I Don't Think I Took a Big Enough Risk

As part of my new set of SuperBetter quests to be better at being awesome, I am to reflect on my experience coming out of my comfort zone. Quite frankly, I think I need to this whole thing over because I didn't take a big enough risk. I need a bigger risk, something that is a big more challenging to my comfort zone.

What I Actually Did

For my "risk" and 'coming-out-of-the-comfort-zone' task, I decided to go to Lab1500 for my early morning meeting. I haven't been to Lab1500 for a while, so going there has become something that would be out of my comfort zone. Also, my early morning meeting is also part of that as well, since I don't do much in the early morning and meetings are always nerve-wracking for me.

Even though my meeting went well, and was very auspicious about the future, the entire risk and task was awful. Since I've been on a night owl schedule for about four months now, doing anything at 8:30 a.m. is very difficult. It was especially difficult that day because I didn't really sleep. I got into bed and tossed and turned for several hours, only to give up, get up, and do what I need to do for this meeting. Because of this, I wasn't at Lab1500 for all that long. I was too tired to be productive, and I could tell. I felt tired, I acted tired, and I looked tired (that was the kicker that told me I needed to go home).

How It All Was

The meeting was totally worth it. I got some free coffee samples, of which I will review in the coming weeks and publishing onto Gateway Grounds. It's likely that I'll get some additional samples in the future, as well as some much-needed traffic as part of this partnership. Going to Lab1500 was also worth it, as I was able to sort out some event planning logistics for the St. Louis chapter of the Young Ambassadors for Opportunity. It was also nice to be back there, even for a just a short while, since I hadn't been there in a long time. Good things happened as a result of this 'risk', except for the lack of sleep. Emotionally and mentally, I was fine with the whole thing. I'll do it again, but I'd like to do something different and/or bigger that doesn't involve a lack of sleep or a huge disruption to my schedule.

What I'll Do for My Next Risk

What I did was a good start, and it would have been a better start if I committed to going three days in a row (which I still might do). However, I think I need to do something that's farther out of my comfort zone, as this last one was just a kind of coming out. I don't think it was really hard enough. I need to do something like go for a run at Tower Grove Park, or hop on the bus to review a coffee shop, or perhaps set up some phone interviews for some blog posts. All of those would be coming out of my comfort zone, as they've all been things I've been putting off or have been thinking about doing but haven't done yet. The magic happens when you venture outside your comfort zone. I need to do more magic and make more things happen.

I am Back at Lab1500!

After almost a two-month hiatus, changing the direction of my business, giving my laptop a bath, and accommodating my night owl habits, I'm finally back in Lab1500 working again! It's so nice to be back in downtown St. Louis, typing away at my favorite table and getting more things done than ever before. I get lots more done here than I do at home, and that is still the case today as it was in the beginning of the year when I first joined Lab1500. This is exciting because, as of yesterday, I was one-third of the way to my file cabinet (which I understand costs, like $25, if I know where to look, but the point is to work for it so it's a huge achievement and my home office is that much better when I finally get it). At this rate, I'll have that file cabinet in another month. Perhaps I'll be able to get a bookshelf or a dresser too.

Being SuperBetter is Super Amazing

It's only been one day of me playing SuperBetter, and I'm already having a blast and feeling extra motivated to do everything! It' so easy to get caught up doing quests, using power ups, and killing the bad guys. I also love how all this can be incorporated into my day and into my own Inferno of Productivity game. I get a point when I complete my SuperBetter quests for the day, and what I plan to do over the next few weeks and months is incorporate other goals and tasks into SuperBetter i.e. poker goals, business goals etc. In SuperBetter, you can create your own Power Packs, with its own set of bad guys, power ups, and quests. It would be really cool if I could eventually do this with my own goals, and then write blog posts on how to set these up so others can do them as well. It's exciting because I am essentially talking about a game, but I am also talking about building identity capital and helping others. It would also be really neat to create a Power Pack that works in conjunction with one of Stirring Media's digital content sites. I don't see how coffee would work for this, unless a lot of people really want to increase their daily coffee intake, but it's a good vision nonetheless.

I Want to Play Poker Tonight

Because I am burning in my inferno of productivity (Completing this blog posts puts me at 1o points for the day! And it's only 4 p.m.! I am amazing!), I do believe I will play poker once I get home and have my dinner. I will play at least three sit-n-gos at the smallest stakes, since I haven't played in a while. I played one over the weekend, and I won that, but I did get lucky in a few spots. I don't see it as too much indication of my skill level.

I'm making it a point to get back into playing again and to go for some of those items on my life goals/bucket list because two women have won an open event at the World Series of Poker, and I AM NOT ONE OF THEM! Too much time is passing with me wishing I was playing more poker and being more awesome and winning tournaments. Spending too much time wishing and dreaming, and not enough time making it happen. I need to change this, and then create a Power Pack for this so I can add it to my SuperBetter.

In the meantime, I will try to make it 11 points.

Today is Going to Be the Day

It's getting really close to midnight, so "today" could actually be up for debate here. But, today is going to be the day that I make a few changes for the better, that I do what needs to be done to build myself a successful business and to be recognized as an expert in my chosen fields. I need to get myself going and to make some progress.

I'm Going Back to the Office

It's been weeks since I was at Lab1500. I've been there once in the past month, and that was to do my VIP day. Other than that, I've been staying home and working. The biggest reason for this is that my sleep schedule is all screwed up. I've been going to bed at 1 a.m. for at least a week, which makes it hard to get up at a reasonable hour the next morning. Getting up late means that it's tough to get down to the office because they close at six, and I don't want to go down there for just two or three hours. Lab1500 did just announce that they were going to do 24/7 service, but I do think I need to get my sleep schedule fixed. It does mean spending one or two days completely tired, but I just need to bite the bullet and get it done. I also feel really guilty about being a night owl, sleeping when everyone else is working. Then again, I am working when everyone else is sleeping. I don't quite know what to do. I'll ask my business coach.

Working on My New Business Ventures

I haven't made much progress on my upcoming coffee blog either. I created a contact page today, and did research on how to write a review policy, but that's it. I will get the first coffees that I'm going to review, and find a good shop to review as well. However, I am starting to think that I might have to do a few reviews first, and then develop a policy. You know, figure out the system first and then put it into writing. Haven't had the funds to get everything started on the right first. I do need to buy the domain name, and figure out the hosting stuff. I also need to catch up on all the great stuff Sean Ogle has sent me.

Speaking of which, I do need to start migrating my pages off my site from HubSpot. I need to cancel my account because I can't afford it, but I don't want to lose the work that I've done so far. I'll put that on my task list for the weekend. I think I'll move them all either to my Stirring Standard blog or to my current Stirring Media site, which does need revamping also since I will be changing the direction of my business. I think I need to make another giant To-Do list.

This is What I Need to Do...

And today is going to be the day to do it. I've been slouching around a little too long, and perhaps I needed a bit of a break or impromptu vacation, but it's gotta end sometime cause I can't be this way forever. I don't think I'm going to get that successful business or accomplish any of my goals with this kind of schedule and this kind of pace. I'm getting things done, but I'm not getting enough done. Just doing what needs to be done and I'm going to end up running in place again. I don't think I got far with my previous business because I spent too much time doing what needed to be done today, instead of doing things that moved the business forward and put it in a position to grow.

How I Managed to Get Everything Done Yesterday

Yesterday, I boasted about how I got everything done and the several things I planned to do once I got home. Although I failed to do one thing once I got home (I didn't quite read a whole chapter of Half the Sky, and yes, I did finally manage to come up with those seven topics), I feel that its worth really looking at what went right yesterday. I'd like to replicate the productivity, so here's how I think I managed to get everything done yesterday. This is according to my analysis and opinion, and isn't based on anything scientific.

Getting Up Early

This is something I need to turn into a habit, as I've gotten myself into the horrible habit of sleeping in and staying up too late. Not sure how or why it started, but it's actually something that's been getting worse and worse since the end of October. I'll be using my new office space at Lab1500 to help me with this, since I don't want to show up there in the afternoon, and it's much more comfortable (and work-friendly) to spend the whole day there than at a coffee shop.

Something I should also add into this mix is eating breakfast. It should also be a normal-sized, filling breakfast, not just a piece of fruit or a yogurt cup. A bowl of cereal would count. Waking up at 7 a.m. will not only give me more time to get things done (I'm finding that working into the evening is tough and tiring, despite only working and being away for so long) during the day, but also some time to eat breakfast.

Focus and Determination

Something that always helps is focus and determination, a will to get it all done and that it is possible to get it all done, while overcoming the stress of having a lot to do or not being able to get it all done. It can be tough, as it's easy to get distracted and to wallow in the burden of all that needs to get done. However, focusing on the task at hand makes a huge difference, as well as the commitment to finish these task today instead of pushing them off or creating an excuse as to why they weren't finished.

One of the things that I had to do yesterday was to write an article about a new startup and  discuss why its business model will succeed in a space where many previous startups have failed. It took a lot of energy to write because I didn't know anything about this startup and what others have said about it until I started the assignment, and I wanted to digest the information that was out there in order to write something original and though-provoking that didn't repeat what was already said. Took a lot of focus and determination to not only get that done, but to get that done in one day. I grant that it also helped I told the client I would have it finished by the next day, at the latest.

How Did I Do Today?

It's not going as well, primarily because of that getting up early problem I mentioned earlier. It still have two more blog posts to write and laundry to take down from the line. I could also finish that chapter I didn't finish yesterday. Perhaps I should make another "Things I Will Get Done List", just to hold myself accountable. Besides, my boyfriend is playing poker in the other room, which limits my options of distractions and procrastination. Here's what I'm going to do after I finish this post and before I go to bed:

• Write tomorrow's blog post for Stirring Media
• Write a blog post for a client
• Take down the laundry from the line
• At least finish chapter 2 in Half the Sky
• Finish my goal plan for my business coach
• Prepare a lunch for tomorrow

Now, I'm off!

I Am On a Roll!

Today is wonderful Monday instead of a horrible Monday, but then again I work for myself and suffer from this crazy phenomenon where everyday is Saturday and Monday at the same time. I am often confused, as I could feel that I can sleep in but must make a few deadlines at the same time. I think I could have worse problems.

Anyway, today was a wonderful Monday because I decided it was going to be a wonderful Monday. I learned about the building across the street, and I think I've figured out that unless you take a round trip every single day of the month on the city bus, it's cheaper to pay the fare each time you ride than to buy the monthly pass. I think the public transportation system has the backwards.

Lab1500

I started working in my new coworking space today, as today is the space's soft opening. There's still a lot that needs to be done with the space, such as finishing the classroom area, bringing monitors for small meetings, getting a microwave (which turned into a fun lunch for me), and getting a few more people to work in the space. I'm excited to be back in a coworking space and I got up a 7 a.m. so I could be here at 9 a.m. and be incredibly productive today. Once this blog post is done, I'll have completed everything that I needed to do today, so I definitely was productive!

I should get up at 7 a.m. every day, because I get more done. Although, I do need to figure out breakfast. Breakfast is very important.

So.. Maybe Not Everything

Okay, I kind of cheated on the "getting everything done" because I do have one more article to write, but I can't write it because my client's website is down. I can't upload the article if I were to write it in Word (which actually isn't recommended because Word adds a lot of unnecessary code when you copy and paste from it to a blogging platform), and I have no idea when the problem will be fixed or even if my client knows about it. Knowing my client, this might take a few days despite its urgency.

Okay, I do also need to do those topics I keep talking about. Considering how much I got done today, I'll actually have some time to work on that tonight. I will make it a point at this moment to plan topics for the next seven days. This way, I won't spend any day of the next seven days having to write about my day or finding something interesting that happened to comment on. I'll have planned the topics. The topics will be awesome. The posts themselves will be incredible, and I will have that much less stress.

What I'm Going to Do Once I Go Home

I have many things to do once I finish this blog post and get home. The day is not yet over, so let's not waste it. Here's what I must (and totally will) do once I finish this and get home:

• Come up with seven topics for the next seven days
• Laundry
• Make soup for dinner
• Read a chapter of Half the Sky (I could actually start this on the bus ride home)
• Play Wii (it counts as exercise. You'd know if you actually played)
• Maybe more work?

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to drop by to the coworking space tomorrow or not. They are getting the microwave tomorrow, but I don't have anything to eat for lunch. But, I got lots of work done and had some fun today! I want to do that tomorrow. So... add to the above list, "think about tomorrow."