1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (3/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: May 2010)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (46/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (6/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant 5 trees in yard (2/5)
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas (Done 26 December 2010)
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series (3/4)
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books (2/5)
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Pay off and close Chase Visa. (APR adjustment, indeed)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice (13,700/1,000,000)
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth (5/5) (Done 16 July 2009)
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list (Done 5/23/09)
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004 (0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (1/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (3/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (1/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (3/22)
85. Get curtains hung in last 2 bedrooms
86. Get a new desk/shelving unit for home library
87. Finish Kid’s room
88. Hang up 5 pictures
89. Donate to the Food Shelf 7 times ($25 or equivalent) (3/7)
90. Do the Locks of Love one more time
91. Leave a 100% tip 3 times (2/3)
92. Donate 50 of my books to the library (without reading them 1st) (50/50) (done 15 August 2009)
93. Put a $50 bill in the second collection basket (Done 14 November 2009)
94. Read the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” series by Lemony Snicket (6/13)
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Words to Live By
Yeah, we all have them. You know, words that are so deeply embedded into our being that we don't always know where they came from, but still manage to affect much of what we do...or don't do.
I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks, ever since I got my first B+ in grad school...and only the second in this round of college. At first I was ticked because I (thought) that I'd done a good job participating and designing my final project. Then, I was really ticked when I figured out my total points and realized that I'd missed an A- by 1 point. One. Freaking. Point.
Then my friend, Chris, who seems to be my Jiminy Cricket sometimes, reminded me that 1) I was now done with the class, 2) I'd passed, and 3) I really wasn't on board with the "B and done" philosophy that I claimed to espouse.
And you know, once again, he's right.
Why can't I just be happy with the whole "B and done" mentality? It'd make my life (and those suffering through grad school with me) sooooo much easier. I wouldn't have to live life fueled by long nights and lots of Diet Coke. I might even be able to stop taking Prilosec a month at a time. I might even be able to live a semi-normal life. Such a concept...
Well, as I've been thinking about it, I finally figured out some of why I can't just let it go. Why that intensity seems almost hard-wired into my very essence sometimes. Why it's so damn hard to let go of the almost crippling perfectionism. It all comes down to words spoken so often to me as I was growing up.
Most people know that I was (am) an only child. (It was by choice that my parents only had one.) There were plenty of times that I wished they'd reconsidered and had more, especially when I got into trouble (frequently) and not ever being able to say, "It wasn't me! I didn't do it. It was _______", 'cause, yeah...that didn't fly. I know how many people think, "Yeah, whatever. Quit your whining, because you probably got everything you asked for." Mmmmm, I'd like to go on record as saying, "I wish." What they don't think about is that by being an only child, there wasn't anyone else to deflect the parental focus, and nowhere to hide. It wasn't so much that Mom & Dad expected perfection, because I don't think they did (which is good, because they sure didn't get it), rather they expected excellence. All the time.
I still remember when my Dad read the book In Search of Excellence. His favorite quote became, "If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" And, yes, if I didn't do it right, I did it over. Which sucked. I'm pretty quick on the uptake, so I learned to do things right the first time, because I damn sure didn't want to do them over. And over. And over.
My Mom's favorite quote, on the other hand, was "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours." Anytime I'd say, "I can't" I'd hear it. Anytime I'd say something like, "I'm too dumb" or "I'll never understand this" or whatever, I'd hear it. Now, this could be a good thing, sure. But it didn't leave a whole lot of room for failure.
Other things I heard: Stay focused. Work hard. Never give up. You can cry and carry on later, but for now, you just gotta put your head down and get the job done. You give it your best, and then a little more. If you don't like how something is, change it--don't just stand there and bitch about it. Don't do things half-assed; either do them right or don't do them at all.
They all come down to one thing: Failure is not an option.
I think a person's favorite quotes speaks volumes about their core personality. Sometimes, the quotes mirror the inner, often unspoken dialogue s/he has internalized. They also illuminate not only what the person strives for, but also the instances in which they fall short.
For instance, some of mine are:
"Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves" -Hospitaler, 1185 AD
“When you’ve faced that moment and given everything you have, you let yourself realize that . . . your success or failure is not ultimately based on whether you triumphed, but in how you faced up to the challenge.”—Rich Wallace
It is not upon thee to finish the work; Neither art thou free to abstain from it.
-Talmud
"The question isn’t who is going to let me; It’s who is going to stop me." -Ayn Rand
"I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it."
-Niccolo Machiavelli
But I'm also trying to incorporate "Progress, not perfection"; "B and Done"; and the whole idea of The Cult of Done. I keep tripping up on my own perfectionism, but I'll keep at it. 'Cause I damn sure don't want to do it over.
I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks, ever since I got my first B+ in grad school...and only the second in this round of college. At first I was ticked because I (thought) that I'd done a good job participating and designing my final project. Then, I was really ticked when I figured out my total points and realized that I'd missed an A- by 1 point. One. Freaking. Point.
Then my friend, Chris, who seems to be my Jiminy Cricket sometimes, reminded me that 1) I was now done with the class, 2) I'd passed, and 3) I really wasn't on board with the "B and done" philosophy that I claimed to espouse.
And you know, once again, he's right.
Why can't I just be happy with the whole "B and done" mentality? It'd make my life (and those suffering through grad school with me) sooooo much easier. I wouldn't have to live life fueled by long nights and lots of Diet Coke. I might even be able to stop taking Prilosec a month at a time. I might even be able to live a semi-normal life. Such a concept...
Well, as I've been thinking about it, I finally figured out some of why I can't just let it go. Why that intensity seems almost hard-wired into my very essence sometimes. Why it's so damn hard to let go of the almost crippling perfectionism. It all comes down to words spoken so often to me as I was growing up.
Most people know that I was (am) an only child. (It was by choice that my parents only had one.) There were plenty of times that I wished they'd reconsidered and had more, especially when I got into trouble (frequently) and not ever being able to say, "It wasn't me! I didn't do it. It was _______", 'cause, yeah...that didn't fly. I know how many people think, "Yeah, whatever. Quit your whining, because you probably got everything you asked for." Mmmmm, I'd like to go on record as saying, "I wish." What they don't think about is that by being an only child, there wasn't anyone else to deflect the parental focus, and nowhere to hide. It wasn't so much that Mom & Dad expected perfection, because I don't think they did (which is good, because they sure didn't get it), rather they expected excellence. All the time.
I still remember when my Dad read the book In Search of Excellence. His favorite quote became, "If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" And, yes, if I didn't do it right, I did it over. Which sucked. I'm pretty quick on the uptake, so I learned to do things right the first time, because I damn sure didn't want to do them over. And over. And over.
My Mom's favorite quote, on the other hand, was "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours." Anytime I'd say, "I can't" I'd hear it. Anytime I'd say something like, "I'm too dumb" or "I'll never understand this" or whatever, I'd hear it. Now, this could be a good thing, sure. But it didn't leave a whole lot of room for failure.
Other things I heard: Stay focused. Work hard. Never give up. You can cry and carry on later, but for now, you just gotta put your head down and get the job done. You give it your best, and then a little more. If you don't like how something is, change it--don't just stand there and bitch about it. Don't do things half-assed; either do them right or don't do them at all.
They all come down to one thing: Failure is not an option.
I think a person's favorite quotes speaks volumes about their core personality. Sometimes, the quotes mirror the inner, often unspoken dialogue s/he has internalized. They also illuminate not only what the person strives for, but also the instances in which they fall short.
For instance, some of mine are:
"Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves" -Hospitaler, 1185 AD
“When you’ve faced that moment and given everything you have, you let yourself realize that . . . your success or failure is not ultimately based on whether you triumphed, but in how you faced up to the challenge.”—Rich Wallace
It is not upon thee to finish the work; Neither art thou free to abstain from it.
-Talmud
"The question isn’t who is going to let me; It’s who is going to stop me." -Ayn Rand
"I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it."
-Niccolo Machiavelli
But I'm also trying to incorporate "Progress, not perfection"; "B and Done"; and the whole idea of The Cult of Done. I keep tripping up on my own perfectionism, but I'll keep at it. 'Cause I damn sure don't want to do it over.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
101 Things in 1001 Days: January 2010 Roundup
1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (3/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: May 2010)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (44/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (6/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant 5 trees in yard (2/5)
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas (Done 26 December 2010)
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series (3/4)
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books (2/5)
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Pay off and close Chase Visa. (APR adjustment, indeed)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice (13,700/1,000,000)
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth (5/5) (Done 16 July 2009)
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list (Done 5/23/09)
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004 (0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (0/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (3/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (1/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (3/22)
85. Get curtains hung in last 2 bedrooms
86. Get a new desk/shelving unit for home library
87. Finish Kid’s room
88. Hang up 5 pictures
89. Donate to the Food Shelf 7 times ($25 or equivalent) (1/7)
90. Do the Locks of Love one more time
91. Leave a 100% tip 3 times (2/3)
92. Donate 50 of my books to the library (without reading them 1st) (50/50) (done 15 August 2009)
93. Put a $50 bill in the second collection basket (Done 14 November 2009)
94. Read the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” series by Lemony Snicket (6/13)
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (3/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: May 2010)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (44/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (6/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant 5 trees in yard (2/5)
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas (Done 26 December 2010)
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series (3/4)
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books (2/5)
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Pay off and close Chase Visa. (APR adjustment, indeed)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice (13,700/1,000,000)
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth (5/5) (Done 16 July 2009)
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list (Done 5/23/09)
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004 (0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (0/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (3/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (1/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (3/22)
85. Get curtains hung in last 2 bedrooms
86. Get a new desk/shelving unit for home library
87. Finish Kid’s room
88. Hang up 5 pictures
89. Donate to the Food Shelf 7 times ($25 or equivalent) (1/7)
90. Do the Locks of Love one more time
91. Leave a 100% tip 3 times (2/3)
92. Donate 50 of my books to the library (without reading them 1st) (50/50) (done 15 August 2009)
93. Put a $50 bill in the second collection basket (Done 14 November 2009)
94. Read the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” series by Lemony Snicket (6/13)
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again
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