thinkerly

I had seen the site 750words.com a while ago - the site says I signed up almost a year ago. But, I hadn't used the site much until I saw a blog post from Stepcase Lifehack. Since then, I've been loving it.

'My words are locked' if you use the site you know what that means - and it has given me great freedom to write whatever the heck I want to. Out in the real world in front of the passwords and login forms there are things that I'm worried if I say someone will get offended or their feelings will get hurt. So I don't write it. Realistically, they'd probably never see it, but I jsut can't seem to force myself to take that chance. So 750words.com has let me write it, get it out, and move on.

I could have setup a private blogger or wordpress blog - I've done that. It never seems to stick. What is stickey about the site are some of the interesting tools built around the words you write such as stats that not only include words perminute and word count but the number of distractions encountered while writing to the 750 words and plenty of charts and graphs of the stats.

The stats come from a combination of real-time input stats, IP address based location information, Facebook information and emotional information from Regressive Imagery Dictionary. In addition to the pretty and interesting stats there is a game aspect of to 750words.com. There are badges that you can earn for for things like writing streaks, but aside from that I've actually found myself waiting till the last minute to see if I can write my 750 words just before midnight - yeah I'm staying up too late every now and then to play a game of chicken with 750 words, but it is getting me to write.

If you want to do a little writing, or just get some thoughts outside of your head, it would do you good to check out 750words.com.

 

Core Story What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.) (Author: Molly O’Neill)

I care. Sometimes too much - that is why I think I am a reactionary person. I expect other people to care as much as I do - I’ve realized that many people don’t and I need to be okay with that.

I care about my family. My wife and my son are 2 of the most important things that I have around me. I care what happens to them and I care that I have an effect on their lives. It is important to me that they know I love them and that I do every thing I can for them.

I care about my friends. I think that there are certain people in your life that are supposed to be there. For whatever time they are there for is how long they are supposed to be there. When I find someone who I connect with, I need to make a better effort to be a better friends. There are friends that I should have cared more for, and they are gone now - my loss.

A problem is that I don’t share things with people close to me not to mention the world. I internalize everything, I’m an introvert. This can be burdensome at times, but it is what I do. I am working to change that though, to be more outgoing, to allow other people to take on responsibility and to remove people who truly don’t care from my life. From keyboards & internets to food & wine to family & friends I care.

Defining Moment Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

My wedding. My now wife and I had been together for 9 years before 2010. You can imagine the pokes and prods that we’d get from everyone. Well, this year I married her and let everyone else in on the little secret that we’ll be together forever.

Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown)

Simple. Every time my son says he “loves his life”. 

Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)

This one is though. I make a point of preparing and eating good food. One of the best things I ate was a creme brulee from Barolo Grill (http://www.barologrilldenver.com/) in Denver. It didn’t touch my soul though, it was just really good.

A meal that did touch my soul was one I had with an old friend. He came over to the house and we cooked together. Something that we hadn’t done in about 10 years. We went to culinary school together and work together for a long time after we graduated. We even spent 6 weeks driving around France eating and drinking.

I’m a keyboard jockey now and had been out of the food biz for a while, and he and I had grown apart. We’d see each other every now and then in passing, or I stop by his place for a drink to catch up. When we made a point to get together and cook, that made the meal special.

Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you. (Author: Tracey Clark)

At my wedding with my son. Shot by a long time friend.

How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)

2010 was a good year for travel. In 2011 I want to take my son to the beach to Washington D.C. and to Mount Rushmore. That is all.

Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)

• Enjoy your family every day
• Learn everything you can about finances & save
• Keep going to the dentist
• Make time for yourself
• Run, bike - get out and do stuff
• Meet new people
• Eat well

Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)

Exercise. This is the first thing to get pushed out of my daily routine when I get busy. I’m always busy for some reason. This is a day by day problem that I’m trying to tackle and have been having success with - I’ve worked out 5 times this week.

Going to the dentist is another. I am doing this though. Even though I can not stand going to the dentist.

Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

A sense of calm. I stopped worrying about everything and the calm that resulted has given me a better and clearer perspective. I’m (a little) better at reacting to bad or stressful news because of it.

I’m still very reactionary. I’d like the way I react to things to be healed in 2011.

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.” (Brice Lee)

This is a goal of mine.