Category: Personal

More Goals Completed for 2010

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Before the year started, I came up with an action plan for the year. I’ve managed to complete some of the goals so far, and recently managed another one.

Travel

My wife and went and saw the Moonbow in June. Granted, we had a horrible view of it, but we did get to see a glimpse of it. Next time we go, we’ll make sure it’s not on a weekend (it was horribly crowded!), and that it’s more in the wintertime so that we won’t have to be out quite so late.

Physical

I had to fall back to drinking some sodas last month. I was helping run a month-long summer camp and just plain ran out of energy and needed some caffeine. So I snuck in about 3 sodas last month. Haven’t had any since and don’t expect to, however.

Even more exciting news… I managed to complete an additional item on my Life List in June as well. My wife let me (actually is the one who talked me into) purchase a motorcycle! I’ve put almost 2,000 miles on Ms Peeps since then and ride whenever I get the chance. My wife finally joined me on a ride and is loving it! Expect to see lots more posts about motorcycle adventures from now on.

Back to Adventure-Some’s Roots

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Way back when, as I first envisioned what I wanted Adventure-Some to become, it was grander than today’s results are. This is entirely my fault. I haven’t kept up my end of the bargain.
Here is a copy of my goals for Adventure-Some.com from the Manifesto:

  1. Help you find ways to include adventure in your daily life.
  2. Inject adventure into my daily life to prove it works.
  3. Provide easy step-by-step procedure to help you fulfill your dream.
  4. Live out adventures of my own as proof of the system.
  5. Highlight others who are living their adventures as further proof/motivation it is possible for you.
  6. Create a source of income that allows me to pursue further adventures in my own life.

I feel that I’ve been successful with 1-3, but have struggled with 4, neglected 5, and overlooked 6.

Neglecting #5

There is no excuse for this, I simply haven’t taken the time to interview folks. I have started highlighting fellow adventurers, such as Abby Sunderland. Fortunately, I have also had some reader submitted stories that I will be following up on (after the Featuring You post). Expect to see those soon!

Struggled with #4 and Overlooked #6

These two are tied together. As college students, my wife and I don’t have a lot of funds for the adventures we’d like to take. That doesn’t really hold us back much, but after piecing our work and school schedules together, we don’t have much in the way of free time. I have a couple of ideas that will help take care of these two issues in the near future.

Products are Coming!

I have intended to create some products to sell for some time now. Recently I have received the necessary motivation to actually get to it. Unfortunately, up until now, I have been giving in to my excuses even though I should know better.

  • Sticky-Note Love ebook – this ebook will outline one of the simple methods that I use to keep my wife madly in love with me, and her girlfriends jealous of how lucky she is!
  • Photo Scavenger Hunt Lists ebook – the two search terms that provide me the most traffic are “photo scavenger hunt list” and “photo scavenger hunt” so I thought that it would be prudent for me to create some scavenger hunt lists to help them out.
  • Basic Photography ebook – I spent a lot of time researching basic photography before I got comfortable with my camera. While I still have a lot to learn, a beginner’s “how to take photos” book would have greatly shortened my learning curve. This will be targeted toward people who want to take better photographs, but have no desire to learn how their camera works or what ISO means.
  • Custom Portraits – I’ve never mentioned it here before, but for a couple of years I earned all of my spending money by drawing portraits. I’m in the process of putting together a website dedicated to my art, which also has my commission policy on it.

My goal is to roll out at least one of these digital projects each month. Hopefully each one will bring in a steady trickle that, combined with the portraits, will allow my wife and I the freedom to pursue some of larger adventures on our 2010 Action Plan!

New Free Finance Tracking System

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Well, it took a bit longer than I planned, but I just finished my Finance Tracker 2.0! I wanted to simplify my finances so that I could track how I’m doing and plan for the future with one easy-to-use interface. After much fiddling with it, I finally have a new system that I’m pleased with.

This spreadsheet allows me to see each month’s budget and expenses, automatically averages my expenses over the year, is easily adjusted when I need to change a category (either income or expense), and tracks virtual accounts so that I can plan for long-term expenses. It only takes a few minutes every couple of days to keep up to date, and is easy to understand.

Even though I planned on having this done sooner, I wanted to test it out first. The previous version worked well, but was cumbersome and harder to read. I managed to pare this one down so that it takes up less room, is easier to understand, quicker to change, and faster to keep updated.

Having trouble keeping your finances in hand? Download a copy and see how helpful it can be. Need it customized for your situation? Let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

Forgotten Clothes

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If you remember, as part of the Minimalist Experiment, I went through my closet and got rid of the clothes that I don’t wear on a regular basis. Some of the clothes I threw away, some I donated to goodwill, and some I put in a duffel bag and stashed in the back of my closet (now that I had the room).

Over the weekend I remembered that I had that duffel bag tucked into my closet. I had completely forgotten about it! One month has passed and I’ve easily made it on about one-third of my clothes.

Clothing List Changes

  • I’ve had to throw away a couple pairs of socks, which was expected.
  • I purchased a new pair of sleep pants. I definitely wear these enough to keep them around! (I might need to get rid of the other ones that I kept, however.)
  • I received two t-shirts as gifts. Again, I wear them often enough to keep them around. (Also again, it might be worth weeding out my unworn t-shirts.)

Challenges

  • Since I only kept 7 undershirts, I have run out a time or two, on laundry day. Not a problem, just an inconvenience. My wife would say that I should do the laundry a day earlier.
  • Similarly with the socks; since I haven’t opened the new packs of ankle socks yet, I’ve run out once or twice. Again, not a problem.
  • Apparently I don’t love all of my dress shirts. I keep wearing the same two over and over. I guess I need to weed out the ones that I don’t wear and keep an eye out for new ones to replace them, as I would like some variety in my options.

About That Forgotten Duffel Bag

Since I’d forgotten about the bag being in the closet, much less what was in it, I suppose that it is time to donate its contents to charity. The best way to do this is to just dump the contents into a bag without looking and then go drop it off.

Of course, I’m not going to do that. -sheepish grin- Because I wish I had some different dress shirts, I will see what is in my bag (no point in buying new ones if I have good ones already in my possession). If there is nothing that I like, it will be donated immediately. I have specific items that I am looking for, and can safely ignore anything else that I find.

Empty Closet Space

With the duffel bag gone, I’ll have some extra space in my closet. I imagine it will quickly be filled with art supplies, since I had to bring them all home from school. A dedicated storage space where I can organize them would be quite a relief. Now, if only I could figure out where to install a studio space…

What would you do with an entire empty shelf in your closet?

Re-Setting My Morning Routine

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I’m great at hitting the snooze button. It took me 40 minutes to get up this morning. Yesterday I stayed in bed for almost an hour longer than I intended. I wasn’t late, but I wasn’t nearly as prepared for the day as I wanted to be.

I do well for awhile, getting up with the first alarm, being ready for the day. Then I stay up too late one night and hit snooze the next morning. Soon, that snooze button becomes a habit and is quickly followed by another. Over time, I get to my current state and can hit snooze for almost an hour.

So it’s time for a morning routine re-set. I can get up at the first alarm. I can start my day without being rushed and annoyed with traffic. I can have time for breakfast before I leave the house in the morning. I just have to make myself get up when I plan to.

Ideal Routine

My dream morning consists of waking up when I want, cooking and eating breakfast with my wife (on the patio when the weather’s nice), getting a shower, then head to work and be ultra-productive.

Even though I don’t get to wake up when I want because of my school schedule, I can achieve the rest of this description.

  • Cooking doesn’t have to take a long time. Frying eggs only takes a few minutes. Muffins can cook while I do other parts of my morning routine. Throw fruit in the blender and I have a smoothie. – 3 meals, 5 minutes or less for each one.
  • I can shower fast, I just don’t wake up in time. A shower in the morning wakes me up and helps me feel better for the whole day.
  • Packing the night before makes me feel much less rushed in the morning. I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything and I can grab my bag and go.
  • When my day starts off right I am able to get so much more completed. I feel good, can focus, and am energized. It doesn’t feel like work to sit down and knock out a few tasks first thing. That momentum builds and work seems to take care of itself.

Schedule Interrupt

This is how I re-set my mornings, with a schedule interrupt.

  • Physical – I have to change my nightly routine; stay up late or go to bed early. This throws of my sleep patterns and helps me wake at a different time.
  • Mental – I also have to make a solid decision to get up at the first alarm in the morning. Visualizing it helps me, seeing myself get up at the first alarm, and walking through the routine immediately following.
  • Tricks – These two aren’t always enough motivation, so I have to force myself to get up. Since I use my cell phone as my alarm, I only set one alarm, instead of having a backup. I can also turn off snooze, so that I have to get up when it goes off or I will be late.

My process is simple, it just takes the desire to change and willingness to get there. This weekend I will be re-setting my morning routine. Do you need to join me?

Working In San Antonio

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[singlepic id=123 w=320 h=240 float=none]One of the items on my 2010 Action Plan was to head to San Antonio during Spring Break with the Cats for Christ ministry. My wife and I did exactly that, and spent a wonderful week working with Urban Connection.

Our trip started off on a less-than-ideal footing, when our ride to the airport didn’t show up. Fortunately, we were able to drive ourselves and make it on time with little inconvenience. We arrived safely in San Antonio and settled into our hotel rooms.

Sunday after church, we headed to Sea World for a fun-filled afternoon. This was my first visit to Sea World, and I had a fabulous time! The shows were great, and it’s always interesting to see exotic animals. We even got to ride some rides, and managed to stay dry the whole time!

[singlepic id=122 w=320 h=240 float=none]Monday through Friday, we got up early and headed over to Urban Connection. We were waiting when the kids arrived, and helped serve them breakfast. After breakfast was craft time, with a new project every day. Then they wore us out in the gym, so that we thoroughly enjoyed our break when it was time for lunch*. After lunch, we were in charge of the activities, and planned different games or crafts each day**. The childrens’ parents came and picked them up about 3. After they left, we headed back to the Urban Connection offices and rolled up our sleeves for some painting and construction projects.

[singlepic id=124 w=320 h=240 float=none]In the evenings, we generally stayed in the hotel, worn out from a day of playing and work. One night we headed downtown to the riverwalk and to see the Alamo. (Everyone was right, don’t make the Alamo the highlight of a trip.) We had some great mexican food that evening, and after dinner I flat out hurt from laughing so hard. We all had a great time, sharing stories over wonderful food.

Friday afternoon saw a few tears being shed, as we parted ways with our new-found friends. Though lots of pictures were taken, they don’t do those little guys justice! I know I’m missing my little buddy, Josh. He’s a great guy, and I can’t wait to seem him next year!

* Food

Robbie came with us and provided some meals. And boy did he do a good job! I’ve still got a couple of extra pounds that I need to get rid of! We ate breakfast at the hotel, then far too much delicious food for lunch, and then even more for supper. Whew!

The kids were on spring break, so Urban Connection provided lunch for them. We parted ways during lunch, which provided us with a much-needed break in the middle of the day. Robbie was fixing supper for us as we worked on the projects around the offices, so our work ended just as the food began.

** Crafts

Our group organized into smaller groups, with each small group in charge of the afternoon activities for a day. On our day, my group decided to go with a dodge-ball game and making sock puppets! We had a bit of trouble getting the glue to work (something about “let sit for at least 30 minutes” and excited 7 year olds just don’t go well together). In the end, though, everything worked out wonderfully, and the kids loved their puppets.

Coming home

Saturday morning we got to sleep in a bit later than normal before having a leisurely breakfast and heading to the airport. A couple of short flights later, and we were safely home again!

Though it was annoying at the time, having the car waiting for us at the airport worked out well; we were able to give a couple of friends a ride home, saving all of us the trouble of having to arrange rides home.

It was a wonderful week: full of friends, great food, and lots of fun. The children left an imprint on us, and we look forward to returning whenever possible.

Hammock Day – and a poem

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Hammock on the Patio

Twas the day before Thursday
and all through the place
This creature was stirring,
delight on his face.

The hammock was hung
on the patio with care,
knowing that Nap Time
soon would be there.

Then I was nestled
all snug in my threads
While visions of camping out
danced in my head.

The missus came to me
with a tappity, tap.
And we both settled down
for a short summer nap.

More 2010 Goals Completed

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It’s been a great year so far, and I’m excited to say that I’ve been able to check off a few items from my 2010 Action Plan!

  • I read through “His Needs, Her Needs” to re-touch on how to best satisfy my wife’s marital needs
  • We traveled to San Antonio with the Cats for Christ ministry over spring break and had a wonderful week!
  • Started reading through some of the books on my shelf, such as “The Jesus I Never Knew” – this is also a part of the Minimalist Experiment, as I’m not purchasing any new books until I read the ones I already have.
  • My sketchbooks are being filled, I’ve got at least half of one completed, which puts me around 1/4 of the way done
  • I’ve almost completely given up sodas this year, with only a sip or two here and there. One thing about stopping: when I re-taste one, I realize how little I actually like soda.
  • Emergency accounts have been created, and the money is set aside for them. There’s still a little bit of moving around to do, but the plan is in place.

    • I hope that you have made good progress on your year’s goals.
    I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds!

Spreading Spreadsheet

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I haven’t forgotten about my updated finance tracking/planning system. Unfortunately, as I’m working on it, I keep finding bugs and improvements that I want to make.

I did manage to get the tracking and budget pages put together for the whole year. Unfortunately, I forgot a couple of new categories and as I’m inserting those I am finding some bugs. Fortunately, I’m finding those bugs now instead of after I’ve started using the system.

It does seem that in order to meet my goals of “easy to use take little time, and provide a lot of useful output” I have to make it rather complicated behind-the-scenes. More than the planned 13 pages, but much less scrolling on each page.

Current pages & their features:

  • Financial Life on One Page
    • shows accounts and status of emergency funds
  • Averages
    • pulls actual spending for each month for each category
    • shows average over a year’s time, so that can easily make budget
  • Fixed
    • list monthly fixed expenses in one place, pulled to tracking/budgeting pages
    • list monthly fixed payments and dates in one place, pulled to tracking/budgeting pages
    • can list annual amount and have monthly amount calculated
  • Budget Page
    • one for each month
    • fills in last month’s numbers, so that don’t have to start from blank each month
    • pulls info from that month’s tracking page
    • compares budgeted amounts to actual spending
    • pulls fixed amounts so don’t have to enter in more than once
  • Tracking Page
    • one for each month
    • tracks multiple accounts on one page
    • pulls budget numbers, so can quickly compare
    • pulls any automatic payments and dates so don’t have to enter multiple times

Just wanted to let you know that I haven’t forgotten and am still putting it together. It might be more complicated than I initially planned, but it will be much easier to use and provide more useful results than my old system!