Getting Things Done by David Allen

Book Cover Getting Things DoneGetting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen is written in an extremely linear style and format. That could prove difficult for right-brainers, but I found it easy to understand and apply. The thing is, when I finished the book last month (October 2011) I wasn’t really jived to practice anything Allen teaches until I re-read a few “dog-eared” chapters this weekend.

Here are a few excerpts on procrastination:

It’s really the smartest people who have the highest number of undecided things in their lives and on their lists. Why is that? Think of how our bodies respond to the images we hold in our minds. It appears that the nervous system can’t tell the different between a well-imagined thought and reality (page 240).

Because their sensitivity gives them the capability of producing in their minds lurid nightmare scenarios about what might be involved in doing the project, and all the negative consequences that might occur if it weren’t done perfectly! They just freak out in an instant and quit (page 241)!

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Guest Editorial: The Walking Dead on AMC

Poster for The Walking Dead Season OneBasic cable television has become a bit redundant for a lot of viewers who are tired of seeing the same old shows over and over again. This is not to say there are not new shows coming out as well, or that all old shows have lost their flair; however, it does occasionally seem as if television is “drying up” to some extent. This is why a number of television fans have recently discovered the extensive benefits associated with directtv satellite packages, which can offer access to premium programs and additional channels, and, therefore, newer and different TV shows. For example, the AMC network’s The Walking Dead has recently become one of the most popular shows on television, though it may not be available to everyone with basic TV packages.

For those who are not yet fans of the show, the first season of The Walking Dead, which debuted last year to widespread acclaim, follows Sheriffs Deputy Rick Grimes as he wakes up from a coma to find that the world is in a post-apocalyptic state, infested with dangerous “Walkers,” which for all intents and purposes are zombies. Rick arms himself and sets off on a journey for Atlanta, Georgia in search of his wife Lori and son Carl, who have managed to escape into hiding with Rick’s friend Shane. Rick manages to find this group and a small camp of survivors that they have organized. At the end of the season, a Dr. Jenner whispered something mysterious into Rick’s ear just before dying in a CDC explosion, right after explaining that the French may have a cure for the Walkers.
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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Change

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.

~ Gilda Radner

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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Fear

I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me. I have accepted fear as a part of life — specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown; and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says: turn back, turn back, you’ll die if you venture too far.

~ Erica Jong

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Change Is Good But Not Always Fast

Photo Common Jay Butterfly on Yellow ChrysanthemumA quick peek at the dates on my posts shows I’ve been somewhat absent recently. The fact is I needed time to think about, wonder about and evaluate recent choices and paths. Those sessions revealed I wasn’t living fully my core passions and helped clarify what those passions TRULY are: (1) teaching (2) writing (3) reading for fun (4) reading to learn and (5) living simply. So I ordered several books on the areas where I would like to grow and improve, starting with focus.

After reading and working through The Millionaire Messenger by Brendon Burchard a lightbulb (or three!) went off. Suddenly I was knee-deep in an idea that will change my life. Continue reading

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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Change

The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind.

~ Wayne Dyer

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I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

Book cover I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan WellsA 15-year old boy named John Wayne Cleaver, a diagnosed sociopath obsessed with serial killers, who used to torture animals, loves fire and still battles incontinence, seems better suited for the role of “villain” but Dan Wells proves the opposite in his debut novel, I Am Not a Serial Killer.

What I Liked Most

The exploration of man’s duality: good and evil living within the same being and the choice whether man indulges the “wrong” urges or denies them for the “right” ones. Perhaps this inner struggle is why people are so smitten with characters like Dexter Morgan and Hannibal Lecter, who are, by most definitions, “bad” people. Yet we can’t get enough of them or their stories. Why? We always hope, against all odds, the bad person can change – that they can be redeemed – and the “good” person we know is in there, will prevail. Plus, thanks to their writers, they’re likeable.

And John Wayne Cleaver is likeable with his sharp humor, witty observations and devotion to making the “good” choice.

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The Writing Process of a Former Perfectionist

Photo Vintage Typewriter 2 by David AsheOkay, maybe “former perfectionist” is more optimistic than accurate: I continue to struggle with perfectionism, sometimes daily. And my Inner Critic tends to resurface whenever I’m working on tasks for a client, especially a newsletter article or blog post.

Imagine my surprise when A CLIENT mentioned that writing always took her longer than planned. “I can’t write 500 words in less than three hours without sacrificing quality,” she said. It was obvious she too struggled with perfectionism. So I shared with her my process (below) which she now uses and loves.

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Reading Challenge: The Classic Bribe

Take a peek at my 75 Book Challenge (top menu) and you’ll see I already planned to read more of “the classics” this year. Now here’s extra incentive, and for you, too! http://quirkygirlsread.wordpress.com/the-classic-bribe/

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Check It Out: A Novel Challenge

Oh, this website could get me in BIG trouble. Hopefully, my fellow word nerds (and challenge addicts) will dig it, but not get buried in it. http://novelchallenges.blogspot.com/

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