Wednesday, November 5, 2014

IWSG: The Power of Ten!


It's the first Wednesday in November 
and that means it's time to post for the
Insecure Writer's Support Group.

Thanks to founder 
Alex J. Cavanaugh
and our awesome co-hosts
for the month:  LG Keltner,
Donna Hole, SL Hennessy,
and Lisa Buie-Collard.




Writing has been going much better 
for me in recent weeks, thanks in part
to my wonderful cousin, Pat.





He's smart, 
successful, 
musical, 
and outrageously funny.

Pat said something 
last August
that I can't get
out of my mind.









I don't remember the context,
because it was at one of those 
family parties:
fueled with laughter,
food, drink, and fun!





I may have been mashing
avocados for guacamole,
but I remember saying,
"Whew!  Ten minutes left.
I can move mountains in ten minutes!"



Google Source

And Pat said, 
"That is The Power of Ten!"
He may have been pouring Fireballs.

"Give me ten minutes,"
he said,
"just ten minutes,
and I'll get something done."







Pat added, 
"Waiting in a doctor's office
or in a checkout line,
I'll put that ten minutes to work,
reading, paying a bill, 
answering an email.

Ten spare minutes at home,
I've got something done.
I use The Power of Ten all the time.
Those tens add up!"

Since that exchange with Pat,
I've been using
The Power of Ten
to kick myself in the butt motivate myself.
It's been a very helpful slogan

If things I must do before I can write
feel overwhelming,
I set my timer and give myself ten minutes.






I race with the timer 
to see how much I can accomplish.

That usually gets me moving,
and then I'm on to writing.











Got a spare ten?

I can transcribe 420 words
of a primary resource.

Go, girl, go:
Power of Ten!

















Another odd ten?
I can revise a paragraph
or jot down some rough sentences
to move me forward.









Don't want to write at all?
Just ten minutes, girl!
Even if you sit there 
staring at a blank screen,
you're gonna do ten minutes!
Get cracking with The Power of Ten!







Maybe this little slogan
will help you get cracking too!
Happy writing!

49 comments:

  1. The power of ten is a great idea. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in just a few short minutes. I used to complain about unloading the dishwasher every day until one day I put something in the microwave for two minutes and challenged myself to unload the dishwasher before it was done. Less than two minutes. That' small it took to unload. And I was complaining. That put a stop to that.

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    1. LOL ~ I often set the timer just to make myself whip through unloading that dishwasher (or loading it)! It is amazing what you can do in ten minutes! I hope you're having a happy day, Peggy! Take care!

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  2. SOOOOO TRUE! I've always lived that way. I can get so many things done in ten minutes. If I'm where I can't "do" something with my ten like in inside the MRI machine, then I think. Great post.

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    1. I'm laughing, but I'm not sure if I should at the thought of your thinking inside one. I mean it is an MRI ~ hope all is rickety-boo! Have a good day, TPC!

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  3. This is just what I needed to get me going! Oh, and I will be writing about it - maybe I'll take ten to do it today!!

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    1. Awesome, Dreaming! I hope you are having a great day! Take care!

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  4. I LOVE this! Power of Ten. What a great way to think of those ten minutes. I usually think, wow, ten minutes I don't have to think, and play Sudoku! I like your way better! Thanks so much for sharing this with us today, and I love the photo of your cousin!

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! Your kind comment buoyed my spirit! Have a great day!

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  5. What a very timely post - I happened to have TEN minutes to spare before starting off to work, so I signed in to Blogger to see what my friends were up to. And your post was top of the list. :)

    (Don't know if the time spent was productive or not, but it certainly was pleasurable. Thanks!)

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    1. You've put a huge smile on my face, Sue! Thank you. Have a great day!

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  6. Replies
    1. Thanks, Linda! I hope that you are having a great day and that it's not cold in Montreal. I'm hugging my space heater today! Take care!

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  7. That is awesome indeed, put those ten minutes to work. The cat sure does that when he has things to get done, but stay ahead of the 8 ball too and you'll always be good to go.

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    1. Hey Pat! LOL ~ You know I'm 8 ball challenged! I hope you are having a great day!

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  8. Ah! I love it. I'm totally going to carry that one forward. I can get a ton accomplished in 10 minutes. Especially when it involves cheese. (Thanks, cousin Pat!)

    Unleashing the Dreamworld

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    1. It's a dandy little slogan, and I'll pass your thanks on to Pat! Have a good one, Crystal!

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  9. Ten minutes I can work on a blog post!
    Ten minutes I can get fifty words down!
    Wait, that doesn't sound very impressive...

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    1. You'd be surprised how those ten minutes add up, Alex! LOL! I'm betting that you are moving mountains in ten minutes today! Take care!

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  10. the Power of 10 seems like something I can definitely put into practice, and benefit from..Great tip! I will try it out...thanks Fundy:)

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    1. Hey Dawna! You strike me as someone who can do a lot in ten minutes! I don't know how you do all you do! I'm finding the Power of Ten really works for me! Have a good one!

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  11. What a great post. Good for you, and thank you, Pat.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Thanks, Janie! I hope you are having a great Wednesday!

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  12. You sure can get a lot done in ten minutes. Never underestimate the power of ten. ;) And yay to you for writing easier these days. High five to Pat!

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    1. Thanks, Chrys! I'll pass that High Five along to Pat! Take care!

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  13. Power of 10 - you could call your sister ... or decide which sister to call - LOL - I love this post Louise - cheers Barb - now I'm going to set my timer and get something done :)

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    1. Seriously, do you think I could talk to you, Donnie, or Bertie for just ten minutes? LOL! Donnie called me yesterday, and we talked at least an hour; then she and Terry started in good for another 30-40 minutes. Then I called Bertie! LOL! I'm so happy for Bertie right now! I'm glad that Journey saw the light! You're next! Btw, it's Vegas this weekend, Baby! I can't wait!

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  14. I am out of breath now!! lol
    I can see how this would/could help with writing, Louise.
    I can see you and Pat now....I bet you both could get TONS accomplished together in ten minutes.

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    1. We'd be awesome, scary, Jim! I'm using you five second tip: Take five seconds to check in with my body, and then, if I need to, three breaths in and out! LOL! Hey, it's a start! Vegas is coming fast. I can't wait! I hope you, Ron, and Ms SD are thriving! Take care!

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  15. Thank you, Diane! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!

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  16. 10 eh!
    My number is 9 ~ it happened in Grade 9 when Mr. Graham Math teacher extraordinaire should us how to prove whether an addition column was correct or not using 9's. I have used it ever since for many things, some things OCD-like or just adding or multiplying. It works for me.

    Lately though the #73 has been haunting me. I told Jim about it and now he's so hooked in finding the number or just noticing it popping up EVERYWHERE!

    Hey that's our TEN!!!!!!
    Ron X 10

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  17. I wish I had had your Mr. Graham, Ron! I hit a wall in math in grade 9 ~ I just didn't understand how you could do math with letters. Such a basic, simple thing, but it took decades for me to work past. The moment I saw 73, I immediately thought 10. All those years of finding groups of 10 with my third graders. Have a great evening my friend!

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    1. Exactly Louise 7 + 3 = 10 !!

      That's the premise of 9's ~ I would subtract 9 resulting in 1 which which would solve my answer.

      Good Morning!!

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  18. Love the idea of The Power of Ten. Thanks for sharing and I'll give it a try before the end of the day!

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    1. I hope it works well for you, Gail! Thanks for visiting today!

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  19. That's a great idea to set your timer for 10 mins & go! I know that 'overwhelmed' feeling, and often when I have it, I just wind up sitting on the couch. :P

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    1. My couch is so seductive, Trisha! Have a happy weekend!

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  20. Great tip!!! I try to just get all the other things I need to do over and done with so I can get to work.

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    1. I try to do the same, because otherwise I can't focus on my writing ~ and that can be so maddening. TGIF! Have a good one, Stephanie!

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  21. The Power of Ten. I love it. What a great idea!

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    1. Thanks, Martha! And happy weekend to you! I hope your weather is kind and sunny, so you can get out and do some fun things!

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  22. Here's to the Power of 10! (insert sound of glasses clinking)

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    1. Clink, clink, Terry! And happy horse shows to you today. I hope you have your feet up and are enjoying yourself!

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  23. Replies
    1. LOL indeed, Keith! Power naps don't work for me. I'm too worried about how fast the time is going down!
      I wish you a great weekend!

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  24. Hey Louise love the post...so great to have all this recorded to enjoy now and in the years to come! keep up the awesome work!....Dutchess

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    1. Yay, Dutchess!!!!! You did it! I am slowly transcribing all of Dad's letters into my computer ~ at 42 words per minute (on a good day)! I want to preserve the originals but also have a digital record. I have a long way to go. Dad was a prolific letter writer. But it's so gratifying to do. Love you!

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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.