You put the items in the watertight zipper...

I know that I let my kids watch more TV than they should. I know that I should make more of an effort to direct them toward activities that nurture the growth of brain cells and stimulate their artistic sensibilities. Even so, we have our own kind of limits for them. We won't let either of them have a TV in their bedroom, and on school days they usually only watch one or two shows that they like.

That said, I couldn't help but find it disturbing when my 4-year-old son quoted verbatim the narration from a commercial for Space Bags (essentially a large plastic storage bag that compresses its contents greatly when you vacuum the air from it.) For some reason this commercial airs quite a bit when the kids watch Power Rangers on Toon Disney. I've barely made my peace with letting watch Power Rangers in the first place (although it will serve as a nice gateway for them into the Sci-Fi shows that I know and love later on,) and now they have to remind me just how much marketing to which they're being subjected while watching these shows. Yikes!

Truthfully, my wife and I both watched a ton of TV when we were kids, probably way, way more than we needed. We turned out OK, and we're careful to talk to the kids about the things they watch so they can start developing their own media filters. Even so, I don't think I'll be buying any Space Bags anytime soon.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Uncluttered

My daughter was home sick from school today. Last night we all got only about 4 hours of sleep with time lost to putting my daughter in our bed and then changing and washing sheets at 2 AM after she threw up in said bed. We kept her home from school today to rest, and I tried to figure out the best use of my weekday time in between caring for her and going to and from a noontime meeting. (BTW, she didn't stay home by herself during the meeting. I dropped her at my wife's office during the meeting.)

Sleep-deprived and less than motivated to work, I had 2.5 solid hours of free time this afternoon while Zoe napped. The house was a wreck. My office was worse. So what did I do? I cleaned out my closet. Two years of working at home and a not-so-diligent exercise routine had left me with a wardrobe better suited to a high school skateboarder than a working professional. My best clothes are a plethora of t-shirts (in both the short and long-sleeved variety,) a handful of jeans and one very useful dark blue hoodie.

Two suits and a couple of sport coats left over from my University administration days no longer fit. The pants are mysteriously too small (damn that tasty Guiness) and the jackets seem too big now (even though lifting the TV remote several days a day should have kept my pectorals in better shape.)

Even on days when I stayed home to work, I risked a cotton-blend avalanche every time I touched my T-shirt mountain. I'd become fed up with the status quo months ago, but kept putting off this very essential bit of house cleaning.

In the end it only took an hour and a very healthy dose of honesty regarding my physical dimensions. When I was done I had removed a couple of stacks of clothes and a lot of clutter from my mind. It's so easy to forget, but physical clutter really does affect my mental clarity. Removing those clothes will make my morning routine easier, which in turn will get my entire day off to a better start. I'm now motivated to go remove about half of the objects in the house. Anybody got a spare dumpster I can use?

Powered by ScribeFire.

Productivity, Schmoductivity

Because I've had a couple of less-than-fully productive days (writing-wise at least,) I found these 50 tips on staying productive to be especially timely.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Multi-tasking is a moral weakness.

I wish I could claim credit for that line, but I borrowed it from Slow Down Now by way of ZenHabits via LifeHacker. This article on ZenHabits discusses some tips that we can all use to slow down the pace of our hectic daily life. It made for good reading...wonder if I can put any of it into practice.

For more of my thoughts on multi-tasking, check out my latest New Work Order podcast. Please note that I did not say my last New Work Order podcast. I've got new material on its way, so please be patient for just a bit longer.

Powered by ScribeFire.