in the Army, spanning 20 years. When I retired, I transitioned into technical recruiting, my second career. This career was very lucrative and set me up for an early retirement. Now I am pursuing a third career in writing, teaching, and writing programs for the web and mobile devices.

I enjoyed making a lot of money but discovered it was empty, at least for me. When my Dad’s illness kicked in, I returned home to help my folks. My days are simple, yet productive. I work through my daily routine, enjoy a few cups of coffee and good meals (I love to cook), and really enjoy the solitude and peacefulness that accompany my morning journaling. During the winter months it is even more special because the warmth of my coffee is a stark contrast to the cold on the other side of my living room window.

I used to use a desktop computer only for my work. Now I find my laptop to be a better companion. It allows me to enjoy different parts of my home as I work through my daily rituals. My core activities are exercise, meditation, journaling, working on my book projects, and working through various online courses, pursuing my varied areas of interest. I take my laptop everywhere, especially the coffee shops I enjoy going to.

My life is simple but rich. I take comfort in my routines and my little joys. I enjoy a warm cup of coffee in the morning. I enjoy the peace that accompanies my writing. I am engaged when I am learning new coding techniques and other topics. One of my greatest joys is relaxing while I read. Reading is a true joy, particularly when I am learning something new, or engrossed in a story.

When you slow down, you notice the little things that make life a grand experience. Petting the family dog, eating a meal with your family, conversations in the morning over coffee, looking at the snow, and enjoying those moments you realize how terrific life is. The simple things in life are the things that make life worth living.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday –

Tags

Content, Contributing, motivation, passion, Unique, Walt Disney, Writing

“I believe in being an innovator.” Walt Disney

Read more at: Brainy Quote

There is so much content available online and it continues to perpetuate itself. Making your own contributions online is daunting, particularly when you second-guess yourself. You ask yourself questions like: Who will find my work? Who will like my work? Am I good enough?

You are unique. You have a voice. This voice is different. There are people who want to hear your words. Get it out there.

I love blogging. I love writing. I blog and write because I have things to say. I like to put my “two cents” out there.

When Disney came on the scene, there was no such thing as a theme park or full-length animated film. He brought both ideas to the market. Today, millions of people flock to Disney’s theme parks and watch his movies. Mickey Mouse is an icon known across the globe.

You never know who will read your words. You never know who will enjoy them. Get them out there. Pursue your dreams. You’ll never know until you do it.

Some people don’t like to write. That’s ok. Pursue the things you love. Pursue your unique interests. We all have a place in this world. Your passions are where you need to focus your time and effort. There is a need for your unique contribution.

Every single person we consider great, started with an idea. Henry Ford’s idea was the automobile. Edison’s idea was the light bulb. Disney’s idea was creating products that allowed people to escape their normal lives and experience “The Happiest Place on Earth”. Disney sold happiness and wonder. Who wouldn’t want to buy that?

If you know where your passions lie, pursue them. Even if you only have time to dedicate an hour a day, use that hour to pursue that passion. You’ll feel more alive during that hour than the rest of your day.

If you want to make money pursuing your passion, research. You could write a book about your passion, write a blog about your passion, or even teach others about your passion by creating course content for YouTube or an online education hub like Udemy. There are people who have monetized their passions in the same way. Look around. You’ll find these people and learn how they did it.

My Week

I’ll be working on my 2^nd draft of my book. I’m doing a chapter a day. This week will be chapters 6-10. My daily exercise regimen is in the home because of the bad weather we are experiencing in Michigan. I’ll be getting back to the gym in March.

I’m reading 5 books. I enjoy reading multiple books at a time. I read one fiction book, a book on history, a religious book, a self-help book, and a book on philosophy. I use a service called Scribd. Scribd is a service that gives you access to books, magazines, audio books, and papers. It is a terrific service for the $8.99/month. I recommend this service if you read as much as I do.

I read digitally. It takes a while to get used to reading this way. My folks have had a real difficulty reading digitally. They still enjoy reading paper books. Print books take up too much space. Digital books allow me to get as many books as I want. They take up zero space, other than the digital space they consume on my phone or computer.

I hope all of you have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Dark Night of Soul – Finding Your Passion

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Dark Night of Soul, Enjoying Life, Opposites, Passions, Persistence, Programming, Seneca, Writing

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.” ― Seneca

I was reading something today about the “Dark night of Soul”. The dark night of soul is a time of despair. It is a time of emptiness, isolation, and depression. It is a time in our lives when we see no way out of our troubles. All of us experience this. Some never escape. Others come out of these times stronger. What a dark beginning to a blog posting right?

Without the dark times in our lives, we would not know what the good times are. We need opposites in our lives. Without the negative and positive aspects of life, our existence would be boring. When we experience a dark time in our lives, we appreciate the good times we experience even more. The fluctuation between good days and bad days keeps us on our toes. When we realize that both the good and bad times are necessary for our growth, we realize we can be grateful for both. During the bad times, we develop new coping skills. During the good times, we develop appreciation and gratitude.

Today, I am thankful for my new followers. My goal this year is to reach 1000 followers for Daily Ramblings. I hope that my content will attract new followers and keep them returning day after day. It is a tough order. There are so many other things for people to do. Blogging makes all of us better writers and more cognizant of what the readership wants to read about.

My book writing took a turn for the worse a week ago. I finished my rough draft in January and doubted my content. I did not know what to do next. Then I ran across another write on Facebook and got advice. They pointed me to a few writing tools. I purchased these tools and worked on my 2nd draft. I am grateful for this author’s advice. That advice and her words of encouragement got me back on track.

Writing a book is no easy task. It requires habitual attention and a process that helps the author move from one step of the writing to the next. Since this is my first book, there will be more situations like this. I will get stuck, I will find a solution, and then get moving again.

I am grateful for my persistence. I am grateful for my curiosity. I am grateful for my stubbornness. I am grateful for my desire to write. Like many things in my life, I fell into writing because of my love of writing earlier as a child. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed this work until I picked it up again in retirement.

I have always wanted to do something for the sheer enjoyment of doing it. Writing is like that for me. Writing allows me to express myself. Writing allows me to clarify my thinking. Writing allows me to empty my mind and organize these thoughts into something cogent. I worked on my book a few days ago and thought about the process an artist goes through when they create a drawing. They sketch something out and then flesh out their drawing into a final product. Writers do the same thing. We start with a rough draft, dumping everything in our minds onto paper. We then flesh out our writing into a final draft. I enjoy these moments of clarity when things come together like this.

Programming is another passion I have recently rediscovered. I dabbled with programming in my college years. It exposed me to some web development, database development, other technical topics. Recently, I got an inner nudge to pick it up again. I found a website called www.codecademy.com. Codecademy offers various development paths to people who want to learn how to code. I did not know this site existed until I asked around. One of my developer friends recommended it and I have been on this site ever since.

Do you have a passion for something you have put aside? I encourage you to pick it up again. Writing and programming are my passions. It is a joy I experience every day. I am grateful for my writing and my ability to learn technical topics like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Writing and programming fulfill me. I hope you find where your passions lie and can pursue them too.

I hope all of you are having a terrific Thursday! Thank you to all new followers. I hope you find my content enjoyable and you return often.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Journals and Rituals

Tags

Grateful, Gratitude, habits, journaling, Journals, Learning, Reading, rituals, Thanks, Writing

A big thank you to all the new followers this week. I finally hit my 500-follower goal and now I am off to hit 1000. I appreciate all my readers and hope you find my daily inputs to your day fruitful and interesting. Today, I’ll be revisiting an important aspect of my day—gratitude journaling.

I work with three journals currently. One is my daily journal where I do a daily mind dump of all my thoughts first thing in the morning. Second is my dream journal, which I write in as soon as I awake. Finally, I add to my gratitude and affirmations journal.

My gratitude journal starts with my daily affirmations. As you all know, I am working monthly to build my character in the same way Benjamin Franklin did during his day. Each month I add one more character trait and these in turn are part of my daily affirmations. Following this I write about all the things I am grateful for.

My gratitude extends to my family and friends, my learning, my pets, and the many aspects of my life. I like taking the time to consider all the great things I have in my life, along with the wondrous experiences I am grateful for. This morning journaling sets a terrific tone for the rest of my day.

Over time you would think that this exercise would get boring, trivial, or lose its meaning. Surprisingly, it does not. It took me a while to build the habit but performing the act daily has made this a well-earned ritual I perform religiously.

Speaking of rituals, I tend to keep like habits with like habits. I do most of my writing in the morning in and around my journaling. Next, I move to reading. After my daily reading is completed, I move to my learning habits, running through the online courses I am enrolled in, my coding exercises, and the YouTube lectures I am working through. Then I do my religious studies, getting in a meditation session and reading my religious discourses for the month. Exercise comes later in the day after my first meal, which is around 4 PM. I eat late because I do intermittent fasting daily. My schedule is from 12 midnight to 4 PM daily. The only thing I consume is water, coffee, tea, or a pre-workout drink. Some say drinking the pre-workout during the fasting period breaks the fast, but I don’t care. It is healthy and is a great start to my day.

These daily rituals formed all by themselves. Over time it just made sense to move through my daily habits in an organized fashion so I could stay within certain contexts that would provide more efficiency to my day. Rituals are the best description for this behavior because they literally guide each action, within the confines of the context they fall under.

Well, folks that’s it for today. I hope all of you have a terrific Thursday.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday

Tags

Elizabeth Gilbert, Exercise, Programming, Ted Talk, What Drives You?, Writing, Your Home

Today’s Ted Talk is provided by a writer. A writer who has seen the peak of success and the pit of defeat. She discusses a really important point about her craft. It is not about making money or being successful. It is not about the failure of a book. It is about doing what you love, a thing she calls “home”.

“Home” is the one thing that you love more than yourself. When it comes to writing, I have found so many quotes and stories discussing the same thing. Stephen King, Lee Childs, and James Patterson all offer the same advice in their books, articles, and interviews. When you look at any person who does well at what they are doing and works hard at it, you know there’s love. You couldn’t put in the time these people put into their work if they didn’t absolutely love what they do.

I challenge each of you in my reading audience to take a few moments and reflect. Where is your “home”? I obviously love to write. I do it every day for this blog. Am I the best? Far from it. I love it. I have also recently discovered my passion for programming. You see I started a course on Codecademy on a whim. Programming is on my bucket list. I really enjoy it. I love watching the magic of code. How anyone can make that computer do what they want. It really is magical to me.

Think about the things you do for the sake of doing it. My Mother gardens. My Father loves to work with wood. My brother likes Guitar Playing and technology (he does it for a living). My Wife has a passion for bodybuilding and teaching. My friend has a passion for playing vintage video games.

Each of us has that one thing we could do 24-hours a day without pay. We truly love doing this one thing or maybe a few things more than we love ourselves. This thing is what God put us on Earth to do. It is the one thing you can do that truly wakes you up in the morning.

I hope you enjoy this video. It really sparked something inside me when I watched it. I hope it does the same for you.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Changing, Colin Powell, Exercising, Hard Work, Improving, Learning, Success, Writing

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” – Colin Powell

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/colin_powell_386437?src=t_learning

I really enjoy learning new things and doing what I can to improve all areas of my life. I have learned over time that it’s the little things that lead to big things. A consistent effort in small chunks delivers huge results.

I run across people all the time that struggle with improving themselves. Once I begin asking questions it is easy to see why they struggle. They are not vested in change. They are unhappy with their personal circumstances but fail to act. Why? They want reality to change for them.

We cannot affect change outside of us. We must change ourselves to achieve different results. If you want to lose weight, eat right and eat less. If you want to get in shape and feel better, get consistent sleep, eat right, and exercise (cardio and strength). If you want to do something with yourself, take the time to brainstorm, formulate a plan, organize your time around that plan, and execute. This is the same thing you will read about in book after book after book.

If you want your life to change, you must change—that’s it. Nothing outside of you will bend or adjust to you. The outside reality is what it is. Accept it and live with it or change yourself and alter your circumstances.

Below are the things I’m doing to improve and change. I hope all of you have a great week!!

Exercise Program:

Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size – (www.bodybuilding.com) – I’ve done this workout before and returning to it because it is just a good all-around weight routine. It’s 8 weeks in length, a 4-day split with 3 rest/cardio days mixed in.

Books:

Armor, Steakley – Recommended by an Army Buddy. A terrific book so far.

Ethics, Aristotle – Almost done with this one.

The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell – This is my bible. I finished it and will re-read again. This book is a permanent fixture on my reading list.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe – Still plugging away on this one. I’ve put it on hold, not because it is a bad book but due to the nonfiction reading, I’m taking on (I love nonfiction books more than fiction).

The Science of Success: What Researchers Know That You Should Know, Paula Caproni. I just started this book in conjunction with the author’s course on Coursera – This is a nice read. I don’t know if I’d buy the book by itself. It is the companion book for the Science of Success course below and it’s well worth it if you take the course in conjunction with it. It’ll run you around $5 for the Kindle version.

Classes:

Web Development Path – Codecademy – Currently learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Mindfulness Course – Coursera

Documentaries:

Inside the Free Masons – Netflix – Good documentary, but you’ll want to be interested in secret societies and such. It’s a very interesting documentary.

Movies:

Venom (Another Marvel Movie) – I saw this on my birthday. If you’re a Marvel Comics fan, this is a must see. Lots of action and terrific effects.

Fun:

Ozark – Netflix (in the cue) – Re-watching Season 1 to remind me what’s going on. I’ll kick into Season 2 when I’m back on track with this one.

Madam Secretary (Netflix) – I’m enjoying this one. I’m on the third season (there are four). Each season is about 20+ shows. If you like political dramas, you’ll like this one. Great cast and great writing.

Interesting Apps:

Codecademy – I’m currently pursuing a bucket list item and learning to code. I’m starting with HTML and having a great time so far. The first coding project is creating a blog from scratch—how ironic, right? The interface is awesome! You’ll need to be prepared to pay the $19.99/month to truly enjoy this one. The $19.99 version allows you to work on projects, take quizzes, and offers a whole bunch of bonus material not available in the free version.

Weight Watchers – I’m still on a quest to lose weight. After reading some research in an e-book published by Scientific American, this was one of the diet services that they believed were effective (mentioned in more than one of the enclosed articles). It runs $19.99/month and you are obligated to 3 months minimum (there is a penalty for quitting early). You can look up food, get your daily points (they use points for the types of food you eat), and have access to recipes, and all kinds of bonus content.

I truly wish the very best to all of your pursuits to improve and change for the better. Have a great, rest of the week!

Until next time…

Dave