Productivity @ Home

Four Ways to Make December Count

I am on a mission during the next few weeks to complete work on my next book project.  The manuscript is due to my publisher in early January, but I've set my own earlier deadline so that I can properly savor the holidays with my family.  With the turn of the calendar to December today, I found myself feeling the tension of stress, anxiety and concern.  

In my head, I know that I have the tools, the time and the motivation to meet my goal by focusing productively on the work that needs to be done.  Were this any other month, I would likely not be so worried.  But December comes with its own unique set of joys are distractions that make it a uniquely challenging time to get things done.  That being said, here are the four ways in which I plan to make this month my most productive yet:

1. Have a plan for each day.  Because of all of the extra activities that are crammed into this month, I will need to plan more carefully than usual to fit in all of the work, but also the extra activities, that need to be done each day.  This will involve have specific, attainable steps towards my end project and using "bonus" time that I find in my schedule more productively.
2. Care well for my body.  December is fraught with opportunities to fall off the wagon - to eat too much, drink too much, and exercise too infrequently.  This December, I will pay attention to what I put into my body, how much I sleep, and aim to move as much as possible.
3. Care even more for my soul.  If you're a spiritual person, you know that there is a reason behind all of this frenetic activity.  This month, I will take extra time each morning for silent, meditative prayer.  I will luxuriate in the scriptures that tell the story of this special occasion.  I will seek silence, and not aim to fill it with excess noise.
4. Embrace the fun.  When you have a big deadline looming, it's tempting to skip the fun and keep your eyes on the prize.  But the beauty of this time of the year is the many opportunities we have to gather with loved ones, to sing, to play and to enjoy.  I will look at ways to trim the fat from my schedule and waste less time so that I can fully enjoy the special parts of this season.

Are you ready to "write off" the month of December or do you find yourself still able to get things done even when everyone else is focused on parties and shopping?  Do you have unfinished goals for 2010 that can still be accomplished?  Tell me about it!

Tech Notes for Your Family #2

Each week on Thursday at 5:50 am PT, I have the pleasure of appearing for a short segment on the Son Rise Morning Show with Brian Patrick.

Brian and I chat about the latest “tech” news that impacts upon Catholic families.  I’ve decided to begin regularly sharing the links and topics here at CatholicMom.com in case you have an interest in “wired family” topics.  To listen to the radio segment, click here.  Here are the topics I’ll be looking at for this week’s show:

• Kinect - One of this year's most popular gifts is the Kinect Sensor with Kinect Adventures! for Xbox360, which has already sold 2.5 million units in less than a month.  If you have a gamer in your house, there are some great websites to help you familiarize yourself with products before and after purchasing them.  I recommend:
  • GetGameSmart.com - Learn to set parental controls
  • PluggedIn.com - Game reviews from Focus on the Family
  • TheOnlineMom.com - Weekly video game reviews written by a "wired" mom
• Tech firms work online programs to keep kids safe - USA Today on Internet Safety for Kids
• Jumo - A Social Networking site aimed at letting users discover and support charitable causes, now in Beta
• Connecting with Youth Via Facebook - A great article for parishes and youth ministers looking to really reach teens with social networking efforts that work and have meaning
• A Parent's Pledge to Raise a Responsible Digital Citizen - Have you discussed this important part of your role as a parent?

Family TV Night - A Walk in My Shoes

Have you seen the wonderful trailers playing on NBC for the new movie "A Walk in My Shoes"?

Just in case you haven't, I wanted to share the great news about this family-friendly movie that will be airing Friday, December 3 at 8 pm (7 CT) on NBC.  The film is sponsored by Walmart and Proctor & Gamble as part of a larger initiative to take back television and provide for positive, uplifting and entertaining family viewing options.  

I haven't seen the film yet, but based on this great trailer, I can't wait to pop a bowl of popcorn, gather my family and enjoy this together. I hope you'll view the trailer and please consider sharing it on your blogs, websites and with your social networking contacts.  We need to support and encourage programs like this if we hope to have more acceptable choices in the future for our families.  So tweet, share, and facebook this and ask your friends to do so as well!  Happy viewing!

A Walk In My Shoes - 2:33 TRLR from Moms4FamilyTV.com on Vimeo.

Here's some additional information on "A Walk in My Shoes":

“A Walk in My Shoes” makes viewers stop and think, “What would I learn if I stepped into someone else’s life?” Stressed-out high school teacher Trish Fahey (Nancy Travis, “Three Men and a Baby,” “Becker”) can’t understand her students’ lack of effort in the classroom and why their parents don’t seem to care. This is especially true of Justin Kremer (Cameron Deane Stewart), a popular, skateboard-loving, basketball star who is underperforming in her class. Trish has him suspended from the basketball team and quickly chalks up the situation as a case of bad parenting. This perspective dramatically changes when Trish meets Molly (Yara Martinez, “My Own Worst Enemy”), a mysterious stranger intent on helping her see things differently. After a car accident, Trish wakes to find herself living the life of Cindy Kremer, the woman she has rashly judged and criticized. Molly helps Trishdiscover that there is more to the story and learns a powerful lesson that affects everyone she interacts with, including her husband, daughter and the Marine next door. No one is left unchanged. “When I read the script for ‘A Walk in My Shoes’ I was instantly drawn to the character of Trish Fahey, because I think many of us have found ourselves in similar situations,” stated Nancy Travis. “It’s important to remember that today many families, especially those with members serving in the military, are balancing many pressures, so I was happy to work on a project that not only brought family-friendly programming to television, but addressed these life lessons.” “A Walk in My Shoes” will take viewers on an inspirational journey, as they experience how families can come together in the face of adversity. The film’s main characters are forced to confront their pasts and learn valuable life lessons in an uplifting manner that families can enjoy together. This emotional story is an expansion into the dramatic genre for P&G and Walmart as the first two films, “Secrets of the Mountain” and “The Jensen Project” were family adventures. Yara Martinez, best known for her work in CBS’s “The Unit,” plays the role of Molly. Philip Winchester, who starred as the title role of Robinson Crusoe in the NBC action series “Crusoe,” plays Jake, a Marine who lives next door to the Kremer family. The roles of Cindy and Justin Kremer are played by Jana Lee Hamblin and Cameron Deane Stewart, respectively. “A Walk in My Shoes” will also feature a soundtrack produced by music mogul Randy Jackson that includes songs from artists such as Michael Johns, Judgment, and Walking In Space. The “A Walk in My Shoes” DVD and soundtrack will be sold together in a bonus pack exclusively at Walmart startingSaturday, Dec. 4. For more information visit www.awalkinmyshoes.com.