Loving my MacBook Pro…

After just over a year, I am really getting rather attached to my MacBook Pro.  I have to admit that the classes I’ve been taking at the Apple store have contributed greatly to this “attitude change”, as well as setting up the “free wi-fi” that I can get at Starbucks (with my registered “Gold Starbucks card”).  

Sitting here at my local Starbucks may help me put more attention on using more of the features of my Facebook, Plurk and Flickr accounts, but it is definitely helpful in playing more on my WordPress blogs!  I think the fun part about having this blog is just having an avenue to ramble through some of the thoughts in my head, and “who cares” if they make sense to anyone but me?

Oftentimes when I sit down to write in this blog, I think I might only have a few sentences to type….not really much to say, and such.  And then I get on a roll, and more words want to jump out and be typed out.  I’m always surprised to see just how much I might have written when the out-pouring is done.  I don’t think I really have anything earth-shaking to say, as I am not one for political or controversial commentary. Then there are those times I would just like to strike out on a line of conversation, just to see if anyone out “there” is listening (reading), and wants to converse with me.  In any case, I don’t feel like I’m all alone in either my feelings or thoughts.  This does help to break down my inclination to be shy & reserved, among those that are my friends, and maybe even a little bit eager to reach out to make new friends that might share similar thoughts.

In learning more about my MacBook Pro, and Garageband in particular, I am feeling more confident in producing my podcast, “Fantasy & Folktales”.  And to think that less than a year ago, I had no idea ‘how’ to produce a podcast, even though I’ve been podcasting for the past three years (nearly 3 yrs!)  I have been fortunate to have learned alot of “quality” on production from a former podcasting partner, and I often find his “instruction” echoing through my head as I work on editing and mixing new episodes of my “show”.  It really is helpful to be trained by someone who has a flair for promotion, and presentation, and I am glad I paid attention.  (altho, he prolly would be a lil surprised to find out I was taking notes, and learning all I could from him on the finer points of “production & promotion”.)  And now, I am just taking my learning experience to higher levels, as I work on more of the fun features my Mac has to offer in the “media” department.

Next learning curve will be making movies…

-cya

Filed under: Blogs & Blogging, General, MacBook Pro, Social Networking , Blogs & Blogging, MacBook Pro, Plurk

Working on my Mac in SL

working on my Mac in SL

Originally uploaded by Yxes Delacroix

I love my MacBook Pro, in RL… and I have a lil laptop in SL that I have tried to make look like my RL Mac. I do have a pink cover on my RL Mac!

When I go to Starbucks, to work on bookkeeping stuff, or just play on the Mac using my “Starbucks wi-fi”, I love the looks I get with the pink Mac. People do stop and chat with me about it, wondering where I found a pink one!

I didn’t find a pink Mac, just a hard plastic cover that happens to be pink. It just snaps over the aluminum cover, and looks very cool. A clear pink cover… much like the picture here.

I set up my Flickr account to actually blog directly from Flickr to my blogs…just trying to get more immersed in the social networking ambiance, in my own way, at my own pace. So, here ya have it… maybe I’ll post more like this when I have some fun pics to share.

til next time,
Yxes

Filed under: Blogs & Blogging, General, MacBook Pro, Social Networking, This n That , Blogs & Blogging, Flickr, MacBook Pro, Yxes Delacroix

Sharing some more inspiration ….

9 Simple Solutions for Procrastinators
by Christine Kane

Irony: As I started to write this article, I thought, “I’ll just go play one Sudoku game first.” I caught myself in the act and marched to my laptop.

People who say that procrastination is about laziness are probably the same people who think that anorexia is about not eating enough.

Procrastination isn’t about laziness. It’s about fear. It’s about perfectionism. It’s about overwhelm. We all experience it, and there are some tricks to help you get moving again.

Here are 9 ways to break the procrastination habit:

1 – When you get an idea, do some little thing to begin.

When I read Stephen King’s book On Writing, I noticed something. I noticed that when Stephen King gets an idea, he writes it. Immediately and imperfectly.

Most people get an idea. Then they sit there. They wonder if it’s a good idea. Then, they wonder if it’s a good idea some more.

Got an idea? Begin it now!

2 – All hail small chunks of time!

Lots of us complain about having no time. My guess is that we all have lots of time. It just doesn’t happen to be all at once.

Are you waiting for many hours of spare time to begin your idea, your project, or your taxes? Stop waiting! Learn to use the spare half hour that comes up here and there. (I gave myself 45 minutes to write this article just to take my own advice.)

3 – Agree to do it badly.

Set a goal to do it badly. Set a goal to show up. Let go of doing it ALL, or doing it WELL.

Some of my coaching clients’ biggest victories have a lot more to do with getting over perfectionism and fear, than they do about getting it all done perfectly.

4 – Commit aloud.

Call a friend and say something like this: “I’m going to spend the next half hour working on my Law School Essay.” Then go do it.

Call the friend after the half hour and make her congratulate you. Repeat daily.

5 – Define quantities.

Nebulous goals make for nebulous results. “I’m gonna get my office organized” is a lot like saying, “We oughtta do something about Global Warming.”

Most procrastinators have a hard time defining quantities. We think everything needs to be done NOW.

When are you going to do it? For how long? Which part of your office? The file cabinet? Or your desk?

Define the goal and acknowledge its completion.

Note: The Clutter Removal Action Process (or, “C.R.A.P.”) is one of the many bonus elements of my new “Uplevel Your Life Mastery Program” – and it makes this step a BREEZE!

6 – Install this System Upgrade into your Mental Hard Drive: Less is More.

Have fewer goals. Have no more than three priorities for a week.

Why?

Because you’re not lazy. You’re just trying to do too much.
Find out what it feels like to accomplish one thing instead of not quite getting to everything. Wow – what a difference this makes!

7 – Do it first.

My first coach made me write songs first thing in the morning. He told me to schedule the 2-hour chunk as my first activity upon waking.

Why?

“Because you’re telling the universe that this is your priority. And then the universe lines up everything to align with your priority.”

Action grounds your priorities. It makes them real. It also makes your day easier because you’re not wasting energy thinking about this thing you’re supposed to be doing.

8 – Avoid nose-bleed activities.

Email, voicemail, web stats – any activity that bleeds itself into your whole day becomes a non-activity. It becomes a nose-bleed.

When you do it all the time, you never complete it. You just let it slowly drain the very life force from you. Define times for these activities. Then, turn off your email, your cell phone, your web stats, until that time comes.

9 – Don’t ask how you “feel” about doing the activity.

Have you ever committed to getting fit? And then when the alarm goes off, you lie in bed thinking, “Do I really feel like going to the gym?” (Like you even have to ask!)
Change this pattern. Make your decision the night before. Commit to getting up and going right to the gym, the computer, the blank canvas. Don’t have coffee and sigh and think, “I’ll probably feel more like it at lunch time.” You won’t!

If it’s a priority, don’t waste time asking yourself how you feel about doing it. Feelings are an easy out.

—————————-

There. I did it. I wrote this article. And now, I don’t even want to play Sudoku! How about that?

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

Please do! Just be sure to include this complete blurb with it:

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

WANT TO SEE HUNDREDS MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Christine’s blog – Be Creative. Be Conscious. Be Courageous – at ChristineKane.com/blog.

Filed under: General, Health & Fitness, This n That , Christine Kane, inspire, MacBook Pro, motivation

The “heroes” at my favorite Apple Store!

About 14 months ago, I finally broke down and bought a Mac! A MacBook Pro (15 in) actually.  

I have been an avid PC user for more years that I really would like to admit! heh My computer exposure actually started with my first Commodore 64, and then I got a dual floppy disk computer that had the basic DOS, and was a HUGE machine!  I fought upgrading to Windows, back in the day, but finally gave into peer pressure, and the need to learn this new technology!  With each upgrade or improvement to Windows, I would wait a few years until I would invest in the latest upgrade.

Now, I know that Macs have been around FOREVER, but my learning curve with PCs has kept me plenty busy, that I didn’t really have time to learn yet another operating system.  Instead, I put my time and attention to learning how to build my own PC, and fix general problems with the operating systems on those computers, and on my friends’ machines.  I became the proverbial self-taught geek goddess.

Fourteen months ago, I took the plunge and got my MacBk Pro. I did this for a few reasons, many revolving around the fact I have clients that use Macs, and I wanted to beef up on my “service offerings” and expand my business a bit. (I have a bookkeeping service that I work from my home.)  Another reason I wanted this Mac was to learn how to use a program called Garageband, and then do my own production on my very own podcast.

It took me about a year to get to that point, and when I tried to use Garageband, I found it was as cool as other podcasters that use it said it was.  However! I got myself stuck, and found I couldn’t think my way out of the problem.  One problem was that I was trying to do “Mac” stuff with a “PC” mindset.  That never works out real well!  Dummies books, help from friends that use a Mac, and working on my clients’ Macs did help a little, but I still found myself getting more frustrated, then having fun with this new laptop!

And then, much to my delight, an Apple store opened up at one of the malls very close to where I live. I was happy, as this one was much easier for me to get to, and it was at a mall I frequent on a near weekly basis! So, I went to check out this new Apple Store.

It was so obvious this Apple store was going to be very popular.  It was packed with so many people, but there were plenty of Apple people on the floor to help us all.  In chatting with one of them, I was informed about a “free service” they have at Apple stores, called the Genius Bar.  So, I signed up for an appointment, and met with Bruce, who helped me with an issue I had been having with Garageband.  That’s when I learned about their “One on One” tutorial program, and signed up for that. 

This week I had to utilize the Genius Bar again. My battery had basically died.  I was just going get a new battery, and switch it out, but the gal who took my question about the battery suggested I see one of the guys at the Genius Bar, and so, I talked to Bruce, again.  In less than 20 minutes (that is what the Genius Bar appointments run for), a bit of testing and evaluating my Mac’s system profile, it was confirmed my battery was fried, and I needed a new battery.  

Now, the reason the Apple Genius Bar guys are heroes is simple.  Bruce replaced my battery, under the warranty I had on my MacBook Pro, and had me back on the road in about 20 minutes! And it didn’t cost me a dime!  I was so glad I consulted with Bruce!  He really did want me to have the best value for my investment, and understand what was going on with my Mac!  

To say the least, I will continue my lessons on the One on One sessions, and learn as much as I can about my Mac!  And I will, most likely, utilize the services of the Genius Bar as often as I might need to.

And now, I will do a battery calibration, and work a little more on my lessons for my next One on One session….

-cya

Filed under: General, MacBook Pro , Apple, Genius Bar, MacBook Pro, One on One

Making project lists….

….really does help to quiet all the battles in my mind of “do this, no! do that first!” and so on. I have a tendency to do two or three or more projects, simultaneously. I might be reading several books at one time, trying to learn new software programs and learning a new game or two…. all while trying to juggle my normal work loads of housework, bookkeeping work, and general entertainment times!  I’m sure many of my friends have similar work/play habits! There is just never enough time, in any given day, to getting it “ALL” done!

I am often asked “how do you do all that stuff?” or “what DON’T you do?” That’s when I stifle a smile, as I know there are plenty of things I “don’t do”, or even know how to do (or would maybe not even want to do!)

Anyway, with the help of my MacBook Pro, and a few lessons on some of the applications that are native to the MacBook Pro, and some I’ve added over the last year, I think I’m getting a handle on “getting organized”, while still working at being a social networking butterfly, and doing my darndest to keep in touch with all my friends on Plurk, Twitter and Facebook!

One project that I am working on rather diligently right now is getting my ‘collections’ documented and accounted for. I have a few “personal collections” that have gotten rather encumbering, and I don’t see them dwindling anytime soon. One is my DVD movie collection, with over 580 titles on my library! I even have this listing posted on my personal “picture blog” website. The other collection is my “Trail of Painted Ponies” figurines. I will be putting those up on my library pages too, and anyone will be able to see just which ones I have. (I also sell these ponies on eBay, and will be getting back to that social networking very soon, too!)

Another typical January project is getting my clients’ books done and reconciled by the time I meet up with them, with the final numbers for last year. I also have to get payroll tax reports done, and distribute the W-2’s to a few smaller payroll based clients that I have.

So, all in all…. I do have a lot going on for me at the moment. And I have new projects already sprouting the beginning seeds of new ideas and new things to get going on. At the end of the day, week, month, I should have a few more check marks to assign as “dones” on my ever-growing “task list”.

So… before I think of another project or six….

-cya

Filed under: General, MacBook Pro , Facebook, MacBook Pro, Plurk, Project lists, Twitter

Gearing up for the new year

The time has arrived, and a new year has begun!  As many of my friends, and people all over the world, I have big ideas of what I would like to get done over the next couple of months.  Having spent a good many hours over the last several days contemplating what I would like to envision this new year bringing, I think I may be ready, very soon, to put together a plan of how I would like to go about doing all that I would like to get done for 2009.

It is not typical for me to keep Christmas up much after the New Year.  So, this weekend, we’ll be packing it all back into the pretty red & white Christmas boxes, and dragging all 20 of them back to the storage locker, until next year! Don’t get me wrong… I love “putting up Christmas”, but after a month of my house being basically re-arranged and cluttered up with this stuff, I am ready to un-clutter and clean it all up. *smile*  That, in itself, is a great sense of accomplishment. 

So, for today, for now, I think my first “big goal” for 2009 will be to “clean house”, and get things back to my “neat normal” routine, so that I can organize for the next task that will most definitely show itself to me very soon.

’til then…. I will be working on more of the WordPress/MacBook Pro lessons. 
love and warm Happy New Year wishes to all,

-cya

Filed under: Blogs & Blogging, General, MacBook Pro , blog, goals, Happy New Year, MacBook Pro, Wordpress sites

Day 1 of 2009!

 

A new day breaks...

Happy New Year!

This is the first day of 2009; a day filled with hope and wonder that this is going to be a good year, indeed!

I will take a few days, over this weekend, to work up my Hopes and Goals lists for 2009, and what I would like to get done this year.  Some of these items will be work related, some even Second Life related, but mostly these Hopes & Goals will be dealing with my own dreams and desires to measure growth and accomplishment on a much more personal level.

And one small goal I hope to achieve is actually working this blog, and writing “nearly every day”!  I do want to learn how to keep creating on this blog, sharing my thoughts, my ideas, and a bit of me, to whomever that might stumble upon these musings, and find them interesting.  My hope is that with working more with the blogging, on my MacBook Pro, & using Web 2.0 applications, I just might become proficient in all those areas, and attain a comfort zone that is mine alone, to share and relish!

We’ll see….

-cya

Filed under: Blogs & Blogging, General, MacBook Pro , 2009, Blogs & Blogging, goals, Happy New Year, Hopes, MacBook Pro, Second Life

I think I must like to talk to myself…

…. because that is what this feels like writing in this blog right now. I am on the silent learning curve, trying to see what I can do with this, while learning just how the WordPress blog site will work out.  I am not even sure what I have to say on this blog, but I thought, perhaps, I would share my journey of learning how to do the blogging routine from the viewpoint of a semi-geeky gal who really doesn’t know if blogging and wordpress is “her thing”. 

I have a few other blogs, but they are more photo and podcast related, so maybe this one can be about my adventures with new Web 2.0 technology. Well, it is sort of new to me, that is. I dabble in much of it, now I just need to learn more so I can become proficient with it.

I am also learning more about my MacBook Pro, having been a PC geek for the last 20 years or so!  I have actually had my MacBook Pro for just over a year. A few months ago, an Apple store opened up at my favorite mall, and I discovered they do classes, right there, in the store!  So, I signed up for the weekly hour “One on One” tutoring sessions they have designed so I can learn everything there is to learn about my little MacBook Pro! I’ve been to maybe 4 classes already, and I have learned so much in each class, I can’t wait to get right home and try out more of what I’ve learned. This is well worth the $99 bucks a year this tutoring service costs! That’s $99 a year, for an hour a week with a trained instructor!  A very sweet deal, indeed!

… and I’m still talking to myself… ha!  I guess I’ll go back to looking at WordPress themes and layouts now….

… cya!

Filed under: Blogs & Blogging, General, MacBook Pro , Apple, Blogs & Blogging, MacBook Pro, technology