"Murphy was an optimist!"
Quote of the Day April 30, 2010 8:07 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Philosophy, QuoteBehind every successful man is a surprised woman.
add a commentOn Time Management/Organizational Tools April 30, 2010 11:27 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Doug's Mantras, Philosophy, Software, TechnologyI’m a huge fan of Jott. I don’t know how Siri (recently acquired by Apple) slipped through my radar. I now have Siri and am very excited. SpringPad and I have this oddly tenuous relationship which I’ll explain in another post. I think SpringPad has incredible potential and should be appreciated by fans of Evernote.
Like Stephen R Covey’s First Things First and David Allen’s Getting Things Done, none of these tools do any good if you don’t use them. And by use them, I mean fully. For instance, in Gmail I frequently flag emails to review later but then I may not review them. The same thing can happen with any of the tools above. I fill Jott with voice notes and text memos daily. Like sharpening the saw, a review is critical. One of my mantras is "15 minutes a day for proficiency." It comes from preparing for juggling shows. If I wait until the day before a performance and try to cram several hours of practice in, I don’t perform well. If I spent 15 minutes a day for those same number of hours, I perform very well! That 15 minute mantra applies to all things in life be it learning a skill like guitar, a language like Spanish, losing that extra weight, reading a book, writing a business plan, or just keeping your life in check.
Trying to get organized while living our crazy lives often feels a bit like trying to balance your checkbook while going down a water slide. You can’t do it and your checkbook gets really soggy. Feels like a catch-22; too busy to organize, must organize to not be so busy. That’s were 15 minutes a day comes in. We can spend 15 minutes just staring into space. Even exhausted, we can muster 15 minutes. And now, I will spend 15 minutes reviewing my notes in Jott.
1 comment so farFrom the mouths of babes April 30, 2010 8:59 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Evan, Family, From the mouths of babesMe: "This machine measures my blood pressure. See that blue line in my arm. That’s the blood in my arm."
Evan, nearly 5 years old: "Blood? Blood is bad for you! Blood will make you die. I’ve seen it on Noah’s game."
Of Grasshoppers April 29, 2010 4:36 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Grasshoppers, PhilosophyStudent: I never wanted to be the enemy.
Master: You can still be friendly.
Tomorrow’s Future April 29, 2010 3:21 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Philosophy, PoetryIf there was a future in my past
At present I can see
There was no future in it for me.
I awoke living each day for tomorrow
And slept lamenting yesterday.
Today I can only think
Of going back and doing it differently.
Tomorrow will be a new day
Then I can begin to live my future
Much more happily.
Everybody stop! Hey, what’s that sound? April 29, 2010 12:02 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Music, Of Interest, TechnologyI’ve spent 40 years thinking I was hard of hearing or just dim witted because I could never fully make out the lyrics in many songs particularly of the rock, punk, or heavy metal genres. No one told me my headphones just sucked. I finally splurged and bought myself some Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket (FMJs) earbuds for the iPhone and am hearing sounds in my music I never knew were there before! (I’m also going to quit complaining to my children that they listen to their music too loudly…even if they do.)
1 comment so farFile under: awkward gifts April 29, 2010 9:49 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Holiday, Mother's DayI like that Newegg’s Mother’s Day sale includes the Hitachi Magic Wand (great price btw). Now that says “thanks Mom!”
ps. If you’re a woman and don’t know what a Hitachi Magic Wand is…um…you should do some research. It’s a wonderfully strong massager that really works…the tension out.
add a commentOf Grasshoppers April 28, 2010 8:11 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Grasshoppers, PhilosophyStudent: I don’t care anymore.
Master: No one else will either.
Chubby Dougie April 27, 2010 11:18 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Exercise, Food, Health(no…not that kind of chubby)
I saw a friend last night and exclaimed, “wow! You’ve lost, what, about 30 pounds?” He confirmed, “about that” which confirmed for me that my doctor is correct; I need to lose 30 pounds (about 2 stone). My friend’s secret? Eat less, exercise more.
add a commentOf Grasshoppers April 27, 2010 10:07 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Grasshoppers, PhilosophyStudent: In retrospect, I did it all wrong.
Master: What about all you haven’t done yet?
If Not April 26, 2010 11:20 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Philosophy, PoetryIf not for this darkness
I could see
If not for this sadness
I could be happy
If not for this weight
I could move
If not for this pit
I could escape
If not for this solitude
I could laugh.
I was never a very good _____ April 25, 2010 9:03 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Philosophy, PoetryI was never a very good Presbyterian
Nor a very good Baptist
I was never a very good Methodist
I attended a Catholic church once
And was not a very good Catholic
I was never a very good Lutheran
I tried reading the Book of Mormon
But was never a very good Mormon
I attended some Wiccan ceremonies
But I was never a very good Wiccan
I have chanted
But I was never a very good Buddhist
I have seen fairies
Spoken to the Great Spirit, o’ Maker of Life
Drawn down the moon
Worshiped the Sun
Praised the Mother
Oh Blessed Be!
I have been a trespasser
And a debtor
I have taken communion
The Body and The Blood
But I was never a very good believer
But, in all these things, the Spirit in me
Has been the best that I can be.
Of Grasshoppers April 25, 2010 8:06 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Grasshoppers, PhilosophyStudent: This could be the last day of my life.
Master: This could be the first.
How a European views America April 25, 2010 9:50 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Touchy Subjects
[Source, Reddit, As a European, this is how I see America]
Funny thing, this is pretty much how I see it.
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