On today's Thirty Day Challenge material, I had to watch Ed’s ‘Leverage’ video three times this morning, and still struggled to fully understand it. He does everything very fast, but he’s demonstrating how quickly you can do stuff. He also said that he was taking a lot longer to do all this, as he was having to explain it – so normally he’d be even faster!
But again, he was explaining an easy way to do something, so I shouldn’t get to dispondent yet. It may click into place later. I took eleven years to learn to drive, then after passing my driving test, I spent the following 12 months becoming a relaxed driver. So I’m expecting this will all come with practice.
Actually one of the things he showed us turned out to be a tool only Mac users could get anyway.
Web 2.0 seems to be mentioned a lot, and I still wasn't exactly sure what it meant, so I Googled it. I have now come to the conclusion that it means web based applications in general, and the viral possibilities that social networking sites can provide. When I first heard it, I thought it was an actual product.
Went to shoot a derelict hotel that’s going to be demolished, and had to wear a hard hat. Although I think there’s less to damage in my head than in my camera!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
61. 30DCIII Pre-Season Catchup
Listened to both Ed’s podcasts this morning whilst exercising, then having breakfast.
I was shooting all day today and was prepared for an evening of downloading the photos, followed by tons more 30 Day Challenge Prep work, but I got a lovely surprise when I watched three of the four remaining videos, and found I had done all the stuff that was included!
I haven’t yet set up fancy stuff on my forum settings but now I know where they are, I can do that later. I did try to add an avatar this moring, but despite it being under 80 pixels and under 100kb, it still wouldn’t accept it. The I asked the question I always ask when I have a job to do. How important is this in getting me to my goal? It is probably not a good idea to frighten other Thirty Day Challengers with my ugly mug anyway.
Added a few more friends on Facebook, and accepted invites from other 30DCers. The thing I’m really excited about is, I only have one more video to watch, and I’m up to date with all the pre-season stuff, but my evening walk and stretches are way overdue, and I’m shattered, so I’m signing off now.
I was shooting all day today and was prepared for an evening of downloading the photos, followed by tons more 30 Day Challenge Prep work, but I got a lovely surprise when I watched three of the four remaining videos, and found I had done all the stuff that was included!
I haven’t yet set up fancy stuff on my forum settings but now I know where they are, I can do that later. I did try to add an avatar this moring, but despite it being under 80 pixels and under 100kb, it still wouldn’t accept it. The I asked the question I always ask when I have a job to do. How important is this in getting me to my goal? It is probably not a good idea to frighten other Thirty Day Challengers with my ugly mug anyway.
Added a few more friends on Facebook, and accepted invites from other 30DCers. The thing I’m really excited about is, I only have one more video to watch, and I’m up to date with all the pre-season stuff, but my evening walk and stretches are way overdue, and I’m shattered, so I’m signing off now.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
60. 30DC Diary
Another thing I am doing in relation to any products I make in the 30DCIII is using a pseudonym; a pen name. This will be the same for Twitter messages and blogs, for now.
It was suggested we do this on last year’s Thirty Day Challenge, so that if and when we come to sell the site, we can sell the whole lot, lock stock and barrel.
Today after I spent most of the day photographing classic cars (and it was sunny, thank heavens), I installed Session Manager, Fleck, Firebug, Search Status, SEO for Firefox and Twitterbar – all more Firefox add-ons, and I signed up with Bloglines.
Watched more of Ed’s videos, and took ages sorting out a problem with iTunes, but Asbjorn helped me on Skype, saving me a lot of time.
Then I logged into twitter and decided to follow some people I know who were doing the 30 Day Challenge, forgetting that I’m logged in under my pseudonym, and they won’t know who the hell I am. Never mind.
Discovered I’m already signed up with Facebook under my real name, so added some friends on that too.
It was suggested we do this on last year’s Thirty Day Challenge, so that if and when we come to sell the site, we can sell the whole lot, lock stock and barrel.
Today after I spent most of the day photographing classic cars (and it was sunny, thank heavens), I installed Session Manager, Fleck, Firebug, Search Status, SEO for Firefox and Twitterbar – all more Firefox add-ons, and I signed up with Bloglines.
Watched more of Ed’s videos, and took ages sorting out a problem with iTunes, but Asbjorn helped me on Skype, saving me a lot of time.
Then I logged into twitter and decided to follow some people I know who were doing the 30 Day Challenge, forgetting that I’m logged in under my pseudonym, and they won’t know who the hell I am. Never mind.
Discovered I’m already signed up with Facebook under my real name, so added some friends on that too.
59. Coloured Reward Stickers
I mentioned this a few months ago, and it's a great way to monitor whether you're on track or not.
I have star shaped stickers (to subliminally improve my self esteem!) that I put on a wall mounted calendar just for the stickers. So I can instantly see how good or naughty I've been.
Red = getting all my work done, and at least 90% of everything on my daily To Do list.
Yellow = keeping organized records, my diary and carrying out weekly tasks - a different one each day (usually household chores).
Green = keeping an organized kitchen daily and sticking to my healthy ADHD friendly diet, so I'll optimise my brain function and quality of sleep.
Blue = sticking to my exercise routine. That is to walk a minimum of twice a day for 20 minutes, followed by 20 minute stretches. This is great for keeping alert, preventing headaches and stiffness. And the stretches that follow include plenty of abdominal crunches which is a natural appetite suppressant and also improve metabolism.
I also award myself a second yellow star (they only come in four colours!) for getting to sleep before midnight. So obviously I have to wait til the next day to award that one.
The idea is to get a week of five stars every day, then I get a Gold star at the weekend and give myself a treat - NOT ice cream! A cinema trip maybe, but not whilst the Thirty Day Challenge is on.
Sadly I've yet to have a week of five stars, mainly because I'm such a poor sleeper, and even when I'm in bed for 11pm, I can still be awake at 4am. This is due to my mind still buzzing - part of my cyclothymic highs (especially when I have important work to do). That is why exercise is so important.
The thing is, all of these areas of improvement help each other, so it's paramount I get as many of the stars as possible. The only one out of my control really, is the second yellow 'sleep' one.
I often get three or four stickers, but only had all five twice since May when I first started them.
I have star shaped stickers (to subliminally improve my self esteem!) that I put on a wall mounted calendar just for the stickers. So I can instantly see how good or naughty I've been.
Red = getting all my work done, and at least 90% of everything on my daily To Do list.
Yellow = keeping organized records, my diary and carrying out weekly tasks - a different one each day (usually household chores).
Green = keeping an organized kitchen daily and sticking to my healthy ADHD friendly diet, so I'll optimise my brain function and quality of sleep.
Blue = sticking to my exercise routine. That is to walk a minimum of twice a day for 20 minutes, followed by 20 minute stretches. This is great for keeping alert, preventing headaches and stiffness. And the stretches that follow include plenty of abdominal crunches which is a natural appetite suppressant and also improve metabolism.
I also award myself a second yellow star (they only come in four colours!) for getting to sleep before midnight. So obviously I have to wait til the next day to award that one.
The idea is to get a week of five stars every day, then I get a Gold star at the weekend and give myself a treat - NOT ice cream! A cinema trip maybe, but not whilst the Thirty Day Challenge is on.
Sadly I've yet to have a week of five stars, mainly because I'm such a poor sleeper, and even when I'm in bed for 11pm, I can still be awake at 4am. This is due to my mind still buzzing - part of my cyclothymic highs (especially when I have important work to do). That is why exercise is so important.
The thing is, all of these areas of improvement help each other, so it's paramount I get as many of the stars as possible. The only one out of my control really, is the second yellow 'sleep' one.
I often get three or four stickers, but only had all five twice since May when I first started them.
58. Learning The Faith
Asbjorn emailed me late last night to tell me that 35% of his traffic comes from Twitter (well he typed titter, but I know what he meant and am far too mature - yeah right! - to make a joke about that).
But as a pragmatist, I would be happier knowing the ins and outs of HOW this happens before I plunge in.
He then said "Anyway, never mind, do as you like, which you always do anyway ;-)"
Oops, yes I'm very naughty. Usually because I think I know best. I need to learn to trust people know better than me. To be honest, having to figure out most things in life on my own has made me have little faith in others, so it's gonna be a hard habit to break, but it's all part of growing. I should trust Ed and Asbjorn as they are living proof that the system works.
It's much easier to be in this learning situation from the confines of my flat than in a classroom. I always end up get frustrated and upset when I don't understand something, and of course if you have people around you, you can quickly fall out with them. If there's no-one around you, you are blessed with TIME to compose yourself and calm down.
I'm praying I can manage to do the 30DCIII this year, but if I don't I'm determined to try my hardest. And this year I have vowed to carry on with it until I have made a success of it, and not give up like previous years.
But as a pragmatist, I would be happier knowing the ins and outs of HOW this happens before I plunge in.
He then said "Anyway, never mind, do as you like, which you always do anyway ;-)"
Oops, yes I'm very naughty. Usually because I think I know best. I need to learn to trust people know better than me. To be honest, having to figure out most things in life on my own has made me have little faith in others, so it's gonna be a hard habit to break, but it's all part of growing. I should trust Ed and Asbjorn as they are living proof that the system works.
It's much easier to be in this learning situation from the confines of my flat than in a classroom. I always end up get frustrated and upset when I don't understand something, and of course if you have people around you, you can quickly fall out with them. If there's no-one around you, you are blessed with TIME to compose yourself and calm down.
I'm praying I can manage to do the 30DCIII this year, but if I don't I'm determined to try my hardest. And this year I have vowed to carry on with it until I have made a success of it, and not give up like previous years.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
57. Twitter ot Twit
I'm gonna be using this blog as a diary during the Thirty Day Challenge, so it may include some unrelated stuff too, as real life is going on simultaneously.
Spent all morning researching Twitter, as Asbjorn says it's good. I believe it saves you time doing certain things, but as those things are stuff I've also yet to learn, I'm a bit flumoxed. I went to a page that seems to have lots of Twitter add-ons, so reading through that lot confused me even more. I guess it only makes sense to Twitter veterans.
I hope it gets you free traffic, and that Ed will explain this in a video on the 30DCIII.
Installed my new compact camera and downloaded all 1GB of the test photos. I WON'T be using the digital zoom after all - just the 6x optical zoom. There was less noise from the recent (drink driving) NASA takeoff than on these so called 40x zoom photos. Really pleased with the macro shots though.
Since I added my new Graphics tablet I've got this annoying little toolbar that shows up on EVERY screen, even when viewing photos on the slideshow! So I had to ask the seller how to get rid of it, as it's driving me nuts.
I also read about Google Notebook and downloaded that, and downloaded Scribefire which helps when blogging, I'm told - another two Firefox Add-ons. I couldn't find SEO for Firefox, and I looked for it for ages. Didn't have time to see if anyone else on the forum had trouble finding it too. I also had to reinstall Stumble Upon, as yesterday Explorer was my default browser, and the toolbar attached itself to that, not Firefox, Today I made Firefox my default browser, so I'm singing from the same hymn sheet - (even if I may be a bit out of tune).
And another thing is I have to watch each of Ed's video a minimum of twice, and some three times. Even though he's taking us through baby steps, as I'm still on unfamiliar territory - and this ALWAYS happens - the information seems too fast for me.
It's bananas because once anything's 'clicked' with me, I'll actually get impatient if I have to go over any of them, and I'll be thinking "yeah yeah, I know this - next!" (like a spoilt brat).
I know I went from one extreme to the other all the time at school too. Teachers seeming way too fast or way too slow depending on how much I understood. So once Twitter 'clicks' I'll be fine, but til then I'm the Twit.
Spent all morning researching Twitter, as Asbjorn says it's good. I believe it saves you time doing certain things, but as those things are stuff I've also yet to learn, I'm a bit flumoxed. I went to a page that seems to have lots of Twitter add-ons, so reading through that lot confused me even more. I guess it only makes sense to Twitter veterans.
I hope it gets you free traffic, and that Ed will explain this in a video on the 30DCIII.
Installed my new compact camera and downloaded all 1GB of the test photos. I WON'T be using the digital zoom after all - just the 6x optical zoom. There was less noise from the recent (drink driving) NASA takeoff than on these so called 40x zoom photos. Really pleased with the macro shots though.
Since I added my new Graphics tablet I've got this annoying little toolbar that shows up on EVERY screen, even when viewing photos on the slideshow! So I had to ask the seller how to get rid of it, as it's driving me nuts.
I also read about Google Notebook and downloaded that, and downloaded Scribefire which helps when blogging, I'm told - another two Firefox Add-ons. I couldn't find SEO for Firefox, and I looked for it for ages. Didn't have time to see if anyone else on the forum had trouble finding it too. I also had to reinstall Stumble Upon, as yesterday Explorer was my default browser, and the toolbar attached itself to that, not Firefox, Today I made Firefox my default browser, so I'm singing from the same hymn sheet - (even if I may be a bit out of tune).
And another thing is I have to watch each of Ed's video a minimum of twice, and some three times. Even though he's taking us through baby steps, as I'm still on unfamiliar territory - and this ALWAYS happens - the information seems too fast for me.
It's bananas because once anything's 'clicked' with me, I'll actually get impatient if I have to go over any of them, and I'll be thinking "yeah yeah, I know this - next!" (like a spoilt brat).
I know I went from one extreme to the other all the time at school too. Teachers seeming way too fast or way too slow depending on how much I understood. So once Twitter 'clicks' I'll be fine, but til then I'm the Twit.
Friday, July 27, 2007
56. Thirty Day Challenge
I'm doing the 30 Day Challenge again this year. It's a free Internet Marketing course, teaching how to make a dollar online within 30 days, although this year it's how to make $10 within 30 days. It's run online by Ed Dale who sold his niche websites, that he set up from scratch, for $5 million in 2005. Go and sign up!
As with any course or challenge, I suffer badly because of my learning difficulties. Whenever I got stuck I'd have panic attacks and felt total despair. I think a lot of people just thought I was being melodramatic, but when I failed a second time last year I got quite depressed, as so many people were able to keep up.
Then came the 'Google slap' which meant all the stuff already taught, was now turned on its head. If I'd just kept going, I might have been OK. (Actually now, I know that my niche was rubbish to start with). But the main problem was I was getting bogged down with, and taking way too long just signing up for stuff, and registering for new and unfamiliar sites and tools.
I often get OCD and perfectionist about these, and feel I need to know the ins and outs before I have enough confidence to use them on a regular basis.
I always panicked in the past when I was told I need to register with such and such a site, because I've always worried that I don't have time to do the things I do find familiar, let alone the things I don't.
But I should have had faith because Ed tells us all the easiest way to do it, based on his own experiences. And actually signing up with new sites isn't really a big deal. What's the worst that can happen? You bugger up your login and have to start again! I was too over cautious.
Last year, I also got totally hung up on RSS feeds (I just couldn't understand them for ages and bought two very long ebooks on RSS feeds), and tending to the Skype call needs of my team. This year, I'm sticking with two reliable 30 Day Challengers who have lots of patience with me, Pauline Trabert and Asbjorn Riedel.
I'm not going to get distracted by reading every post on the forum (my biggest mistake on the first year 2005)
And as the videos are streaming this year, I don't think you can download them to your PC, which means if I get left behind, I won't be able to catch up in my own time, so I HAVE to keep up!
The great news is that this year, Ed has put a lot of the signing up and downloading stuff into the "pre-season" which has been going on all this week. I guess it's like getting all the ingredients together before starting. Previously, we did all that within the 30 Days, and for me, I had to go through a learning curve with each one.
So far I have downloaded add-ons, signed up to several sites, and updated several pieces of software, and touch wood - I've been fine! Fingers crossed I'll manage to do it this year.
Despite having my PC in pieces this morning, I still managed to watch all Ed's videos so far, sign up on Digg.com, download the 'Stumble Upon' toolbar and register at the site, update iTunes, update Firefox, download del.icio.us and create an account.
I also had to buy the local free ads paper, as when I turned my PC on this morning, it sounded like an engine revving (the reason I took it apart and cleaned both fans) so I'm after a 2nd hand XP laptop because I want a backup PC incase this one blows up in the middle of the 30DC! And I don't want to convert to Windows Vista just yet - not until most software is compatible with it.
Wish me luck!
As with any course or challenge, I suffer badly because of my learning difficulties. Whenever I got stuck I'd have panic attacks and felt total despair. I think a lot of people just thought I was being melodramatic, but when I failed a second time last year I got quite depressed, as so many people were able to keep up.
Then came the 'Google slap' which meant all the stuff already taught, was now turned on its head. If I'd just kept going, I might have been OK. (Actually now, I know that my niche was rubbish to start with). But the main problem was I was getting bogged down with, and taking way too long just signing up for stuff, and registering for new and unfamiliar sites and tools.
I often get OCD and perfectionist about these, and feel I need to know the ins and outs before I have enough confidence to use them on a regular basis.
I always panicked in the past when I was told I need to register with such and such a site, because I've always worried that I don't have time to do the things I do find familiar, let alone the things I don't.
But I should have had faith because Ed tells us all the easiest way to do it, based on his own experiences. And actually signing up with new sites isn't really a big deal. What's the worst that can happen? You bugger up your login and have to start again! I was too over cautious.
Last year, I also got totally hung up on RSS feeds (I just couldn't understand them for ages and bought two very long ebooks on RSS feeds), and tending to the Skype call needs of my team. This year, I'm sticking with two reliable 30 Day Challengers who have lots of patience with me, Pauline Trabert and Asbjorn Riedel.
I'm not going to get distracted by reading every post on the forum (my biggest mistake on the first year 2005)
And as the videos are streaming this year, I don't think you can download them to your PC, which means if I get left behind, I won't be able to catch up in my own time, so I HAVE to keep up!
The great news is that this year, Ed has put a lot of the signing up and downloading stuff into the "pre-season" which has been going on all this week. I guess it's like getting all the ingredients together before starting. Previously, we did all that within the 30 Days, and for me, I had to go through a learning curve with each one.
So far I have downloaded add-ons, signed up to several sites, and updated several pieces of software, and touch wood - I've been fine! Fingers crossed I'll manage to do it this year.
Despite having my PC in pieces this morning, I still managed to watch all Ed's videos so far, sign up on Digg.com, download the 'Stumble Upon' toolbar and register at the site, update iTunes, update Firefox, download del.icio.us and create an account.
I also had to buy the local free ads paper, as when I turned my PC on this morning, it sounded like an engine revving (the reason I took it apart and cleaned both fans) so I'm after a 2nd hand XP laptop because I want a backup PC incase this one blows up in the middle of the 30DC! And I don't want to convert to Windows Vista just yet - not until most software is compatible with it.
Wish me luck!
55. "We Thought You Were Clever!"
I was discussing my dyspraxia on the phone with my Dad the other day (I was only diagnosed in 2005), and he shreiked "You're not dyspraxic! - Dyspraxia is a muscle wasting disease!"
Eh?
I told him he must have got mixed up and that actually Dyspraxia is poor hand eye co-ordination, to name but one symptom. He then passed me to his wife Carol who was adamant that I was wrong because she has relatives that have been officially diagnosed as having "Severe Dyspraxia" and they have serious difficulty moving.
So I later looked the word up, and found that severe dyspraxia is quite different from the type I have.
In the second paragraph on this site: http://www.daa.colsal.org.uk/ it says
"There are two types of dyspraxia, which are quite different: Developmental dyspraxia and acquired dyspraxia. Developmental dyspraxia is when someone is born with dyspraxia. And acquired dyspraxia can be caused by a stroke or head injury and causes much more severe disabilities. This website is about the former type of dyspraxia, which includes difficulties with co-ordination, spatial awareness, perception, language and short term memory.
Developmental dyspraxia affects between ten to Seven percent of the population and up to thre percent in varying degrees of severity. Many adults remain undiagnosed and can be lost in the mental health, prison and probationary services."
It seems we were all a bit wrong and a bit right! Carol's relatives do have severe dyspraxia, but they have difficulty with motor function, but not muscle wasting.
The reason I had brought the subject up was because I was telling Dad how I remember him spending hours with me every weekend, trying to help me learn to ride a bike. But to no avail. I still had to have stabilisers attached until I was seven.
Whe there was the mixup as to the definition of dyspraxia, I told him my difficulties, and he said he remembers how all my school teachers told my parents I was always staring out of the window.
So I said yes, that's a classic symptom, but he told me that when he asked me why I stared out of the window, I had told him and my mother that I was bored and that I already knew everything that was being taught.
I do remember thinking that a lot, but I also had difficulty concentrating, but as I 'drifted off' at such times, I was unable to record these occurrences. I simply forgot about them. But informing my parents that I 'knew it all' made them think I was clever!
And in some ways, I belive I did excell in some areas that other kids did not, but I still had an awful lot of difficulty that just went unnoticed or confused with laziness, or clumsiness.
Well I feel quite clever today actually because I fixed a high speed USB card into my PC despite the person who built having put a motherboard that didn't quite fit the ports. As they were out by about 5mm, I took off the metal frame around the card, and slotted it into place but to keep it held up securely, I sawed slots in two cut lollypop sticks to hold up the card. The lolly sticks have blue tac at the bottom.
Well, it was either that or buy a new computer, and I plan to upgrade completely next year anyway. And I was quite pleased about one of my other ADHD traits; my OCD for hoarding things! I saved the lolly sticks from my craft classes years ago!
Eh?
I told him he must have got mixed up and that actually Dyspraxia is poor hand eye co-ordination, to name but one symptom. He then passed me to his wife Carol who was adamant that I was wrong because she has relatives that have been officially diagnosed as having "Severe Dyspraxia" and they have serious difficulty moving.
So I later looked the word up, and found that severe dyspraxia is quite different from the type I have.
In the second paragraph on this site: http://www.daa.colsal.org.uk/ it says
"There are two types of dyspraxia, which are quite different: Developmental dyspraxia and acquired dyspraxia. Developmental dyspraxia is when someone is born with dyspraxia. And acquired dyspraxia can be caused by a stroke or head injury and causes much more severe disabilities. This website is about the former type of dyspraxia, which includes difficulties with co-ordination, spatial awareness, perception, language and short term memory.
Developmental dyspraxia affects between ten to Seven percent of the population and up to thre percent in varying degrees of severity. Many adults remain undiagnosed and can be lost in the mental health, prison and probationary services."
It seems we were all a bit wrong and a bit right! Carol's relatives do have severe dyspraxia, but they have difficulty with motor function, but not muscle wasting.
The reason I had brought the subject up was because I was telling Dad how I remember him spending hours with me every weekend, trying to help me learn to ride a bike. But to no avail. I still had to have stabilisers attached until I was seven.
Whe there was the mixup as to the definition of dyspraxia, I told him my difficulties, and he said he remembers how all my school teachers told my parents I was always staring out of the window.
So I said yes, that's a classic symptom, but he told me that when he asked me why I stared out of the window, I had told him and my mother that I was bored and that I already knew everything that was being taught.
I do remember thinking that a lot, but I also had difficulty concentrating, but as I 'drifted off' at such times, I was unable to record these occurrences. I simply forgot about them. But informing my parents that I 'knew it all' made them think I was clever!
And in some ways, I belive I did excell in some areas that other kids did not, but I still had an awful lot of difficulty that just went unnoticed or confused with laziness, or clumsiness.
Well I feel quite clever today actually because I fixed a high speed USB card into my PC despite the person who built having put a motherboard that didn't quite fit the ports. As they were out by about 5mm, I took off the metal frame around the card, and slotted it into place but to keep it held up securely, I sawed slots in two cut lollypop sticks to hold up the card. The lolly sticks have blue tac at the bottom.
Well, it was either that or buy a new computer, and I plan to upgrade completely next year anyway. And I was quite pleased about one of my other ADHD traits; my OCD for hoarding things! I saved the lolly sticks from my craft classes years ago!
Friday, July 06, 2007
54. ...Four Months Later...!
Well that didn't work too well did it?
Actually I've invented a coloured star stickers system that I will write about when I get home. And it is the only thing so far that is proving to keep me relatively disciplined, but I still need to improve - lots!
One thing I HAVE managed to do, that has taken over two years for me to complete, is my photography website. Woohoo – it’s finally online! Take a look at www.ampersandphotography.co.uk I’ve got lots of photos and pages I want to add, but for now it passes as a website so I can finally put the url on my new business cards.
Actually I've invented a coloured star stickers system that I will write about when I get home. And it is the only thing so far that is proving to keep me relatively disciplined, but I still need to improve - lots!
One thing I HAVE managed to do, that has taken over two years for me to complete, is my photography website. Woohoo – it’s finally online! Take a look at www.ampersandphotography.co.uk I’ve got lots of photos and pages I want to add, but for now it passes as a website so I can finally put the url on my new business cards.
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