Thoughtful Thursdays: Check This Out!

Or, should I say... check this off! After riding the wave of inspiration I picked up attending Jesse Reno's workshop, I took a long, hard look at my art... and my life! Things started to become much clearer, as I determined what I liked and what I didn't. But the improvements I needed to make would take time... and how could I make time for all these changes? I couldn't help but take a really hard look at the things that were wasting my time. So here's what I came up with... Check it out!

Only 4 items on each day’s to do list!
I used to make a neat, well thought out, concise list of things to do each day. It's become a little more willy-nilly these days. I'd list what needed to be done for the week, and just tackle them as I felt like it. That had to change. So now it's 4 main tasks for each day, in order... and I ain't done 'til I'm done. Not too many... and not too few.

Stay off Facebook during work time!
So I have myself automatically logged into Facebook when I turn on the computer. Bad girl. I find myself checking to see what everyone's up to throughout my day... which is actually my work day. Working at home, for yourself can be bad for that slacker/deviant side. I know it's just a distraction from doing what I'm supposed to. So now I'm staying off and staying on task.

Finish one task before starting another!
Sometimes I'll work for a day... or a few days... or a week... and then I'll stop and look at all the detrius I've left in my wake. It's as if the Tasmanian Devil just went through my house. How can one person make all this mess? So now, before I start another task, I put everything away from my current task... before moving on.  

Turn off the television!
Awhile back I'd have a "No TV Week" where I would turn off the boob tube, except for regular programs I like to watch (but I have to turn it back off right after). TV truly has become a medication for me. At the end of the day, my brain is so exhausted from thinking that a mindless program is a soothing distraction. However — like the computer and social media — once I get sucked in, I'm hooked. There's so much I'd like to do, learn and improve upon in my life... wouldn't it be great to dedicate that mind-numbing time to it? I think so.

No computer or e-mail after 8pm!
I'm always checking my status on Facebook, trying to Tweet something amusing, or checking my e-mail to see if, well.... if anybody's out there. I think the single life has taken its toll on me in that I have no one next to me to bounce ideas off of, to say the amusing anecdote that popped into my head, or to complain about how I cannot believe who just got kicked off Project Runway. But I've come to rely on that a little too much. So it's time to stop looking externally for instant gratification and just make sure I'm happy with myself.

Draw something every single day!
After being able to re-examine my art, I've realized that I think I'm pretty okay with creating backgrounds that I love... it's not knowing what to draw on them! So how can I learn to draw better, or know what I like to draw? By drawing! So I'm going to draw something every day. And now I'll be able to better analyze what I like and don't like about each piece.

Go for more walks; get outside!
Working at home, it's so easy to not leave the house for days... especially during the winter. Sometimes I wouldn't even leave the perimeter of my house past the sidewalk except to put out the garbage. Okay, well... I'm not a big fan of cold weather, but fresh air and getting away from the computer.... I'm definitely a big fan of those. Now that Spring is in the air... this one's easy.

So, having started all this on Monday, I have to say it's been kind of hard. I've been distracting myself from what needs to get done for so long that it's become habit. But what I'd like to get done is so much more enticing, that it's worth the retraining of my brain.

What are your most difficult habits to break? What would you put on your checklist? I'd love to know!