tools: communication part Ia
I have a myriad of items I wish to discuss in the tools section, I might expand and post about them on other days, I’m not sure yet.
Communication. Active non-hostile communication. Productive non-time-wasting communication. Clear and conscience communication.
You don’t want my communication. Especially when I’m exhausted.
Oh wait, uhm…
Anyway.. I’ve been noticing a few trends in communications in my circles and I want to share what I’m doing to better understand and improve myself.
Tonight I’ll attempt to briefly discuss self-communication in a very limited sense. Do you take time to listen to your head and write in a journal? Do you spend 5 minutes every day remembering the day before, prepping for the next, and experiencing the current? If you do this everyday and if one day you don’t do it, what is your reaction? Do you flip out and need someone to guide you back? Do you allow yourself to just be? Do you doodle?
I’ve been mentally composing this post all day and I realized why while things are really crazy right now and I’m quite tired while adjusting to the new schedule and missing the long weekends of the previous few weeks, they don’t feel as I expected.
Why is that? I’m working on my communication skills (as i feel both my thinking-on-my-feet and my writing need a good deal of attention). But with myself. Mentally I composed much of this article and have spent the past 10 minutes figuring out if these really are the proper words and the order I wish to take them. I had planned on writing a well edited post long before any eyes beyond mine would see it. Sadly my schedule did not allow for that today.
I journal. In whatever cahier I have available I write thoughts about the day, paste funky cartoons, and record what dinner was and also what I wore — otherwise I will forget tomorrow and serve tomato soup, again. It’s my place to be me in all my semi-dyslexic-when-exhausted state. If an entry is relevant I’ll share it with my husband but we have yet to share a paper-based journal and think that may happen sooner than we expect but I’m not sure. Just the physical art of writing by hand every day for at least 5 minutes has helped me tremendously. I still have a very long way until I am the writer I was 15 years ago.
I had a beautiful post planned in my head but am falling over with exhaustion so I’ll post this half-formed-mostly-unedited horror. (clients: I’ll work on your needs first thing tomorrow. promise. you don’t want me to edit your websites now. trust me!!)
Here are a few books I recommend, both on journaling and writing in general which live on my desk for constant review. Well, except for the second one. I don’t own it but am looking for the copy I’d like.
- Line by Line by Claire Kehrwald Cook is a nice slim volume which will help you learn to edit your writing (this can save a relationship). Editing (and organization) is something I need to focus on. I haven’t finished reading this but the lessons I’ve read already have helped tremendously.
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. classic.
- Strunk & White The Elements of Style. classic. I’ve owned this since Jr High.
- Leaving a Trace by Alexandra Johnson. On journaling. There are many other books, this is one I own, so I’ll probably refer to it again…
Hopefully in the next few weeks I’ll further explore communication (I’ll add a category/tag for this genre).
As I’ve written most of this with my eyes half closed and am starting to babble a good deal, good night.