Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

Buffythedebtslayer

Good work ClootiesMum lol xx

MrsMoo2U

Daily check in before heading over to the blog. After missing a few days I REALLY dont want to spend hours catching up. No offence ladies (and any gentlemen lurkers - come out wherever you are) but life is too short and too full of Mr Big's challenges.

Several years ago I read the book Motivated Mind by Raj Persaud ( I recently talked about this on my thread) and there is an exercise whereby you write down what your perfect day would be. I did this one morning on my way to work on the bus. I still have that notebook. Some time ago I reread that page and realised that I am as close now to my perfect day as i could ever be. After writing that perfect day, I changed jobs, moved countries, got the partner that I had loved for many years and can walk on the beach whenever I like - my perfect day. I hadnt thought about turning it into my perfect week. I learned from this that once you focus your mind on how you want your life to be then you can make it happen. All that you need to do is take your perfect day and analyse what makes you happy. What is your passion? Can you change that passion into your work and still enjoy it? What tweeks and changes do you need to make that day happen. As I said, I am as near to that as I have ever been, I now only need to make a few adjustments to my working life (ok, so there is still the small matter of a few credit cards but hey, if I stop focusing all my energy on that then other things will flow and they will sort themselves out kind of..... obviously with my help..... Oh you know what I mean). So today I have been looking at my perfect week and I have realised that I need to work less hours to be able to do the fun things in life. To do the fun things in life, I need to have a higher hourly rate to allow me to work less hours. See, it's easy when you focus.

Clootie, I really hope that your hubby doesn't decide to take a break at 7pm tonight:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Sorry, I cant help but lower the tone either.

elantan

Mags30 wrote: »

Maybe, I've never felt the need for £400K, money isn't a big motivator for me but I do want more than I have now so that I can have home improvements, holidays and a few pairs of designer shoes!

I love how the perfect days don't all require loads of money. How about a duvet day to add to the list?:)

@hypno Thanks for the vote of confidence. I think I will do the bank mystery shopping. I'll just pretend I do my bosses job and ask questions about whatever I'm supposed to be investing in rather than talking much about myself.

I like tonight's homework.

so maybe then for you with money it isnt an exact figure ... maybe it's an attitude you are looking for ... there are peole with billions of pounds that still dont feel as if they have enough ... and others with next to nothing ( i work with a few in the soup kitchens) that dont want money they are happy and feel their needs are met ... so maybe its an attitude thing then ... i know for me it is (but then i do have an attitude:) )

well what i wasnt going to tell you (but hey might as well) a couple of my perfect days are spent with hubby in bed ... we like to do this as often as were able to and we both love it ... just reading chilling ahem ahem to our hearts content ... those days are some of my favs ... but again they are days (cause a week wouldnt be enough ) (and i didnt say how many days lol)

ClootiesMum

a couple of my perfect days are spent with hubby in bed

we call these duvet days - we might gravitate to the living room with the wood burning stove lit but the duvet comes with us

we've been married so long we need something to nark each other about & it can be who's stealing most of the duvet

Firewalker

troglodyte wrote: »

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!

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!

Hi Troglodyte, may I first say something about being 'wordy' or picture person? As Hypno keeps saying 'expect the unexpected'. Till about a week ago I believed that I am a 'wordy' person and an 'engineer' type learner. Now I know different - words are still my first love but I know that I am an 'image' learner and have been mind mapping with very welcome results.

About rates - I was probably mentioning something about rates in my field but if I were you I'll consider the following:

1) Average rates in the area (this needs research)
2) How big is the market; what is the competition; what are the entry costs; (this needs research and analysis)
3) How much experience do you have;
4) how much reputation do you have.

Having researched all that there are different options. Big market, low competition, high entry costs, high experience, high reputation - rates in the top 20% of the exisitng distribution.

Big market, low competition, high entry costs, moderate experience, moderate reputation - at about the 65-70% of the spread.

Small market, high competition, low entry costs, moderate experience, low reputation - under 50% of the spread.

If you are serious about this might not be a good idea to go below 40% of the current spread - underselling oneself gives the impression of low quality as well.

Hope this helps and not too messy.

Firewalker

Firewalker

crickett1234 wrote: »

Y
He said "I wish the bride and groom health, moderate wealth and happiness" and then sat down again.

And you know, when I cut down to it, that is all I want as well. I might make it "Health, wealth and happiness", leave out the moderate bit, but that is the essentials of my perfect day and perfect week.

Hi Crickett, the way I see it this is not all about money; and even if some of it is I have already made it clear to myself that for me money is a means - to fund research and science; to work towards equal opportunity and if I can contribute a bit to the breaking of the cycle of poverty - material as well as spiritual - I'll be a very happy woman. I do realise that this sound a bit naff - but when we think about money we don;t have to think only about ourselves and our immediate families.

Interestingly enough, this morning I came across a piece of research that found that to be happy people need about £100,000. Anything over that makes us miserable again. Interesting and it makes sense...Will try to trace the book.

Firewalker

Memory_Girl

ClootiesMum wrote: »

Maybe so Grandmasam, but DH is a manager for the checkouts in a local supermarket where a lot of my work colleagues know him....

I can see he might be in for a rough ride with this

Darn it - I've done it again

Sorry MG - I seem to be lowering the tone

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

i may never be able to look mr c in the eye again

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

mg

Gemmzie

Firewalker, the NY Times said at $75,000 then money makes no difference to happiness so maybe between £50,000 and £100,000 is the ideal.

Memory_Girl

just had one neighbour in - he signed for a package for me - great excitement in the house as its the wing mirror replacement for my car that my scrappy pal from brum found at the weekend.

Great joy:j:j

Other neighbour appears through the door - got another package!! first neighbour now thinks we are building cars bit by bit:D

Open it up and it is the most fabulous but anonymous "care package" from someone on here;

Lovely smellies - shower cream and body butter
a novel "one moment, one morning"
a pink poodle (supposed to be a screen cleaner but ds2 has snaffled it already and is asleep clutching it to his wee cheek).
fluffy pink socks - how cool is that??
chocolate - and more chocolate:D
and a set of barbie pink las vegas playing cards - perfect for a girlie poker night.

i don't know who you are, thoughful lady (im assuming its a lady - otherwise, frankly the choice of gifts is a trifle metrosexual :rotfl:) - but i will say you have the most beautiful handwriting.

now if you don't mind, i'm off for a bath and to make myself smell lovely whilst reading a book and eating chocolate ............ now if that don't make it into my perfect week!!!!!!!!!

MG

PS anyone know how to fit wing mirrors ?:rotfl:

ClootiesMum

but anonymous "care package" from someone on here

That's soo nice - you were told to accept all offers of help, weren't you.....

PS anyone know how to fit wing mirrors ?

Have done this once - it wasn't brilliant but it passed a few MOTs after that - I'm off Saturday so if you need a hand & [STRIKE]a hammer[/STRIKE] some appropriate tools give me a shout?

CM