It is easy to get stuck in the same routine, same job, same unfulfilling relationship, and maybe even the same lunch of turkey on rye each day.
But why?
The list of worn-out and meaningless justifications comes to mind: it’s comfortable, it’s not that bad, it’s too late to change now, but perhaps underlying those superficial excuses are thoughts of: fear, embarrassment of wanting to change, or maybe not being able to visualize a better routine, job, or relationship.
Five years ago I took into account exactly where I was in life. I was working two jobs – both dead end administrative positions, going to a junior college barely part-time, and in a relationship that embraced excessive drinking and smoking. This was not a positive position for a twenty year old woman.
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For the past week Paul and I have been brainstorming new inventions. Partly because it is fun and partly because I would love to be a guest on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch because of a million dollar idea. We brainstormed some really neat ideas, including floating jellyfish for pools and umbrella wringers.
An idea that I had a couple of years ago arose out of the need to carry personal items when going out to a club, traveling, or the gym where pockets may be limiting. I invented a garter that women could wear on their upper thigh that contained a pocket where one could store money, an I.D., credit cards, and other things. (Continued)
This first part may be geared toward fiction writers, poets, or screenplay writers. Although trying out different types of writing can be a cure for blogger’s block too.
- Tear an interesting picture out of a magazine or find one online and start writing a story about it. What might have happened before the scene in the picture or afterwards? Who is the person in the picture and what are they thinking about? Take in the details of the picture, is it daytime or nighttime? How is the main character looking, what emotions can you get from their expression? Why are they feeling these emotions? What caused these emotions?
- Open up the dictionary or book to a random word. Make sure that it’s a word that you know and can use in a sentence. Write a coherent sentence using the word. Choose another random (yet familiar) word and write the second sentence. Try to make the sentences tell a story. Don’t cheat and keep skipping words because you think it might be too hard to string the sentences together. Let it be a creative challenge for you. (Continued)
Keeping your long term goals in mind is important, especially as you move day to day accomplishing your short and mid-term goals. Sometimes it is difficult to keep a thought about the distant future at the forefront of your mind, so I’ve used these simple exercises to keep my own long-term goals close at hand, and in mind.
Visual Pictures: I’ve always dreamed of graduating from Berkeley. Now with my recent acceptance, I am continuing to solidify that vision. I created a vision book that has pictures of Berkeley students graduating in their bright blue gowns and golden tassels, their faces glowing with excitement. So every time I flip through my vision book, I can see myself as a Berkeley graduate. (Continued)
I am a huge brainstorm enthusiast and I recently brainstormed a new way to brainstorm. I call it the alphabet brainstorm which is pretty self explanatory.
Choose the topic, problem, or question that you want to brainstorm and go through the alphabet, giving each letter a minute or two for you to write down any ideas or words that correspond to that letter.
For instance, just for fun Paul and I were brainstorming new invention ideas for individual transportation (think: Segways, Razors, shoes with wheels in them, etc…). So we started at the top and just brainstormed words or phrases that related to transportation or movement. (Continued)
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Former President Theodore Roosevelt
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between your wants and needs, especially in areas of your life that are critical for reaching your full potential. Minuscule wants and needs are easy to recognize. I know I want whipped cream on my ice blended mocha – I don’t need it. Other wants and needs are more difficult to recognize and may actually hinder you from reaching your true potential.
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Many personal finance books tout have an emergency fund equal to three to six months of your living expenses. In many cases, this may mean saving several thousand dollars which seems like a daunting task, but Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover, teaches a slightly different school of thought.
He advises that if you do not have an emergency fund at all that you should aim to save $1,000 to begin with. The $1,000 baby emergency fund will keep you from running up more credit card debt for smaller, unexpected expenses such as a medical bill, new washer and dryer or car repairs. Unfortunately, a weekend trip to Mexico does not count as an unexpected expense. (Continued)
Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot are successful screenplay writers who created www.wordplayer.com, a great resource for aspiring screenwriters. Rossio and Elliot have co-written: Shrek, The Mask of Zorro, Pirates of the Carribean: I, II, and III and several other successful feature films.
In a response to a letter from a reader asking Rossio about his first “big break” and how he felt both psychologically and physiologically. (Continued)
Have you ever been curious about how other people thought of you or how you were perceived?
In a personal development class that I took we had an assignment that helped us see how others saw us and more importantly how we saw ourselves. First, you jot down about twenty-five characteristics or qualities that you would use to describe yourself. You might jot down responsible, clumsy, frugal, and so on.
Then you ask two people who know you well to also make a list of twenty five characteristics or qualities that they believe you possess. It is important to choose people that you can trust who will give honest answers. So it might not be a good idea to choose your recent crush or your hair stylist. A good candidate for this project might be your brother or sister, a very close friend or significant other – if you have been seeing each other for a while. (Continued)
These tips are primarily for meeting someone new when you go to a party, club, or bar. I know that meeting someone at the bar is not the only place to meet new people, but it is a place where you might go to hang out with your friends anyway – so why not make it an opportunity to meet someone new?
- Wear something unique or funky when going out. It is a great conversation starter – where did you get those socks?! And don’t forget that people do dress to impress, so if you see someone wearing something cool or interesting – pay them a compliment.
- Hit the town in threes. If you do end up striking up a conversation with a cool guy, then your friends won’t feel awkward because they could just talk amongst themselves and leave you alone. And the guy won’t feel like he’s intruding either. It’s a win-win.
- Smile. Nothing makes you more approachable than if you are smiling, happy and having fun.
- If you find someone attractive and approachable – talk to them! Pay them a compliment, I love your sweater! Even if it might be a regular black sweater, it’s better than trying to use a cheesy pick up line. Guys love it when girls talk to them, so do it! If you’ve been exchanging glances with a fellow all night, then approach him. It will take the pressure off and he’ll definitely take note of your confidence. (Continued)
