Ignite Your Everyday Creativity: Week One

I just started a class on Coursera called Ignite Your Everyday Creativity.  Week one was a bunch of introduction stuff, but I wanted to share a quote that they shared that I really enjoyed:

"You can't use up creativity.  The more you use, the more you have."  Maya Angelou

On a side note, I was reading Oprah Magazine yesterday and there was a small picture of Oprah in Maya Angelou's library, which she left to Oprah when she passed away.  What an extraordinary gift to leave someone - the books you read, your notes in the margins, the words that shaped your life.  

It makes me think about my curated book collection and what it would say about me it I were to leave it to someone.  What does your book collection say about you?

Vacation and Increased Productivity

I love books on increasing personal productivity.  I have tried Bullet Journals, Outlook functions, one-note, extensive task lists, spreadsheets, etc.  If someone recommends it, I will try it.

One consistent feature in all of the business book reading on productivity, however, is that they all recommend the use of downtime to refocus and get your brain working again.  I am the WORST at this. 

I am currently on my first full week of vacation since I started my new job more than a year ago.  A year.  Trying to decompress has been hard, however.

I want to check my phone.  I want to take calls.  It may take the whole seven days of vacation to break the work habit and get into the vacation habit.

I am an e-mail addict.  I need to confess.

I am on vacation with my family, which in some ways still entails a good bit of work, but I am trying to take some time for me.  

To kick that off- I have been going on a relaxing morning walk.  I am still waking up at 6:30 every morning, but sleeping in is asking too much.  I am on Day 3 of vacation and I have also already read a whole book.  For pleasure.  That wasn't a business book.  We will see if I can maintain the gains on vacation relaxation.

I will keep you posted.