Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Filling in a Gap

Tags

Book, decisions, Gaps, intrinsic, Meaning, motivation, Writing

Have you ever completed a project and then, not know what to fill that gap in your schedule with? That’s me right now. School kept me busy, but now that school’s over with, I have to figure out what to replace the hours I put into that with something else. I know working on my books will take up some of the time, but what to do with the rest?

Well, I decided to get back out in the world. I’ve created two days in my schedule where I will do my work in one of our terrific coffee shops and another day in my local library. Getting out will do me good, and I am never one to turn down a terrific cup of coffee.

What has this got to do with motivation? Well, motivation is about getting up and doing something. For me, the type of motivation for school was a mix of both intrinsic motivation (I wanted another degree) and extrinsic motivation (deadlines for assignments). Now, it’s all on me. That is the change. There is no one telling me what to do. It’s all me.

So, here we go!

If you have a unexpected gap in your schedule like me, think about what you want to do, have time to do, and fill in the gap. Anybody can take that extra time and binge watch Netflix, play endless hours of video games, or just do nothing, but if you’re like me, you like having things to do that has meaning. I enjoy the creativity in writing, and have always wanted to write a book. So, I’m back at it again. I’ve got a lot of ideas, and I’m looking forward to getting to work.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Journaling

Tags

Diary, Dream Journals, Free-form Writing Journals, Gratitude Journals, journal, journaling, Writing

Today I am grateful for my journaling habit. From time-to-time I will revisit my journal and read through my entries in a month or a quarter. If I have time I revisit an entire year of journal entries. What wonderful stories, experiences, and learning!

Many of the things I record in my journal are my thoughts about various topics. Sometimes I rant to get something off my chest; other times I simply record my feelings about an event, the family, or my relationship with my wife. These are deeply personal and hold special meaning for me.

This blog is also a snapshot of my inner being, exposed for the world to see.

My journaling time is a time for deep reflection. Why do I feel the way I do? Why do certain things piss me off and other things make me laugh? How does my attitude alter over time? How have I evolved?

A journal is a great way to have deep, intimate conversations with yourself. It is a way of overcoming fears, challenges, and recording memorable events in your life–events that may fade with time, if you do not record what is happening.

I journal for all types of reasons, but the habit started simply by reading an article on line that explained the benefits of journaling. I didn’t save the link, so I cannot offer you that, but if you do a Google Search (or your preferred search engine) using keywords like: journaling, diary, benefits of, you’ll find an article that may lay it out for you better than I could.

Personally, I have gained many benefits from journaling and take about 20-30 minutes each day to record my thoughts first thing in the morning. If you read my recent post about items that you do automatically to kick off your day–this is mine. The very first thing I do to kick off my day is hit my journal and begin writing.

I use Microsoft OneNote. You could use this, MS Word, Google Docs, or EverNote. You get the idea. You may have found another technology that works that is not mentioned here. The point is to use something that has the ability to keep all your journal items in one place and is accessible by all of your devices for easy access. This is particularly important when you are on a trip and do not bring your laptop, but have access to a tablet or phone. This was the case when we flew out for my niece’s wedding. I did my journal entries on my iPad, instead of my laptop during this period.

There are all kinds of journals you can keep. Gratitude journals, dream journals, diaries, writing journals, cooking journals, reference diaries, you name it. The key is to create a journal that you will stick with. For me, it is a combination of dream, gratitude, affirmation, and free-form writing that build my journal entries.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. If you do not journal currently, you may want to give it a try. It has worked wonders in my life, and it will for you too.

Have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Hobbies

Tags

Balance, Fishing, Fun, Happy, Hobby, Joy, Music, Reading, Relaxation, Relish, Video Games, Writing, Xbox

My sister has been “over-focused” on work for as long as I have known her. There is nothing wrong with that, provided you take time to do other things to balance it out. Balance is key to a happy life, in my opinion, so that you can do your work, have some fun, and not miss anything important. Important things like regular checkups for you and your pets, paying your bills, exercising, learning something new, and enjoying something that you do, because you enjoy doing it.

Hobbies could be coin collecting, antiquing, drawing/sketching, playing an instrument, or playing video games. It doesn’t matter what your hobby is, as long as it gives you a break from the things you have to to do. Another requirement: You have to look forward to it.

I love playing video games of all kinds. Whether these are on my pc, my iPad, or my Xbox. They are challenging, entertaining, and even educational. I look forward to my daily session, and laugh, yell, and have a heck of a good time. It is even more fun when I can link up with my brother and play together.

This is what I’m talking about. The passion for your hobby has to be there. You have to enjoy it, think about it, and relish the time you get to do it.

Think about people who enjoy fishing. These people can’t wait to get back out on their boats and fish again.

Think about those people who enjoy golf. They can’t wait to get out to the course. They even plan their vacations around it. Does that resort have a golf course?

I hope you get my point. The quote, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy” rings true here. Spice up your life a bit with a hobby. It provides a great retreat from your daily routine of work, chores, bill paying, and errands.

In the meantime, I’m about ready to head down and fire up my Xbox.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful/Thinking Thursday – Consistent Reading, Writing, and Learning

Tags

Consistency, Exercise, huge results, Learning, Reading, small actions, Udemy, Writing

Photo credit: CallofDuty.com

Over the last few years, as more of my schedule has come under my control, I have found that doing a little each day compounds into huge results. A little exercise, a little reading, a little writing, and a few minutes watching, listening, or reading some educational material can go a long way.

Some of you are working from home. The beauty of working from home is you can get a lot of things done in a more efficient way. You are not forced to work only for your boss and then look at that pile of laundry, dirty dishes, or snow-filled driveway on your own time. Now you can work on both sets of priorities simultaneously, other than those ZOOM conference calls that eat up a good portion of the workday. Why not take an hour a day and knock out a little in each area: reading, writing, exercise, and learning? It doesn’t take long.

The average length of a session on Udemy is roughly 5-6 minutes long. If you take a few courses, you’re looking at 20-30 minutes each day. You’ll get your graduation certificates in no time, and if you take the right courses, you’ll be adding some critical skills to your toolbox. If you select the 4+ star-rated courses on Udemy, you’ll also be entertained by popular instructors that make the material fun and interesting. 30 minutes a day for 6 days (assuming you subscribe to my “do nothing day” policy) is 3 hours of learning!

If you take the time to analyze what you do each day, I think you’ll be amazed at how much time you spend watching television or streaming videos, and other activities, that although entertaining, don’t build anything. I’m a huge video game fan. My current favorite is Call of Duty, Black Ops, Cold War. It’s a great game and very popular (over 100 million players worldwide). I could play that game for 10+hours a day and still have more energy to play even more. Balance is the key. We all need our downtime to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. Watch those shows, play those games, get some of that “me” time, but balance this out with some productive activities that will keep your mind working. It is really exciting to me when I pick up some new skill that I can apply immediately to what I do every day.

That’s all I got today, folks. Have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Winter

Tags

cocoa, Coffee, December, Exercise, family, Reading, reflecting, tea, Winter, Writing

Many people cringe when the snow comes. Not me. I love the cold, the snow, and the comfort of looking at all of that while I drink a cup of coffee. The winter in Michigan is a long one. We typically do not get moderate weather until late April.

What do I do? Pretty much the same thing I do every day — Read, Write, Learn, Socialize on this site and others, stick with my religious disciplines, exercise, and squeeze in some leisure time. My favorite things to do for fun are to read a good fiction book, non-fiction book, watch a show or a series, and play video games. Now that most games are networked, my brother and I can play in and around his work schedule. It’s great fun.

So today, I’m thankful for the Winter season. The holidays are terrific, the in-house time is relaxing and rejuvenating, and it’s a great time to reflect on the past year, and get ready for the next.

I hope each of you has a terrific Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Week of October 12, 2020.

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Action, Ambition, Dedication, Discipline, Drive, Exercising, Learning, motivation, Reading, Writing

After a relaxing week off, I’m back at it.

Here’s my schedule for the week:

Writing/Blogging Daily

Exercise Daily

Spiritual Exercise/Reading Daily

Learning/Coding Daily

Reading Daily

I hope each of you has a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – Words

Tags

Adventure, Books, heartache, ideas, Journals, Love, stories, Storytelling, Travels, Writing

Today’s wisdom is about writing. When we write, we bring what is in our head to the page. For some, this is a difficult process. It is difficult because our minds can be so jumbled at times. We have thoughts. But until we write those thoughts down, read through them, think about them, edit them, and then complete what we have written into an intelligible collection of words, sentences, and paragraphs, they remain in the same form they are in our minds. Writing clarifies our thinking. It solidifies our thoughts. It changes a wisp of thought to a concrete idea. 

This is why I love writing. I love capturing what is in my mind and bringing these thoughts and ideas into reality. It is really magical. When you read a book written by an author, you realize that this world you are exploring was in someone else’s head. That is magic. 

You, my reading audience, are also involved with this process each time you write a post for your blog and submit it to the WordPress servers. You tell your story. You expose yourself for others to see. You talk about what bothers you. You talk about what excites you. You tell your stories. 

Your words teach, inspire, and impact everyone that reads them. You allow your readers to see a little piece of you, expressed in your words. The stories of adventure, heartbreak, mystery, war, love, and every emotion we experience as human beings. Words do that. Words!

Write. Write every day. Journal. Capture your thoughts. Tell your stories. Your travels, your experiences, your recipes. They all bring a richness to our existence. Your words matter. Your words impact others. Your words tell your story.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Labor Day

Tags

Consistency, Determination, Discipline, Exercise, Labor Day, motivation, Reading, Social, Spiritual, Writing

Today, I’m relaxing and enjoying Labor Day! So today’s posts will be shorter than normal. Here’s my week!

• Writing (Journaling, Book Writing, Blogging) daily
• Learning (History of Maths on Curiosity.com, Codecademy, Sociology on Study.com, Writing Class on Master Class) daily
• Exercise (20 minutes cardio, exercise bands) daily
• Spiritual (Reading Bible, Spiritual Exercise) daily
• Reading (Fiction, Non-fiction) daily
• Social (posting helpful quotes, connecting with friends, supporting people with pleasant things to say) daily

Have a great week, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spread Your Wings Sunday – Weekly Challenge

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Challenges, family, Lockdown, Reading, Relaxation, Spread Your Wings, Sunday, Writing

Challenge: This week’s challenge involves some exploration. I’m going to offer another challenge below in case some of your lockdown conditions are just too hard to pull this off. The challenge is to take a walk in the woods, a beach, or a park. The challenge doesn’t require a certain distance, just that you go to one of these locations and take a stroll.

Challenge (alternate): Some of you live in areas where the lockdown is tough to overcome. One of my friends in Melbourne, Australia appears to be in an area that is suffering from a resurgence of the virus and is back under lockdown condition. This challenge is for you. This week, read about, look at pictures, or attend a virtual tour of one of your country’s or state’s national parks.

If you participate, tell me how you feel when you return from your little excursion.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Music

Tags

Gratitude, heavy metal, Meditation, memories, Movies, Music, Reading, Soundscapes, Thanks, Writing

I have always enjoyed music. It seems that we are all wired to music, in light of how popular it has been throughout history. Music entertains. Music reminds. Music inspires.

I like to listen to music when I read. I can’t listen to music with words, because it is too hard to concentrate, but instrumental music is a common partner when I read. I also enjoy listening to music when I write.

Again, I have to refrain from listening to music with words while I write because it is too hard to concentrate on what I’m doing when I listen to the words. Interestingly, I have found that listening to certain types of music invoke emotions that are helpful when I am writing an action scene or an emotional scene. I can’t listen while I write, but I do listen before I write.

Another type of music I like listening to is trance while I do cardio or heavy metal while I lift weights. Trance helps me deal with the monotony of cardio, while heavy metal helps me achieve the aggression I need when I’m trying to push myself to my limits.

I like listening to Asian music, sound scapes, and other cerebral music when I meditate. It helps my mind calm down, while I concentrate on the breath.

I even enjoy listening to movie soundtracks. When I listen to the music of Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator, Star Wars, or even the Godfather, I can see the various scenes play out in my mind. It is amazing how much the music impacts a scene in a movie.

Think about the dark music in the original Halloween movie or The Exorcist. When you hear these songs, you automatically think about these movies. It is fascinating.

So today, I am grateful for music that helps me write, workout, relax, and visualize my favorite movies.

Happy Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave