Challenge 15: Get through my To-Do list

January 27, 2010

So far, today has been a nice and relaxing day. Vaughn let the cat out this morning around 6 am (to which I did not wake up) so I was able to sleep in until around 9 ish. The dog was happily sleeping on his bed next to ours and I was able to toss and turn a bunch of times before actually getting up. I took coach out shortly after I rolled out of bed and was enjoying the morning. It's kind of cloudy, but not rainy, and kind of warm in comparison to the past week or so. It was nice. About half way into my walk, I realized that I had a coaching call at 10am, so I had to book it back home in order to make it in time. I got home with minutes to spare. Enough minutes to make myself some tea and check an email or two.

I'm now sitting on the couch with the dog watching a bad concert on TV and watching Vaughn pack for his mini tour he starts today. Also...waiting for my noon coaching call. I feel like I can't really do anything while he's still here, wanting to spend as much time in the same vicinity as him before he leaves.

So yesterday my challenge was to figure out what my book is about. Through this whole challenge process I'm learning a lot about how I try to challenge myself. It usually looks like giving myself a huge goal to accomplish, one that is almost impossible in the amount of time I give myself, and then when I don't do it, I just feel bad about myself and become less motivated to actually do it because I feel like a failure. So although my challenge yesterday to figure out what my book is about, I realized that a more appropriate challenge could have been to do some really great brainstorming work. This is where my writer friend Dana came in. She gave me a writing tip she learned awhile back to help with the brainstorming process. That exercise just sent my ideas spinning in wonderful new directions. But had I not posted what I did, and had I not gotten an email from her, I might be sitting here today feeling like I failed. I didn't necessarily figure out exactly what my book is about, but I feel MUCH closer and I now have some structure to continue brainstorming. She also suggested to join a writing group or class. I feel a new challenge brewing.

Also, I have a weekly challenge on not cracking my knuckles, and damn, is that hard. I have to admit that I accidentally cracked them once when I was getting up from the floor, and a couple times throughout the day where I just simply forgot. But I'm working on it and today, not a knuckle has been cracked. This is much harder than I ever thought.

I have a sort of day off after my call at noon, so today, my challenge is to get through everything on my to-do list, which is about 10 things. I think I can do it!

Til tomorrow...

15 down. 350 to go.