The Best Time To Start Is Now

byTwack

2.2K followers

5 years ago

I'm a little 'out of sorts' today. I know why, or at least I have an excuse as to why. Two of the family are away for a few days, actually they won't be back until the 23rd. We're a family of six and when one or more are away then the dynamic of the house changes. Things just don't feel quite right. So this morning I have been going round in circles doing lots of inconsequentials. Then I stopped and thought 'The best time to start is now' as in I just needed to get stuck into something and see where it goes. This might turn into a newsletter but I have one thing to pass on, which, as we know, might turn in to many.

It's worth pointing out that I am taking the title's advice by actually starting this post, I was happily leaving comments and reading, knowing that I'd soon run out of time and the decision would have been taken out of my hands, though engineered by myself. Clever, we are.

There is a famous quote that I am sure you've all heard of.

"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The next best time is now."

It's fairly self-explanatory with no hidden meaning. Whatever you are thinking about doing, just get on and do it now. Of course, you can come up with a number of excuses not to and I'm sure they are all very valid. Not.

As some of you will know, I started my new year at the beginning of December. When I came up with the idea, I had a fair few things that were already ear marked for the start of January. The problem then is that it's easy to get overwhelmed. Whether they're personal or business related they still require you time, effort and most probably willpower. It's no wonder that, according to one source, 88% of us will fail in our resolutions.

So, I wanted to get ahead of the game and start making in roads into some of the areas that I want to progress in, come 2020. 'Ziva' the Jaguar XJ6 was due to go into the garage in January for a proper 'looking at' so that the work needed can start to be scheduled. Why January, for no better reason than to 'get Christmas out-of-the-way first'. That was it, nothing else stopping me. So on Monday of this week I asked the question. "Any chance we can get Ziva in before you break for the holidays ?" A quick check in the calendar and the answer came back 'Yes". So this afternoon she will go down and while looking around her underside, we're going to remove the bonnet and have the hinge welded. Sorted. Now when January comes round I will be one job to the good and have a list of 'to-do's'.

'Jess' the XJS has left the building. Sold to a man who is going to fully restore her to her former glory. The only reason we managed to do a deal ? Well, that would be because I actually did something about keeping the number plate. I had never 'retained' a personal registration number before, always thinking it was complicated. However, if I was at least to entertain the possibility of making the deal lucrative, I needed to keep the plate as it has a decent value. Went online and it took me all of ten minutes to do. The 'retention' certificate arrived this morning and I have since put the number up for sale on EBay even though it is advertised through a specialist company as well. I could have gone the easy route by not selling the car and also not bothering to keep the plate. Not this month, this month is for doing.

Business wise. That's sound proper. This area is a bit more sketchy but I have straightened a few things out in my head about how I want to move forward in January. One thing I did want to do was find a way to utilise the posts that I've accumulated here on the platform. Interestingly, Dave07 asked a question about the WA blogs yesterday, in regard to anyone getting any organic traffic to them. Check it out here. We know they get indexed and can be found, just how much exposure do they get though ? Anyway, that was kind of by-the-by as my thoughts on the blogs here has a different slant.

I've built up quite a few posts over the last year and I wanted to find a way to make more use of them. I have ideas but one thing I needed to do beforehand was make them easily accessible. I haven't kept a list, the only way I can find them is by scrolling through all of them. Very time-consuming. I have seen other members use spreadsheets to keep a record of their posts. There's an idea. Although I have limited experience with Excel and similar, I did happen upon site (Through Site Comments) where they were using Google sheets, which I had not come across before. Strike while the iron is hot, I thought.

I found them easily enough under the 'Apps' tab on the browser. I am now painstakingly going through each post and copying the URL and date onto a spreadsheet. I've done about eighty so far but that's OK, as long as they're all transferred across by the end of the year. I'm sure there is more I will be able to use with the spreadsheets but for now it's a start. Once you have made them readily accessible who knows how useful they will be. You could start sharing them through various social media. Also, each one has the potential for content ideas for your sites.

Not only that but you'll also be able to track where and when you posted them by keeping a record on the spreadsheet. Like I said, I'm sure there's even more possibilities but that may take time to work out.

Look at that, we're out of time or attention span, one or the other. Sorry it's so long, I left something out but they will save for another day. I'm going to do my normal 'Post and Run' but I'll be back later, promise.

May your day be long and productive.

Twack Romero.