Life & Work Archives - The Merry Bluebird

Life & Work

Procrastinating Your Way to Productivity

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I admit it, I am a very good procrastinator. This trait follows me wherever I go. I’m more than ready to put chores off until tomorrow. One memory stands out from early childhood. My father said to me “you are a procrastinator!” I think it made an impression because it wasn’t a normal word for a 4-year-old to hear. I did take it to heart. I’ve come up with some great ways to actually use my procrastination to be productive. It sounds funny but it works. Try and see for yourself. Maybe you’ll agree that the secret to productivity can be procrastination.

The Substitution

My very favorite method is the substitution. It works like a charm. I procrastinate on one task by doing another. This keeps me very productive and allows me to put things off at the same time. It might sound strange but it really works! I have no shortage of tasks in running my own business, so this method fits my work beautifully. For example, I can procrastinate and not make a new listing for my online store by making a new piece of jewelry. I can put off writing a blog post by making a new listing. The possibilities are endless.

Lists

Writing a list can be a way of procrastinating from work that gets you more focused and productive in the long run. I am a list-making fiend, but the list must be messy and unstructured. I suspect some procrastination arises from the stress of thinking that the day is too short for all the things that need to get done. Just the act of making the list reduces that stress for me, and I usually find myself ready to tackle a task afterward. I also love making lists on scraps of paper, post-it notes, and spiral-bound notebooks. I do not like using nice templates and pre-formatted lists (such as the daily to-do list with neat columns for dividing your life into slots for “exercise,” “errands,” “work,” “play” etc.). Just give me a blank sheet to fill in and I’m good to go. I’ll frequently come up with amazing ideas for completely unrelated things while making my messy lists. I’ll take inspiration wherever it comes from.

Taking a Break

Finally, sometimes I procrastinate by rewarding myself before the work is done. If I have a very busy day ahead and I’m not sure how everything will get done, sometimes I take a deliberate break before tackling the tasks. This break must have a clear beginning and end time and it has to be something that will do you good. Some of my favorite breaks are taking a short walk or tending to the garden. If you time things just right, the 15–20 minutes you take off won’t be enough to keep you from getting your work done. In fact, you should feel so much better after playing hooky that you are incredibly productive when you get back to work.

Substituting one task for another, making a list, and rewarding myself before the job all help me stay focused and productive. Maybe these tricks can help you too!

Life & Work

5 Tips for Shopping on Etsy

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Have you heard of Etsy? Are you a fan of the site? Etsy is a marketplace where millions of individual business owners sell their wares. Unlike marketplaces like Amazon or eBay, Etsy only offers handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies. This makes it a great place to find unique, offbeat, and beautiful items. I sell my handmade jewelry and gifts on Etsy but I also love to shop on the site. I have quite a few special gifts bought years ago when my children were small. These handcrafted items are now wonderful reminders of their childhood. Where else would you find a handheld mirror with a beautiful handmade fairy doll attached to one side, complete with a gorgeous tulle dress, wand, and lovely curly hair? My daughter still uses it years later! Whether you are a pro at shopping on Etsy or completely new to it, I hope you will find the tips I share useful.

Tip #1: Check out the Shop Owner

I like to take some time to check out the shop and its policies. This will give you lots of information about what type of item you are getting. For example, in the case of handmade goods, some owners create everything by themselves and some have shop members who help. A few create original designs and then have production partners. I always check the shop owner’s return policy for my own peace of mind. You can also check recent reviews. After you click on a listing, scroll to the bottom of the page. Here you will find policies on shipping and returns, FAQs, and get to “meet” the creator/owner in the about section. Look for details about how long a piece takes to make and any customization options. You can also click on the shop name above the listing and go directly to the shop for a look around. Remember, Etsy is just the marketplace. You are buying from an individual seller, and each seller will have different policies.

Tip #2: Take Your Time

Spend a few extra minutes double checking things. It could save you a lot of time in the long run. Once, I was thrilled to find the perfect print on a personalized tote bag for my niece. I was so happy that I just assumed the name was embroidered on the bag. I received a nice bag, but not the bag I had in mind. The name was hard to see and printed on the fabric. I learned my lesson and now I always look for measurements and materials. I look at production times, return policies, and I even make sure the correct shipping address is used. It is a wonderful convenience to shop in your jammies and get a delivery straight to your door, but online shopping goes smoother when you wait a moment before hitting the buy button.

Tip #3: Join the Club

Etsy likes to promote a community spirit. Registering on the site will get you access to some exclusive features. Members can favorite items and shops. For an item, just click the heart on the left corner of a listing image. For a shop, click the “favorite shop” button on the shop’s homepage. You can choose to share these in your public profile or keep them private. Joining is also the easiest way to contact a shop owner before you place an order. Etsy has an internal messaging system called conversations. Once you join, you can send an owner a question by clicking on the “ask a question” button on the listing page (right under the buy button). As a member, you can click on your profile where it says “You” on the top right corner of any page. You can access your favorites, your conversations, your purchases and reviews, and your settings here. If you have a question about an order you placed, just go to purchases and you will find a link to contact the shop right next to your order. If you do join, go to settings and make sure your privacy and email marketing settings are set up just the way you like them.

Tip #4: Get in Touch

Etsy gives you a few ways to get in touch with the creator of your product. Most shop owners would love to answer any questions you have. If anything goes wrong with your order, communication with the shop owner is the best way to make things right as quickly as possible. If you make a purchase as a guest, you can ask any questions through the email receipt that Etsy will send you. Some shop owners will provide a business email to help guests who have a question prior to ordering. If you are a member, you can contact the shop owner through the contact link next to your order. This is found under the purchases and reviews section of your profile. In the unlikely event that your problem is not resolved by the buyer, you can open a case with Etsy. Etsy will investigate and mediate a resolution for you. You do need to be registered with Etsy to do this, but you can register after ordering if necessary. Once you register, you will find your purchases under your account (the link to “You” on the top right-hand corner). Click on the link by your purchase to open a case (either clicking “I haven’t received this item” or “item isn’t as described”).

Tip #5: Make Search Work for You

You can narrow your search in a few ways to help find the perfect item for you. You will find lots of categories you can check off on the left-hand side of Etsy. For example, you can narrow your search to handmade, vintage, or a specific country. Adding extra details in the search bar will help too, like the color or material you had in mind. You can also put a minus sign in front of a word to narrow the results. For instance, entering “chain necklace personalized –gold” would exclude all gold chain necklaces. You can also search in specific categories at the top of the page, like “Art & Collectibles.”

These five tips will not take up much of your time, but they will help you shop safely and securely online. I hope you will have as much fun exploring Etsy as I do!

Life & Work, Seasons

Fall Sunlight and New Beginnings

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The sunlight seems to have an extra special richness in the fall, doesn’t it? Nothing is better than a long walk through the autumn sunshine when it is just a little bit cool before the real cold sets in. We have had a particularly mild fall here, just perfect for long walks. Ten years ago, we moved to our first home in October, and now we have moved again in early November. When we first moved, our children were barely toddlers. Now we have a teenager.

I thought I would feel ambivalent when my children moved through the stages of childhood, as they grow so quickly. It is actually wonderful to see how they change and amazing to compare their pictures from just a few years ago to the present. I particularly love seeing them puzzle through problems, form their own opinions about life, and develop individual interests in subjects from art to astronomy. I think this new house will work well for the teenage years and beyond.

The change of seasons and of houses brings bittersweet memories. I’m unpacking old photos of loved ones no longer with us. The memories of my lost family members grow stronger every year, not weaker. The love between us prevails over the pain of losing them.

We had the honor of living with two rescue beagles at our old house. The photo above is of our dear pup who is no longer with us. She enjoyed playing in leaf piles as much as the kids did. Jack Jack the beagle is still here, which surprises us all. He has epilepsy, a heart murmur, a slipped disc, and practically no teeth left. Yet he keeps going and still enjoys rather long walks for an old dog.

I hope Jack Jack enjoys our new house as much as we already are. Our dachshund-chihuahua mix, Marley, seems to be settling in nicely. He is quite excited about the new smells in the neighborhood. We have already discovered many promising walks nearby, including a greenbelt two blocks away. I hope your fall is filled with lots of fresh air and bright colors.