* Quick note: I’ve decided not to do a video this week. I want to create more value with my videos and that means figuring out how to make the videos more dynamic and interesting.
Where we are free to talk about the hard, the fun, and the beautiful of our work week.
My desk is a mess. I’ve been putting off my organization until tomorrow too many times. I’m not proud of this, but there always seems to be something else better to do.
My systems are breaking down.
Instead of doing what I know is right I’ve been choosing the easier route. This route is easy in the present moment, but harder in the long term.
I have to be more diligent about putting away that piece of paper instead of just throwing it on my desk. The hard part is figuring out how to stay motivated to do the little things.
You probably struggle with this too in some area of your life. Maybe you have trouble with exercising on a regular basis or getting up on time to get to work. Whatever your struggle with, it all comes down to connecting with what is right.
I’m creating next week’s theme from this week’s challenges. I want to simplify how I handle the information in my life, so that it’s easier to make the right choice. When I have a piece of paper in my hand, instead of just placing it on my desk, I will connect with the pain that lies ahead (what happens if I don’t do the simple task of organizing now), so it motivates me to be more organized.
You should also think about how you can adjust to a daily challenge in your life. How can you find a way to connect with what is right instead of choosing the easy way out?
Alright let’s begin…
Hard
Knowing when to relax and when to try a little harder.
I’m still working with my work rhythm. There are some weeks when I’m a go getter and I knock out a bunch of work, and then there are other weeks when I struggle to get a few things done.
I’m trying to write more guest posts, but with a full-time family, full-time job, and trying to leave room for a social life, I’m having trouble finding my rhythm. I need to find my rhythm earlier in the day so I can knock the work out and do whatever I feel like doing later in the day.
I guess I’ve always felt like this. Working with these emotions isn’t easy.
Fun
Working with some friends on a project.
We laugh and share stories. This time together helps me realize that relationships are so very important to enjoying what we do.
I could have been scooping up little dog poops all day long with these people and it would still be fun.
Beautiful
My wrist guard.
I’m on the computer a lot. I’m at the computer at my day job and then I come home to help all of you to become happier at work at my computer.
On the weekends I’m on the computer again. That’s a lot of keystrokes and mouse clicks that can cause pain even in the strongest of wrists.
I wear a wrist guard whenever I’m at the computer. It helps reduce my strain and I’m able to relax my wrist and arm while working on the computer. I linked to this wrist guard on Amazon.
I don’t use it, but it looks exactly like the one I do use, so it should help. If you do buy it, yes I get a couple bucks.
We are lucky to live in a society where we can get support for any part of our aching body.
What about you?
What has been hard, fun and beautiful in your life? I’ll see you in the comment section.
* Are you on Twitter? Then join over 2,700 people who get my stress relief tips, happiness ideas, and thought provoking quotes. @workhappynow
* Tess over at The Bold Life has a great guest post called How to Build a Winning Work Ethic. It's not the advice we always want to hear, but we should really listen.
If you enjoyed this post then you will probably like this one too:
- Your Personality Should Explode Throughout Your Work Space
Hi Karl, great post. Sorry to hear about your wrist problems. I'm glad you found a solution to get that fixed.
What's been hard for me is trying to balance my part-time job as a freelance writer with writing blog posts in my blog. Sometimes I want to do more for one than the other and things get screwed up. I'm trying to work on balance.
The fun part of this entire writing process for me is seeing myself grow as a writer and learning from all the different writer's out there in the world. It's an awesome experience.
What's beautiful in my life is just seeing the day go by. When you stop writing and take the time to ponder outside of the window, even if it's like 30 seconds, you realize how wonderful nature changes before your eyes.
Cheer up Karl,
You know how they say a person who is disorganized on the outside is organized on the inside. I don't know about you, but it pretty much applies to me. Then again, when you can't even find your hand on the desk, it's time to get more organized.
Hi Karl,
Thanks for the link love. Everyone has really appreciated Ralph's wisdom. I find his story inspiring and motivating.
Hard
Unmotivated to exercise. I've been running since I was 27...that's a lot of years. The last couple of weeks I've been slacking. I have hiked and am coming to terms with hiking more and running less. I love hiking as well and want to do the Grand Canyon in the fall.
Fun
Having coffee with two friends. I love Starbucks even though it's a crazy price to pay for coffee. On the other hand I don't see it any different than ordering a glass of wine or beer at dinner. I think I'm justifying fun now!
Watching my husbands business take off. I've put so much into his marketing and to get phone calls and appointments made from what I've done with him is so fun and celebratory. We've always worked well together even when we disagree we just come back together and push forward. To recover and leap forward at his age (58) is amazing. It shows you can succeed when you're willing to do what it takes to succeed.
Beautiful.
I spoke to another group last week and sold 60 books. My goal was a boxful and there are 76 in a box. I was ecstatic because I know more jobs will come with those books sold. I had many people stop by and tell me how I'd given them hope. What can be more beautiful than that!
Hi Karl,
Ah yes, work-life balance and being organized are such lovely concepts in theory, but seem to be something of a challenge to stay on top of in practice. 🙂 With all the different roles and projects you're juggling, one or the other is bound to unravel from time to time. For myself, I've noticed that I start getting disorganized and cluttered when I'm feeling overwhelmed and just too tired to deal with organizing the stuff, so it piles up and I swear that the paper reproduces itself overnight--sort of like the "Trouble with tribbles" episode in Star Trek. (Yes, I'm THAT old that I remember those episodes! ;-)). Y
Sorry to hear about your wrist. Unfortunately, a lot of computer work can result in repetitive strain injuries. In addition to using a wrist guard, anything you can do to reduce the amount stress and ensuing inflammatory response in the body would also be really helpful. Since I'm not a big fan of anti-inflammatory drugs, I lean more toward herbal remedies, nutrition and aromatherapy oils to help me out.
Onto the hard, fun, and beautiful...
Hard: I am currently surrounded by boxes and chaos and frantically doing the last of my packing before I move on Monday--and having a few mini-meltdowns at times because it feels as though I have too many life style changes and too many things going on all at once. My move also occurs the morning after a dance performance. Crazy timing, I know! Also a bit challenging is that I've had a few challenges with parts of the group choreography piece so I'm a bit worried as to how that's going to work itself out by Sunday. Oh well, at least my solo routine will go well and I really love the piece of music I use for my solo (Jesse Cook's "Leila" --kind of a middle eastern and Spanish fusion piece).
Fun: As much as all this sorting and packing is a royal pain, my sister has been a real angel with helping me and we've had some good giggles along the way. When things get crazy we just start doing silly dances to whatever music we're listening to at the time.
Beautiful: Having such a great sister who is also a great friend, and just being grateful more generally for all the supportive and helpful people in my life. (An important point to remember when it feels like the unhelpful people are getting the upper hand.)
Wishing you and this great online community a fabulous weekend.
Hi Karl
Karl I have to say, your motivation is always so inspiring to read about. You have goals and dreams and you are working each day to make them a reality. Good for you! Just always remember to balance a healthy state of being in all that you do, and not push yourself too hard. At the end of any day it comes down to not how much you did, but how much you enjoyed yourself.
My hard was saying goodbye to a very special family for whom I have been tutoring two twin girls. They were all a blessing in my life and it was a pleasure to be able to help them, and saying bye was definitely heard.
Fun - Yoga! I started volunteering at a yoga studio and have been also enjoying lots of hot yoga in return - both the interaction with others and working out to this ancient form of exercise has been so much fun!
Beautiful - watching "Hope For Haiti Now" right now as I type this. It beats all other beautiful things I have experienced this week. It is the most beautiful expression of humanity uniting to help. I am speechless and overcome with emotion...
Hey, Karl! I love how honest and introspective you are. I think it's really courageous, and you encourage me to think about my own weaker tendencies and how I could better handle them.
I am a fan of compassion, though, so as I read your post I thought, "Everything has peaks and valleys." I think it applies to work rhythms, too, so perhaps just observe your lower energy moments, embrace them as being part of simply "what is," and don't resist too much. They'll fall away on their own.
Have a super weekend!
Karl,
I can completely relate to a messy desk. Organization is something that is easy for me to put off. Hey, we are in that boat together!
Hard: The project that just won't go away.
Fun: Working with a group of middle school kids that my wife and I meet with every week. They are fun kids.
Beautiful: Taking a different route to work, way out on the backroad, and seeing deer just wandering around as I drove.
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Hi Hulbert, Watching yourself grow as a writer is really cool. There are so many dynamics to it - creativity, self discipline, and failure to list a few. All a part of the fun.
Hi Eduard, I definitely need a little more organization in my life.
Hi Tess, Getting motivated to work out isn't easy. I know that I struggle too. Having a dog gets me out and moving around. 60 books that's awesome. Great job.
Hi Sue, Moving is so hard. I try to avoid it as much as I can. Dancing with your sister sounds fun. At least you have a partner in crime to make moving a little more enjoyable.
Hi Evita, Saying goodbye is hard. It sounds like they made an impression on you. I bet you made that big of an impression on them. That's memories you'll never forget.
Hi Megan, I try to embrace my low motivational days, but it's hard. I have so much I want to accomplish. I guess that's all part of trying to work happy.
Hi Lance, Lousy project. Don't you wish you had a magic button that would just blow it up. 🙂 I like taking a different route to work every now and again too. Just to spice things up.
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