Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

MrsMoo2U

Wow, I went away on Thursday morning and managed to take a quick look Thursday lunchtime on a dongle. Not had chance to look since then. Arrived home at 9.30 pm tonight and started reading. Just finished and I am in awe of all the work you lot have done. Couple of things that I wanted to comment on quickly before settling down for the night and then, as I have a day off tomorrow I will head over to the blog and make a start on the challenges. Lots to catch up on.
Virtual PA - sorry cant remember who posted the question about this. I am not a virtual PA but I have literally just started to research this as a possible business step. If whoever posted it want to PM me, I have a few links that I could share - albeit I havent started reading them fully but it might be nice to work together with somebody on this one.
Phd - completely understand what you are saying Firewalker, I also think Cheery that too many people stick with something because they fear what people will think if they step back ( I wont say give up because there is no such thing in my book rather a redirection of energy) and I think that you have a very healthy attitude towards it, using a life coach was a great idea to help you focus yourself on the goal.
Supporting MG. Well said about supporting MG through the tough times to come. MG, stepping off benefits is difficult for a lot of people, it is a scary leap to make and I admire you for putting that into words. Too many people underestimate how much confidence people lose when they are on benefits and how hard it is to take that step forward. You will be fine but when you have a wobble turn to those few people that you have closest to you and who will know how to walk beside you out of that valley.
Keeping up. This is hard for all of us, those who work outside the home, those who work at home and the great gamut in between so I agree that I for one, do not expect you to reply individually to my posts (unless of course I might say something that you really must comment on. I am happy to see a thanks. I only just cottoned on to doing that as a note to somebody to show that I read it without commenting.
Butterfly Dawn. - Again, thank you for acknowledging me in your credits. I am honoured, not really sure what I said to help you but I am glad that I did. I hope that you are enjoying your new venture and wish you well.

Right I am off to read the blog - hope my book turns up tomorrow because I have a feeling that it will be put to great use over the next week.

Cheery_Daff

Well said Wol, and Mags, and Cherisong :T You make sure you keep a hold on yourself in all this Memory Girl!

Memory_Girl

Mags30 wrote: »

@Memorygirl MrBig want's you to save time. Catching up tonight I noticed that you replied to everbody with individual comments. Really nice of you but we know you're busy so maybe just thank the posts so people will know you read them.
QUOTE]


I think thats what i meant - lol. but reading back it sounds like im running off. i will def be keeping up and chipping in , just not responding to everyone - so I trust you all to chip in and help everyone like you've all been doing so brilliantly so far.

MG

Mags30

Wol2 wrote: »

Wow!!! This is an EXTREMELY important post from Mags..so please let's all payattention to it .I too am a tad concerned about how this sudden change may impinge on MG's balance and lifestyle that she has worked so hard to achieve to date against all the odds.....

Our support should be for HER wellbeing..as a PERSON.......not our perceived goals for her, (however much we ourselves may subscrbe to them and wish her to succed on our behalf.....)

There is a balance to be had and "peer pressure" and "uber-money" are not everything as I once learnt to my cost........(..I believe it's now termed "quality of life )

Let's be careful we give MG the "right" support from here-on-in...whatever she decides to do going forwards.....

xxxx

It was just a passing thought really but MrBig is a good guy and a life coach/mentor. He doesn't want MG's wellbeing to suffer as a result of this, he wants her to be happier than ever before. But making changes is difficult and stressful and I was just wondeing how she does the challenges as well as the hours she spends on the phone/email to MrBig. Then there's her children, housework and constant tips to the post office to post our books and all the other random friends and family and unexpected crisis commitments.....it's harder work than the new job will be.

I'm finding the perfect week challenge difficult. I think the perfect week will change a lot. For the next year or so the perfect week will include study but going forward it would be working at a job related to the study.

I have an idea that might help though. Get a weekly planner that lets you fill in every hour from somewhere like Microsoft templates or filofax or just draw one out on a blank sheet of paper. Then start filling it in. Start with the easy things like 8 hours sleep or maybe more if you like to go to bed early and read. Then if you have to watch the news or Eastenders of any other tv programme fill that in. Fill in exercise 3-4 times a week, fill in the time you will meet friends for coffee/lunch, a date night with OH.....

This will take up a lot of the 168 hours in a perfct week and even if we were all lotto winners we'd still be doing all this practical stuff. Then there's time for housework, shopping unless your perfect life requires a cleaner. I know mine doesn't I'm happy to my own housework but I live alone without children so I have less housework than most of you.

It's the perfect working life to fill in the rest of the days that I'm having trouble with. I'll keep thinking about it but I thought this idea might help some people.

I'll be back tonight for more from Memorygirl and MrBig:)

OliveOyl_2

I have your book now MG - many many thanks.
And I think I'll read it before I hand it over to DD (for whom it was bought )

Whoever suggested copying pasting and filling in Mr B's challenges in our own time - I'm with that! It's harder than it first looks.........:D

troglodyte

I think this thread is inspiring many of us to finally take the plunge and make changes in our own lives. I have MG's book and am giving it a go; I'm usually more of a 'wordy' than a picture person (can't really draw at all) - but then I have a terrible memory so I need all the help I can get!

I love the idea of copying the challenges and doing them at our own pace. For a long time I've been thinking of switching to a career in science editing; now my daughter has started school and fitting things around that is so hard so I'm wondering if I can manage to be fully self-employed. I've been thinking of all the people I know and the people they might know etc and am planning to write to them and offer my services (ooh err missus) - but the big stumbling block is not really knowing how much to charge. Professional rates seem to vary so widely (where they are published). Firewalker I think you said something a few posts back about working out an hourly rate but I can't seem to find anything, do you have a link to that, please? I don't want to price myself out of the market, but also don't want to undervalue my time either!

Memory_Girl

Mags30 wrote: »

It was just a passing thought really but MrBig is a good guy and a life coach/mentor. He doesn't want MG's wellbeing to suffer as a result of this, he wants her to be happier than ever before. But making changes is difficult and stressful and I was just wondeing how she does the challenges as well as the hours she spends on the phone/email to MrBig. Then there's her children, housework and constant tips to the post office to post our books and all the other random friends and family and unexpected crisis commitments.....it's harder work than the new job will be.

I'm finding the perfect week challenge difficult. I think the perfect week will change a lot. For the next year or so the perfect week will include study but going forward it would be working at a job related to the study.

I have an idea that might help though. Get a weekly planner that lets you fill in every hour from somewhere like Microsoft templates or filofax or just draw one out on a blank sheet of paper. Then start filling it in. Start with the easy things like 8 hours sleep or maybe more if you like to go to bed early and read. Then if you have to watch the news or Eastenders of any other tv programme fill that in. Fill in exercise 3-4 times a week, fill in the time you will meet friends for coffee/lunch, a date night with OH.....

This will take up a lot of the 168 hours in a perfct week and even if we were all lotto winners we'd still be doing all this practical stuff. Then there's time for housework, shopping unless your perfect life requires a cleaner. I know mine doesn't I'm happy to my own housework but I live alone without children so I have less housework than most of you.

It's the perfect working life to fill in the rest of the days that I'm having trouble with. I'll keep thinking about it but I thought this idea might help some people.

I'll be back tonight for more from Memorygirl and MrBig:)

The time audit is something mr b got me to do last week - hence some of my changing priorities.

some things i am happy to give up (crappy tv) somethings i'm not (movie night on the sofa with ds1 when ds2 is in bed)

.............. but you know - being a SAHA (Stay at Home Angel) I love that, i realised i was filling my days with busyness that wasn't getting me anywhere. housework (and with 2 boys there is always housework) is a great distraction technique for me -and a great excuse not to achieve anything productive. so i've stripped that back to flylady basics. no-ones noticed lol.

the freezers stuffed with stuff we like - so dinner is simple and lunch takes minutes to prepare in a clean kitchen.

but ............................... here's the biggest difference. i am treating this project seriously as my "full-time job" and although some of the creative stuff happens between 5.30 and 7.30 (before the kids get up) and some from 7.30 - 11.30 (after they are in bed and incidentally after years of working in theatre a pretty normal time for me to be on the ball and busy) - another hour when ds2 has his afternoon nap means I can work easily enough hours and still be with ds2 during the day doing the toddler exploration stuff.:D

Its just been a matter of juggling for me when I take "my time". Of course when I actually get out and start presenting again that will change slightly, but then the desk based stuff should be taken care of I hope. I like his idea of being 100% present where you are, so 100% on business in business time and 100% on family during family time. think what got me in the past was muddling the two.

Off to post office now - then to have coffee with a friend (kids in play area) and then off to have a look at a 1/2 size violin for ds1.

see you all later

MG

macgirl

Memory_Girl wrote: »

.............. but you know - being a SAHA (Stay at Home Angel) I love that, i realised i was filling my days with busyness that wasn't getting me anywhere. housework (and with 2 boys there is always housework) is a great distraction technique for me -and a great excuse not to achieve anything productive. so i've stripped that back to flylady basics. no-ones noticed lol.

As a wise DFW'er said to me

Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing, is like shovelling the snow before it's stopped snowing

Ain't that the truth! A swish and a swipe is all it needs. Glad your head is clear and you're making progress

Happytogetdebtfree

Morning all im excited now MG my book will be on its way yaaaaaaaaaaay im wondering about NLP what sort of book anyone would recommened i love the secret and that attitude of gratitude etc etc but i like the idea of what NLP could contribute if i could understand it properly

MG a great find i think you need to listen to T harv eker if you can he talks about money and the jar systems and he mentions business stuff ive never really taken note on that side of things but it could be some self help for you in terms of returning to work i will try and listen through and note down what he says so i can type it later .. but you would probably have to listen to the whole thing for it to make sense .... il try make sense later lol xx

ClootiesMum

I agree with whoever said (Spud30, I think) that this is so scary that I don't know where to start - kond of like that myself.

But I have an evening free tonight as DH is working late, so guess what I'll be doing. I have been thinking about things, however, and the perfect week is a hard one.....this may take longer than a night to do.

Oh well. it'll keep me busy

Anyway - back to work just now as I'm still on the bank hourly rate & not my dream one.....