I feel exhilarated after fixing a song I've been working on writing for what seems like forever. The bridge was not fitting in at all -- too many notes, too many words, too much going on, so I went simple and I love what I have now. Weee! Then I danced all around my apartment loving my life for the moment, but unfortunately I think I sprained an ass muscle. I dance constantly but I've never felt this particular glute pain. Hopefully it will subside.
Also I feel like I can't sleep anytime soon... I've been hitting the hay around 3am these days anyway, which I should probably try to shift back to non-vampire territory so I can function with other humans? Perhaps....
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
5 Minutes
One productivity tip I just got from a favorite podcast, 30/20 Vision, is to immediately do any incoming task that will take 5 minutes or less. It's a good one I think.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Motivation follows action
The following have inspired me lately:
--Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns, MD. A friend lent me this book and it has really changed my perspective on a lot of things. Reading it is like several amazing sessions with a cognitive therapist, in my opinion, and I've been recommending it to people. One particularly great chapter is called "Do-Nothingism: How to Beat It" and one thing I took away is the concept that motivation follows action, not the other way around. It's natural to think that one must "get motivated" somehow and then perform tasks, but in fact the act of doing something, ANYTHING, even if unrelated, will create motivation to do more. I also learned lots of other lessons which I may write about at another time. This is definitely I book I can see myself going back to again and again.
--The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America by Dr. Drew Pinksy and S. Mark Young. Another fascinating book which is both a careful look at modern-day celebrity behavior and youth culture, plus an invitation to examine your own narcissistic tendencies (which I admit I certainly do have.... does anyone write a blog and not have some narcissism?).
--The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central. The latest episode made me guffaw with joy. I love the style of this show and it's inspiring me as I brainstorm a comedy web series.
Happy Andrew Lloyd Webber's birthday, everyone, and talk to you soon!
--Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns, MD. A friend lent me this book and it has really changed my perspective on a lot of things. Reading it is like several amazing sessions with a cognitive therapist, in my opinion, and I've been recommending it to people. One particularly great chapter is called "Do-Nothingism: How to Beat It" and one thing I took away is the concept that motivation follows action, not the other way around. It's natural to think that one must "get motivated" somehow and then perform tasks, but in fact the act of doing something, ANYTHING, even if unrelated, will create motivation to do more. I also learned lots of other lessons which I may write about at another time. This is definitely I book I can see myself going back to again and again.
--The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America by Dr. Drew Pinksy and S. Mark Young. Another fascinating book which is both a careful look at modern-day celebrity behavior and youth culture, plus an invitation to examine your own narcissistic tendencies (which I admit I certainly do have.... does anyone write a blog and not have some narcissism?).
--The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central. The latest episode made me guffaw with joy. I love the style of this show and it's inspiring me as I brainstorm a comedy web series.
Happy Andrew Lloyd Webber's birthday, everyone, and talk to you soon!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Structure please!
I definitely DEFINITELY need more structure in my life than I currently have, and I might be going crazy without it.
Today my mom reminded me that I've been in school since I was two and a half, during every summer I had pretty specific plans including camp, vacations, and work. Right after college I started work, and I didn't ever take off more than a week at a time once per year, and I always traveled during that time off. No wonder this is such a weird time for me right now.
On a previous blog entry, my wonderful friend Tania made these four suggestions and I'm really going to try them to get motivated. Right now I'm doing none of them. In her words:
1. Always have a plan for the day.
2. Have a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.
3. Get active.
4. Limit "screen time," meaning TV and computer, because it sucks me in, doesn't actually use up my energy nor give me energy, thereby putting me in a suspended state where I get nothing done but don't want to do anything BUT surf/watch.
I'll report back!
Today my mom reminded me that I've been in school since I was two and a half, during every summer I had pretty specific plans including camp, vacations, and work. Right after college I started work, and I didn't ever take off more than a week at a time once per year, and I always traveled during that time off. No wonder this is such a weird time for me right now.
On a previous blog entry, my wonderful friend Tania made these four suggestions and I'm really going to try them to get motivated. Right now I'm doing none of them. In her words:
1. Always have a plan for the day.
2. Have a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.
3. Get active.
4. Limit "screen time," meaning TV and computer, because it sucks me in, doesn't actually use up my energy nor give me energy, thereby putting me in a suspended state where I get nothing done but don't want to do anything BUT surf/watch.
I'll report back!
1:12pm, seriously?
I'm pretty impaired without my glasses; I can't even make out the time on the cable box across the room in the morning! Today I woke up naturally and squinted at the time. The blurry image looked short, only three digits for sure, so it must be either 8:00ish or 9:00ish, right? Nope, try 1:12pm. D'oh! I keep sleeping away the whole damn day! To be fair, I did stay up until 3:30am, but still, there is something to be said about missing all the precious daylight hours.
Okay, I am started to think I need a better plan than what I'm doing....
Okay, I am started to think I need a better plan than what I'm doing....
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Making my outside as casual as my inside
A few months ago I considered jeans my casual pants. How times have changed!
While working:
Dressed nicely = lined dress pants/trousers
Medium = unlined non-denim pants
Casual = jeans
Now:
Dressed nicely = jeans
Medium = yoga pants
Casual = pajama bottoms
I'm starting to have this fantasy about wearing pajama bottoms everywhere.... I could be a trendsetter!
Also I now have days where I don't wear any makeup for the whole day. I don't think I've done this since I was like 12, and I know that sounds crazy. I formerly did not wear a LOT of makeup; I had a three step process: basic cover-up concealer, mascara, and lipstick -- and always the same brand and shade of each. And within the past year I worked in eyeliner and I think it works for me. So I guess now it's a four-step process, plus ensuring I haven't sprouted a third eyebrow in the middle of my forehead overnight.
Anyway, these days I've been emerging sans makeup when I go running, eat or shop locally, or hang around the apartment pretending to be productive but actually wasting my life. And I'm starting to feel comfortable showing my "real" face to the world in a way I never was in high school or college when I had to wear SOMETHING on my face nearly always. It's liberating and I feel good!
Don't worry though -- I promise I am still bathing, using deodorant, etc. If I write a post one day about eliminating those things, please contact me from a safe distance and tell me I've lost it. :)
While working:
Dressed nicely = lined dress pants/trousers
Medium = unlined non-denim pants
Casual = jeans
Now:
Dressed nicely = jeans
Medium = yoga pants
Casual = pajama bottoms
I'm starting to have this fantasy about wearing pajama bottoms everywhere.... I could be a trendsetter!
Also I now have days where I don't wear any makeup for the whole day. I don't think I've done this since I was like 12, and I know that sounds crazy. I formerly did not wear a LOT of makeup; I had a three step process: basic cover-up concealer, mascara, and lipstick -- and always the same brand and shade of each. And within the past year I worked in eyeliner and I think it works for me. So I guess now it's a four-step process, plus ensuring I haven't sprouted a third eyebrow in the middle of my forehead overnight.
Anyway, these days I've been emerging sans makeup when I go running, eat or shop locally, or hang around the apartment pretending to be productive but actually wasting my life. And I'm starting to feel comfortable showing my "real" face to the world in a way I never was in high school or college when I had to wear SOMETHING on my face nearly always. It's liberating and I feel good!
Don't worry though -- I promise I am still bathing, using deodorant, etc. If I write a post one day about eliminating those things, please contact me from a safe distance and tell me I've lost it. :)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How to get motivated?
I just Googled "how to get motivated" and read a bunch of un-useful websites and wikis. Blerg.
Today I saw my shrink and his main advice to me is to get out of the "grieving" stage of not having a job and get off my butt to do something, anything (well, he phrased this differently in his crazy Russian-accented way). But how, HOW DO I DO THIS, UNIVERSE? I've totally lost momentum and it's hard for me to do simple tasks these days. But then again, I did wake up today, get dressed, and leave the apartment, so today's not a total fail.
Today I saw my shrink and his main advice to me is to get out of the "grieving" stage of not having a job and get off my butt to do something, anything (well, he phrased this differently in his crazy Russian-accented way). But how, HOW DO I DO THIS, UNIVERSE? I've totally lost momentum and it's hard for me to do simple tasks these days. But then again, I did wake up today, get dressed, and leave the apartment, so today's not a total fail.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Just say yes
Last Wednesday through Saturday I had a short-term gig stage managing a school play at a private school downtown. A friend/former colleague recommended me and although at first I wasn't sure if I'd be good at it, I said yes anyway. A chance to practice a theatrical skill, earn a few bucks, and heal the world in an area I care about, arts education. And it turned out great!
The kids (age 10-17) were bright and adorable and fun to work with, not to mention more mature than some adults I've worked with in the past! They made me really miss being in school, and they reminded me of all the good memories. I usually fixate on the trauma of being a high schooler and forget how much fun stuff there was, like the freedom to put on a musical at school! If only I could return to high school with the self-confidence and self-awareness I have today... but then it wouldn't be high school, would it?
I realized I really do like working with kids. I especially enjoyed the fact that I was able to work WITH the stage crew and actors, figuring out how to solve problems together. The older I get the more I appreciate childhood and adolescence and all the creativity that children are blessed with.
Secondly I had a blast actually working INSIDE a theatre again, however small the show, because I've spent far too long in offices feeling disconnected from the final product. This was a good chance for me to get my hands dirty (literally).
This was also exactly the kind of short-term job that is exciting to me at this commitment-phobic time in my work life. I'm so glad my friend thought of me for it, and I'm glad I went for it and went outside my comfort zone. A good reminder to "just say yes."
The kids (age 10-17) were bright and adorable and fun to work with, not to mention more mature than some adults I've worked with in the past! They made me really miss being in school, and they reminded me of all the good memories. I usually fixate on the trauma of being a high schooler and forget how much fun stuff there was, like the freedom to put on a musical at school! If only I could return to high school with the self-confidence and self-awareness I have today... but then it wouldn't be high school, would it?
I realized I really do like working with kids. I especially enjoyed the fact that I was able to work WITH the stage crew and actors, figuring out how to solve problems together. The older I get the more I appreciate childhood and adolescence and all the creativity that children are blessed with.
Secondly I had a blast actually working INSIDE a theatre again, however small the show, because I've spent far too long in offices feeling disconnected from the final product. This was a good chance for me to get my hands dirty (literally).
This was also exactly the kind of short-term job that is exciting to me at this commitment-phobic time in my work life. I'm so glad my friend thought of me for it, and I'm glad I went for it and went outside my comfort zone. A good reminder to "just say yes."
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