Can't Be Bothered? Whose Loss Is That Then?

Do you mind if I don't bother today? I'm not feeling to good.
If I really were to ask that of YOU, I would have missed the point of doing these posts every Friday since March.
I was asking it of myself this morning. And no, I didn't read Gary's post on "can not be bothered" until only a few minutes ago. So here goes, but shorter than usual for various health reasons. ( sitting in front of the computer for 14-16 hours a day is taking its toll

How I'm Doing This week:

Having a great time learning the meaning of migraine. Must have been something I said the other week to kimi about me never having any headaches! been really rough so I have keept away from the computers as much as possible. And that will have to continue for a little bit longer.

New things I will do:

Nothing. Not deliberately anyway. I am still looking for somewhere to send my articles to!

Things I am Dropping:

Plates and shopping. I can't seem to hold on to anything properly this week, so I am guessing it will carry on and I will smash yet another Woolies mug or a pint of milk by letting it slip out of my hand and onto the tiled kitchen floor!

This weeks lessons:

a pint of milk is heavier than you think!
Even though I had a week OFF computers through simple neccessity, I still managed to get some things done. I even have an article in mind for this weekend, and some good reviews lined up.

The value of this post to anyone else might be minimal. If any value at all can be gleaned from this post it is this:
You will have "uphill" weeks where everything is harder than usual. That's just the way it is. The fact that you are having one doesn't make you special, a victim or someone that should be pitied. It just shows you you're alive.

This weeks audience question:

if you know of any , ANY, UK orientated article submission directories then let me know, as I can't find them!

Doing Nothing On My To-Do List Was Good For Me

Yet another installment of my Friday Progress I am afraid. Thank you by the way to those of you that have told me on this forum and in person how much you appreciate me posting these updates.
It's a strange experience for me I tell you to have people I hardly know tell me they enjoy something that I do for my own benefit.
So thank you very much.
How I'm Doing This week:

On my blog I posted yesterday that this was a week for re-balancing myself.

Which means I didn't do any of the things I said I was going to do! I hope we all have weeks like this!
I also mentioned in the post that not doing what I set out to do made me feel uncomfortable. Maybe even a little guilty. To be honest I was really fed up with everything and everyone. But it was possible that this discomfort was trying to teach me something. I'm still not sure what it was, but it also made me conviced that I can't avoid discomfort.

If there is something I don't like, I might need to spend some time looking at why it is making me uncomfortable. If I don't like dealing with hassle that might happen on a forum like this, maybe my brain is trying to tell me that I am going about it the wrong way. Maybe it isn't trying to tell me to stay away from this sort of hassle, but asking me to consider other ways of dealing with it.

Either way, my re-balancing act gave me a chance to reflect on the old and ask about the new. and a good few people took the time to respond to my forum posts. I was particularly grateful for Andy Henrys response on a thread on this forum as it came at a time where I needed to read what he wrote. Thanks.
Other people offered words of encouragement and even gave me an ebook so I could read up and find some of the answers that I was looking for on Martins Forum. That was of tremendous help in getting me out of the midset I was drifting into.

On the day that Martin mentioned my post, I was having a dreadful day and at the end of the day, I sat down and wrote in my blog. And I had to reflect on what had happened that day. And because of the nice people that responded to me, I had to concede that the day hadn't been a total waste. In fact, as I read my post back, I had to find it quite an inspiration that people can be this nice.

New things I will do:

Well, I have yet to apply the marketing tactics of actually submitting my articles to any directories. So I will, come hell or high water, submit at least ONE article this week to a directory.
and the ebook. well. I will spend 4 hours on it this weekend.

Things I am Dropping:

The early morning writing "sessions". At least for the time being as I am as dead as a dodo before 9am - which makes me a bit of a road hazard! Shame really as the days where I start to work before 8 usually turn out to be very productive days.

This weeks lessons:
I think you'll find most of my lessons mentiond at the top of this post!

But. Maybe. Sometimes, not doing what I set out to do can be a good thing. Sometimes you just don't feel like doing what you're supposed to be doing, so should I still do it? Should I bother?
I had a week like that this week, but in spite me completing absolutely no tasks that I had set out to complete, I still managed to move forward, but in a different direction than I anticipated. I don't think it's very productive to act like that very often, but I also found it to be quite depressing to feel guilty about not doing something I should be doing because I enjoy it.

It is so easy to dwell in this guilt, and to be honest I pretty much was for most of the week. But sod it, if I need a week of rest, then I'll take a week of rest! It has also made it quite clear that the format is far more work than I anticipated, and maybe I should consider opening it up to others writing some of the reviews and articles. Or turn them into a email course, or ebook.

And I also learnt masses about myself. For instance, I am getting increasingly better at talking myself UP. These Friday Progress Reports help tremendously, but so do the daily posts on my blog. Like a diary, they make me reflect on the days events, and because I focus on the positive lessons I can extract from the days events, it makes me feel good.

Which can't be bad ;o)

This weeks audience question:
Would it be useful to have a website with all these little reports collected in one place? I have a fair few by now, and the philosophy is getting clearer in my head

Worn out, tired, chewed up, drained and drowsy.

Worn out, tired, chewed up, drained and drowsy. I could do with an energy boost. But I am still keeping going. This week out of sheer stubbornness rather than pleasure. Although it is quite pleasing to learn that I can push myself.

How I'm Doing This week:
I'm ahead of myself again with the reviews this week, although I doubt I'll have everything ready for Sunday as I will be spending all of the weekend away. But we'll see what I get done tonight and tomorrow morning.
I've also started hanging out in a UK money forum, but they all seem to frown on anyone other than the site owner posting affiliate links.
Which is a bit greedy of them I find.
Maybe that's an opportunity there for me, as I am sure I'm not the only one wanting or needing to make a buck.
And I have promised my subscribers that I will create a forum for them. So maybe I will let that be the USP of my site then ; affiliate links allowed after you have posted a few times, added value, no blatant advertising or spam, and clearly mark the links as affiliate links.
There is one web site that does something similar, only he only allows affiliate links in one thread, and you then have to link back to that thread if people think you deserve the commission, and you have to post an affiliate free link too.
Anyway. I have also as you may have seen started to distract myself by looking at buying a business that is already up and running. It seems like such a fantastically easy thing to do, this buying a business, improve its efficiency, let someone else manage it, or sell it, and then move on to the next business. I am experiencing illusions of grandeur as I think I should consider going into Business Development. As property development is not my thing. yet. But obviously I am not ready yet as I am thinking that it is easy.

New things I will do:
Not so much a new thing, but I have yet to submit any articles anywhere. So I must do that.
As I am now woken up every morning between 5am and 6:30 by a little toddler who has found out how to open doors, I might as well start using half an hour every morning working on the following weeks money reviews.
That way it will free up time in the evenings to work on articles and on my WHY. Ad writing more of the articles to go in my ebook (- let)
Things I am Dropping:
Nothing is getting dumped this week. Although I am hoping the seminar won't cause too much havoc. Wen I learn new things havoc has had a tendency to follow.
And the blog is nearing the risk threshold. It is likely at least that I will drop it down to 3 days a week instead of daily. But for now I will keep at it so I can continue to get to know my dicipline guide that tries to show me the right thing to do. ( who posted that comment somewhere? It was a quote from Jim Rohn any way and it made great sense to me! )
And the web site publishing method I am using is still at risk.
This weeks lessons:
For a section starting with "nothing is getting dumped this week" there was a lot I needed to say!
Rubbish isn't always rubbish.
As I left the office this afternoon I spotted a little rabbit doing something that triggered a "light bulb moment" for me.
I must tell you that the location I work in is actually smack bang in the middle of a protected wildlife area. It is actually on what used to be the sea, but after a lot of work the area was turned from a sea bird haven into the 6 buildings that are there. But as part of the deal with the council, the company I work for had to create a massive lake and water canal system to recreate the environment some of the wild life that was there was used to.
It works. There are stork like creatures there, Cranes I think they are called? Huge solitary creatures they are, mainly hated by gardeners with ponds because they come and pinch the really expensive karps. We have loads of various ducks, massive pigeons, and lots more that I have no idea what is. And Canada Geese. Tons of them. They eat grass like there is no tomorrow. Only it comes out like grass as well. Everywhere. But some how, by the next morning the Canada droppings have vanished.
I was assuming it was the cleaners and janitors that cleaned this up, and maybe it is, but this little rabbit I saw was nibbling away on the Canadian "deposits" with as much gusto as the Geese ate it. and it makes sense. The grass must come out as fast as it is being put in, so a lot of the nutrition might be left in it. And it saves the rabbit a lot of work if he only has to find a ready made grass pellet a la goose to get a wholesome meal.
So maybe that's how it all vanishes in the night. As the site has vermin like levels of rabbits right by the buildings.
So I got a lesson in reuse. What is no longer required by some - to put it delicately - can be life saving for someone else. Or indeed a delicacy! To me it was a reminder that opportunities are can be found in the unlikeliest, and sometimes unpleasant, places.
So next time you step in some Goose pooh, feel sorry for the rabbit whose meal you just ruined.

This weeks audience question:
If a tree falls in the forest, onto a little cabin, was it the trees fault or the cabins fault that the roof caved in?
Can think of anything important to ask. If you want to tell me something feel free! :o)

Friday Progress In New Clothes

Hi, I'm trying a new format this week. let me know if it's any better than what I've done before. The format that is!

How I'm Doing This week:

It feels like a mixed week as I did get my money tips out, although a lot later than I wanted to. I also blatantly forgot to work on my ebook.

I have maximum of 15 hours officially to my disposal every week- but I probably do more like 25. I know I spend maybe 4 to 6 hours on adwords and the rest on blogging, articles, newsletter and reviews. Oh and time wasting. And website issues, learning new things and learning about myself.

The list is longer than I remembered it to be, but at the same time it's not much of an achievement. More than Nothing is better than nothing. Sets me apart from 95 % of people out there aparently. But I am stealing 10 hours of sleep or family time every week which in my book is bad.

New things I will do:
I am not going to mention new goals or anything on Fridays any more. I will do that on my weekend post instead, with an update on progress mid week.

What I will do on Fridays instead is in this section I will mention my weekly Kaizens - my new things that I am going to start doing.

A KAIZEN is a small, insignificant step, but one that brings progress in one way or another. I might mention as few or as many as I feel like.

Things I am Dropping:
This week, that would be to publish my weekly goals on a Friday. I will do that on Sundays most likely, after publishing my newsletter

This weeks lessons:
I always seem to learn a lot every week. This week for instance I have realised that whenever I have to write these Friday progress reports, the list of things I have done and achieved is always longer than I imagined it would be. And it feels nice to discover that every week! I start out writing things like: " It's been a mixed week - I have only done this, that, the other, that bit, the other one, and this one over there and another one too. Plus the two I forget every week. So all in all I've done quite a a lot!" which get a bit contradictory! But it still feels darn nice to discover it!

It has also (finally!! ) begun to sink in that when I don't feel like doing something - I should just go and do it straight away. Not only does that make me "challenge my comfort zone" which supposedly is quite important, but it means I won't be wasting time thinking about doing something that might be uncomfortable.

A third and final lesson is about Gurus. I just had confirmation that they are nothing special. They just got lucky, and some of them forget this and THINK because people come to them with generous JV offers that they ARE special. Someone that started learning what I want to learn a day before me can be my expert. They do after all know what it is like to go through their first day learning the subject. So just like it is among mortals, gurus can be dumb too.

It just strikes me as odd that when they concentrate on building up a reputation, they are more interested in making a fast buck than to protect their brand name. Not that I have one worth protecting yet, but I most certainly wouldn't like to stake my reputation on a bad, illegal or ethically questionable product. But they have revealed themselves to be human after all.

This weeks audience question:
Would it be better to have your newsletter come out on a predictable day and time, or randomly within each week?

What is a "good" week?

Last week I gave myself three things to finish in addition to the usual seven reviews. I committed to finishing my afilliate directory, which I have. I committed to writing an article for the Money Review, which I have. I also said I would finish my ebook, which at the moment is with the proof-reader. That would be my wife by the way.

I will let you guys tell me if that means I had a good week. You need to consider that I actually have not finished the book yet. I will be spending the next hour working on my money tip reviews, because I just need a break from this book, but as I am babysitting tonight I'll have the rest of the evening available to work on the book.

I don't know if you have tried writing a book, and I distinctly remember telling Pearson just to get on with it, when he was saying that he had problems and self-doubt when writing his. Or if I didn't tell him I certainly thought it. Now that I have actual experience I can only humbly apologise for my simplistically ignorant and inexperienced opinion. Now that I know what he means!

Anyway, I have somewhere between seven and 14 Money Tips to review and to find afilliate links for in time for Sunday's News Letter. So if you don't mind I'm just going to get on with it.

This week I would be grateful for if you could tell me if you think a forum would be useful on my website, and as it is a low-cost, low-budget production, if you know of any free solutions that are any good, and the that I can put on my website then let me know. I can't take any PHP based stuff. I already have a hosted forum I am testing, and I could hide the fact with frames I suppose, but I would not be in control of the adverts.

What's your views on this?