365 Days, 365 Photos

I wrote on Jan. 1 about how I am going to pause and enjoy the moments of each day this year. I’m a realist, though, and know how busy my schedule can get and how quickly I might forget to enjoy a moment. So I’ve decided to try something different this year.

The Carillon

During a walk on Jan. 1, I photographed the historic Carillon in Richmond. (Photo by Cynthia Price)

Each day I’m going to take a photograph. The idea has been percolating for some time. A few years ago a good friend was battling cancer. She took her camera everywhere and took photos to remind her of happy moments. I loved the concept but didn’t think I would do it.

Recently, an author told me about Project 365. The idea is to take a photo every day. Somehow, though, I just couldn’t remember to carry my camera. I was too busy writing blogs, checking emails, catching up.

But a week of vacation at year end and taking photos every day – often of the simplest things (a pine cone on a tree outside the room) — made me realize how much I enjoyed capturing the simple pleasures of the day. I also enjoyed experimenting with my camera.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with the photos. Maybe I will make a collage. Maybe the photos will simply remain on the disk. Maybe I’ll create my own note cards. It really doesn’t matter what I do with them as long as I remember to enjoy the moments of each day and record them in a snapshot.

How do you savor life’smoments?

New Year, New Philosophy

A new year. Time for resolutions. This year I don’t think I’m going to make any specific resolutions. Instead, I’m going to focus on a philosophy – live in flip-flops. It comes from last year’s calendar, which  advocated making a choice “to live more playfully.”

(Photo by Cynthia Price)

I’ve made considerable progress the past year in some key areas. I’m owning e-mail better, although I still have a way to go. Toward year’s end, however, I had a huge epiphany and realized that I needed to stop using my inbox as a reminder box. That’s made a big difference.

I’ll continue to be selfish, making time for improving my fitness and finding quiet moments. It is okay to do nothing (or so I am told). My present to myself was to purchase 20 more personal training sessions. That will last a few months. In that time, my trainer will push me past my comfort level while making me laugh – all in the name of fitness. It’s a good way to spend an hour.

Last year was busy for me with work, my NFPW presidency, travel and volunteerism. I loved it all, but I realized toward the end of the year I was tired. A week away with no scheduled activities did the trick.

This year – 2012 – will be a great year to live in flip-flops. I’ll follow the sage advice of Henry David Thoreau, “Always maintain a kind of summer, even in the middle of winter.” I’ll remember to look up each day and see the sun. That means I can’t be in the office before sunrise or stay past sunset. I’ll wear my flip-flops even when I’m not at the beach reminding myself to slow down and not take life so seriously. Mostly, I’ll remember to pause and enjoy the moments of each day.

How will you live 2012?

Merriam-Webster Pragmatic About 2011 Word

If nothing else, Merriam-Webster was practical and logical when it chose its top word of 2011. The editors named “pragmatic” as the top word.

The word was looked up frequently on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

A new feature on Merriam-Webster’s site allows users to tell the dictionary publisher why they sought that specific word, and the feedback from those who looked up “pragmatic” was that they wanted to reaffirm that the connotation was positive.

“People have a general sense of what the word meant and in fact had even been using it, but then they had a moment when they thought to themselves, `Perhaps I ought to look up that word and make sure it means what I think it means,'” said John Morse, president and publisher of Springfield, Mass.-based Merriam-Webster Morse.

Merriam-Webster has been picking its annual top choice since 2003. Previous winners include: austerity (2010), admonish (2009) and bailout (2008).

Reading for Success

I recently reordered my one bookcase so that all of the business, leadership and self-help books that I’ve purchased and have not read were shelved together. I figured it would be a small section. Wrong!

(Photo by Cynthia Price)

Then I looked back on my blogs for the past year and discovered I had only read four such books – and that included the ones I read for the business book club to which I belong.

The ones I read this year had some great points. Here’s a quick recap:

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink describes the secret to high performance. It’s about autonomy, mastery and purpose.

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS shoes but also offers lessons from innovative companies.  The section on “Keep it simple” particularly resonated with me.

TouchPoints by Douglas Conant and Mette Norgaard describes interruptions as “opportunities to touch someone and improve the situation.” The interactions are framed using the TouchPoint Triad: Listen, Frame, Advance.

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith forces you to look at various habits that may hold you back. Fortunately, Goldsmith also provides ways to change for the better, whether it’s through feedback, listening, thanking or following up.

Business and leadership books are a great way to keep your skills and thinking fresh. One of the subjects I want to learn more about is change management. To make sure I schedule time for reading about the topic, I recently agreed to present a short session on the subject at work. Now I have no excuse.

What books would you recommend I add to my list?