- So this year decide.
- What is the one small thing I can do everyday to show up for myself?
- Make the rule.
- Never miss twice. (Jame Clear)
- Forgive yourself if you miss.
- Reset your resolve.
- Date
- Bird
- Where
- Notes
7 Years ago today, I received 1of 999 of the Kickstarter Bullet Journals
I had been using the system for a year prior and was excited to see what he made. It fired me up to double down into the bullet journal system. I used it for full capture. Of course I did migrate some things into digital but this book was with me at all times.
I stray from the system from time to time - thinking I can do it better. But I feel uneasy when I do not have my journal with me.
I am glad that Ryder, who I understand is introverted, was brave and shared this with the world.
James A. Michener - Themes of Racism and of Love
Finished reading: Sayonara: A Novel by James A. Michener 📚
I have so many thoughts about this book. I made many notes while reading.
My father in-law who is an advid reader shared this paperback with me.
Michener historical fiction seems to overshawdow his earlier and shorter fictional works.
This was written in 1953.
It is less challenging to me as I read it in 2022. But I can reflect on how brave it was to put this out in 1953.
The story is centered around American and Japanese but the shawdows of racism in America is there.
This should be an easy find in your local librairy or at Half Priced Books
The One Habit to Rule Them All
We crave to be part of a group.
It is part of human nature.
The is especially true this time of year as we approach the annual planning and New Years resolutions.
For health it might be: I am a vegan. I am a carnivore. I am keto. For Productivity it might be: I am analog all the way. I am apple. I am iOS only.
I want to offer some advice and insight I have recently understood for myself.
You have failed. So instead you take to Youtube looking for the right process to follow. If I can just find the right group or right process to follow then I can trust that process and not lean on myself.
I would encourage you to look deep inside yourself and pick up a pen and paper. Sit and write out the first goal that comes to mind for 2022.
For example, a common one might be weight loss.
Write that down. “I want to lose 50 pounds”
Next write, what information do I need to accomplish this goal?
My hunch is that you have done plenty of reading and experimentation and you already know the process you need to follow. You have just not followed it and then you gave up.
You only fail if you give up trying.
David Goggins says it best. “Motivation is shit”.
You need a process. You need the Show Up For Yourself process!
Reading James Clear’s Atomic Habits would be a better use of your time than watching YouTube or listening to a bunch of podcasts.
If you own the book turn to page 163 and continue on page 164
People often think it’s weird to get hyped about reading 1 page or meditation for 1 minute or making 1 sales call. But the point is not to do one thing. The point is to master the habit of showing up.
If you can’t learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details.
Ouch. That last sentence convicted me.
Make a rule. You will do X. Make it simple so that there is no grey area. Make a rule so clear that if a stranger watched you all day they would know if you broke your rule or not.
I do not eat X food. I will walk 1 mile every day.
Let’s kick some ass in 2022.
Email me if you would like to discuss. I love to hear from people.
Your friend. Terry
How to Start Your Bird Log
In March of 2021 took our family pop up on a week long solo camping trip to the South Llano State Park.
It is known as a birder park and the spring is a perfect time to come and see them for 2 reasons.
First, most of the trees are pecan and unlike live oaks (another popular tree in our area) drop their leaves. So it is easy to see the birds.
Second, this area of Texas is part of the bird migration pattern and there are several birds in the spring that we might
While there I spoke with a man who was an experienced birder and he told me what he does to track the birds he sees.
He keeps a bird journal and uses a simple setup. Each year he starts a new list. He counts each bird he sees once and logs it. He counts the male and/or female as one sighting.
An example of headers might be:
I hope you try it.
PS. Get yourself some binoculars too!
The Texas Ruby Red House Finch
A fellow micro.blogger Clifford Beshers posted a beautiful picture of a red house finch today.
Dipped in raspberry juice. That was the joke that always made my mother laugh. Those finches look like someone turned them over and dipped them in raspberry juice. link
I saw a red house finch in the spring this year at the South Llano River State park here in Texas. It was a beautful bird. The South Llano State Park is at the eastern edge of a lot of birds western migration patterns.
I am no expert. I am learning as I go and I picked up that little bit of knowledge from a birder I met at the State Park.
I searched around and found this interesting little writeup called The Texas Ruby Red House Finch from 2015.
These are all taken at Utopia, Uvalde Co., Texas, near southern edge of Edwards Plateau, and are all House Finch. The south central Texas House Finch has long been said by Texans to be the reddest of them all. It is no brag, but fact. But because they were caught bragging about the size of their state just once a long long time ago, nobody believed them. In my opinion this House Finch also has the sweetest song of ‘em all. I call it the Texas Ruby Red House Finch.
Follow the link and take a look at some of the pictures. Here is another link to his 2020 bird pictures.
Radio Paradise - An Online Radio Station
Seeing the recent backlash around the updated Apple Music design such as Apple Music Music sucks I thought I would share what I listen to most days.
It is a an online commercial free radio station. A stream. You turn it on and listen. Here is the webplayer but there are many ways to listen. Most days I stream it through my Homepod. Here is how Bill the owner and mastermind describes it
RP’s Main Mix is a blend of many styles and genres of music, carefully selected and mixed by two real human beings, and presented in ultra high fidelity sound.
Our specialty is taking a diverse assortment of songs — modern and classic rock, world music, electronica, even a bit of classical and jazz — and making them flow together in a way that makes sense harmonically, rhythmically, and lyrically.
I started listening to RP back in 2003. It first aired in Feb of 2000
There are so many cool things about this station. But my recommendation is to give it an hour. There is feel to this station. It takes a little time for the magic of what it is to wash over you.
I hope you give it a listen and I would enjoy hearing your thoughts.
