Don’t forget - weigh in now!
I’m running my first annual reader/listener/watcher survey - you can complete it now by clicking this link. If you complete the survey and enter your email address on the last question before November 30, 2022, you’ll have a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
Here in the U.S. it’s Thanksgiving Week. I hope you have a peaceful and wonderful holiday - whatever that looks like for you.
Photo of the Week
This was how my week started. I watched the weather in Northeast Minnesota like a hawk for two weeks leading up to the trip - not a flake of snow in the forecast UNTIL the morning of my flight. This was the lightest snow we experienced our entire trip. Thankfully the hotel team had a broom they let me borrow each morning to get the snow off of this monster. And…why in the world do rental car companies NOT have snow scrapers/brushes in cars in Northeastern Minnesota?
It Was Stupid Easy
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about getting projects done. We started by exploring projects that get stuck in the messy middle. Then for the next two weeks, we talked about ways to get out of our own way. First, don’t allow the perfect to be the enemy of done. And then last week, we talked about how imposter syndrome and failing to trust yourself can also get in the way. We’re bringing this little impromptu mini series to a close by talking about the projects we never start - or at least wait a really long time to start because we have fear of what the project holds.
Unfortunately, I have a perfect example of this to share.
When I got Kona, I started leaving my house for far more walks. I always leave my sunroom door unlocked when I leave the house so I didn’t have to mess with keys. While the other door has a keypad lock, that door is not convenient. So, I asked Gayle for a keypad lock for the sunroom door for Christmas last year. Which, of course, Gayle obliged and got for me.
We tried the afternoon I opened the gift to install the new door lock.
At this point, you need some background information. I am very competent at changing out lock hardware. I’ve done it in every house I’ve ever owned and I’ve installed multiple keypad locks. This type of project has never before stymied me.
Unfortunately, this time, we were stopped almost before we got started. And, it had nothing to do with the installation. The door locks I installed here when I first moved in this house required a specific size hex wrench to remove - and one that I didn’t have on hand. So, I was immediately stalled. I looked up the lock I had and ordered the specific tool needed…and then…nothing.
My brain started creating all sorts of stories about what might happen when I attempted to take that old lock off the door. I’ll spare you all the details but the basics were that I would end up with the door hanging off the hinges and the lock hanging in shambles with twisted metal anywhere. My brain can be a little dramatic sometimes.
Fast forward to about a week ago and this text conversation between Gayle and I.
I waited until I had a four hour block of time, I had gathered the numbers of four lock smiths and I read the instructions about 10 times before I started. And, then I barely even needed the instructions because the project was just that easy once I started it. Oh - and taking that old lock off the door. A breeze as soon as I found the right size hex wrench which only took three tries.
Right after this, I tackled another project I’d been putting off starting. While it wasn’t as easy as the lock replacement, it was still completed in under two hours - far less than what my brain had been telling me it would take.
So, what have you been putting off because you think it’s going to be super hard, boring, or leave you with a door hanging off the hinges? What action could you take to try to get started?
Where’s Kara?
A quick summary of where I’m going to be hanging out online and IRL over the next few weeks. Join me, and if I’m visiting near you, hit reply and let’s meet up!
In Real Life (IRL)
Just one more trip left in the year - a couple of days in Baltimore Maryland at the end of the month.
Sign up now for my new Quarterly Retreat series at https://karamonroe.podia.com. Use the code MANIFEST2023 for 25% off anything on the site. Only good through December 1. Read below for more information!
Around the Virtual World
2023 Quarterly Retreats are now live!! - This week, I launched my Quarterly Retreat workbook, workshops, and all access pass for 2023. You can purchase those on my site - https://karamonroe.podia.com. And, through December 1, you can use the code MANIFEST2023 for 25% off anything on the site. This includes the Facts of Life Book Course and Community. Now is the perfect time to buy these courses for yourself or as a gift for someone you love. If you are buying a gift, feel free to just drop me an email at kara@iwannabemewhenigrowup.com with the name and email of the person you would like to receive the gift and when you’d like them to be notified. I’ll take care of the rest.
Creative Work Hour - Every single day of the week, at 10 a.m. eastern, a group gathers online in Zoom to do a quick check in, a brief meditation, work for about 50 minutes on whatever they want to do, and then check out with one another for 5 minutes. Creative Work Hour is one of my favorite places to hang out online and I’ve been there every single day that I could be there since about March of 2022. Come as often or as little as you need to get projects done. To register for the sessions (they are free but you have to sign up to get the zoom link) and to learn more, visit https://lu.ma/CreativeWork.
Join My Course and Community - You will often find me hanging out in the course and community for my course “Facts of Life Book”. Do you need to organize your most important stuff for life’s most important moments? If so, then the Facts of Life Book course is just for you. With loads of templates, tools, and guides I’ll help you get your most important information organized. Newsletter readers - get in now for the low cost of only $25 for life!
AP Productivity - I’m once again joining my friend R.J. Nestor as a mentor in his exceptional course AP Productivity. We started a Cohort in October, but you can join in on the next offering by visiting his AP Productivity page and watching this space. I’ll always let you know when a new offering is about to begin.
Tools, Tips, & Tricks
Get Magical is a free text expander tool for the web
Do you type the same text over again for different things? Your full name, your email address, and your mailing address are good places to start. But, I bet if you think about it long enough you might also have other things that you type over and over again.
I’ve long used the pay for service based TextExpander tool. I’ve been researching alternatives to it because while I love it, I don’t know that it warrants its annual fee for my use cases. In that search, I discovered a free Chrome Extension which is nice for text on the web. It’s called Get Magical. Please, use this and any tool like it only for non-sensitive information. No passwords or account numbers stored in tools like this! But for basic emails and responses you type loads of times a day - a tool like this is great.
Use Ctrl+Reload to Reset a Web Page
I was having trouble with a web site for a tool I’m helping test. I messaged the developer and she asked me if I had done a hard reset of the web page after she pushed out the latest set of changes. I’d never heard of this before so after a quick “Goog”, I realized I’ve been missing out. This article does the best job of any I’ve found of how to do a hard reset in any browser. Basically, if a web site is acting funny, try doing a hard reset of it (just that one tab) before you completely exit your browser. It will clear the cache and force the web page to reload a fresh version. I’m a Chrome user on windows so holding down the Ctrl key while hitting the reset button works for me. Add this to your set of steps for troubleshooting when a web site is acting flaky and you’d rather not completely reboot.
What I Published This Week
Two videos got released this week and a couple of podcast episodes. Podcast and some other publishing will hopefully get back on track this week.
I also published this YouTube short about customizing the swipe features in the Readwise App on mobile.
Facts of Life Book Series
As I build towards the official launch of the Facts of Life Book Course and Community on January 1, I’m continuing to publish articles about some of the many different things you might include in a Facts of Life Book. While I’m continuing to publish them on on Medium and Hive you can now see all of them on the Facts of Life Book website.
My Digital “Garden”
As a part of the Obsidian Vault Rebuild Series that I wrote on Medium and YouTube, I began using Obsidian Publish. This add on tool for Obsidian allows you to easily publish your “in progress” notes to the web. If you want to see what I’m thinking about, this is a great place to see inside my head. It’s always available at https://publish.obsidian.md/iwannabeme
This Week’s Featured Book Note
Each week, I’m featuring one book note from a book I’m currently reading. Click the image to view this week’s note as a PDF file.
This week, I’m featuring my full book note from the book You Need a Manifesto: How to craft your convictions and put them to work by Charlotte Burgess-Auburn. I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s one of a 10 book series from Stanford’s d.school and now I want to read all of them.
I loved this book so much, I’m considering doing a reading group/manifesto creation group in January or February. If you’re interested in joining me in this, please hit reply to this email and let me know. If there is enough interest, I’ll organize this.
Diversion
I live in an awesome neighborhood and have the most wonderful neighbor. She adores Kona and Kona adores her. We were gone quite a bit this week so when we stopped by to see her and tell her we were home, she suggested this video to me and I knew I had to share it with you. I’ve probably watched it 20 times and it makes me smile every time.
Ways You Can Support Me
Participate in the Quarterly Retreats
I host a retreat every quarter and develop a custom workbook that you can use to join me. Retreats and all the materials to go along with them are hosted at my course site. Take a look and please consider joining. Right now, through December 1, you can get 25% off with code MANIFEST2023.
Join the Facts of Life Book Course and Community
I officially launch the course - The Facts of Life Book - on January 1, 2023. Join now for just $25 and get the lowest price ever and some fun bonuses along the way as we get ready to get all of our most important information organized in 2023.
Subscribe to and Share My Newsletter
If someone forwarded this to you or if you’re reading online, hit subscribe so you get every issue delivered right to your inbox every Monday morning at 8 a.m. eastern time.
And, remember to share this with a friend and/or on social media if you read something in here think someone else might find it valuable.
Buy Me A Coffee
You can buy me a virtual coffee if you feel my work has added monetary value to your life in some way. Just visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/iwannabeme and follow the on screen instructions.
Subscribe to Medium
I publish much of my writing on Medium. To read all of the content there, you need to have a subscription which gives you access to the entire library of Medium content. It’s a great place where I start nearly every day. If you want to subscribe, consider doing so through my referral link: https://iwannabemewhenigrowup.medium.com/membership
Subscribe to Readwise
Readwise is an incredible service that takes all of the highlights you take on Kindle, on various web sites, and in so many other places and stores and organizes them for you. It generates a daily (or more often/less often as you prefer) set of highlights for you to review so that you can better remember what you read. Readwise also syncs with all kinds of apps including Evernote, Notion, Obsidian, Roam Research, Log Seq and more. If you’d like an extended 60 day trial, use my link https://readwise.io/kara
Affiliate Links
I do use affiliate links (a link that you click on and then if you purchase the tool, I may receive a little money or service in return) for products that I use and recommend.