Zen Habits
.
I guess I'm glad that I'm so focused on what I should be focused on these days - preparing for the fall/winter craft shows. But I hate that I'm neglecting other things - like this blog and my Etsy shop.
I wanted to pop in, however, and tell you about a new-to-me website that I'm loving: Zen Habits. (Except I keep calling it Zen Garden in my head.) I've only just begun to explore it.
You know that phrase, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear? Yep.
I'm a big multi-tasker - prided myself on it actually. But lately, mostly at work, I've been conflicted about that. I guess that's because I'm tired of feeling like I'm always doing everything half-assed. I do still blame that largely on the workload (which I'm actively working to resolve - more on that another time).
(Interesting that I'm better able to have singular focus on my passion (Pine Tree Designs) but not so much the day job. Then again, that's really apples and oranges isn't it - in terms of who I have to answer to.)
So logically, I know it's better to concentrate on one thing at a time. Or as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III said in M*A*S*H, "I do one thing at a time. I do it well and I move on." (I remember waaaay too many lines from M*A*S*H, believe me.)
But it still felt better to use every available second to be productive. I've been wondering how to balance logic with feeling.
The second entry I read on Zen Habits is called 10 Simple Ways to Live a Less Stressful Life. Bingo! All of a sudden, it all lined up for me.
I liked one of his other 10 ways - be early. In my family, if you're on time, you're late. We're early people. So punctuality is sort of a hot button for me. Simon's prone to make a late entrance so I explained to him why it's rude. It's like he thinks his time is more important than my time. So many people are late, that being early feels freakish sometimes. It's not. It's a good thing! (I really did already know that.) :-)
The first entry I read on Zen Habits was Success isn't a Competition: Boosting Others Helps You in the Long Run. It was interesting enough, but my eyes really opened when I got to his Zen Habits Helping Hand Program. His topic was blogging so he (Leo Babauta) offered these 6 things, free to other bloggers:
Links
Ad Space
Money
Mentoring
Other Help
Suggestions?
Pretty impressive. Then I started reading the 104 comments his readers left. The first one was from a guy offering his services to help bloggers with any Wordpress issues they might be having. That's when I knew I was onto something here. Well, me and his 70,600 subscribers.
Like I said, I've only skimmed the surface. I'm off right now to read his biographical notes. All I know so far is he lives on Guam with his wife and 6 kids.
(I learned of Zen Habits in the comments of another blogger. I'm so taken with it, that I emailed the commenter to thank her for posting the url in her comment.)
So I pass along Zen Habits to you, in hopes it resonates with your inner student as well.
.
I guess I'm glad that I'm so focused on what I should be focused on these days - preparing for the fall/winter craft shows. But I hate that I'm neglecting other things - like this blog and my Etsy shop.
I wanted to pop in, however, and tell you about a new-to-me website that I'm loving: Zen Habits. (Except I keep calling it Zen Garden in my head.) I've only just begun to explore it.
You know that phrase, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear? Yep.
I'm a big multi-tasker - prided myself on it actually. But lately, mostly at work, I've been conflicted about that. I guess that's because I'm tired of feeling like I'm always doing everything half-assed. I do still blame that largely on the workload (which I'm actively working to resolve - more on that another time).
(Interesting that I'm better able to have singular focus on my passion (Pine Tree Designs) but not so much the day job. Then again, that's really apples and oranges isn't it - in terms of who I have to answer to.)
So logically, I know it's better to concentrate on one thing at a time. Or as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III said in M*A*S*H, "I do one thing at a time. I do it well and I move on." (I remember waaaay too many lines from M*A*S*H, believe me.)
But it still felt better to use every available second to be productive. I've been wondering how to balance logic with feeling.
The second entry I read on Zen Habits is called 10 Simple Ways to Live a Less Stressful Life. Bingo! All of a sudden, it all lined up for me.
I liked one of his other 10 ways - be early. In my family, if you're on time, you're late. We're early people. So punctuality is sort of a hot button for me. Simon's prone to make a late entrance so I explained to him why it's rude. It's like he thinks his time is more important than my time. So many people are late, that being early feels freakish sometimes. It's not. It's a good thing! (I really did already know that.) :-)
The first entry I read on Zen Habits was Success isn't a Competition: Boosting Others Helps You in the Long Run. It was interesting enough, but my eyes really opened when I got to his Zen Habits Helping Hand Program. His topic was blogging so he (Leo Babauta) offered these 6 things, free to other bloggers:
Links
Ad Space
Money
Mentoring
Other Help
Suggestions?
Pretty impressive. Then I started reading the 104 comments his readers left. The first one was from a guy offering his services to help bloggers with any Wordpress issues they might be having. That's when I knew I was onto something here. Well, me and his 70,600 subscribers.
Like I said, I've only skimmed the surface. I'm off right now to read his biographical notes. All I know so far is he lives on Guam with his wife and 6 kids.
(I learned of Zen Habits in the comments of another blogger. I'm so taken with it, that I emailed the commenter to thank her for posting the url in her comment.)
So I pass along Zen Habits to you, in hopes it resonates with your inner student as well.
.
posted by Stefani at 5:26 AM
Permalink
5 Comments:
Thanx for the link to Zen Habits, I have added it to my favorites to explore more later. I am constantly amazed at all the helpfulness on the internet. Having been involved in community theater for 35 years where you find the same kind of helpfulness it is good to know it exists elsewhere. I have always been a firm believer in Pay It Forward.
Love the copper hearts!
Many thoughts here this morning...
(1) Love this design!
(2) I too think of MASH often. The other day I was helping a woman find some rent assistance. There's a government program called "Section 8" that offers temporary assistance. It got me to wondering about Klinger and questioning whether his was Section 8 too. It was. Different branch of government, different meaning.
(3) Thanks for the Zen link. I too am struggling these days. Have you seen my October newsletter yet? Noooooooooo...
Wow..sounds like a must to check out..thank you for sharing.
You mentioned being focused and that made me think of how I was just thinking today That I'm finally feeling like I have been able to focus again on my jewelry and have gotten somethings with it accomplished. I was all proud of myself thinking how this is good because I really need to work to bring in some money to help pay for my sons medical bills. I had a moment of peace, feeling like I was pulling 'stuff' together finally and then I remembered my 'other job' that I have not touched...bookkeeping for the business that actually supports us..my husbands business. Oh man..I"m afraid of what pulling my tax papers together is going to be like this year..esp after I've lost my head so badly. I probably need that Zen Habits site more then I know!
Seriously, I think you'll find Zen Habits helpful. I find myself looking forward to it each day, hoping a new entry is up.
I also check the box where follow-up comments are emailed to me. I even find them inspirational.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home