getting stuff done: creating my life

it has kind of crept up on me already. and I don't yet quite feel prepared.  I am getting there and definitely there is some summing up and finishing off and working out where I am and where to go next. 

I just read this  by the lovely Madelyn Mulvaney (whom I had the pleasure to meet this year at the Cal of the Wild Soul retreat.  Oh she makes it all so scrumptious and spirited and well, giving. 

The last couple of days have had me all stewed up on an old thorny issue.  I do think that I am working it out.  But it certainly hasn't had me in the best of moods.  So it was beautiful to read someone elses overflowing gratitude to remind me that there are other ways of being about life. 

2012 has been a major year for me, and I want to make 2013 just as bountiful, leaping forward and growing stronger and freer and more into who I am and can be. 

I am currently a bit behind on sorting out our accounting, I am getting there and it will soon be levelled off and I will have a crystal clear idea of where we are, a plan of where we need to be, and how we intend to get there.  I want a smoother, more managed ride this year on that front! 

We have established some major goals for this year so far.  As a family.  Or as a couple, as Bub is yet a  little young to be involved in this sort of thing.

1.  We are both extremely clear that we both wish to avoid shopping in supermarkets as much as is possible.  We are definately 50% of the way there already, but we are going to make more efforts to get even further down this road, with more shopping at the local open market, at our local wholefoods shop, Muesli Mountain Market, local butchers, Archers, the Post Office, Andy's shop and the Chemist.  Oh and there is a food coop my friend Morgan has recommended I am going to investigate.  Its quite near.

2. I am going to complete the transfer to ethical banking.  Likewise I am more than half way there, I still need to sell my shares and pay off a toxic overdraft. 

3. I have plans for a mortgage payoff savings account.

4. More art and tribe finding.  I just LOVE to hang out with other creatives and make art together.  I need more of this in my life as it makes me so HAPPY. 

5. Yoga and health.  Always a good one for the new year.  AND for me I have my finals coming up so I do need to crack on with my study and amp it up.  A LOT.  Christmas has really been about - not being healthy!!! ha ha! It has been good.  But I am properly getting annoyed with chocolate and sweets and cake.  I am yearning for the clean food of New Year resolutions.

I am also working through Leonie Dawsons' year planner.  Its really good actually.  I'd recommend it. 

So then there is the wish list.  I have been adding to my wish list too.  I love a New Year wish list.

So happy new year to all you peeps.  Have a good one. At least for once I will wake up tomorrow without a hangover.  That is what children do for you!!

I have been doing a lot of study around money.  All the usual stuff such as learning its not bad, and that it needs managing and not to be bound by old habits that dont work.  don't be a debtor, believing wealth is good, et al.  And then this morning I bought a magazine on impulse (yup impulse shopping = very against the rules!) and its all about living without money.  Well the main article is.  And it just not all about the money.  Oh and here I am going up against myself again.  But the point is that we are replacing our relationships with each other with ones that are monetised.  And its kind of weird.  Like childcare for example.  So odd that we farm the kiddies out to others and then work to pay for them to do that for us.  Well, not that we do.  But its kind of the point of the article.  Things we should be doing for ourselves, like growing and cooking food, or making music or whatever becomes this monetised transaction.

And despite the fact that I really want to pay off our mortgage and go on lots of holidays.  I don't want my entire life to be all about making more money.  Its going to have to be a balance.  Or maybe when you stop thinking about the money.  It comes anyway.

It was a little lesson for me.  It being Christmas and all.  No, it can't ever be all about the money.

I am going to be looking at my life again and seeing where I can bring riches that have nothing to do with money.

True wealth = love, friendship, celebrations, beauty, abundance, happiness, joy......

I am so excited to be excited by Christmas.  We are going to be having a celebration.  It is going to be special.  Most of this has to do with me putting the effort in to make it so. 

Tis the season to be jolly.  Oh and to get all worked up about stuff.  And to wish you were a child again, or not, as the case may be.  And to wiggle your way through the expectations and ideas about what should be...  I have a notion of a fairytale Christmas and I so want to get to it and then there are these hurdles, seemingly, to negotiate.  I think I want to be a child again because it was all so simple, and there was only one way to do things.  Hub and I ARE getting there! Our ideas are so different (I really don't find it at all important to watch Dr Who, for example - yes, guess who does!) and I am in mixed minds about whether a Big Up traditional Christmas lunch IS a good idea if I am cooking it on my own and there is only 3 of us to eat it.  So we are going to have fajitas, which is Bub's suggestion.  And so much easier....  though, is easy what I really want??? ach, it will be fun.  And besides the whole big up nosh up of turkey and trimmings is coming on boxing day via my brother's brilliant culinary skills.  We are thinking of going to the beach on Christmas morning to see the mad folk swim in the sea.  And to the pub for a drink.  And then back for lots of chocolates everyone's favourite sandwiches and Christmas Dr Who.  Why not.  Its got killer snowmen in it after all. 

I think this will be a good Christmas. 

Now I just need to sort out the mince pies and a few social engagements and it will be sorted.  Maybe panto? I do love a panto.

And mulled wine.  I am finding mulled wine very theraputic indeed. 

Well, I do love it, but it never ends in an entirely comfortable way.  Apparently its the last ever.  Yes.  Well.  There you go.  That's Danish drama for you.

Its been my day.  minute tiny differences between portraits.  I need to stop again.  its better.  definately better.  but am getting blind and going over things too much.  here are two of them.  the top one is the best, but its kind of the wrong size compared to the other portraits of the siblings.  sigh. 

I had so much fun.  Time for another one soon I think.  .

I read this today

"I love connecting with people and even more so in the name of art. I have met some of the best people through art related endeavours"

Its from Amelia over at 101 Bird Tales

I completely resonate with this statement.  It inspires me.

For my part I was involved in organising the Reception classes parents coffee morning.  And next week it will be Reception Parents drinking in the Pub evening. 

I found myself getting quite invovled with trying to persuade a mum, who used to be a singer, to get singing again and take up some creative endeavours. 

I have just done 3 more versions of the portraits commission.  Its 3 grown up children of a family friend.  I know she likes my drawing.  And the first 3 I did, which took me ages, just look really stilted and formal and, well, not much good.  They look like they people I am drawing.  But they are far too careful and boring.  They were the last of many sketches I did trying to get them to look right.  And they are 'right' but...

I wasn't really happy with them.

So I have just knocked off a new drawing of each of them.  I think the last version is just a much more interesting drawing.  It takes me a while to get where I want to go.  I think I need to charge more to do this.  It takes a long time.  What do you think?  I have posted the photo and the 2 drawings....

Every now and again, I realise,  I can drift off purpose.  I have a tendency to sprawl, scatter and get distracted.  My effectiveness begins to fail.  I start too many things and feel unproductive in all of them.  So, every now and a again, I have to gather myself up and reset myself.  Hone dowd.  It makes my n the amount of things I am attempting to do, and make decisions about which ones are more important.

Luckily, my day job has taught me exactly how to get back in the saddle again.
First I clear the decks. I go through everything, every corner of my life. and write down everything i have to do, or want to do.  I then decide which are current projects and which are going to go on the back burner for the time being.  I tend to have a LOT of ideas, so my back burner list is full of stuff.  (Its useful because it is often a list of inspiring things to do, and I regularly check it to see if there is anyway I can bring some more of those things into my life)

So then, I work out what is the next single thing I can physically do to get all of those current projects rolling, and I write those things down.  And I am specific.  Then I can  charge through a whole load of stuff that is bugging me and get it out the way.  Its amazing what you can clear when you set your mind to it. And its such a good feeling! 

And then each day, I look at my lists, and my projects and I look at my calendar to see if there is anything i have booked in, or is timely for me to do.  And I make another decision about what is most important to do today.

So at the moment, each day I am doing my yoga homework first thing.  This is good because it is 25 minutes of meditation plus a write up of it.  (all going well, though sitting still for that length of time is tricky!) So not only is it done, but its a GREAT way to start the day.

Then today, most important is to finish my portrait commissions. 

After that some admin stuff needs doing.  But FIRST.  Portraits. (OK after writing this!)

See ya later!! Miss ON IT  here  (oh I do love my lists!)

This link is just awe inspiring.  You know, properly awesome.  Not in a gee whizz kind "quite cool" of way neither.  It puts it all into perspective.....

the universe is amazing

http://htwins.net/scale2/

I quite like that I am on the People Who Do Homepage.  That's me at the TEDx Brighton.
Moyra Scott:  Productivity Expert and Creative Problem Solver - At your service.

So my next challenge is with New Business Development.  I am actually in love with the idea of helping people Get Stuff Done.  I love that I came up with this blog way before I even had heard of People Who Do.  And now it is my job to get out there and help other people find focus,  to be able to break free from stressful but unproductive busy-ness and find time for the stuff they really want to do.  yup.  tis good.

P.S. If you want to check out exactly what it is I do for my day job.  Have a look at this page.  http://www.peoplewhodo.co.uk/2011/02/03/accelerated-productivity-2/ for all the juicy details.....

Yesterday we got our Christmas tree in.  He had been growing in the pot in the garden since we bought him last year.  some friends put us on to this.  We had been buying trees in pots and then planting them after Christmas.  But Ellie and Matt had theirs in their garden.   Of course! So we have a rather shabby looking lopsided tree back in the sitting room and bedecked with lights and all.  He should be good for next year too, we hope!

The Christmas decorations Bub and I made last year had  been stored up in the loft, and evidently it is a tad damp up there as they have gone all soggy.  New stuff to be made for this year.  That's OK.  For me it is all about making them anyway.

And this morning, I emptied a kitchen cupboard, cleaned it, got rid of out of date stuff and extra ugly glasses and things that had accumulated.  Kitchen cupboard now much decluttered.  Hurrah! Feels good.

Glum ness has gone.  Also hurrah.  And carrying on with some vital admin now.  Er well.  Blogging first, right?