“Be a Producer, Not a Consumer”

I have a Kindle Fire.  I love it.  I love that my kid loves it!  We need to come to an understanding about apps downloading though.  Sometimes I think he’s going for the record for most free apps downloaded to a Kindle!  Even though he knows I get an email for EVERY app he downloads, he unabashedly keeps looking for free apps.  Some he thinks I’ll need -  dictionary, calculator - and others he just thinks are “awesome” (crack your screen).  Each time I get my Kindle back in the evening, it’s like Christmas to see what new apps are awaiting me.  

Last night, the new app was “Pulse.” This app “transforms your favorite websites into an interactive mosaic.”  As I’m new to the app, it doesn’t know my favorites, but I browsed through the offerings.  There are three ribbons - entertainment, technology and news.   One of the links was about “The Information Diet” and one change that author Clay Johnson suggests we all make in our daily routine.  

“Start your first free moments of the day with thoughts of what you really want to do; those long-term things you're working on, or even the basic stuff you need to do today, like cooking, getting ready for exercise, etc. ‘

I already do those things.  I think all moms do, often as integral a part of ourselves as breathing, we plan for each of our family member’s day.  But he goes on to say-

“Some tactical advice: wake up and start producing. Before you grab breakfast, before you head to the gym, before you head to your email, write 500 words about something. Doesn't matter what. Just sit down, focus and write for that first hour that you're up. It'll change the rest of your day.”

This really struck a chord with me.  I try to write every day.  But I often do it catch as catch can and that is often in the evening when I’m tired and uninspired.  I’m going to take his advice.  This blog post is the first step of taking that advice!  (No, I won’t be posting every day’s writings.  I promise.)  I have yet to peek at Facebook or the News.  I did give a cursory glance to email to make sure there were no school cancellations or wild weather warnings (which there are today!).  But, I have to admit, it feels good to be here writing.  To look at the word count eek past 600.  So I guess that understanding I’ll have to come to with my son downloading apps is... keep on downloading, kiddo!  I may not enjoy “Fruit Ninja,” but I like “Pulse” (and “Tank Wars,” too).