In The Trenches - MOTIVATION

I love this picture that has been going around on Facebook.  I can so TOTALLY relate to it.  Maybe you can too as more than 47,000 others have pushed the LIKE button:

When I know that company is coming I can switch into tornado mode.  I am amazed at how fast and organized I can move.  Picking up, dusting, and pushing a vacuum sometimes all at the same time.  Give me half an hour and the place looks totally different.  Give me 15 minutes and I break into a sweat and do the same amount.  Sometimes I would invite people over to jog myself out of a slump.  When my 3 kids were still at home we worked as a lightening team with me barking orders and them flying to the challenge.  When the knock on the door came we would all smile to one another and immediately switch into a calm and welcoming family ready to take your coat, pour your coffee, and make our guests feel right at home.

It's called MOTIVATION and it is a gift bestowed upon us. 

Much of our motivation is caused by desire or fear.  When we WANT something bad enough we go the extra mile to see that it happens.  Fear propels us to spring to action and run away or take defensive action against a pending threat.  Each has it's place in our lives at times.  Often this can be the making of an average person into a hero for seeing the threat and they are able to take courageous, focused, decisive action.

What ever the challenge the many forms of MOTIVATION will see us through to the end.  Lack of MOTIVATION on the other hand will quickly stop us in our tracks.  It can be in the way we raise our children, clean the house, succeed in diet or exercise, or even in our finances.

If you are not making the progress you hope for check your MOTIVATION first.  All the best plans and methods in the world cannot overcome without the energy that is the driving force behind our actions.

Making Money From A Home-based Beginning

When we think of earning extra money or a small business often our ideas start big and we think we need a building, office, staff, and a big loan to finance it all. Then when we hear that 80% of small businesses fail we wonder if the risk is really worth it. Recently I posted a small business roundup with some good tips on how to start small and build. Starting small minimizes the risk and allows you to learn by trial and error without risking a major investment. There are many excellent books and on-line articles about small business ideas to stimulate the creativity to find one that is right for you.

Here's a list of ideas that I have come up with that can be started from home. Once you come up with something you would like to try be sure and check with your local business offices to make sure you are able to comply with their regulations.

In The Trenches - Sewing

I decided recently that I wanted a new hobby.  Blogging used to be my primary hobby.  And, reading.  After a long day at work both were a nice diversion from the daily routine.

Things have changed a lot for me in recent months.  One of those changes is that I work on the blog, blog related things, and reading about the U.S. Economy many hours a week.  I put enough time and energy into it that I now need an occasional break from my hobby.  I know that other bloggers reading this know exactly what I'm talking about.

In considering a new hobby I wanted to achieve a few things:

• Fun.  Of course, it's not a hobby if it's not fun.
• At home.  
• Within my spending money limits.
• No computers or books involved.
• A finished product.  So much of what I do is ongoing or daily that I wanted to see and touch something I made.

Build your team.

I read lots of financial books, enjoy discussing various strategies, and can spend hours fiddling with spread sheets but there are certain aspects of finances I tend to steer away from.  Why?

They're boring!

The China Cabinet

My project this week is to clean a china cabinet. The cabinet is packed to the gills with everything from fine German china to cheap nick knack bric-a-brac. There is so much in the cabinet that nothing can be seen and the crystal is dusty and common looking.


I’m excited about it. My first step will to be to box up all the bric-a-brac and seasonal items. There will probably end up being a Christmas box, an autumn box, and a not worth keeping box. They will go in the garage for now to be ready for the holidays and some items may be the beginnings of the next big sale. Then, all the crystal will be washed and displayed so it can sparkle along with the teacup collection from around the world in memory of those who have gifted them. We will then find some display holders so that the china can be shown with its intricate patterns and graceful designs.

The Garage Sale (Part 2) - Sale Day

Up at 5am to be ready for a 7am opening. The homeowner’s association sponsored the sale but so far there were no signs and up to the very last minute we wondered if the sale was even going to happen or if our labor had been in vain. We realized that in the hurry we had forgotten to get change so that meant a quick trip to the 24-hour store to get $40 in change and small bills. 15 minutes before sale time the garage door opened and we pulled out everything that we wanted in the driveway still not knowing if the sale was really going to happen. We also found a child’s easel and made a cute sign advertising “Girls room”, size 0 to 16. Promptly at 7am the gates opened and the community sale had begun.

The Garage Sale - Preparation

The Goal – Clear out enough space in the garage to park one car.
The Strategy – Have a garage sale.

Many have joined the ranks of those who hold garage sales. For us it was a first attempt. I volunteered to help a friend with this project because I had always wanted to do one and she was overwhelmed. We opened the garage door to view a ten-year accumulation of stuff that belonged to six different people and had been through three moves. We stood with hands on hips wondering where to begin.

In The Trenches - Brainstorming - Ideas, Input, Advice

The 80’s were a great time to be a woman in the corporate world. One of the things that made it special was that there was a big emphasis to move away from the manager knows it all thinking to involving people at all levels to participate in finding improvements and solutions to the challenges that we faced. One of the popular strategies that was introduced was Brainstorming.


The facilitator would stand at the white board and write while the group would fire off things that popped into their minds pertaining to the topic. No idea was classified as bad or good in this initial list because sometimes a bad idea when presented would get someone else to think of a better idea. It was all part of getting creative and looking at situations with new eyes. By the way, we had NO problems – we had either challenges or opportunities. Because we approached things that way we came up with some ideas that were not just good, they were great!