Day 30 of Giving Thanks

Last, but certainly never least ...

Today I am thankful that I do not have to save myself.  There is nothing I have done, will do, or am doing that is good enough for salvation, but I don't have to worry about it.  I come to Jesus and He is what gives me salvation and the peace of mind to know that even when I screw up (and, of course, I will) ... that I can still know His love and my place is still secure in Heaven!  There is no greater blessing in all the world!  ... Seriously. ... I dare you to find me one!

Day 29 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that my sweet little puppy is much better after she cut herself on a broken dish when we weren't home AND was feeling a little bit sick ... I imagine her being sick gives me the same helpless feeling that mom's get with very young children.  She doesn't understand what is wrong with her and isn't capable of making herself feel better!  But I am happy that she is back to her perky, feisty self without a trip to the vet!

Day 28 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my iMac and my MacBook Pro ... Both computers are reliable and so easy to use ... it reminded me how thankful I am for a non-Windows alternative and for a company that is fiscally responsible, treats their employees well, and makes great products.  Unfortunately, that is something to praise these days, because many companies don't do any of those things.  After having to use a windows computer that shut down 4 times in 2 days to install updates that I probably didn't even need and has no battery life whatsoever, I am thankful for computers that do neither of those things to me.  I can enjoy a few hours sitting at Starbucks with my MacBook Pro and the battery will still be working and I don't get constant updates that are probably irrelevant to any work I am trying to do!

Day 27 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for a few hours of peace of mind ... It was nice to have some time to just read a book, check Pinterest, and chill and really let my mind wonder away from all of the things going on in the world and in my life to just not worry.

Day 26 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for an early morning ... even though I begrudgingly got out of bed at 5:30 and groaned about how sleepy I was ... Getting up early has been a blessing this morning.  It has given me almost 2 hours to myself, to do my daily Bible reading, catch up on emails, look through Cyber Monday deals, enjoy some Christmas tunes and Hazlenut coffee at Panera, and get to see the sun rise and watch the city wake up!  Not to mention it is only 8 a.m. and I am almost halfway done w/ my daily to-do list!  I probably will not make it a habit to get up quite as early as I did this morning, but I will say it feels good to be this productive before 8 a.m.

Day 25 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that I am not where I was ... I may not be where I should be, but I am not where I was ... the past few years have not been easy for my husband and I in a lot of ways - mainly financially ... and even though we are definitely nowhere near where we want to be, we are definitely not where we were because of tough decisions and perseverance through the tough times ... and not giving up when things haven't gotten easier!  I know there is a prize for us for that ... whether it be in this life or in eternity.

Day 24 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my in-laws.  I am truly blessed to have married into such a wonderful family!  From day one they have treated me like family and I have never once had one of those moments where I dreaded a visit with the in-laws!  My mother and father-in-law have been amazing to me and such an inspiration to my husband and I on how to make a marriage work ... I am also blessed to have inherited 2 extra siblings along with the ride as well!  They are wonderful people and I can't imagine life without all of them :)

Day 23 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and the rest of my extended family ... I cannot tell you how amazing it is to have all of these people who look out for me, encourage me, and have become my friends over the years!  I am so thankful to have wonderful cousins and aunts and uncles all over the country!

Day 22 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for many things that we often forget to say we are thankful for ... like hot water, running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, telephones, vacuum cleaners ... it really is all the little things in life ... I am also thankful that I get to spend Thanksgiving Day with my amazing family!

Day 21 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for Butler University and my college experience!  I can't even begin to explain how amazing those 4 years were!  I met some amazing friends, got a great education, and had the time of my life!  Even today, I get the same warm, fuzzy feeling when I go to campus that I did the first time I ever visited.  It still "feels like home" to me.  Today and forever, I bleed Butler blue!  GO DAWGS!

Day 20 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my father.  He is such a great man who has been such an amazing part of my life.  I owe so much to him.  I am ever blessed that he helped me learned how to ride a bike when I was 5, bought me a car when I turned 16, was there to help me pick where I went to college (and still wears his Butler Dad hat with pride), gave his permission for my husband to marry, got to walk me down the aisle, and now has become more than my father and more like a friend.  I am so grateful for everything he has done for me and I know God blessed me when he gave him to me as my dad!

Day 19 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful to have a long weekend to spend some time with family, catch up on sleep, pack, make a little extra money, and just to take a breather from the typical daily grind that gets to us all after awhile!  I can already smell the turkey and sweet potatoes :)

Day 18 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for the church God brought us to ...  We have met so many great, godly friends and people at CCG.  And not only that I am regularly challenged by what our pastor teaches us on a regular basis.  I feel very blessed to have a church that makes me feel excited to get up for on Sunday morning!

Day 17 of Giving Thanks

Today I am so thankful that I got to spend the day with my Hubby shopping for appliances for the new house, oogling over TV's (well, he did anyway), getting Starbucks and cooking dinner together.  It was a great day together and I love it when we get a chance to just hang out without all of the stress of what needs to get done :)

Day 16 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for the sunshine!  It is out in full force today!  I know in the coming months we won't see it as much as we all like to, so I am glad to see that it is out and the weather feels like a perfect crisp fall afternoon!  It is my favorite season for many reasons, but one is the combination of sweatshirts and sunshine :)

Day 15 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for Chase's remote deposit from your phone option ... I know this sounds lame, but I have been very busy lately and today I was overwhelmed before my day even started thinking about all of the things I needed to get done in my office and at home.  Luckily, I did remember as I was fretting about having to go to 2 different banks in 2 different cities today to get all my money deposited, that I could use my iPhone to deposit my checks to Chase!  It was easy and allowed me to get another task off my to-do list!

There are days that I love technology and today is one of them.

Day 14 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my mother!  She has done so much for me throughout the years.  She sacrificed so much for my sister and I, so we could have her around when we were younger.  She had dreams of her own to go to college and even graduate school and put those on hold so she could be home with my sister and I instead.  As much as I hate to see people not fulfilling their dreams, I know when I look at my mom that her true dream was to spend as much time as possible with my sisters and I when we were growing up so she didn't miss anything ... And I can't thank her enough for that!  Also, as the years have gone by and we have grown up, she has become a great friend to me.  I still love that she does lots of "mommy" things for me.  She took care of me a few weeks ago when I was sick.  She made my husband and I a huge brunch after church a few weeks ago.  And she even got as giddy as I did walking through my new, yet unfinished home, and helping me make plans for decoration!  She is a great inspiration to me and I got blessed when God chose this specific woman to be my mother!

Day 13 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for how busy I have been over the past few weeks ... It has been stressful.  I have had more things to do than I could possibly fit into the hours I had available, but it has been such a blessing!  I have been waiting for times like these to come up when I could have enough work to do to keep me busy!  It is great!  This is the first step in making my law practice a success ... So bring on some more work, and enough work to keep me on my toes and keep my hopping!

Day 12 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my 3 grandmothers ... I, not only was blessed to have 2, but actually 3 grandmothers who have taught me so much in life ... All of 3 of them are excellent motherly examples and examples of strong women.  I feel incredibly blessed to have all 3 of them in my life.  I have extremely fond memories of all 3 of them from my childhood and it has been even more of a blessing to get to know them as friends in my adult years.  As I have had several friends lose grandmothers recently, I knew I should thank God for allowing me to have 3 wonderful grandmothers that are very strong and healthy and that I will hopefully be able to continue to enjoy and get to know for many years to come.

Day 11 of Giving Thanks

Today I am ever grateful for the brave and selfless men and women who serve our country ... They protect us from outside and inside harms.  They protect our freedoms, rights, and privileges.  And they allow all of us to sleep easily at night, knowing that it is unlikely that a war bomb will be coming through your home in the middle of the night.  We are ever grateful for the many things that we take for granted on a daily basis in our country and one of them is that we have thousands of men and women who volunteer to protect and serve our country!

Thank you to all of those men and women who have served and continue to serve us!  We are ever grateful for the privileges we have because of you!

Day 10 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for public libraries ... I love to read and I love books, but beyond that, public libraries provide a safe haven for children and adults.  They provide free resources like books, movies, CDs, and workshops to help students with tutoring and help adults get necessary training and job skills.  There is just nothing like walking into a huge room that is floor to ceiling filled with books.

Day 9 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that my husband and I get to build a brand-new home.  It has been amazing going through the process of picking a lot, picking out floorplans, etc and watching the house go up!  It will be an amazing thing to take a house and make wholly our own, since no one but us will have ever lived there.

Day 8 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my playful, fun, sweet, snuggly, furry child: Wrigley!  The past 3+ years that she has been a part of our life has made our family complete!  She has such a sweet, loving, and forgiving personality and there is just nothing quite like a dog's unconditional love.  I know no matter what is going on in my life, who is demanding things of me, or who is hurting me, that the only thing she demands is my love!  And I give it willingly to the dog that is more than just a furry creature, but is my friend and my baby girl!  No matter how many more dogs, cats, children, or other critters we end up with she will always be our first baby!  Love you Wrigley!

Day 7 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for all of the people who have inspired me to be a better person ... past, present, and future ... these people have, either through their words or lives or personal encouragement to me, have made me a better person and are continuing to make me a better person!  These people may or may not know who they are but they deserve a standing ovation for taking who I was to get me where I am ... To those who have not yet inspired and encouraged me you deserve a round of applause in advance ... Thank the Lord I am not who I used to be, but I know I'm not where I want to be yet either!

Day 6 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that I live in a country that allows me to make my own educated decision based on my own unique set of values, beliefs, and opinions.  People my not like my decision.  They may call me stupid or ignorant for my beliefs but I am forever grateful that I have the PRIVILEGE and RIGHT to vote in line with my beliefs and values and not be persecuted by the masses or by my government for doing so.

Day 5 of Giving Thanks

Today I am ever grateful for the man by my side ... I am so glad I met my wonderful husband 4 1/2 years ago and are heading toward 3 years of marriage ... He is loving, caring, sweet and would do anything to make me happy!  He makes me laugh, he cries with me, and he even takes care of me when I am sick ... He does so much to provide for us and works so hard.  I am inspired by him as a teacher ... a job many are leaving and yet he is such a great role model for the young minds he molds!  Thank you for all you do Matthew Parker!  I love you!

Day 4 of Giving Thanks

I am ever thankful for a good night's sleep after a very rough evening / night with my back last night ... and for the extra hour of sleep I was able to get.

Day 3 of Giving Thanks

Today I am ever thankful and grateful for my best friend and Siamese twin Susie Meredith!  Most people don't get to have the same best friend for over 20 years! I am one of those very lucky people.  Her family has always treated me like I was one of them and no matter where the world takes us I always know I can pick up the phone and it will be like there is no distance or time between us.

Thank you Susie for being such a wonderful best friend and for being there for me through everything!

Day 2 of Giving Thanks

This morning I was thinking about what I am thankful and so many things crossed my mind ... because I have so much to be thankful for!

But today I am especially thankful for my 2 little sisters.  I grew up with one of them and am now getting to watch the baby grow up and it has been such a blessing!  I wanted a little sister so bad and God blessed with me to grow up with ... and now be best friends with!  I never asked for the baby sister, but I truly couldn't imagine life without her.  She has been such a blessing to our family and so much fun!

Casey Jo and Emma Grace ... I am so thankful for you!  (And I'm so glad you weren't brothers ;) ... jk ... maybe)

Day 1 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that I feel much much better and this sinus infection appears to be moving on!

What are you thankful for today?

30 Days of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is really all about giving thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives ... This really should be a daily thing, but most of us don't stop to think about it often enough.  I'm pretty horrible about it myself ... so this year I am devoting November to giving thanks!


What things are you thankful for this year?

Apologies

Okay, so I am sorry I gave up on my productivity blogging ... To be honest, I guess that doesn't say much about my level of productivity, but honestly I just had a lot going on and kept forgetting about it!

So sorry folks!

31 Days of Productivity - Day 8

Yesterday I got back in the swing of things ... I had a lot on my plate and managed to get done the 3 most important things on my list.

I still have a few things lingering from last week that I honestly just didn't want to do and those I will attack tomorrow, full steam ahead!

I left work a little bit early, even though I know that is a problem I have that I need to work on ... I needed some new shoes for work and I went on a manhunt and found a pair.

After work, my goals were to cook dinner and not go out to eat and to make it to Zumba.  I accomplished both of those things and they both made me feel very good!  I slept much easier last night knowing that I got done what I really needed to get done.

Productivity Lesson of the day: It's okay to have a few setbacks ... but get back up on the horse and keep trotting along.  No more wasted days!

31 Days of Productivity - Days 6 & 7

I have slacked on my postings ... but not for lack of productivity ... I took a break from everything over the weekend to spend some time with my husband and do some cleaning around the house.

We definitely did not get all the cleaning done I would've like to do, BUT we had a great day together on Saturday looking for furniture for the new house and hanging out at the library.  I definitely didn't NEED to check out about 15 books, but it was free and fun.

On Sunday, I worked my part time job after church and came home to Hubby cooking dinner and he had done some of the cleaning that was on my list but never happened :)

Overall, it was a great weekend and got me prepared for the week ahead.

31 Days of Productivity - Day 5

"Catch-up day" which is what I call my Friday's was a success today ... laundry, lunch and catching up with a friend, and helping out my sister ... Not a typical workday to-do list, but I have set up my schedule to have Friday be a "catch-up day" for me ...

It has been a great day ... However, I have noticed that I rely on Friday as an extra weekend day even when I know there are things I could do.  I have a few things sitting on my desk that could get done ... that probably should get done but I have put them off until next week ... Partly because right now my commute is an hour so unless there are a few reasons to go, I don't ... but honestly, I should be putting my clients first instead of my own selfish desires for what I would like to do.

My clients do not care if I have an extra day off or "catch-up" day in the week ... They don't really care about my commute ... And they don't care about how much Mt. Laundry is about to explode.

My goal should be to serve my clients ... that means I should be putting myself behind my clients and their needs and what they have asked me to do.

This is something that I need to focus on and work on in my life ... It is part of this 31 Days to really examining my current level of productivity and increasing it by 50% at most.  I know it is what I need to do. I know it is how I should be and I know that successful business people eat, sleep, and breathe my business ... and only then will be I as successful as they are.

31 Days of Productivity - Days 3 & 4

Well, I definitely missed my post yesterday ... I don't really have an excuse other than I just plain forgot about it ...

Yesterday was a pretty mellow day, but after my 12 hour workday on Tuesday and the raging headache that threatened to have me keeled over, I'd say I needed it.

I honestly didn't have too much on my To-Do list, but I was able to complete the most important few things that we on the list ... the most important of which was to get my butt to Zumba last night!  I was strong in my commitment to go when I woke up in the morning, but throughout the day, the aches that come with cloudy, rainy days starting setting in and I tried to make excuses that I couldn't go.

Luckily, I talked my sister into joining me (which gave me more motivation to prove just how much more superior at dancing than she is ;) ).  I will admit that once I was there I had a blast dancing around, got my sweat on, and felt fabulous for going after I left.

Productivity Lesson for Day 3: Sometimes the things that we don't want to do and put off doing actually make us feel great once we do them.  They give us a sense of peace for having accomplished what we said we would do, even if we grumbled the whole way.  We also sleep easier and better knowing that we accomplished what we wanted to accomplish.


Now onto today ... Today I am back in my office and ready to tackle the things on my list ... So far I have completed two tasks that were lingering on my to-do list from Tuesday.  I have several others but I am still waiting on information from clients to make those things happen.

So right now I am looking to get the few things done that I have listed on my To-Do list that I can accomplish and going into a long weekend feeling good about the things I have gotten done this week!

Productivity Lesson for Day 4: Don't sweat the things that are out of your control.  You can't control what other people do and on what time frame they are working.  The best you can do is be ready when the time comes that they are ready to move forward!

31 Days of Productivity - Day 2

Today I have managed to get through a few things on my to-do list and make it through a few meetings ... but I have reached a stand-still because I have had a horrible headache all day.  Even typing this looking at the computer screen hurts.  I have worked with the lights off to help get the most important things done that I need to do.

Luckily, there are several things on my to-do list that I cannot finish because I am waiting on information from others so I do not feel guilty continuing to leave those items on the corner on my desk.  I have a few phone calls that need to be made and emails that need to be sent, but I'm just losing the battle of focus to these hammer pounding in my head.

I took a long lunch and went to my mom's house to take a nap ... knowing that I work my second job this evening.  At first I felt guilty about that "waste of time" and then I thought about how much better I would feel and how much more I could get done, if I could just get rid of the migraine ... Unfortunately, the migraine is still there BUT it has dulled and I feel much more refreshed to take on the world for the evening.

Productivity lessons of the day: It is okay to just get the importnat things of the day done ... those meetings that were already scheduled and just the items of immediate priority on your desk .... Productivity is fluid ... It will ebb and change and flow ... And as long as the work that needs to be done is getting done in a timely manner, we are allowed to slack a bit one day ....

And last, but not least, one of the most importnat lessons I have learned about productivity:  Sometimes we won't feel well ... Sometimes our heads will hurt or our stomachs or our noses ... It happens.  That is life.  And, yes, those days make being productive even harder, but the longer those illnesses and pains last, the more off track we get with our productivity ... So sometimes it is the most productive you can be to take a long lunch and take a nap ... or stay home, take medicine and sleep.  You might think that is a waste of time, but it might be just what you need to get your productivity back on track.

Day 1 - 31 Day Productivity Challenge

I struggle with procrastination ... I mean who doesn't?!  I complain about how little time I have to get everything done ... but the reality is most of the time I'm just lazy.  I don't want to clean the kitchen, instead I want to watch the HIMYM rerun I've seen 10 times ... I don't want to finish the work I know I need to finish bc I want to clear off my email and Google Reader feed ...

I spend a lot of time justifying my procrastinating actions ... But they haven't gotten me anywhere ...

Here's why this is so important to me!

In May of last year I opened my own law practice ... At times I have been quite busy and others have been incredibly slow ... I like being busy because that means less financial stress ... but I wil be honest in saying that I love the slow times more ... Why? Because I can read a book, check Facebook, spend hours on Pinterest, house hunt, go shopping, get my hair done, etc ... I have been pretty justified that when I do not have work to do and things are slow that I can just do whatever I want ...

But this mentality is killing my business.  There is always something that can be done ... ALWAYS.  There are always blog posts I can write, marketing events I can attend, or simply taking the time to catch up with old clients or friends who might be in need of my services.

So today I embark on a 31 day journey to become more productive and use my time for wisely ... If you tips, tricks, marketing tools ... anything that can pull me and my business out the slump I would love to hear them!

So far today I have been the most productive I have been in a while ... It is 1:52 p.m. and a good chunk of my To-Do list is finished ...

And as much as I hate to admit it - the cause for my extreme productivity to start the week: Getting up at 5:30!  I got up and carpooled with my husband this morning, which meant that I had roughly 2 hours of downtime before work even started today (oh, I know I'm going to be paying for it later when I'm too tired to function).  It gave me some "me time" to catch up on some reading, read my Bible, check Facebook updates, make a good action list for the day, and de-stress before the day even started!

I don't think I will continue getting up at 5:30 in the morning, but I think I need to start setting my alarm 30 minutes earlier so I can use that extra time to get  a few of the things done that I know need to be done before my day truly starts ...

Just a note:  This was extremely hard for me to admit since I LOVE to sleep!  I hate alarm clocks with a passion.  And last but not least ... I am NOT a morning person!  But maybe that is just the change I need.

Any tips or tricks for turning yourself into a morning person?

A New Day

I originally started this blog with the intention of writing about books ... And now I've realized after months of un-use and complaining that I don't have the time to devote to blogging, I've decided on a more practical approach ... A blog to just write about whatever!  Share my favorite quotes, verses, etc., but also to share my thoughts and feelings.

I am joining a writing challenge for the month of October to write on a topic for 31 days!  I've decided to write about my battle with productivity ... It will be my account of the distractions and I face daily and my battle to overcome them to get more done!

I hope these posts will encourage others who struggle from the same procrastination disorder to overcome the obstacles that get in our way.