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Posts Tagged ‘positive living’

Tranquility By Tuesday: Rule #5 – Create a Back-Up Slot

Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 7, 2023| 2 Comments »

The rule focused on for Week 5 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was create a back-up slot. The purpose of this rule is to allot some open time in your schedule in case you have to reschedule an activity or work assignment. Laura Vanderkam states in a blog post about this rule, “Whenever something matters to you, designate more times in your schedule than you plan to use.” I really like this rule a great deal because it provides a safety net to ensure important tasks get done, planned personal activities can happen, and it allows for some flexibility if something fun unexpectedly crops up.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #5 that Laura sent us on Friday, 17 February and made a plan for the week.

  • Think back over the past week. Have you had to skip something fun or important because something else came up? What was the priority and what came up? Yes. I had to skip breakfast with two of my friends, so my Daddy and I could take care of getting our passports. I had to apply for my first passport, and he had to renew his passport. We are traveling to Sicily in September. With the amount of time it currently takes to process passports and the amount of time you have to have a passport before traveling to Sicily, we had a short window of opportunity to get this done. In addition, because of the following week’s commitments for both of us and the Mardi Gras holidays, Friday was the only day we could go together to complete this task.
  • Look to the upcoming week. When could you build at least two hours of open space into your life? Identify a primary spot. Identify a secondary spot. primary spot – Thursday in between dentist appointment and improv class; secondary spot – Friday
  • What challenges might keep you from building open space into your life? Right now, none. I’m in a unique postion since I’m not working and can adjust my schedule as needed.
  • How can you address these challenges? n/a
  • If life went perfectly, what would you use your open time for? I’d like to say I would do something fun; however, I would more than likely use the time to complete unfinished chores/tasks or create more content for my YouTube channel or blog. I’d like to read more since I sometimes have trouble finding big chunks of time to read.

RESULTS

Honestly, this rule was easy, and I completed it with no issues. Additionally, I successfully completed the other four rules. I really like the flexibility of this rule. If I do not need my back-up slot because life goes perfectly, I like the idea of using the open slots to make progress on tasks that have been simmering on the back burner for awhile. The only drawback I can see with creating a back-up slot is that it could potentially lead to procrastination which I like to do from time to time. HA! However, I have been pretty busy lately that I have not had the opportunity to procrastinate which is a good thing.

REFLECTION

  • When were the back-up slots that you built into your schedule? I actually had fours back-up slots. Tuesday evening (2 hours); Thursday afternoon (4 1/2 hours); Friday (pretty much all day/evening); Saturday evening (4 hours)
  • What effects did you see in your life from building open space into your schedule? First of all, I felt less pressure on Wednesday to edit when I had to end up taking care of some financial stuff and run a few errands. I knew I had a back-up slot to edit (Friday). I was able to help my friend’s daughter Claire with a school assignment on Tuesday evening for one of the two hours which left the other hour for me. Since I did not need to make anything up on Thursday afternoon, I used the time to read Tranquility by Tuesday and work on content for my channel/blog. And, Friday night my open slot was spent with my hubby watching tv; Saturday night I used the open slot to spend with my hubby and friends to celebrate our friend Helen getting a new job. So, I did end up having some fun with the extra time after all.
  • What challenges did you face while implementing this week’s strategy? None!
  • How did you address these challenges? n/a
  • If you needed to modify this rule, how did you do so? n/a
  • How likely are you to continue creating back-up slots in your life? Very likely
  • Did you observe a bedtime this week? YES! I went to sleep five nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; the other two nights, I climbed into bed at 10:35 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.; I continue to improve with getting to bed on time most nights. I did NO scrolling before going to sleep any night during this week. I worked on book reviews (Goodreads/Instagram) one night, read five nights, and hung out with friends another night (late night). Winding down routine is improving!
  • Plan on Friday? YES, but again on Sunday morning. At least I am planning before Monday morning.
  • Move by 3 p.m.? YES! My goal was to move by 3 p.m. at least three days during the week, and I moved 4 times this week. Monday-Walked 10 minutes; Tuesday-Walked & talked to my hubby for 15 minutes (threw toy to Luna periodically); Wednesday-Walked and talked with Simon for 25 minutes (threw toy to Luna periodically); Thursday-Walked Tooty for 15 minutes
  • Do your chosen activity three times? YES for both activities! I read Choose Joy (3-minute devotions) 5 mornings. I got outside for at least 23 minutes 4 times this week for the #Outside23in23 Challenge. Some of the time was when I walked outside to move before 3 p.m. On Tuesday, I actually edited outside from 9:20 a.m. until 12:05 p.m. and did my walk and talk for 15 minutes when my hubby called me. It was a beautiful day, so I took advantage of the change in scenery.

Participating in this challenge almost feels like it is becoming a habit, dear reader. I am thoroughly enjoying reading Tranquility by Tuesday and having a terrific time trying out these rules a second time around. There are only four rules left to implement. Next week’s rule is all about adventures. You know me, I love adventures. Happiness!

“Anyone can make a perfect schedule. Time-management masters make resilient schedules.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

Note: Photo at the top is by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com.

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Tranquility By Tuesday: Rule #4 – Three Times a Week Is a Habit

Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 1, 2023| 5 Comments »

The rule focused on for Week 4 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was three times a week is a habit. The purpose of this rule is to devote more time to activities that will enrich your life. These activities may be hobbies, spending quality time with others, or developing a spiritual practice. According to Laura Vanderkam, “Anything that happens three times a week has a solid place in our lives.” She also believes that “if you’re already doing something one or two times per week, you can get to three.”

I am pretty excited about this rule because there are several activities I want to incorporate in my life. Exercise being at the top of my list. For the purposes of this challenge, I am starting small with this rule.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #4 that Laura sent us on Friday, 10 February and made a plan for the week.

  • Think of some activities you’d like to do more frequently in your life. Exercise, Blog, Scrapbook, #Outside23in23, Read Choose Joy Devotions
  • Choose one specific activity to focus on for the next week. I actually chose two activities, #Outside23in23 and reading devotions from Choose Joy.
  • When did you last do this activity? I have been doing both activities sporadically since January. We were at the beach, so I walked on the beach, collecting seashells. The last time I read from Choose Joy was on Wednesday, 02/08.
  • Looking forward to this next week, when could this happen? List at least three times. My three times would work best between Monday and Friday.
  • What obstacles might prevent you from doing this activity three times a week? As always, ME. Both activities are easily doable and do not require much effort.
  • How can you address these challenges? I want to combine #Outside23in23 with Move by 3 p.m. I am planning to use this as a transition between tasks, sort of like a brain break. I generally like to read in bed while drinking my morning coffee, so my Choose Joy book will be set on my night stand, so I can read my devotion first before reading something else.

RESULTS

I am very excited to share that I not only completed Rule #4 successfully, but I also completed the other three rules for this week. I find I am being more intentional with my time. I am also incorporating the Strategy of Pairing with some activities. For example, if someone calls me, I pop my earpiece in my ear and do a walk and talk. If the weather is nice, I can go outside as well.

REFLECTION

  • What activity did you choose to focus on three times this week? #Outside23in23 and read devotions from Choose Joy
  • Did you spend more time on your chosen activity this week than in previous weeks? Yes
  • If so, how much more time did you spend on it? I got outside three days and read Choose Joy four days.
  • What was the impact of aiming to do this activity three times per week? Doing both activities brought more joy to my day. Reading the passage from Choose Joy in the morning set the intention for the day and getting outside helped me transition between tasks more smoothly. On Friday, we were at the beach, so I went outside after breakfast and walked the beach, collecting seashells. Then, I sat for a few minutes and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the beach. It was so relaxing to start my day that way.
  • What challenges, if any, affected your ability to do this activity three times this week? Honestly, I had no challenges. I think in part because both activities were easy to do in the midst of my crazy schedule.
  • How did you address these challenges? n/a
  • Did you need to modify this rule to work for you? No
  • How likely are you to continue doing this activity three times per week? Very likely; as I get more organized with my time and home environment, I will consider implementing this rule with the other activities I want to do more often (exercise, blog, scrapbook). I feel confident that with Daylight Saving Time being just around the corner, I will be incorporating more exercise in my 168 hours.
  • Did you observe a bedtime this past week? YES! I went to sleep four nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; the other three nights, I climbed into bed at 10:35 p.m., 10:45 p.m., and 11:15 p.m.; I am doing much better; however, I did scroll on social media for 15 minutes after editing my video the night I went to bed at 11:15 p.m. Thankfully, it was only 15 minutes. Otherwise, I either read (3 nights) or prepared for the next day, having read beforehand.
  • Plan on Friday? YES, kind of! I actually planned on Sunday morning. We were traveling home on Friday, and I proctored the ACT early Saturday morning. I still planned and put it on paper.
  • Move by 3 p.m. most days? YES! My goal was to move by 3 p.m. at least three days during the week. I paired this with #Outside23in23. On Friday morning, I was walking on the beach. On Tuesday (1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.) and Thursday (9:25 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.), I walked Tooty.

Overall, dear reader, I am excited about my results. I am making more of an effort to incorporate these strategies throughout the week. I have to remind myself that this challenge is NOT about perfection. It is about being more aware of where my time is being spent and being more intentional in how I am spending it. In addition, it is making me more aware of the activities I am doing daily, weekly, monthly. Time tracking along with doing the Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge has also been extremely beneficial. It feels like a daily habit now. Finding success this week with these four rules has been a HUGE happiness boost, and I am looking forward to next week’s rule. Happiness!

“Things don’t have to happen daily, nor do they have to happen at the same time every day, in order to count in our lives.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

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Tranquility By Tuesday: Rule #3 – Move by 3 p.m.

Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2023| 4 Comments »

The rule focused on for Week 3 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was Move by 3 p.m. The purpose of this rule is to move by 3 p.m. by doing some form of physical activity for at least 10 minutes in the first half of the day (Monday-Sunday). Laura Vanderkam leaves it up to you how you move, but many of her suggestions are fitness-related activities (push-ups, sit-ups, walking, bicep curls, etc.). However, running around the yard with your dog or child can count as well. Personally, I think anything that requires your body to move, including grocery shopping, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc. can also count for this rule.

Vanderkam acknowledges this rule may not work for everyone; however, she states in a blog post, “Even if you get no other activity, building in a 10 minute walk break will allow you to focus for the rest of the workday. Choosing to move in the first half of the day means the day is less likely to get away from you.”

Is 10 minutes before 3 p.m. worth it? Well, 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity is the current health recommendation. You are almost halfway there with the daily 10 minutes before 3 p.m., so if you add another 11.5 minutes later in the day, you could hit the 150 minutes per week mark. Take it even a step further and go outside, add a few more minutes, and you can count it for Gretchen Rubin’s #Outside23in23 which is a perfect way to use the Strategy of Pairing to achieve those two goals.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #3 that Laura sent us on Friday, 03 February and made a plan for the week.

  • On average, how much exercise do you currently do per week? When do you exercise and what kind of exercise do you do? Sadly, I am currently NOT exercising – ZERO, ZILCH, NADA
  • What sort of physical activity could you do for 10 minutes before 3 p.m. during an average day? Walk. I love walking, especially by myself while listening to a podcast.
  • Think about today: When could you do this activity today? Between 10:00-1:00 (Friday)
  • How about tomorrow? When could you do this activity tomorrow? Morning would be best. Ideally, I’d like to go walk after my cup of coffee, but before breakfast.
  • What challenges might keep you from building more physical activity into your life? ME
  • How can you address these challenges? I would really need to plan this 10-minute break into my schedule, but even then I’m not sure if I will honor it because it really depends on how involved I am in whatever I am working on at that moment in time.

RESULTS

I did awful with this rule. I did not plan on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I lived by my calendar and a to-do list if I even made one. I knew I was going out of town on Thursday, so I used every moment to get videos filmed and edited while prepping for an audition, and completing other necessary tasks. Now, that does not mean I did not move on a couple of evenings. On Thursday evening, Barry and I walked on the beach for about an hour before we went to dinner.

REFLECTION

  • About how much exercise did you get this week? When did you do this and how much did you do? One day on Sunday from 9:00-10:00 if you count grocery shopping at Walmart on Sunday. I did walk on the beach for an hour with Barry on the night we arrived at the beach (this was not before 3 p.m.).
  • What effects did you see in your life from moving by 3 p.m. most days? None, because I failed at this rule in the context of setting a specific 10 minutes per day to be physically active before 3 p.m.
  • What challenges did you face in implementing this week’s strategy? My only challenge is myself and my lack of planning. Honestly, I really didn’t give this rule a second thought this week with everything I had going on as well as preparing for my overnight trip out of town.
  • How did you deal with these challenges? n/a
  • If you needed to modify this rule, how did you do so? I guess I modified it by including grocery shopping as a physical activity. HA!
  • How likely are you to continue to move by 3 p.m.? Highly unlikely; however, instead of 7 days per week, I may strive for at least 3 days per week. No promises.
  • Did you plan on Fridays? Unfortunately, NO.
  • Did you observe a bedtime this week? YES! And, I feel like I am continuing to improve with this rule. On all 7 nights, I was ready for sleep by 11:20 (only 2 nights I read before lights out; 1 night I watched YouTube videos; 1 night I was posting a book picture on Instagram; 1 night I was doing some chores; 1 night I took my shower and went straight to bed; and the night at the beach I was downloading video clips from our traveling adventures onto my iPad). I did NO mindless scrolling on social media on any of the nights before lights out. Overall, better than the first week as far as scrolling on social media; my winding down routine is still a work in progress, and I was asleep no later than 11:20PM.

With completing Rule #3, I finished Part 1 of Tranquility by Tuesday, dear reader. I still believe planning on Fridays is the key, so I will try harder with this rule. I will still continue working on giving myself a bedtime, and I will try to move by 3 p.m. at least three times during the week. These first three rules are meant to “calm the chaos.” I am looking forward to the second part of the book as well as the next four rules. Happiness!

“Committing to move by 3 p.m. also nudges you to pay attention to how your energy ebbs and flows during the day, and the control you can exercise over your energy levels.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

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Tranquility By Tuesday: Rule #2 – Plan on Fridays

Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 14, 2023| 2 Comments »

The rule focused on for Week 2 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was Plan on Fridays. The purpose of this rule is to set aside 20 minutes on a Friday afternoon to consider how you want to spend your upcoming week (Monday-Sunday). Laura mentions, “when the session occurs depends on personal preference” (38). However, if you do not already have a designated planning time or a preference, she recommends Fridays because most people are wrapping up a week instead of starting something new. Monday mornings are more productive because whatever is on the schedule can be attended to first thing in the morning. Weekends can be tentatively planned a week ahead and upgraded if necessary. And, the Sunday scaries can be kept at bay because last minute planning the night before will not cause unnecessary anxiety, especially if someone has to be reached to schedule an appointment first thing Monday morning.

After assessing your commitments, think about what you want to achieve with the time you have left in your time bank for the week. Remember, we all start with 168 hours. Laura suggests making a list with three categories (career, relationships, and self) and listing a few items under each category that you want to do when your schedule allows the time. The items on this list are important; however, they are not urgent. You want to do them even if you do not have to do them. This is also where creating a List of 100 Dreams can come in handy.

Back in 2019, I created a List of 100 Dreams. This activity can be found in Laura’s book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think as well as in this chapter of Tranquility by Tuesday (pages 53-55). I actually enjoy making lists, and making this particular list was invigorating because it includes all the things you want to experience or want to add to your life. Like her list of planning categories on Fridays, Laura suggests dividing your list of 100 dreams into the same three categories: career, relationships, and self. I highly recommend this activity.

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #2 that Laura sent us on Friday, 27 January and made a plan for the week.

  • What does your planning look like now? I plan sporadically; usually on Saturday or Sundays, more so on Sundays when I plan a schedule; unfortunately, there are some weeks where I just follow what is in my monthly planner
  • This rule is about creating a designated weekly planning time. When, approximately, can you schedule a weekly planning time into your life? If you are planning to use Fridays, when on Friday generally works? Friday or Saturday mornings
  • How much time do you think it will take to plan the week? at least 30 minutes, maybe longer
  • What benefits do you think you would see (or do you see) from a designated weekly planning time? It allows you to be a better steward of your time. You can make more time for what is important to you.
  • What obstacles might keep you from a regular planning practice? Unexpected things can crop up during the planning time, especially in the afternoon. There is also the possibility that I will just forget because I’m occupied with something else.
  • How can you address these challenges? For me, I will strive for Friday mornings; however, Saturday morning will be my back up planning time.

RESULTS

The first step I took was creating my list of things I wanted to do for the week. While I am not currently working a job outside my home, I still have skills I am working on towards career goals.

  • Career: 1) Create Youtube Video 2) Learn StreamYard
  • Relationships: 1) Buddy Read with Sister 2) Lunch with Sue
  • Self: 1) Eye Appointment 2) Improv Class

Then, I used different colored pens to write my commitments and the activities I wanted to do for the week on my weekly planning page. Using the colored pens make planning a bit more fun. It adds a bit of whimsy.

REFLECTION

On Thursday I received reflection questions from Laura to review how well I did with planning on Fridays.

  • How did planning on Friday (or your chosen planning day) affect your week? Planning on Friday really made the week run more smoothly.
  • What challenges did you face while implementing this week’s strategy? I had no problems implementing this week’s strategy, partly because I knew I was participating in this challenge. However, it did take me longer than 20 minutes.
  • How did you deal with these challenges? n/a
  • Did you need to modify this rule? If so, how? The way my planning page is set up, I planned Sunday-Saturday instead of Monday-Sunday.
  • How likely are you to continue to plan on Fridays? Very likely; however, I will designate Fridays for planning (preferably in the morning with Saturday mornings as a back up.
  • Did you observe a bedtime this past week? Somewhat. On 5 nights, I was ready for sleep by 11:30 (4 nights I read before lights out; 1 night I watched tv). On the other two nights, I either scrolled on social media (Tuesday) or worked on a video (Thursday). Of course, I had improv on Thursday night, and I worked on a video after my shower. Overall, better than the previous week as far as my winding down routine and reading before sleep.

Two rules down and seven more to go, dear reader. Remembering to plan on Fridays will be the key. I will also continue working on giving myself a bedtime. Both of these rules take a small amount of organizing and require strategies within themselves to prompt reminding me to implement them. At least, for me anyway. As with developing any new habit, it takes a little time, plenty of commitment, and a whole lot of patience. I keep striving towards making life better by being a good steward of time. Happiness!

“As for feeling tired and distracted, remember that planning work takes less energy than actually doing the tasks you’re planning. It is far easier to write “call three prospective clients” in a planner than to actually call those clients. That Friday-afternoon fatigue is precisely why this is a good time for planning.” ~ Laura Vanderkam, Tranquility by Tuesday

Note: Photo at the top is by Content Pixie on Pexels.com.

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Tranquility By Tuesday: Rule #1 – Give Yourself a Bedtime

Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2023| 4 Comments »

The rule focused on for Week 1 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was Give Yourself a Bedtime. I knew from the start that committing to a bedtime was going to be tough for me. Since the beginning of the new year, I have been going to bed whenever I feel like it, and sometimes it has been 1:00 in the morning by the time I climb into bed for my evening slumber. I no longer have an established morning routine, and I rarely set an alarm since leaving my instructional coaching job, but I manage to get enough sleep.

Laura mentioned (in a recent blog post about Rule #1) that she chose it first “because it’s important to get enough sleep and a regular bedtime gives structure to the day.” I could not agree more and was happy to start with this rule because as I mentioned in my post, “My RESULTS of the 2023 Time Tracking Challenge,” I want a more structured daily routine (M-F), especially in the mornings and throughout the day. 

Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #1 that Laura sent us on Friday, 20 January and made a plan for the week.

  • What time would you like to wake up most mornings? 6:00 AM
  • About how many hours of sleep do you need on an average night? 7 hours
  • What time do you generally need to be in bed in order to get this amount of sleep? 11:00 PM
  • About how much time do you need before your bedtime to relax and get ready? 30 minutes
  • What might keep you from going to bed at your bedtime? working on video projects for my YouTube channel
  • How do you plan to address these challenges? no idea

RESULTS

    I am thrilled that I continued time tracking along with this challenge because I averaged 7.5 hours of sleep not 7 hours. This is huge because I now have to readjust the time I start winding down and going to sleep by a half hour or decide to wake up at 6:30 instead of 6:00 in the morning.

    My time tracking log also revealed the reasons for staying up later than 11:00 PM. On Friday night, I showered at 10:30 and from 11:00-11:45, I played on my phone, scrolling through social media. On Monday night, I showered at 10:15 and from 10:35-11:30, I edited a video. On Tuesday night, I showered at 8:45 and from 9:15-11:45, I was either scrolling on social media or watching YouTube videos. On Thursday night, I attended my improv class from 6:00-8:00; showered at 9:25, and from 9:50-11:50, I edited a video.

    REFLECTION

    On Thursday I received reflection questions from Laura to review how well I did with giving myself a bedtime. I did not go to sleep one single night at 11:00 PM. I missed the mark EVERY single night. Boy, do I have my work cut out for me!

    • How did observing a bedtime affect you this week? more conscious of trying to go to bed on time
    • What challenges did you face in implementing this week’s strategy? me (only see this after reviewing my time tracking log)
    • How did you deal with these challenges? sadly, I didn’t deal with it, but I can from this point on
    • If you were not able to observe a bedtime, what prevented you from doing so? getting sucked into playing on my phone (effortless fun) and continuing to work on my videos past my bedtime
    • If you needed to modify the rule, how did you do so? n/a
    • How likely are you to continue observing a bedtime? very likely; I need to take this rule more seriously

    Additionally, I realized that I do NOT have a good winding down routine. I did try to set an alarm to stop working on Monday night; however, when the alarm went off, I was right in the middle of what I was working on and did not want to stop. I still think an alarm is effective; however, I will need to set it for at least 15 minutes earlier than the time I ideally want to stop and start winding down before bedtime. I also think I need some sort of transition to signal my brain that it is time to wind down for the evening. Of course, this will take trial and error over the next few weeks.

    Participating in this challenge has been enjoyable, dear reader. I am discovering some interesting information about myself. This is definitely a know yourself better experiment. Going forward with Rule #1, I need to readjust my bedtime if I want to wake up at 6:00 AM, be more intentional with observing a regular bedtime (set a timer), create a transition to wind down before bed, and eliminate phone time prior to winding down. With a bit of practice and the right attitude, I really think I can make giving myself a bedtime a good habit. Happiness!

    “If you would like to experience the additional energy and optimism that comes from being well rested, choose a time that you would like to go to sleep more nights than not. Then, commit to getting in bed by that time unless you have a compelling reason not to.” ~ Laura Vanderkam, Tranquility by Tuesday

    Note: Photo at the top is by Kristin Vogt on Pexels.com.

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    2023 Tranquility By Tuesday Challenge

    Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2023| 1 Comment »

    Greetings, dear reader! I am currently reading Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam. It is #20 on my 23 for 2023 List. I also started the Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge today. I am proud to say that I am one of the 150 participants in Laura’s time study that produced the results she writes about in her book. I am super excited to read her book and to participate in the 2023 Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge.

    I filmed a short video about the challenge for my channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures, and want to share it with you. It explains the challenge, mentions the 9 rules, and the planning questions for the first rule. You do not need to read the book in order to participate, and there is still time to join the challenge. Just click on Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge (2023) to join.

    I am also continuing to track my time this week and have a feeling I will be tracking my time through the first few days of February. My hope is that with tracking my time and participating in this challenge, I can finally get caught up, achieve some balance, and make a real effort to get organized. I love everything I am doing right now in my life; however, I am burning the candle at both ends, not exercising, and starting to feel a bit stressed. I am ready to “calm the chaos and make time for what matters.” Happiness!

    “The good news is that everything becomes easier over time, as the grooves of habit wear deep.” ~ Laura Vanderkam, Tranquility by Tuesday

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    My RESULTS of the 2023 Time Tracking Challenge

    Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2023| 3 Comments »

    During the week of 09 January, I participated in Laura Vanderkam’s Time-Tracking Challenge. Laura hosts this annual challenge in January, asking her readers to join her while sharing her discoveries about how she is spending her own time throughout the week. As I have mentioned in past posts, I find time tracking beneficial, especially when I am feeling overwhelmed or need to make some changes. My one-word theme for 2023 is CREATE, and I feel the need to create better organization of my time in order to successfully create a healthier and more sustainable life.

    My week started with 168 hours on Monday 09 January at 7:00 in the morning. Two categories that took up a huge chunk of my time were creating content for YouTube and sleep. 35.5 hours were spent on content for YouTube (Kelsi’s channel and my own channel). This total includes 15.5 hours on watching movies and preparing notes for the Year of King project I did in collaboration with Kelsi and 20 hours for my own channel’s projects. 54.5 hours were spent sleeping. This left me with 78 hours to spend on other tasks or activities during the week.

    So, how did I spend the remaining 78 hours of my week?

    • Morning Routine: 2 hours 

    My morning routine looks quite differently than it did when I was working as an instructional coach at HGCS. Since I am currently taking a hiatus from working outside my home, I really do not have a structured morning routine. There are days when I have nowhere to go, staying in my pjs until later in the morning. Therefore, it mainly consists of pet care for two dogs and two cats, personal care for myself, and making myself a cup of coffee. When Barry is home, he will take care of the dogs during the day and generally make me a cup of coffee in the morning (sweet guy). My day then naturally unfolds and meanders around my responsibilities and appointments. Generally, I do not eat breakfast until about 9:00 in the morning.

    • Get dressed: 4 hours
    • Exercise: 0 hours
    • Meals: 12.5 hours (prepping/cooking and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
    • Home/Family Logistics (insurance policy renewal, financial tasks, dental appointments): 7.25 hours
    • Chores: 4.75 hours (loading dishwasher, laundry, floors, trash, cat litter)
    • Travel: 9.25 hours
    • Afternoon Routine: 1.5 hours (pet care for dogs and cats, sometimes make a cup of coffee)
    • Outside Time (23 for 2023 Challenge): 3 hours
    • Blog: 0 hours
    • Read: 1.75 hours
    • Goodreads: 0 hours 
    • Marketing YouTube (social media): 2 hours

    Gretchen Rubin created the #Outside23in23 Challenge which I am participating in this year. Most days I do get outside for at least 23 minutes per day and usually because of my dogs. Unfortunately, this week I did NOT exercise (no workouts, no walking), and I barely read which is a bummer and totally unacceptable.

    • Evening Routine: 3 hours (shower, take dogs out before bed, prep for bed)
    • TV Shows/Movies/YouTube: .5 of an hour (watching Youtube)
    • Napping: 0 hours
    • Errands/Social Events: 6 hours
    • Birthday Message Project: 3 hours
    • Personal Development: 4.25 hours (improv, buddy read with sister, time tracking, self-care updates: check/record watch & Happier app)

    I took a ride with Andrew on Monday evening to pick up sushi (our dinner) from Kirin. Tagging along gave me quality time with him. On Wednesday, I went to the post office to mail a small package to Shelly’s friend (book exchange) and stopped at PJ’s coffee to pick up sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits (for me and the boys) and a mocha latte. Around lunch time, Andrew and I rode together to pick up chicken tenders from Cane’s to bring to Mrs. Billie’s house for my birthday lunch with the two of them. My social events for this week included a bridal shower for my niece Kaitlyn on Saturday and a Livestream with Kelsi (The Shining) on Sunday.

    As a result, 55 hours were spent on life responsibilities, 9.25 hours were spent traveling, and .5 of an hour was spent watching television shows, movies, or YouTube for a total of 64.75 hours.

    This left me with 13.25 hours left over in my weekly bank of hours. Of my remaining time, I spent 5.5 hours of those hours hanging out with either family or friends. This is in addition to time spent with family and friends during meals, travel, or social events. My birthday was on Wednesday, so I spent 2.25 hours of the week reading and responding to texts, emails, and FB messages, as well as opening and reading birthday cards that came in the mail. I still have to respond to FB messages because I did not get to all of them last week. The remaining 5.5 hours was spent playing Trivia Crack, scrolling through social media (mainly Instagram), texting, email, time-tracking, or puttering around the house.

    So, what did I learn during this Time-Tracking Challenge?

    Regardless of it being my birthday week, socializing with family and friends throughout the week, and preparing for the livestream for my Year of King project, I did devote time towards my aims for 2023. I was able to combine my already scheduled dental cleaning appointment with getting the impression made for my implant crown. BAM! I created my first Readathon for February and released the announcement video for it on my channel and social media. BAM, BAM! And, finally, I registered for Laura Vanderkam’s Tranquility By Tuesday Challenge which means I have started reading her book this week. Triple BAM!

    With that being said, I still had 5.5 hours that I could have read more, dealt with digital clutter, or organized spaces around my house. “Puttering around the house” is also not necessarily wasted time. Puttering is where I squeeze those little tasks in between major tasks, such as going through the mail, writing a check, putting a book back on the shelf, or taking out the trash.

    Additionally, I used the Strategy of Pairing quite a bit last week, generally when eating my meals. My YouTube watching hours would have been higher, but I watched several videos while eating breakfast and lunch. Also, my television watching hours would have been higher because I ate dinner a couple of times while watching The Shining movies. I also read a little more while waiting for my turn at the dentist. And, I listened to podcasts or talked on the phone (hands-free) while driving to improv class and Kelsi’s house.

    Where do I go from here?

    You should not be surprised I am time tracking again this week, dear reader. Last week was an unusual week with my birthday and everything related to the Year of King project. I want a more structured daily routine (M-F), especially in the mornings and throughout the day. I want to purchase a planner or create a binder to organize the content I am creating for both my blog and my YouTube channel. In addition, I need to create some time this month to get my home office organized, so I am not spending so much time get my little corner in the bedroom ready for me every time I film a video. I am actually excited about these results because they are motivating me to create a better schedule and to get me a step closer to becoming a better steward of my time. Happiness!

      “We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.” ~ John F. Kennedy

      Note: Photo at the top is by Andrey Grushnikov on Pexels.com.

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      2023 Time Tracking Challenge

      Posted in Time management, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 7, 2023| 2 Comments »

      We all have the same 168 hours a week, dear reader. How are you spending yours? As many of you know, I having been tracking my time periodically after reading Laura Vanderkam’s awesome book on time management, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make the most of his or her time. When trying to accomplish goals, keeping a time log of how you spend your 168 hours is a worthwhile endeavor. January is the perfect month to track your time. It provides a terrific starting point which can be adjusted as life happens.

      Like last January, I have signed up for Laura Vanderkam’s annual “Time Tracking Challenge” which will begin on Monday 09 January and run through Sunday, 15 January. Laura will send out an email on Sunday with details about the challenge. After logging my 168 hours for the week, I will analyze my time log to see exactly how much time I have left (after sleep and family commitments have been deducted) to work on my health and fitness goals, content creation, and the aims on my 23 for 2023 List. Time tracking is actually enjoyable for me, and I try to track my time periodically throughout the year, especially when I am feeling overwhelmed, feeling like I am not making any progress with my yearly aims, or there is a significant change in my life that affects my schedule.

      If you are interested in finding out more about time tracking or want to see where your 168 hours are going, check out Laura Vandercam’s website or her book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. The time tracking challenge is free, does not require a great deal of time, and can be eye-opening. Please let me know if you decide to participate in the challenge, dear reader, because it would be fun to compare notes and chat about time management strategies. You can leave me a comment or email me at katloyacano@gmail.com. Have an AWESOME weekend. Happiness!

      “Time stays long enough for those who use it.” ~ Leonardo Da Vinci

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      My TA-DA List for 2022

      Posted in Happiness Project, Positive Living, tagged , , , , , , , on December 27, 2022| 2 Comments »

      As promised, dear reader, I am sharing my TA-DA List for this year. 2022 has been a fantastic year for me! I am grateful for all of my adventures (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that I experienced and all of the wonderful memories I have made throughout the year.

      I may not have completed my 22 in 2022 list; however, I kept myself busy with working, traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading, acting, and taking care of my health, family, and home.

      TA-DA 2022

      • Health (Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, Nerve Test, Mammogram, Bloodwork + Yearly Doctor/Dental appointments)
      • Lunch dates, movie nights, and drink nights with friends and family
      • Instagram (Year of JOY Project)
      • Collabs with Kelsi (Year of King, Halloween, and Christmas)
      • Live Streams with Kelsi (books and horror movies)
      • Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club (run monthly with Kelsi; January-November)
      • Elton John Concert in NOLA with Shelly (January)
      • Matthew Morgan’s Actor Audition Workshop in MS with Brian and Maria (January)
      • Pokeno Sub (January and July)
      • Welcomed Luna to the Family (February)
      • Puppy Training Classes with Luna at Petco
      • Move-In Day for Helen (February)
      • Friends of the Library Book Sales with Andrew and Michelle (February/April/August/November)
      • Move-Back Home Day for Andrew (March)
      • Attended Plays (Puffs, Lion King, Hamilton, The Way We Say Goodbye, The Jungle Book)
      • Proctored/Supervised ACT at Southeastern University (February, April, October, and December)
      • Improv Workshops (April-Anubis; July-Rich Talarico)
      • Hand-Lettering Class (April)
      • Vera Cost in the mystery dinner theatre Phantom of the Columbia at the Columbia Theatre (April)
      • Travel (visited The Killians in Atlanta in May for Emma’s Graduation; visited NYC with Andrew in June)
      • Zombie Awareness Month (May)
      • Annual Crawfish Boil (May)
      • Van Gogh Immersive Experience with Barry (May)
      • Quit my job as an Instructional Coach at Holy Ghost Catholic School (May)
      • Subscribed to Beachbody on Demand (June); finished 4 fitness programs
      • Kaitlyn and Marc’s Engagement Party (June)
      • Scrapbooking (attended TAC Scrapbook Event with Shelly, Heather, and Donna in June)
      • Readings for The Jungle Book (June/July)
      • Oral Surgery: dental implant (June)
      • Summer Fun List (June-September)
      • 4th of July with Family @ Kerry and Natalie’s house (July)
      • Halloween Decor Shopping with Kelsi (August)
      • Volunteer at HGCS’s Book Fairs (August and November)
      • Buddy Read A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle/Zoom Meeting Discussions with Rachel (August-November)
      • Anubis: Improv Level 1 8-Week Class (August-October)
      • Connie Khan in the mystery dinner theatre Murder! At the Disco at the Columbia Theatre (September)
      • L.M. Montgomery Readathon (September-November)
      • Fall Fun List (September-December)
      • Anubis: Improv Level 1 Showcase (October)
      • Fall Fun Day with Kelsi (October)
      • Octoberfest @ Gnarley Barley with friends (October)
      • Rocky Horror Picture Show with friends (October)
      • Sleepover with Michelle (October)
      • Launched YouTube Channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures (October)
      • Anubis: Improv Level 2 8-Week Class (October-December)
      • Melissa’s 7th Grade Book Challenge (October-December)
      • Greta Van Fleet Concert in NOLA with Barry, Jr. (November)
      • Friendsgiving with high school friends @ Wendy’s house (November)
      • Cloak and Dagger Christmas Readathon (December)
      • Christmas Evil Readathon (December)
      • Anubis: Improv Level 2 Showcase (December)
      • Help Mrs. Billie with health-related issues (December)
      • Instagram Year of JOY Project
      • Year of King Reading Project with Kelsi
      • Shelly and Kat at Elton John concert
      • Luna Belle Loyacano
      • Kat as Vera Cost in Phantom of the Columbia
      • Andrew moves back home in March after his bedroom was destroyed by Ida in August 2021.
      • Michelle and Kat at lunch before Library Sale shopping
      • Van Gogh Immersive Experience
      • Road Trip to Atlanta with my Daddy
      • Family Time in Atlanta
      • TAC 2022 with Shelly, Kat, and Heather (Donna-MIA)
      • Kat and Andrew at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC
      • Hamilton with Andrew, Shelly, and Kerry
      • Andrew turned 21 years old
      • Kat as Connie Khan and Sable as Donna Winter in Murder! At The Disco
      • Fall Fun Day with Kelsi
      • Improv 1 Showcase (Love Island UK)
      • Rocky Horror Picture Show with Helen and Shelly
      • Barry, Jr. and Kat at Greta Van Fleet concert
      • Improv Level 2 Class
      • Friendsgiving 2022
      • Apple Pie Martini on Christmas evening
      • The 3 Cackling Hens on Christmas evening

      As you can see, dear reader, 2022 was about making memories, having adventures, and spending time with family and friends. Even though I did not cross off every item on my 22 for 2022 list, I still feel like I accomplished a great deal in 2022. I am extremely grateful for being in good health and able to have all of these experiences this year. As I mentioned in last year’s post regarding my TA-DA List in 2021, “Although I am a planner by nature and love setting goals and making resolutions, I also enjoy learning and trying new activities. When opportunity knocked, I opened the door and accepted whatever adventure was across the threshold. Life is truly an adventure.” And, I still feel this way today as I reflect on 2022. Happiness!

      “Live life to the fullest. You have to color outside the lines once in a while if you want to make your life a masterpiece. Laugh some every day. Keep growing, keep dreaming, keep following your heart. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”  ~  Albert Einstein

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      Review 22 for 2022 List

      Posted in Happiness Project, Positive Living, tagged , , , , , , on December 23, 2022| 2 Comments »

      Today is the day to reflect on my 22 for 2022 list! I chose CHANGE as my word for 2022, and there have been a few significant changes that have occurred in my life in 2022. My family and I said good-bye to our 13 1/2 year old dog Sophie when she crossed the Rainbow Bridge in early January. We unexpectedly welcomed Luna, a ten-week-old puppy, to our family in February. And, I quit my job as an Instructional Coach at HGCS in May. I only completed six items on my list this year and started the process of completing four others.

      • Time-track in January. YES
      • Tweak morning routine. YES
      • Make consultation appointment with oral surgeon (implant). YES (April; implant process started in June)
      • Learn a 30-60 second monologue. YES (performed at auditioning workshop in January)
      • Buy a new vacuum cleaner. NO (suffering from decision fatigue; bag or bagless?)
      • Get wedding rings resized. NO (waiting on hubby to find jeweler)
      • Clean out and organize master closet. NO (procrastinating)
      • Plant new garden in front of the house. NO (procrastinating)
      • Purge paper and organize file cabinet. STARTED (plan to carry over to 2023)
      • Go paperless (bills and statements). STARTED (plan to carry over to 2023)
      • Scrapbook monthly. NO (only in June; not feeling it-making me sad)
      • Complete Year of Gratitude scrapbook. NO (tried in June at event; too overwhelming)
      • Have a Year of King (Stephen King). YES (collaborated with Kelsi)
      • Update theme (layout) for blog. NO (suffering from decision fatigue; super disappointed)
      • Research video editing software. YES (sticking with iMovie until new laptop purchased)
      • Complete a puzzle. NO (kept forgetting; need a space; try again in 2023)
      • Write a will. STARTED (received paperwork; need to complete in 2023)
      • Revisit A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. YES (buddy read with Rachel)
      • Read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. NO (disappointed; plan to try again in 2023)
      • Complete the WordPress Blogging course. NO (disappointed; plan to try again in 2023)
      • Take a WordPress Podcasting course. NO (did not make time; concentrated on YouTube instead)
      • Take Becky Higgins Classroom: Photo Tips + Work Flow. STARTED (need to complete in 2023)

      In addition, I participated in three reading projects which I am still participating in until the end of December. I did the #Read21in21 challenge again, where I read daily for 21 minutes. Instead of reading nonfiction like I did in 2021, I am reading children’s literature (middle-grade/young adult) books. I joined the Goodreads Challenge again and set my goal to read 50 books in 2022. I reached my Goodreads goal back in September and hope to complete 75 books this year. The children’s literature books read for #Read21in21 will be included in that total number of books. I also read 11 awesome books with members of my Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club.

      I participated in Collabs with Kelsi, participated in Frugal February, and posted joyful pictures regularly on Instagram for my Year of Joy Project. Finally, I kept a TA-DA list for 2022 which I will be sharing with you soon, dear reader. The only two extra projects, where I dropped the ball, were #Rest22in22 and #Walk20in20. I just did not commit to either one.

      Overall, I think I did okay with my 22 for 2022 list considering a few of the changes in my life this year. I knew when I made my list last December that it was slightly ambitious, especially with us still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida and COVID restrictions becoming almost nonexistent. I also had more acting and improv opportunities along with all the preparations for launching my own YouTube channel. Once you see my TA-DA list, dear reader, you will understand why I was not focusing all of my attention on my 22 for 2022 list. HA!

      Currently, I am working on my 23 for 2023 list, and I think I have my new word for 2023 picked out. I usually reveal my one-word theme and yearly list in January, but I may try posting it earlier if I can get my act together. No promises, since I am up to my eyeballs in books for my December readathons and movies for my movie marathons. How did you do with your goals in 2022, dear reader? Happiness!

      “A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.” ~ Bruce Lee

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