Me & My Quite Contrary Life

NUDGED: "Write for 1 hour with no interruptions" BACKSTORY: I enjoy writing but find I do it in short periods of time a lot recently - ten minutes here, five minutes to jot down an idea there. My mind is always racing from one thing to the next. I get interrupted and distracted a lot. What would happen if I forced myself to write for one hour without any interruptions or distractions? Would I run out of words to say before my hand cramps? I was determined to find out with this challenge!  QUOTE: "Multitasking is the art of doing twice as much as you should half as well as you could." - Anonymous HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I prepared my space with paper, pens, glass of water, a blanket and a lap desk. I then set the timer on my phone and put it out of my reach so I wouldn't be distracted. I gave myself an hour to write. As a thought pertaining to this nudge came to me, I jotted it down to remember how the hour felt. Here's a few thoughts that occurred t...

NUDGED: "Send thinking of you cards" BACKSTORY: I enjoy receiving mail that is not bills or junk mail, and I assume other people like "fun" mail also. I always have good intentions of sending cards to friends just for fun, but it never actually happens. It is so much easier to send a text or instant message to someone. It's time to put more effort in! Is mailing cards an outdated practice? How does it feel to write and send a card to someone that I am thinking about? Does knowing it will make them happy make me happy? QUOTE: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I ended up making and distributing four cards to four people this week. I'm proud that I actually followed through and gave out these cards; I didn't just think about it! 1) I sent my friend Mavis a "thinking of you" card in the mail to her assisted living facility. The card was decorated nicely and I wrote a note inside to acknowledge how much I value her friendship. I knew s...

NUDGED: "Go to a new market" BACKSTORY: This nudge came from another nudges project and I thought it would be a good step out of my comfort zone. I am still proud of myself for going to two new places last week, so I am excited for another week of checking out a new-to-me place. QUOTE: "Food is a common denominator for all people" - Guy Fieri HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I did a quick online search for ethnic markets near me and was surprised by the number and variety of results - Philippine, Asian, Mexican, East African, and Nepali markets. I recruited my hubs to come with me as he is adventurous with food, and let him pick the place we would visit. We went to the Philippine Oriental Food Store after lunch on Sunday afternoon. It was a place I had driven by many times but never visited. The store had a variety of items, some familiar to me and some foods I have not seen before. We took our time to browse all the aisles and found several items to purchase in...

NUDGED: "Be patriotic" BACKSTORY: You might think this nudge was pre-planned as it is perfect for the week of the 4th of July, but it was randomly selected like all other nudges. Excellent timing! The idea for this nudge originated with my hair stylist while she was cutting my hair. I was explaining my nudges project to her, and she offered one idea that she always wanted to do but had never actually done. When seeing someone in the store wearing a veteran's hat, she wanted to go up and thank them for their service. I thought this was a great idea (and something I've never done either!) and so I combined her idea with a nudge to be more patriotic. It is an area that I need to work on! QUOTE: "I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it's marked by the blood of those who died defending it." - John Thune HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:...