You can do it!

by Martha Sippel

If writer's block is the worst thing I encounter in my daily activities, I should be grateful. But it is rather frustrating!

Inspiration

How do you get inspired? I get most of my daily inspiration from nature. If I can be outside exercising early, I usually have a more productive day. When I cannot be outside in the morning, I often open a door or a window and breathe deeply for a few minutes. I think positive thoughts and internally verbalize that it will be a good day. If I have time during the day and weather permits, I step outside and walk a little.

How do you get your inspiration? Please let me know by emailing me by June 30, 2003 at president@stcrmc.org. I will include your suggestions in a future newsletter article.

Techniques for overcoming writer's block

Overcoming writer's block is a very personal process. Look at this list of suggestions and find what works for you:

• Get into the creative side of your brain by free-writing, brainstorming, or mind-mapping
• Get up early and start writing immediately
• Follow the path of least resistance by starting with the easiest part
• Gain a new perspective by letting it sit for awhile and returning to it later
• Talk with a supportive colleague/friend
• Create your own special place and habits for writing
  • Set aside some uninterrupted time
  • Try listening to music that inspires you
  • Go for a walk or change locations
• Go with the flow
  • Create the mood by getting started
  • Once you're on a roll, try to keep it up
  • Write down ideas when they occur so you don't lose them
• Write about why you're having problems
  • List the worst thing that could happen
  • Use free-writing to "write through" the problems
  • Don't let one difficult word, phrase, or section stop you: skip it, move on, and go back to it later
• Give yourself credit for what you've accomplished
  • Consider a rough draft a good start and an accomplishment
  • Keep at it: the more you write, the more confidence you build

I hope this helps you on your quest to write more frequently! If you write something that you think might interest our members, please consider contributing to Technicalities. Our newsletter can always use articles.

Setting Goals to Achieve Dreams

Setting goals is the hardest part of trying to accomplish my dreams. However, below are some things that have helped me to be more proactive and realistic in setting measurable goals and objectives.

Accomplishing goals and objectives

How do you set realistic goals? I use many methods, but one process on the Internet recently gave me some new ideas for setting achievable goals and prioritizing tasks. The link is http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/scheduling.htm and it provides a basic primer for setting goals and making schedules. While this site is geared to a student, I believe we can all learn something from reviewing how we spend our time.

As Sophocles said, "Tasks begun well, likely have good finishes." Daily I struggle with which tasks are the most important to accomplish that day. I'm sure I am not alone. Prioritizing tasks and responsibilities often means that a task you think is important moves down the list in favor of another. To me, this is the difference of setting goals and objectives and actually accomplishing them. Most successful people will tell you that they have short-term or long-term goals. Some refer to them daily or use them as daily affirmations.

A quote from Gene Donohue makes sense to me: "The difference between a goal and a dream is the written word." Putting objectives in writing makes it easier to accomplish your goals and achieve your dreams. Another site that I find helpful is http://www.topachievement.com/goalsetting.html. This leads you through the steps to put your goals in writing. The site seems a little materialistic, but you'll get the idea.

Also, an affinity diagram approach often works. When teams encountered long-standing problems or issues at work, brainstorming with affinity diagrams often created solutions. A site that defines this approach is http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/sgno.html. These sites provide a starting point for setting goals and planning objectives. Setting goals is a healthy way to overcome both writer's block and depression. In this economy, who couldn't use some help?

Strategic planning for our chapter

One of my objectives for our chapter is to enlist the help of someone experienced in strategic planning for nonprofits to assist our administrative council. Our chapter needs to plan to:

• Encourage smooth transitions between administrations
• Increase membership
• Support our technical programs
• Sustain our relationships with members and other organizations
• Maintain our financial health and growth

I hope to hold meetings to define goals so we can write down our goals and objectives and accomplish them effectively. In addition, I would like to publish this strategic plan for you, our members. I hope to work on this next year, as this year seems to have gotten away from me! If you'd like to participate in this endeavor, please contact me at president@stcrmc.org by June 30, 2003. If you decided to participate at a later date, please look up my information on the RMC website. Thanks and have a great summer!