Every Friday, Peace & Projects will share some amazing stories from the week and celebrate the success of others.

So take a much-needed break from work, click around and enjoy.

To submit a link for next week, please contact me. Have a peaceful weekend.

Life

• How to make your own cosmetics from Rowdy Kittens. I’m going to try these recipes!
• Get real about following your passions from Matt Chevy.
• Natural ways to relieve PMS. Yes please! From The Well Grounded Life.

Love

• … this interview with “sad-boy Edward Cullen.” Funny! Made me laugh.

Getting (Amazing) Stuff Done

• Ditch the cubicle from Live Bold & Bloom.
• Make your own adventure from Jeffrey Tang.

Photo by Linh_rOm

I love ideas.

I love jotting them down like little gems in my pretty, hipster notebook.

“That’s a great idea.” With emphasis on the idea part.

Without something to motive me, the ideas sit, sit, sit like diamonds in the rough.

Lesson learned: Without action, ideas don’t mean much.

One thing I’ve realized since quitting my day job is that money is a good motivator. Money is why people sit for years in a gray cubicle without running away screaming and flailing their arms.

So what becomes of your non-purchased ideas? What about passion work, like a blog or novel in progress? Maybe your gig is painting, mosaic stepping stones or a piece of jewelry. Whatever you do, it’s easy for motivation to get squashed when there’s no guarantee it will sell. Worst case scenario, you’re working for free.

Whoa, hold on, our time feels too precious for that.

Enter: a thousand distractions. Things like Twitter, cinnamon rolls and another load of laundry totally derail the day. Motivation to do something amazing is lost.

Need a kick in the pants? Here are some simple ways to get motivated and get stuff done:

Use money to motivate. If you don’t have a day job, wish you didn’t have a day job, or work for yourself, use money – and the potential for money – as a motivator. Divide your daily activities into three categories: ”Makes money,” “Doesn’t make money” and “Spends money.” As you go through the day, take a few seconds to fill in the list.

For instance:

Makes Money (or has the potential)

• Blogging
• Learning how to wire-wrap beads
• Picking up scrap tile for mosaics
• Pitching a column idea

Doesn’t Make Money (and doesn’t have the potential)

• Napping
• Exercise
• Blow-drying your hair
• Cleaning the house
• Eating a cinnamon roll

Spends Money (not a bad thing, but note to self: don’t let this list get longer than the first two)

• Drinking wine
• Grocery shopping
• Lunch at the cafe
• Pedicures

Next step: Start each day by making money, literally or in theory.

In other words, farm the land, cultivate success, write a chapter, pay the bills.

You can still enjoy the second and third categories after that. But start the day with focus, with intention. Don’t let the other categories define who you are.

When you start each day with action, you give your amazing work the respect and attention it deserves. Make it a daily priority by following these tips:

Set office hours. What hours of the day will you be working? When you have a schedule in place, it becomes routine to get stuff done. The beauty of working for yourself is you get to choose when and for how long, unlike a typical day job. Office hours can also help family members adjust if you are doing passion projects at the end of a typical work day.

Get dressed. Take a shower, gussy up a bit, shave your legs. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to languish away in your ratty sweatpants.

Sit in a supportive chair, feet on the ground, back straight.

Start each morning with a list of three Most Important Things. This is a doable list. Now, get started.

Set the timer and work until it goes off.

Finish something everyday. A draft, headline, chapter, blog post, pair of earrings. Don’t quit in the middle without a clear vision of what was done. Finish something and define to yourself what it was.

Set a quitting time and take vacations. With your payroll budget wide open, working for free could go on all day and night. Set some boundaries. Give your mind a chance to rest from what you want to accomplish. If you feel like “working overtime” later in the day, no problem, go for it. But definitely give yourself the permission to quit and live your life, too.

To your success.

SEE ALSO:

How to Defeat Burnout and Stay Motivated

Acorns to Oak Trees: How to Grow Great Things

If my writing helps or inspires you, please share it with other people. xoxo Melissa

Photo by Sumlin

There used to be a time I wanted bigger everything – bigger house, bigger yard, bigger car, bigger income.

In the past few years, I’ve learned something about myself and the world in general: Bigger isn’t better.

By embracing minimalism, the lure of have a bigger house and yard has faded as I define what matters to me. Investing in more stuff means investing more time, time I’d rather spend enjoying life’s simple pleasures and doing some amazing work.

This doesn’t mean we’ll never update our home again. Just the opposite – this year, we’re saving up to redo the landscaping, which is overgrown and all wrong. The process got me thinking about how to make our yard more useful and beautiful. That sounds right.

The question: How do we use our landscapes?

Pondering this, I kept coming back to a yard that always inspires me. It’s a “prairie in progress” at the Dept. of Natural Resources, right here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It looks like this (pardon my photography):

It’s pretty. It smells like a prairie cake baking in the sun. Swoon.

Back to my own yard … Most of it is never used. Specifically, this part is hardly ever used:

Instead, I enjoy the beauty of nature from a favorite perch:

It really made me think.

My once “too-small” yard now seems like a waste of space. I don’t mean that in a negative, ungrateful way at all. I’m only pointing out how my mentality has shifted.

My goal is this: Instead of a landscape of unused space, I want to create something in rhythm with nature and what we enjoy. Low on maintenance, high on enjoyment.

The Prairie Plan

By adding native plant species into your landscape and using your lot to grow food, you can turn the traditional, over-fertilized suburban lawn into something that’s beautiful and useful at the same time.

Why natives?

• Once established, native plants thrive without fertilizers, routine mowing and adapt to any kind of rainfall.
• Adding native plants will provide food and habitat for wildlife in a natural way.

Dig it: Your own prairie in progress.

Ceci Kiefer of Stone Silo Prairie Gardens put my wild prairie plans in perspective:  ”You don’t have to be a native purist.”

What a relief! Hugs to my roses and lilies, you know who you are.

First, she defined “native,” which means plants that existed before European settlers arrived and introduced other varietals. Follow her advice to bring native plants – or a prairie – into your yard:

Experience what you have. Discover the hot spots of your yard – where is the sun the strongest? Is the soil sandy or clay based? This helps determine which native plants will thrive by matching their needs to the conditions.

Don’t be paralyzed. “This isn’t rocket science.” Kiefer told me to dive in and plant something. Drizzle some water at the base of the plant and see what happens.

Don’t rip out all the non-natives. Instead, when you have an open spot in a garden, put a native plant in place.

Make it deliberate. If you want to turn a large portion of your yard into a wild flower or prairie garden, make it look deliberate. The neighbors won’t appreciate a weed patch (also known as your precious prairie garden). Here’s how to make prairie swaths obviously deliberate:

• Leave a strip of green grass. Frame the space. Clean it up.
• Know the height of the natives. You don’t want a 6-foot patch of wild flowers obstructing the front door. Choose tidier varieties.
• Put up a sign that reads: Wildflower Garden.
• Add edging and points of interest like a sundial or garden sculpture.
• Plant for a succession of blooms. When done right, wildflower gardens will bloom in spring, summer and fall. Visit Wild Ones for information on which plants to choose.
• Get ready for the Battle of the Weeds. Like any garden, the weeds will come – within 3 to 4 years, the native plants begin to thrive and maintenance diminishes. But you’ve been warned – there are still plenty of weeds to pick up until then.

Birds, bees, butterflies … These are just some of the living creatures that will thrive and appreciate your new gardens.

To your prairie, big or small.

When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. – Aldo Leopold

Please add a link below with sustainable gardening and landscaping solutions in your part of the country.

If my writing helps or inspires you, please show your support and share it with other people.

Top photo courtesy of Ceci Kiefer.

Every Friday, Peace & Projects will share some amazing stories from the week and celebrate the success of others.

So take a much-needed break from work, click around and enjoy.

To submit a link for next week, please contact me. Have a peaceful weekend.

Life

• Good stuff from Rowdy Kittens: The art of community building.
• Food rules and homemade mayo on Stone Soup.
• Creative hydration from The Well Grounded Life. Cool!
• Embrace the bliss of less like Katie Tallo.

Love

• Are you guilty of these marriage mistakes? Questions to ask from Simple Marriage.

Getting (Amazing) Stuff Done

• How to find success from Goodlife Zen. Great post, Mary!

Photo by Helga Weber

In between the busyness of work, getting a reasonably healthy dinner on the table and cleaning the kitchen, there’s what I like to call “flashes of clarity.”

It happens when I’m stripped free of being needed – by the kids, Mr. Right, the dog, housework. There, like a ghost,  is the singular person behind the titles.

Melissa, who once wrote poetry as a form of relaxation or clattered away for hours on the piano. I’ve added a lot to my list since those days.

Personal clarity can feel elusive at times. Lately, I crave it, wanting to gather the moments of “Just Melissa” up like gold and cash them in for a full hour of thought.

There is a need for clarity, a need to define my purpose in life. Saying I want to be a good wife and step mom is great, but not enough. Even the tagline of this blog: “Life, love and getting (amazing) stuff done,” feels vague and undefined.

In longing for clarity, I thought maybe you readers are feeling the same way … wanting a map to blaze the trail of personal growth.

The need to define my path is so strong right now without a day job. I don’t want to spend my time too organically, flitting about as a “free agent” when my clarity reveals: I want something bigger. I want to do something really amazing, something that makes a difference.

Looking for clarity? Try a self-interview.

Here are five questions that can lead to clarity. Go to a quiet place, like somewhere in nature where you won’t be disturbed or a comfortable room in the house. Write your answers in pen and spend at least 5 minutes in thought over each one.

Happy hunting…

“Who am I?” Write whatever comes to mind, even words that simply describe you. My list: nature lover, step mom, wife, sister, writer, lover of quotes, inspiration addict, dreamer, organizer, simple, athlete, musician, singer.

“What do I stand for?” What makes you happy and fulfilled? I said: Simplicity, truth, peace, entrepreneurs, a strong marriage, independent kids, kindness, problem solving, conservation, art, music.

“When do I feel my best?” What plays a part in your self-preservation? When do you feel balanced and fresh? My list:

• Sleep well
• Exercise daily
• Eat right
• No fried food
• Limit sugar and alcohol
• Drink tea
• Ban processed food
• See live music
• Enjoy personal space
• Get help with chores
• Don’t overbook
• Time for: family, friends, writing.

“Where do I want to grow?” This is the one question to limit your responses. Too many could lead to feeling overwhelmed. Choose one, two or three. Think it over before writing. My three:

• Fitness level.
• Start a novel.
• Explore projects.

“How will I do it?” Be specific. Then, put a checkpoint in place, like a chart or tally board.

• Workout 5 days a week (minimum). Make fitness a part of my daily routine – running, yoga, walks. I’ll mark my progress with a heart on the family schedule.
• Go on a junk-food fast. One day at a time – only eating real, healthful food.
• Write 300 words of my novel 5 times a week. I’ll mark my progress with an exclamation on the schedule.
• Ideastorm with other creatives. Not all of my friends are creative people, and that’s okay. But I need to make time for those that are to have lunch, coffee or just talk on the phone about what dreams may lie.

Save your answers.

Read over them when you’re in a rut. These are the clues on how to move forward.

Finally, turn your areas of growth and action into a visual masterpiece. It doesn’t have to be “right” or perfect – just something you like to look at. I like mine:

If my writing helps or inspires you, please share it with other people. xoxo Melissa

Top photo by it’s life.

A reader emailed me to ask: How do you make money now without a day job?

Good question! If all this “giving up your day job” talk is making you drool, the reality is that I still need money to live. I still have bills and pretty things I want to buy. We didn’t win the lottery and I’m not the governor’s daughter.

It got me thinking about all the alternatives to a day job – things I could jump into if needed, or even if down the road when I need a new adventure.

Here’s what I came up with:

Provide in-home childcare. About 80% of my friends have young children. Childcare is a constant stress – it’s expensive and the idea of letting a stranger care for your new baby makes most new moms weak with guilt. (Just to be clear, I am NOT offering this, but it’s an idea that could make some money and benefit the people around you, too.)

Freelance. I was able to stay on as editor for YOU magazine on a freelance basis. If you want to be a freelance writer or photographer, start by getting to know your local newspapers and magazines. There are two really effective ways to get your foot in the door. 1) Know someone that’s already “in” and ask them to recommend you to the editor. Or 2) be really helpful. My go-to photographer guy was a no-name until he sent me “free” photos from a local event. His talent was obvious and had no strings attached. Since then, he’s built a steady stream of income from that simple act of helpfulness You can also head over to elance and set up a profile.

Clean houses. If you don’t mind cleaning, there are plenty of people who do. Charge $20 to $30 per hour and do it on your own terms. I find cleaning very satisfying and wouldn’t be “above” it if we needed the money.

Live on less. This is how I was able to quit my day job. Mr. Right’s income more than supports our family – But it wasn’t always like that. When we first got together, we spent more money than we had and went into debt. Today we are debt free and save our extra money rather than spend it.

Sell a product. Turn your hobby into a source of income. Woodworking, jewelry, paintings, you fill in the blanks – there are lots of  venues that support local artists. Get your name out there by displaying art at local coffee shops and bars. Ask the local boutique to sell your jewelry on consignment.

Organize a networking group. STUN Photography Group is a really cool example of this. Former marketing man Mark Anderson created the group when he left his day job to fly solo as a freelance photographer. The photographers and models of STUN are able to expand their portfolios using genius locations (coordinated by Mark) like the local high school or a metal warehouse. Local salons donate talents for hair and makeup the day of the shoot. I love this idea because it centers around collaborating, not competing. Mark gains a few new clients and helps other freelancers do the same. To cover venue expenses, he sometimes charges a participant fee.

Learn something new. For instance, start a blog. In the beginning, blogging rewards are many, but not necessarily monetary. In time, you can expand into income streams like affiliate links, advertising and use it as a platform to sell your products. If you need a place to get started, check out the A-List Blogger Club. (Full disclosure – by joining the club, you would help to support this blog. I’m sharing the idea because 1) I personally belong to/love the club and 2) I really believe it can help you.) It’s a group formed by epic blogger Leo Baubata with his trusty German sidekick, Mary Jaksch. The collection of practical how-to’s and inspiration will blow you away.

To your success.

Spread the love. If this post helps you, please share it with other people. Thank you!

Photo by DavidDMuir

Every Friday, Peace & Projects will share some amazing stories from the week and celebrate the success of others.

So take a much-needed break from work, click around and enjoy.

To submit a link for next week, please contact me. Have a peaceful weekend.

Life

• Everett Bogue shared 12 lessons he learned from year one of jobless freedom.
• Goodlife Zen and how to grow great things.
• The minimalist guide to saving money on Rowdy Kittens.
• Must read of the week: The elements of change from the always insightful Leo.  ”Fail, fail often, and learn.” Right on.
• Momentum Gathering and a simple guide to eating like a human.

Love

• … your life! Write a thankful list on Might & Main.
• Yay! A summer reading list to love thanks to Live Bold & Bloom.

Getting (Amazing) Stuff Done

• A-List Blogger Club friends launched The Daily Brainstorm – a place where the best blogs from across the web show up all in one place. Congratulations!

Photo by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

Give me some time and I’ll find a way to spend it.

Chores, blogging, time with the kids, reading, biking, styling my hair. I’m sure you have a list, too. Add things like morning routines, a day job and sex and suddenly you’re wobbling to find balance. A priority or two might careen off the rope, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed, spent and stressed.

It doesn’t matter how much you change your schedule or lifestyle – there will always be a way to fill up the hours in the day. Even now without a day job, I still find myself scrambling to meet a deadline from time to time.

Point taken: There will always be a need for balance.

Where does that feeling of balance exist? In my experience, there are a few areas to foster before feeling good about my tightrope routine. What seems like a to-do list is really a basic dance – which can lead to fun, sexier moves once in place.

Ready to replace wobbling with a tango, samba or pirouette? Start with a basic foundation. When I take care of these beginner’s moves toward a balanced life, there is more time to have fun, be spontaneous and do some amazing work.

Step one: The Essentials.

Plan ahead. Living in the moment is a lot easier to do with these essentials in line: Food, shelter and clothing.

Specifically -

Food

• Create a weekly meal plan. Head over to The Organized Home for the long version of this tip.
• Grocery shop using a master shopping list. Click here to download mine (items are in order of how we navigate the store) or revise at will.
• Pack snacks and water for long car rides or shopping trips. Granola bars, nuts, crackers and fruit are easy to grab and go. This saves money by avoiding fast food and convenience stores, too.

Shelter

• Live like a small house. A minimalist approach to personal possessions means I spend a lot less time cleaning and decluttering. Get as much off the floor as possible and donate the stuff you never use. Here are some really good posts to help you get started.
• A guide to creating a minimalist home from Zen Habits.
• Clear the clutter you can’t see from Be More With Less.
• Managing common household clutter from Serene Journey.
• Get and stay organized by subscribing to Unclutterer.

Clothing

• Find your laundry groove. I like to wash and dry everything in one day, dump in a big pile on the floor and fold it all at once.
• Store things like cloth napkins and wash cloths in a basket and quit folding them.

Step two: Reclaim your attention and set boundaries.

Turn off distractions like the cell phone, TV, social networking sites and email. When you need to get something done, give it your attention. Single-task.

Set a timer. Take 10 minutes and see what you accomplish. Then give yourself permission to stop or take a break when the bell sounds.

Break up with social networking sites. A friend recently sent me this email: “I am breaking up with Facebook! There is too much life to live and too many baby giggles that I don’t want to miss.” That really sums it up. If you want keep your Facebook relationship, consider limiting the time with a timer or checking it once a day.

Limit email checking. The more emails you send, the more you’ll get. Give it your full attention once or twice a day instead of each time the ”new mail” icon appears on the screen.

Take a vacation and don’t take the laptop. A notebook and pen works for those moments when inspiration hits.

Step three: Self care.

Spend time in solitude. Filling your schedule to bursting never feels like balance. Give yourself permission to be alone. It could be on a walk, sitting on the couch or a moment with the bedroom door closed. Tell the people you love: “I need to be alone for 15 minutes.” Lay down and daydream. Rest from the demands of those who need you.

Feeling centered, the wobbly dance of life spins and twirls straight to joy.

Spread the love: If my writing helps or inspires you, please share it.

Photo by dark_mephi

A good movie has memorable scenes.

Like a lover’s quarrel from the roof of a high-rise or a robbery planned in the junkyard. Scenes like this become the salt and pepper for stories.

That’s what Donald Miller describes in his book A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.

His message is simple:

Memorable scenes belong in real life, not just the movies.

But what does that mean? How do you really live life in memorable scenes?

My absolute favorite part of the book describes a family he visits. Their version of “showing someone to the door” is running, fully clothed and jumping into the lake.

Bursting to the surface, they shout and wave. That is goodbye. Reading it, I thought: That is a good goodbye.

It’s memorable.

I want to live my life like that, too.

To me, if you can’t take risks like jumping into a lake for your friends, what kind of risks can you take?

I made a quick decision: This year will be lived in memorable scenes.

Not just for the sake of scenes, but because quitting my day job is just one step in my journey to write my own life. And the step-mom in suburbia routine could use a memorable scene or two.

Ready for the list?

Jump in:

Go swimming in Lake Superior. This is a tradition for some (never me, until this year) at the end of our vacation in the Land of Do As You Please.

Splash and play in the rain without an umbrella. Not the best follow-up to cliff diving, but something I haven’t done in a really long time.

Write from the top of my childhood roof. This was a favorite place for solitude growing up.

Visit the graves of family members I wasn’t able to meet. For starters, Mr. Right’s grandfathers. I’d like to write something while I’m there.

Go on a completely unplanned family vacation. (Wait, does this mean I’m planning it?)

Take the kids to a Wisconsin corn roast.

Visit the winery in my tiny hometown.

No rest until I go down every slide on our annual WI Dells trip. (I usually don’t. I’m not known to be a “slide girl.”)

What are the memorable scenes from your life? Take a second and leave a scene or two below … I could use some ideas.

If my writing helps or inspires you, please share it. This is the number one way you can support my blog.

Photo by Mait Jüriado

Every Friday, Peace & Projects will share some amazing stories from the week and celebrate the success of others.

So take a much-needed break from work, click around and enjoy.

To submit a link for next week, please contact me. Have a peaceful weekend.

Life

• Lessons from a TV Free Life on Be More With Less.
• Diversify your moolah from Rowdy Kittens.
• Is your stress stressing your kids out? A question from Lisa Byrne over at The Confident Mom.

Love

• … this concept: Reduce your email checking to once per day from Far Beyond the Stars.

Getting (Amazing) Stuff Done

• Jeffrey Tang is out of a job and getting involved.
• On Stone Soup: How to eat for $2 a day.

Photo by aussiegall