20 Seconds of Insane Courage

A few nights ago, I watched We Bought a Zoo for the second time. Not only was it the perfect feel-good movie for a cold winter’s night, but it also got me thinking…

“You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage. Just literally, 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery and I promise you, something great will come of it”        -  Benjamin Mee

I often stumble upon quotes or ideas that alter my perspective in some way, but very rarely do I make changes in my life, based on these small revelations. However, this was one of those weird and wonderful ‘aha’ moments that really seems to have stuck with me. It is so easy to let opportunities pass you by in fear of failure or embarrassment, but sometimes all it takes is a hint of courage and spontaneity for something amazing to happen.

Next time you find yourself wanting to do something, but making excuses in the face of fear, I encourage you to embrace the inspirational words of the beautiful Matt Damon (or more likely the film writers) and just see where 20 seconds of insane courage can take you…

Say hello to the attractive barista who makes your morning coffee, or the friendly old woman on your bus.

Order something new, cut your own hair, volunteer your time, start your own blog!

Swallow your pride, reach out to old friends, forget your routine, say ‘yes’ to new things – what is the worst that could happen?

It is often said that courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to continue in spite of fear. Be inspired, be spontaneous, be embarrassingly brave, for just 20 seconds, and I promise you, something great will come of it.

Much love xx

Sleepy Afternoon Playlist

The right song can change my mood in an instant, and lounging around home on a 
Sunday afternoon with a good book and the perfect playlist is one of my favourite 
ways to relax. Here are some songs I'm loving right now...

• Give Me Something - Jarryd James 
• Like Real People Do - Hozier
• Better - Tyler Ward
• Cool Kids - Echo Smith
• Resolution - Matt Corby 
• Mess is Mine - Vance Joy 
• Someone New - Hozier
• Naive - The Kooks
• Big Jet Plane - Angus & Julia Stone
• This - Ed Sheeran 
• Easy - The Commodores
• Beneath Your Beautiful - Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande
• This - Ed Sheeran 
• Breakeven - The Script
• One - Ed Sheeran 
• Please Don't Say You Love Me - Gabrielle Aplin
• Georgia - Vance Joy 

“It Takes Real Planning to Organise This Kind of Chaos” – How I Organise and Use My Planner

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Mel Odom once said “it takes real planning to organise this kind of chaos”, and lets be honest, life can be pretty chaotic sometimes...

I seem to start each year with a resolution to stay organised – promising to keep on top of my work and actually use the planner I was given for Christmas… easier said than done. January’s resolution becomes February’s chore, and by March I have usually given up – whether I lost interest, lost motivation, or lost my planner altogether. 

However, something about this year is different - seven months in and I'm still going strong! So I thought I would share my tips and tricks for anyone like me, who is constantly searching for inspiration and motivation when it comes to organisation!

STEP 1: FIND THE RIGHT PLANNER FOR YOU

I have been through many planners over the years of varying size, layout and price. The one I am currently using is my favourite by far - the Plum Paper Student Planner. 

Plum Paper has an array of planners to choose from with simple, beautiful designs. I chose this wooden arrow theme, with a robin's egg blue accent colour.

As you can see, my planner is a battered and well worn from me throwing it in the bottom of my bag and generally being pretty rough with it. Apart from the colour fading in some areas (I quite like the well-loved look), the waterproof, tearproof cover is holding up well! We're more than halfway through the year and it still has not bent, frayed or torn - I'm very impressed!! 
This one is a little more pricey than my previous planners, but it's certainly good quality and highly customisable, with beautiful design options - I would definitley recommend it! Having said that, any old planner will do -                                                            its how you use it that makes all the difference!

STEP 2: CREATE A SYSTEM

I am a visual learner, so I have always been a big fan of colour coding. It's a great way to compartmentalise your thoughts by expressing them visually in your planner. Here's what I have been doing so far...

COLOUR CODING

• All of my notes are written in black ink, to keep it simple and easy to read
• Deadlines and due dates are highlighted in orange
• Social events are highlighted in pink
• Work shifts are highlighted in green

LAYOUT

• Highlighted elements (as listed above) are written in the relevant time bracket (morning, afternoon, evening) along with the time
• All other notes work like a 'to-do-list', with check boxes to tick them off when I have finished.
• This helps me break down my work into smaller, more manageable sections - plus it's weirdly fun to tick off completed tasks!**
• I use the 'weekly list' section on the left for tasks to be completed through the week, but not by any specific time.
• I use the 'checklist' section at the bottom, to break down my weekly readings for uni, which (if the stars align) I will finish each day and check off the list

** I remember reading somewhere that checking items off a list causes as small release of hormones in your brain that increase pleasure and motivation… Don't quote me on                                   this - but if it's true, that's pretty amazing!                                        

STEP 3: MAKE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT

I think it’s a really good idea to find a time during the day to read through your planner - go through your checklists and write down anything new. I like to do this in bed before I go to sleep, but you could set aside five minutes on the morning commute or in the ad break of your favourite tv show – whenever suits! 

This makes it easy to keep up-to-date, and I find that constantly checking upcoming deadlines, completed work, and work still to be done, leaves me feeling calm and organised because I know where I’m at, and where I’m going.

STEP 4: PERSISTENCE IS KEY

As difficult as it can be to stay motivated to use your planner, give it time and be patient - eventually the habit will form. If you fall off the wagon, don’t worry about it. Just because you neglected your planner for the entirety of March and April, doesn’t mean you can’t pick it up again in May. You don’t have to wait until New Years Eve to make a positive change in your life. 

Then again, you might give it a go, and find that planning and organisation is not for you, and that’s fine too – but if it is, I hope these tips have been helpful!

***

Please leave a comment below if you found this post helpful or interesting. Let me know if you love using your planner and why… or perhaps why you hate using planners – this seems to be quite a contentious issue! Either way, I would love to hear from you!

Much love xx

1AM THOUGHTS

Hey... It's Kate. 

I'm huddled up in bed at 1.32am, nearly four hours into a movie marathon and far too restless for sleep. For some unknown reason I have decided to start a blog. 

Given the spontaneity of this decision I have not yet established a direction or purpose for my blog - I suppose I will find my way as I go. Perhaps I am looking to create my own cosy corner of the internet where I can share my thoughts, interests and opinions, in the hopes that someone out there might take the time to read them. Perhaps I am looking for a more productive way to spend my time. This is not to say that building blanket forts and endlessly scrolling through social media is not an effective use of my time... but sometimes it's nice to step out of your comfort zone. 

If like me, you're looking for creative inspiration, a new means of connecting with people, or simply something to read on the morning commute, then this may be just the thing you're looking for. 

My life, much like this blog, is somewhat of a work in progress. Let's just see where it goes - wish me luck!