Happy Monday!
Above all, I hope this day finds you healthy and happy. I’m learning that these two things make it much easier for everything else to fall into place.
A lot’s happened since I stopped posting regularly. Here’s the quick and dirty…
I landed a most unexpected job with the federal government. Thank God I enjoy it; otherwise, the minimum 2.5-hour-each-way commute would kill me. I’ve met some AWESOME people, who share my Amtrak commute. I’ve also managed to do a little traveling–Africa, Hawaii, and most recently, Las Vegas (one of my favorite places).
I put my ambitions of being an entrepreneur on hold, but have recently begun to rekindle the idea. In the short term, I’ve decided to dabble at identifying ways I can increase my income, by earning money on my own. Which segues nicely into my current goals:
- to be a respectable amateur photographer, and
- to learn to code.
I just completed an introduction to photography class at my local community college, and am happy to report I’m finally out of auto mode. By no means am I skilled manual shooter, but I’m practicing. Speaking of practice… I’ve realized this is a real area of opportunity for me. I have the best of intentions when it comes to practicing something new, but I’m easily distracted and lack discipline. This has especially been the case in terms of learning to code.
I began taking self-directed coding lessons last year, during Code.org‘s Hour of Code initiative. I started off really strong, but it quickly fell by the wayside. Now, more than a year later, I’ve decided to give it another go. (Wish me luck! I have what I believe is a really good idea for an app I’d like to build.)
To help ensure my success, I’ve come up with a few tactics for improving my ability to practice:
1. Set realistic goals around practicing.
For me, this means starting small. Instead of committing to practice coding for an hour a day, I’ve committed to practice one hour a day, three days a week, and two hours on either Saturday or Sunday. I can always do more on any given day, or challenge myself by adding an additional day or hour, once I’ve become consistent.
2. Carve out a designated time and place to practice, and avoid distractions.
I may not opt to practice at the same time or place, each time, but I’ve found scheduling time to take care of important tasks works. So why not apply it to practicing? During my scheduled practice time, I will find a comfortable space where I can actually pay attention to the task at hand. That means no TV and no phone, and also no email or social media.
3. Reward myself for sticking to it.
More and more, I find rewarding myself for small wins to be a powerful motivator. Instead of gratuitously indulging myself, which I’ve found only further encourages my bad behaviors, I like to identify appropriate rewards to celebrate my successes, based on the level of effort required. And it has triply good effects: I get the high that comes from achieving the goal, the added bonus of a reward, and I’m inspired to strive to reach the next level.
I’ll let you know how it goes… And if you have any additional tips, I’d love to hear them.
I love Mondays!
Rochele
Monday Morning Margarita 