58 - Are you a fast no/slow yes or a fast yes/slow no?
Just a reminder that if you are not already a member of my Facts of Life course, this is the last full week to sign up for the first ever LIVE cohort - get live support while we work together to put together your set of life’s most important information for life’s most urgent moments.
Are you a fast no/slow yes or a fast yes/slow no?
Gayle and I were in a conversation with someone the other day and she used a phrase she’s used before to describe herself. Gayle is a fast no and a slow yes. While I agree completely that this is true for her, I’d never taken the time to think about it for myself. I realized that I am a fast yes and slow no. Understanding which of these best describes you can give you a lot of insight as to how you make decisions - both in a good way and in a bad way.
Gayle knows exactly what she doesn’t like. If she doesn’t like something she is clear on that. There is little question as to whether or not she likes it. This is a huge benefit when we’re going through clothes, paint colors, watching HGTV, and more.
On the other end of things, I often find things to like in any design. I’m a fast yes. I’ll try new foods, new music, new colors, and new patterns with little or no fear or worry.
While both of these have amazing positives, every strength also has a weakness as a counterpoint. For Gayle it can be indecisiveness or simply trouble in making a decision. For me, it can be taking on projects that I don’t really WANT to do - I just could do them and think they might be fun - without actually deciding I want to do it.
So, as we go into the second quarter of 2023, one of the things I’m trying to focus on is minimizing the difference between my yes’s and no’s. I want to remain decisive but match that decisiveness with an intentionality that means I’m taking on activities I enjoy.
I’d love to know which you are? Where do these benefit you? Where do they cause you issues? How can you focus on that as you go into the new quarter? Don’t forget - my Quarterly Review workbook and retreats are an awesome way to make some plans for Q2!
Photos of the Week
It’s been a project-y kind of week!
I got some spring bulbs on a super discount at the store this week so Kona helped me put them in the ground along our entry path walk.
At the end of the week we were working on a special project. Kona had to be on his best behavior and at some point we even had to lock him out entirely. Luckily he was happy to simply stay on the other side of the cardboard boxes. So much for the houseful of gates from when he was a puppy.
Where’s Kara?
IN THE REAL WORLD
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!
April - A quick trip to Florida is on the horizon
June or July - I am (still) waiting on all the signatures but I may get to North Carolina later in the summer
July/August - A Northern European Cruise!
AROUND THE VIRTUAL WORLD
LAST CHANCE TO JOIN AT THE LOWEST PRICE EVER FOR A LIVE COHORT - The Facts of Life LIVE Cohort - You will often find me hanging out in the course and community for my course “Facts of Life Book” that launched on January 1! I know some of you were waiting for the first ever live cohort - and that is now available. From April 7 - June 23 I’ll be running a live cohort including virtual sessions every Friday afternoon during that time period. What is the 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. Join now and you’ll get access to all future updates as well as any additional future live cohorts I run. Use coupon code FRIEND to get 50% off of the cost of the course.
Quarterly Retreat - I released the Quarter 2 workbook this week so this is the PERFECT time to sign up for the Quarterly Retreat All Access Pass or the Quarterly Retreat Workshop. Visit https://karamonroe.podia.com and check out all of the offerings. The new workbook will be up by this time next week!
R.J. Nestor’s Action Powered Productivity Community - My friend R.J. has moved his community to a subscription model and you get access to all of the workshops for just $9 a month. This is an awesome community and I’m giving my first workshop on Mac and iOS automation the first week of May. Come and join us!
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.
Tips & Tricks
Use Alexa to Call Someone in an Emergency
As a person who lives with only a dog, I am constantly aware of the ways that I need to manage my own safety. For instance, I have a rule that I never climb on a ladder when I’m alone. (I will do it while I’m on the phone with someone if it’s a necessity.)
I was discussing this with a friend who also is the only responsible adult in their house this week. She fell earlier in the week at a time when she’d left her phone out of reach. I asked if she had Amazon Echos in her house and she said she did - so I sent her this link on how to set up Alexa to call/text your emergency contacts in a jam. You can only have one Alexa emergency contact, but in a pinch one is better than none.
Reformat Address Labels into an Excel Spreadsheet
My sister has recently agreed to serve on the cemetery board of our tiny little hometown. The cemetery sits adjacent to what was our family farm and so we all feel a deep connection to this sacred ground.
The cemetery board’s records are, to say the least, fully analog. She is attempting to bring the cemetery’s records into at least the later half of the 20th century. While we were hanging out together some this week she was trying to figure out how to turn a set of mailing labels in Microsoft Word back into a spreadsheet.
I suggested a couple of options to no avail and so she did what all normal humans did - she turned to YouTube and found a wonderful solution that cut the time it would have taken to retype the list at least by half.
So, this tip is two-fold. Try on your own first. If that doesn’t work, ask the Internet (and it’s often best to just start with YouTube). And second, if you ever need to convert from a set of mailing labels into Excel, here is the video.
What I Published This Week
I finally published my analysis and thoughts of Prince Harry’s book Spare. There is only one spoiler in it if you are planning to read the book - otherwise it’s more analysis than review. Read it on Medium or on Hive.
What am I Reading?
I finished Jeanette McCurdy’s memoir, I’m glad my mom died. This one was tough for me but it was the book club pick for the month and I’d like to finish more of those than I don’t. It reminded me a great deal of Tara Westover’s memoir Educated which I really didn’t enjoy at all.
I started reading Lessons in Chemistry - a recommendation from my friend Elizabeth. I’m enjoying it a great deal thus far.
My friend Taj could not believe I hadn’t read the work of science fiction writer Neal Stephenson. Boy was she right! I was able to get his most recent book - Termination Shock - in audio from the library. It’s very interesting thus far.
Diversion
I needed a little cute animal video pick me up just the other day and you also get to benefit.
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