Get in the flow

For me, springtime is a whirlwind. Between work projects, events and deadlines; my son’s school events, yearbook duty; an annual conference and presentation; practices, sports and games,  and just life in general…once February begins, all I can think about is June…when it’s all done.

I know I shouldn’t race through time,

but, honestly, those few months are a blur anyway!

Since I work in education, I have been on the academic calendar my entire life. There is a certain flow to my year that coincides with the school calendar; and which also means that summertime is my time.  I still have to work, but the pace is slower, more relaxed, more manageable.  No big events, no major deadlines, no big heaps o stress.

So, with summer comes my chance to exhale and put back together all that came undone or just didn’t get done during the spring whirlwind. I can think again. I can focus. I can plan. I can organize.  Sigh….

But this usually means, I get a little over ambitious, trying to do everything I put off during the spring months while I was up to my ears in all things busy. So, I make lists. I love lists. To make sure that I have plenty of time to eat popsicles on the porch with  my kiddo.

Did I mention that I love making lists? I have used the old standard pen + paper lists, I have used the bulleted list in Word, of course using the little check box as my bullet.  Naturally. I  know you do the same!  I have dowloaded apps and used those too.  But, not too long ago, I came across a list makers delight.  A web-based list making, list crossing off, list sharing site. Yes, I said sharing.  I almost missed this find; it was barely mentioned in a comment on a blog post that I read while thinking of what my comment should be.  Thank goodness!

The website is called…are you ready for this? Even the name is just cool. WorkFlowy.  Yep, you heard me correctly, WorkFlowy.  And oh, is it flowy.  It’s gonna change your list making madness.

I’ll give you a couple of screen shots to show off the goodness of WorkFlowy, but first, a few teasers:

• You can create more than one account – I have one personal and one for work.
• When you make a list, every single item can be a task and you know what you do once you are done with that task, right?
• You cross it out!
• Workflowy lets you do that!
• And, once you complete a task or parts of a task, you can hide the completed items! Poof. Wha-La…gone {but still there!}
• Everything on your list is searchable!
• You can share your lists. {Read: Honey Do}
• Or, you can collaborate – you can turn any portion of your notes, tasks, lists into a page that OTHERS can view or edit! They see your updates, and you can see theirs in real time
• Tagging – we all love tagging. Worflowy does too!  Tag an item or groups of items and then search for them later.  Just use the hashtag symbol and any keyword you like.   {i.e. #vacationpackinglist, #superimportant; #blogideas; #yougettheidea}
• You can view your list on any computer you use just by logging in
• You can view/edit/manage your list on your smart phone; iPhone and/or Android. No app required…just go to Worflowy via your mobile browser and save as a bookmark on home screen.  Have list. Will travel.
• Oh, and did I mention, it’s free?!  {there is a pro level you can pay for, but totally don’t have to, more on that later}

So, what does it look like? How do you use it? Let’s take a little tour, shall we?  Here is your log-in screen at Workflowy.com

When you start making a list, keep in mind that you can break down your task/project to any number of steps. This is great for crossing things off your list, and it keeps things real. Everything always takes longer than we think and it’s easy to overlook the little steps that are important too.  And that super-human feeling that comes over you when you cross stuff off? Well the more you break it down, the more you get to cross off that list!  Beautiful!  I should sell capes in my Etsy shop, cuz you’re probably gonna want one.  Have to put that on the list

Then, using my yearbook duties as an example, let’s add a  project:

Then, let’s add the tasks that I have to complete to get this project done, using the after school program and class collage pages as two primary tasks as part of this project {you could have as many tasks as you want/need}.

{Has spell check, too, }

Here’s a little more of the action

{ I don’t know why it says last changed in Janary – just pretend to ignore that, ok? Thanks! }

To share a list, or part of a list, it’s easy.  Using the menu that appears when you hover over an item, click on the link to share, and you get the option to let others just view, or view and edit the list.  Just send them the secret link to your list!

The last couple of  features I will show you is how you can select one portion of your list to focus on, and tagging.  Then, you are just going to have to go in and make your own list. Like that will be hard. You probably already have a list going in your head, huh?  I thought so.

Using the ‘Organize Photos” section of my list, I just click on that line of text, and it will bring it up on a page by itself, with the breadcrumb trail so you don’t lose track of where you are.

Then, you work with just that section of your list. This is especially valuable if like me, you are managing several different projects at the same time and want to just focus in on one area on a given day.  

You can use all the functions of complete, note, share, etc in this view. 

Use the # to tag projects by category, when they need to be done or any other way you categorize, organize. etc.

Use the @ to keep track of who is handling each part of a project.  I envision @honey on a lot of your lists!

The possibilities are endless. Make a list for projects, aspects of your biz, blog ideas, client lists/action required; a list for your kid(s); travel plans, books to read, films to watch; track progress on a project; outline a novel, the list goes on!

You can use Workflowy all for FREE, but if you are a ninja list maker of extreme proportions, or if your job requires it, you can go pro for $4.99/mo or $49/yr and get all this too:

1. Unlimited Lists
   Pro users can make as many lists and items as they want. Non-pro users are limited to 500 per month.
2. Backup to Dropbox
   Never worry about losing your WorkFlowy data. Have full backups automatically uploaded to your Dropbox account every day.
3. Offline Editing
   (Coming soon) Want to use WorkFlowy when you’re not online? Go Pro!
4. Password Protected Collaboration
   (Coming soon) Pro users can share parts of their WorkFlowy document to specific people, verified by email address and password.
5. Theme and Fonts
   Pro users get to change the look and feel of WorkFlowy with a library of themes and fonts. Make your WorkFlowy more personal.
6. Premium Support
   We answer emails from Pro members first.

So, what are you waiting for? Go out and make some  lists.

PS…I am just a regular, everyday, average user of WorkFlowy…I don’t have the paid version {yet!} and just wanted to share this great tool with you – no affiliation or any connection with WorkFlowy.

{ now, go get in the flow! Oh, and leave me a comment letting me know what you think, and what your first list will be! }

Checkmate, a Ninja Fortress and tall tales from a tech-free week

Every choice has it’s consequence; and this lesson is so often learned the hard way.  Last week, my son – who is 8 – made a bad choice and he got caught. By me.  While I don’t yell or ‘get mad’, we do talk seriously about the choice and how it’s wrong and how he could have made small changes for a better outcome. And we do consequences in our house. Real ones. That stick. It’s important to me to try and teach him to realize the power of his actions and to take responsibility for the choices he makes.  And that it’s ok to make mistakes, it’s how we handle them that counts. And to be honest, no matter how hard it might be; that we can work it out together if he’s honest.

So, here’s the scoop. He and I were playing a game together – on our iPod and iPad  [we are two digital peas in one tech pod!] and I discovered that he had downloaded a couple of apps onto my iPad that I had repeatedly said no to. This was a triple whammy – he accessed my iTunes account while it was still ‘open’ after I had put in my password, he clicked download and he {well, I really} bought three apps he knew were off limits.  The good news is, soon as I asked him, he fessed up, readily and honestly. For that I am most proud. We talked about his choices and he cried { oh, he’d be so mad at me for telling you that } and it was undeniable that  he was upset – and not just because he got caught. He was mad at himself and I think he really hated letting me down.

I deleted the apps, we cuddled up and he cried some more and I said we would talk about it  in the morning; that there would be a consequence and we would decide together the next day.  He understands consequence – and he knows there will be no getting out of it.

So, because he misused technology {and my trust} and because it’s his favorite way to spend his free time,  it was decided that the consequence would be technology related. His consequence would be NO technology of any kind for 8 days – the cost of the three apps combined {that was his idea } – and it would involve two whole weekends.  No TV. No iPod. No Wii. No computer. No iPad. Nada. Zip. Zilch. No technology. And this held even if he went to a friend’s house.  Painful.

He accepted his fate without complaint, negotiation or grumbling. What I noticed though was that as the days went by…he was finding new, and imaginative things to do; and engaging me a lot more in the process!

He started off with asking for the paints and any canvases I had on hand; and he painted. And he painted. Our home is filled with his art now. It’s awesome!

Sometimes we will watch a family show while we eat dinner; but since that wasn’t an option, kiddo asked if we could play cards while we ate, as a family. Even the dog got into the game!  True family time!

We made “sun art” together and had fun experimenting with this cool art form { I will be back later with more on this! }

Kiddo rediscovered his EXTENSIVE Lego collection and spent hours building and creating. What I love most about this? He built a cool  hang out place for his ‘guys’ so that they could play VIDEO GAMES! Don’t ya just love the way the mind of a kid works!

Notice – each figure has his own video game station!

I think it must have been ‘payback’ when he brought out the chess set. And proceeded to TEACH me how to play.  He was a patient teacher but insistent. It took us two days to finish the game that HE WON!  Checkmate. Did I mention that he’s 8?

Then we played Scrabble.  But, I restored my pride with a clear win for mom on that one. Whew!

And it was a close call, but he took me down in Battleship. It was really close. Really. Hit. Sunk.

The paints came back out and more canvases filled. This one was done with a focus and determination I hadn’t seen before and when I asked about it, the response I got was

“I am painting what I saw in my dream. It’s a ninja fortress.”

One of the sweetest moments in the week though, was when I thought he was out shooting hoops, and instead I found him sitting up in our tree in the front yard reading a book he had asked me to order through Amazon…”How I survived the Titanic” .

But the moment of all moments came towards the end of the week, the end of the consequence…spring break had begun, and he went to a  day long activity camp and when the camp counselor told the kids that they would be watching a movie during lunch, he spoke up and said he was not allowed to watch TV because he had a no-technology consequence!  The camp called my husband to check in { probably hoping they didn’t have to come up with a different plan for just one kid! } who of course said the movie would be just fine.

Hearing this story later on, I realized that it’s in those moments that the difficult, not-so-fun moments of parenting are all so very much more than worth it. When being the parent and not the buddy is paramount. When you realize that the little voice inside helping steer us is mostly right most of the time; we just have to trust it and buckle up for the ride.  The choices he made had been completely owned; he understood what he had done and why it was wrong and was willing to take the consequence in stride.  Any fleeting frustration  was gone, and restored was my full admiration for this creative and growing-up-boy.  And, as it turns out we had way more fun that week than we imagined!

{ gadget girl here to say, cheers to unplugging every now and then! }

Friday Foto Fun :: smartest phone

I am a gadget girl through and through – love devices and technology and often mention that I am glad I was not born any earlier than I was.  Ok, yes, age is a factor [um, who wants to be older than they already are!} but more so because I would hate to miss out on all the groovy ” techno-ventions”  that we enjoy.  It still amazes me that my father has never used a computer, has never received an  email;  and my son has no idea what life is like without the ability to use the tip  of your finger to make magic.

But sometimes,we just have to unplug from it all.

Today is a day off and while I can’t ever completely pull myself away from the web, computer, phone…it’s nice to step away and enjoy a different kind of day.   In the summer we always make a point of getting up to the mountains not far from where we live; to spend some family time enjoying each other and nature. And being away from it all.  Some people find their peace at the ocean, some among sky scrapers but I feel most at home when surrounded by soaring pines, fresh mountain air and a clear blue lake.

On a hike one recent summer, we stopped in at the ranger station to get maps and directions for a great hike where we saw 4 mountain lakes, wildflowers, wildlife and amazing terrain.  While at the ranger station, we came across the smartest phone of all…

I am off to enjoy a day away from the computer; what are you up to today?

{ can you hear me now? }