Why You Shouldn't Wait Until The Last Minute

Daniel and I always seem to put things off until the last minute. I don't think it is because we are total procrastinators, it is more that there is always so much to do and so little time.

In Charlotte, we have to get our vehicles inspected yearly and we had been putting off getting the Altima inspected b/c Daniel needed to swap the tires out. Well on Saturday I remembered that April was the month for the Altima and I reminded Daniel and he swapped the tires.

Anyways, this morning I ran by a Valvoline that is close to us and their machine was down. So I have to get the car inspected TODAY or we will get fined electronically. Hopefully the machine will be working by lunch time OR I can find another place before the end of the day.

Waiting until the last minute brings unwanted stress.

Paralyzed by Fear

Have you ever been paralyzed by fear? You know, the kind of fear that keeps you awake at night. The kind that makes you feel numb, like you are unable to move forward or breathe? I used to think that I was immune to this kind of fear. 

The first time that I truly experienced and owned this fear was when I learned how to rock climb. I remember being about half way through my climb and not being sure where to go next. My husband was below me belaying and I was terrified of falling. Even though I knew that the ropes were secure. I was so afraid that I could not move forward. I also could not come down. I was petrified of falling. In the end I did fall. It was such an intense relief to fall. When I started to lose control and the ropes held me, I had this incredible sense of freedom from my fear. Once I fell I was able to conquer my fear and move on. I knew that I was safe and that the fear was unwarranted. In rock climbing you have to fall in order to learn.

Sometimes I feel this fear in life. I wake up and I am not sure how to proceed. My self-confidence dwindles and I feel an overwhelming urge to do nothing. Somehow my mind tricks me into thinking that in doing nothing I am safe. When the truth is that to do nothing is to be stuck. Like being stuck on the side of a mountain. You can't stay hugging the rock forever. You have to move. You may fall but you must always keep going.

What are your fears? Are they keeping you from achieving something great with your life?

My Top 10 List of Magazines

Here is a Top 10 List of Magazines I love:

10) Real Simple - This magazine provides handy tips for organizing your life. It also offers design and organization ideas for the home.

9) National Geographic ADVENTURE - I dream of far off places, exotic destinations and future trips that I hope to one day embark on.

8) Kraft Food & Family - I am easily bored, and new recipes at my fingertips 4 times a year with beautiful pictures are just what the doctor ordered for me.

7) Creativity - An inspiring magazine about what the design community is up to.

6) PRINT - One of several design magazines I make a regular effort to read.

5) ID (International Design) - I love to see design in products. The newest and freshest designs from around the world always amaze me.

4) HOW - This magazine always has wonderful articles about the graphic design profession. It offers a personal perspective from people who have been there and done that.

3) WIRED - I suppose that I am a geek at heart. I love this magazine and the crazy stories they share. Where else can you learn about someone who came up with the idea to create a machine to cut down submerged trees (at a depth of more than 60 feet) in order to harvest the wood. When his idea was turned down by his company he quit his job and started his own company. (Reservoir Logs, February Issue, 2007)

2) Communication Arts - Their design annuals are fabulous, I dream about one day gracing their pages with a stellar project.

1) Backpacker - This magazine gets the number one spot for a couple of reasons: A) I LOVE to backpack and spend as much time outside as possible. If I can't be outside all of the time, at least I can read about other people's adventures. B) The great photos and simple layout is fresh and clean. This magazine is easy to navigate and shares good information about a topic I love.

What are your favorite magazines?

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Have you ever wondered where your ideas come from? I have the best ideas pop into my head when I am in the shower or when I wake up for a nap.

Sometimes they are relevant to something I have currently seen or read, but they always come to me at strange moments. I keep a notebook by my bed and one with me at all times for the sole purpose of recording these great ideas at any time.

Facebook

Yesterday I was at Barnes & Noble, waiting in line for my coffee at Starbucks and I noticed the magazine Fast Company on the rack. I picked it up, flipped through it and came to an article about Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook. It turns out Mark Zuckerberg is a hacker turned dropout turned CEO. Being a young entrepreneur myself, it doesn't get any more inspirational than that. 

 

What amazed me the most about Mark's story was that it has been reported that Yahoo! came calling with a $1 BILLION offer and Mark turned it down. The article quotes Mark as saying, "I'm here to build something for the long term. Anything else is a distraction." Is he just crazy or does he actually have some character? Or maybe he is holding out for the really big money. I'm a just amazed that a guy in his early 20's would be able to turn down an offer of this magnitude! 

I am an avid Facebook user. It keeps me connected to friends and colleagues. In this busy world, it is refreshing to be able to be a few clicks away from friends. I encourage you to read the entire article by clicking here.

Bugs In My Eyes

I just got back from riding my bike on the greenway with Daniel. The evening was perfect for a ride, but we soon found that the bugs were on the greenway were very obnoxious.

I don't wear glasses so I ended up with bugs in my eyes. So now after a 10 mile bike ride I have very angry, red eyes. Other than that I feel good. In the future, I think we will stick to riding in the neighborhood and avoid the greenway that follows a creek...

sore wrist

I have no idea what I did to my left hand yesterday but last night I was in severe pain and could not move my wrist or hold anything in my hand without excruciating pain. I put ice on it for a while, took some tylenol and then tried to sleep without moving it. Today it seems fine... strange.