Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

With this blog being more than 2.5 years old, I figured it was time to add a “Services” page to let readers know what I do when I’m not here blogging. Adding a “Services” page is something I’ve often considered over the past 2.5 years. I mean, how can people hire me if they don’t know the kind of work I do? It only makes sense, right?

But, I wasn’t sure how to write one, even after exploring other people’s pages. How do I lay it out? What should I include? How do I make it sound appealing? How do I make my “Services” page about the reader rather than about me? After all, that is what social media is about.

Well, today was the day to write “Work with Glenda”, or, at least, draft it. Some ideas had been bouncing around in my head for a few days. Getting those ideas out and on my blog would be a start. From there, the words and layout could be a massaged and perfected. Something would be better than nothing!

Besides, writing “Work with Glenda” today was more appealing than doing the quarterly GST (Goods & Sales Tax) or getting organized enough to begin tackling income tax (thank goodness we don’t owe!).

But, rather sitting down and doing the task at hand, I frittered away the afternoon. I got in my own way of getting the job done! And now I am writing this post instead of writing what I ought to be.

At times I am my biggest barrier to getting stuff done. I get in my own way. I can only imagine how much I could get done if I just did it!

Anyone else know what I’m talking about? 😉

What a week, technologically speaking!

Last week my beloved word prediction and completion software EZ Keys died unexpectedly. This software saves me a fair number of keystrokes. Without it, I type every single letter. My left shoulder is screaming, my arm is about to fall off, and my wrist wants to be put on ice for a week!

The tech support guy kindly offered to put a software replacement cd in express mail. That was a week ago! I understand times are tight and everything being cut back, but how long does mail from California to British Columbia take?

Meanwhile, I am using Microsoft Windows’ accessibility feature StickyKeys for holding down multiple keys at once. (To find StickyKeys and other handy accessibility tools in Windows XP, go to Start > Control Panel > Accessibility Options).

i am also using the free word prediction software LetMeType. With some tweaking, Darrell was able to load my EZ Keys word list into LetMeType so that I wasn’t starting from scratch.

LetMeType isn’t as powerful as EZ Keys. I am missing the automatic space after the software finishes typing a word, the automatic capital after I type a period, and the shortcut keys for word suffixes. But, because the LetMeType word box doesn’t appear until after I type two or three letters, I can easily use the number keys and the characters above them – something I am constantly fighting with in EZ Keys. LetMeType is quickly learning my language, often showing word choices with two or more words. A nice little program available for free.

Then last night, while writing a lengthy comment on Wendy Piersall’s post, I discovered that accidentally hitting Ctrl+shift+W in FireFox is deadly. Do not try this at home! The internet browser closes without any warning, regardless of what you were doing. This sent me searching for a way to turn off specific keyboard shortcuts in FireFox. I found a way to turn off shortcuts, eventually! This adds KeysConfig… to the Tools menu (or the shortcut is Ctrl+shift+F12). The list of possible keyboard shortcuts can then be modified.

Along the way, I discovered the FireFox Accessibility Extension, which I, of course, had to install. I suspect this toolbar will be useful in other projects that are in the works.

(I’ve yet to return to Wendy’s post to retype my comment. Sorry, Wendy.)

All of this is happening while I should be frantically preparing my presentation for San Antonio’s AccessCamp on February 21st. The plan is for me to present online to the group located in San Antonio and to use Skype’s text chat feature to answer questions. Right?!

Off to play with the free and easy-to-use screen sharing tool Mikogo and to learn how to add captions to a PowerPoint presentation…

I need chocolate!

How is your week going?

Each day when I log into the application TweetDeck to connect with my Twitter community, I receive an automated message informing me how many people are now followers:

Similarly, the AWeber counter in the upper right corner of this blog indicate how many people receive my blog posts via email:

Watching my network and my reach grow is exciting and rewarding. Interacting with new people often results in blog post ideas or in new opportunities; for example, if we can figure out the technology, I will be presenting via video at San Antonio’s AccessCamp on Saturday, February 21st.

However, the larger my network becomes, more and more people are pulling at me and wanting a piece of me for various reasons. I try to respond to everyone, but, in doing so, I am torn away from my work and plans.

How do you manage and respond to your network so it isn’t cutting into your productive time? How do you determine how large of a network you really need? Where is the balance point?

Your suggestions and advice are most welcomed!

With Darrell out again yesterday, I continued what I began last Saturday: cleaning up my office. My plan is to have the entire office completely purged, organized and cleaned by the end of November. Then, I can begin on another room, likely the bedroom – not that I will be blogging it!

Once my office is done, then I want to begin planning 2009, which will be even better than 2008 here on Do It Myself Blog. If you have any suggestions for improving or changing the blog or ideas for blog posts, I’m all ears! Monetizing the blog will definitely be part of the plan. 

For now, the first step is to get my office in order to enable great, creative ideas to flow easily! Continuing with the bookcase area, first up was to go through two 3" binders: one from the Creative Employment Options Program (a pre-employment program for people with disabilities) and one from the Self-Employment Program.

The first item I came across in the SE binder was the Personal Organization Self-Analysis Quiz. What do you mean I disorganized, not goal-oriented, have poor work habits and note-taking skills, and a touch of packrat syndrome? A packrat? Moi? Because I took the SE Programs in the Fall of 1998 and, ten years later, still had all of the stuff? Nah, I like to think that I’ve been too focused on running my business to take time to clean out old papers!

For another interesting tidbit, I re-discovered was my personality type. According to different assessments taken during both programs, I am an INFJ – Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. (Thank goodness results from both programs were the same!)

Glancing through the related career exploration pages, suggested careers for INFJs include:

• Psychologists
• Public relations workers and publicity writers
• Lawyers and Judges
• Coordinators: Not specified
• Consultants: Type unknown

As an INFJ, career satisfaction, in part, means doing work that:

• Lets me consider and create new ideas and/or approaches to a variety of problems, mostly those that help others to grow and develop
• Lets me produce a product or service that I believe in and am proud of
• Recognizes my authorship and ownership and my unique contributions
• Lets me express myself and see the results of my vision
• Lets me implement my ideas for the good of others
• Can be done independently but with the opportunity to share frequently with others in an environmental that is friendly and free of interpersonal conflict
• Lets me organize my own time and work environment
• Is in harmony with my personal values and beliefs and lets me maintained a high degree of personal and professional integrity.

Another handout describes INFJs as authors:

Authors focus on what’s possible. They have a strong drive to contribute to the welfare and enjoy helping their peers. Authors have a great depth of personality; they are complicated and can’t understand and deal with complex issues and people. They are "perfectionists" and sometimes put more effort into a task then is needed. Generally not leaders, Authors influence behind the scenes. They are hard to get to know for they can be reserved and will share personal thoughts only with those they truth. They are hurt easily by others and can be crushed by too much criticism. Authors like to please others and usually contribute their best efforts. They enjoy agreeing with others and find conflict disagreeable and destructive.

Interestingly, INFJs make up 1% of the population. And, according to one website about the Myers-Briggs Test Indicator (MBTI), famous INFJ personalities include: Geoffrey Chaucer, Billy Crystal, Martin Luther King, Jr., Michael Landon, Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa and Oprah Winfrey.

Considering my personality type, is there any wonder why blogging is such a perfect match for me, careerwise. I sure wish I had known the likes of Andy Wibbels, Liz Strauss, Lorelle VanFossen, Chris Brogan, Des Walsh, Chris Garrett, Darren Rowse and many others to explain what is blogging and the potential as a career choice to my employment counsellors. For those folks, if it isn’t listed in the National Occupational Classification, then it doesn’t exist as a career option. Sad, really. 

Looking back, I am intrigued that the result of one self-assessment, namely the personal organization self-analysis, was off the mark (Me not goal-oriented? Ha, how else I did get this far?) and that the result from the MBTI assessment was pretty close to bang on. How reliable are these tools? How much weight should really be placed on these and other tools? The employment counsellor-types didn’t seem to appreciate when I asked such questions. Without such tools, they didn’t seem to know how to assist me in finding a job. The only purpose I can see those assessments accomplished was putting me in a language they understood

After an hour or so of purging, my six-inches of paper was less than half an inch; more of which will be shredded once this post is published. See, had I not saved that information, I could not have written this revealing post. I’m not a packrat; I was well prepared for this moment! 

Following several more hours of purging and organizing, the bookcase and adjoining shelves were completely done – with space to spare!

Next Saturday: the desk area. 

Today Darrell was helping a friend teach a robotics class to kids, giving me most of the day to myself. With nothing urgently demanding my time, I decided to attack my office. I spend most of my time in here, but this space receives the least housecleaning time. Today was its turn!

I began with the bookcase, figuring that was a distinct area, and, hopefully, progress would be noticeable. The new shredder had a good breaking in! In less than two hours, I had to stop to take out the recycling bin and shredder droppings to empty. I was on a roll!

The bottom shelf was harder to go through. Much of the paper stuff was from my work with the Career Mentor Program at my Alma Mater – my one and only J O B. I even found four pay stubs, which looked pretty good at this point.

I loved that job – making the Career Mentor Program inclusive and accessible to students and alumni with disabilities. It was something I believed in and strongly felt was necessary. But, the position had been created by government funding so that the government appeared to be hiring and supporting employment of people with disabilities. The funding was for one year. An extension was not available.

I did  apply for other positions on campus, attempting to stay employed at a location that still felt like home to me – after living in residence for seven years while earning my Bachelors degree. However, the head of the human resources department was not overly amenable to hiring people with disabilities, citing the need to adhere to the typing speed requirement for the other entry level positions available on campus. Remaining employed at my Alma Mater was not an option, not that I’m still bitter, too much.

Today, I kept one copy of each brochure, handout and form that I created – in case I’m ever asked to develop a mentoring program again. A few moments during the purge were tough. I really did enjoy that job. Then I came across the birthday card from the staff that year – I’m such a pack rat! Reading what they had written, particularly the Program’s Coordinator, my closest colleague and friend, "See I told you Glenda. They do love you. Even if you are a dork! Happy B-Day -Topher" made me laugh. With my birthday coming up on Tuesday, it was like receiving an early birthday gift.

I then realized that, to make space for my life today and for the opportunities that come along tomorrow, I needed to let go of yesterday. I shredded old resumes and cover letters. I put my job search and cover letter writing books in a pile. (If any of you work with local job clubs or employment programs, you are welcome to these books. Otherwise, I’ll drop them off at the Whalley Employment Centre next time I am at the mall.) I no longer need these books. I have found my dream job. My next task is to find the income that goes along with it. I know I will.

There is now space on my bookshelf for today’s life: Chris Garrett’s and Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, Lorelle VanFossen’s Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging, and Michael Losier’s Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t. And, there’s some space available for whatever tomorrow may bring.

What do you need to let go from yesterday to create space for tomorrow’s opportunities?