Project or Punishment

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

We always have lots of projects going on around the farm, and I’m starting to wonder if more discernment is in order.  While I love to take a project from concept to completion, sometimes it seems to make more sense to pick and choose your battles.

Recently I attended a farm and auto auction with my husband.  He was interested in a 1947 Fleetmaster, and even wondered if it might have been the one he sold many years ago.  His infatuation with this particular car puzzled me.  It also frightened me beyond belief when we saw the car in person!

I was greatly relieved when he told me he wasn’t bidding.  It wasn’t that I minded another project (I certainly keep him busy with mine, and fair is fair..), but it would be easier to build this car from air than it would be to restore it.

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

Sometimes, no matter how emotional you get, the best response is to walk away.

These cars got me thinking about how to define what is truly project-worthy.  And even though I just said the best response is sometimes to walk away no matter how emotional you get, emotions certainly factor in.

But I knew there were other, more easily restorable, 1947 Fleetmasters out there.  (At least, I think there are.)  It helped that Dwayne was able to verify that this was not his old vehicle.

I’ve made a list of things I think about when deciding if I want to take a project on:

*How important is this project in the big picture?  Is it something I can’t live without?  Will I tire of the energy required to complete the project, or will my unbridled enthusiasm carry me?

*Is there a simpler way to get the same result?  Sometimes projects take on a life of their own, and we start building something bigger, grander, or more costly than we originally planned.  (Our chicken coop comes to mind.  Stay tuned for a future blog piece on that little project.)

*Are there obvious signs that maybe the project is too much to tackle?  Are they signs from God? J

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

I suppose another way to get around the enormity of a project is to separate the tasks into stages and tackle them in small groups.  But that's only if I've already given the above questions a go and come up with reasonable responses.

What was your latest project?  Was it fun or punishment?  Would you do it again?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com

Get OUT(side)

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Maybe it was election week stress, but I found myself particularly amped up this week.  As luck (or synchronicity) would have it, I read a fascinating article in the December 2012 issue of Outside Magazine.  The article is titled “Take Two Hours of Pine Forest and Call Me in the Morning: The Nature Cure,” and it’s beautifully written by Florence Williams.

I’ll summarize it, just in case you don’t get to read it for yourself:

When you’re overwhelmed, especially by technology, go outside and absorb some nature.  It will change your mood and calm your thoughts, and five minutes is all you need to achieve this benefit.

Trees or water are the quickest mood changers.

Aimless walks (not driven by exercise quotas) are best.

Walking in the forest (or at least in a park) trumps walking in the city.  It lowers your blood pressure significantly more, and brings you better focus and memory.

Look and listen while you’re taking in nature.  We’re so driven by gadgets and multi-tasking that we rarely listen anymore.  (I tried this on a recent nature walk, and discovered so much more by focusing on what I was hearing.)  You might need to leave your earbuds at home.

If you absolutely can’t get outside, looking at photographs of nature will do in a pinch, and you will still achieve better focus and memory.

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

Also engage your sense of smell.  Studies have shown that evergreen oils have anti-cancer properties and can also reduce fatigue.  All you have to do is breathe them in.

The Japanese are researching how longevity is affected by nature and have coined the phrase “forest therapy” to explain why they are herding driven businessmen (sorry ya’ll, maybe it’s cultural, but they aren’t studying businesswomen) into the woods to measure changes in their blood pressure.

So what does all this mean in your daily life?  Here’s an interesting stat:
“Nature-based recreation has declined 35% in the U.S. in the past four decades.”—National Academy of Sciences

Williams suggests building outside time into your daily schedule.  Go for short walks at work, even if you just walk five minutes around the outside of your building.  Eat outside when possible.  Schedule meetings or trainings outside.  If you work from home, get up and get outside for five minutes several times a day.  Spend an entire day outside occasionally.  Gardening is great, a weekend spent at a cabin in the woods is even better.  Short bursts more often seem to yield greater benefits than, say, a two-week trek in the mountains.

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

The benefits of spending time outside are amazing:  strengthened immune system, improved cognitive function, and even enhanced creativity.  We’ve always known that we feel better after some “fresh air” or time spent in nature, but now the benefits have been proven and are critical to our good health.

In our fast-paced gadget-driven mania, we are putting our outdoor time on the backburner.  It seems that we need to get it back.  Go on now, get outside! :)

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com

Keep on Dreamin’

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Last night my husband and I were watching the Country Music Awards on television.  The Eli Young Band performed “Even If It Breaks Your Heart’” (keep on dreamin') and something clicked for me.

Big dreams usually involve big sacrifices and tons of hard work.  Along the way, it’s easy to get beaten down and decide it’s just not happening.  In fact, most days these thoughts loom, and we push them back down.  Sometimes they do more than loom:  They scream, they yell, they threaten to take our dreams away.

Many things can make us rethink our dreams.  Is it fair to our family, especially in this dismal economy? Is it a pipe dream, anyway, not likely to happen in the best of circumstances (and these days are not the best, now, are they?)?


If we didn’t get it right the first five times, it is really sensible to begin again and think things will be different?  Do we even have the connections, skill, and talent we need to succeed?

And the enthusiasm required for facing each new day with gusto, holding our dream firmly in mind?  Sometimes that takes way more than two cups of coffee and some positive affirmations.

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So why don’t we just settle down and do something sensible?

I’m not sure there is a rational answer to that, but there is an emotional answer.  Dreams keep us hopeful and moving towards our perception of being our best self.   They answer the question:  If I could truly be myself, what would that look like?

And if we get right down to it, chasing our dreams is essentially our journey here on this planet.  So if we let them go, we’re kind of cashing in some of our humanity.

If you’re a Baby Boomer like me, it’s easy to say that the dream-chasing years are gone, and we need to focus on stability and retirement.  But we know, deep down, how easily those resources can be wiped out.  And then we’re left with what?

Can you define your big dream(s)?  It’s something worth thinking hard about.  After all, it points you in the direction of being your best self.  And no one else can define what that looks like but you.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Please feel free to comment.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com