730th Friday Blog Roundup

So remember back in December when I told you my New Year’s resolution?  I was going to spend 15 minutes every weekday morning doing something to “better” myself, and I was going to find the time by not mindlessly scrolling through Facebook?  Well, I’ve done it.  I guess I can’t really say “done” because we’re only a month into the new year, but I have completed a month + a week with gold stars.  No missed days.

It’s now a habit, and it’s my favourite habit.  It makes me feel productive, especially because I do it first thing in the morning.  I’ve managed to squeeze an extra 1 1/2 books into the first month, and it has sparked pages of ideas.  So, yeah, I’d call this one a win, even if it’s only February.

I plan on keeping this going indefinitely.

Totally easy if you want to do it, too.  Choose something you’ve been meaning to do to make yourself better.  Set aside 15 minutes every weekday morning.  Track it in a notebook or with an app.  Done — you’re like 15 minutes closer to your best you.

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Stop procrastinating.  Go make your backups.  Don’t have regrets.

Seriously.  Stop what you’re doing for a moment.  It will take you fifteen minutes, tops.  But you will have peace of mind for days and days.  It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week.  In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “Menopause… It’s Not a Musical” (Inconceivable)
• “A Millennial and a Gen Xer Discuss Burnout” (Too Many Fish to Fry)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Infertile Fantasies posts the end of her embryo donation story.  The final transfer was cancelled; the embryo didn’t thaw.  She writes, “We are now left to navigate a new transition in our friendship with our recipients (somehow I only thought that would be a thing if the donation succeeded).”  It’s a story about endings.

Jewish IVF explains the curve her emotions go through during a cycle.  Of course, the curve doesn’t always stay the same: “Each time we lost a pregnancy, the dip went a little lower and made it harder to climb back up. Almost as though the baggage of previous losses weighed us down and helped gravity sink us even deeper.”  Which is why the curve has changed by this cycle, why it’s harder to climb back up to the peak of hope.

Infertile Phoenix has an amazing moment: her sister apologized.  She writes, “Here was my sister who was completely obsessed with her own child, almost her whole being seemed to be wrapped up in being my niece’s mother, and she could not empathize with my pain of not having children.”  A situation made her sister realize how she had potentially hurt her, and she called her with an apology.  It’s a great moment of closure.

Lastly, One Step at a Time has a beautiful post about playing the hand she was dealt after losing her husband.  Playing games with her child makes her realize that it’s the perfect opportunity to teach him that life is about continuing on.  “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been dealt a difficult situation lately. But I’m working with what I’ve got to build something new.  I’ve also learnt a lot from my son’s Monopoly ways. To invest where it brings the most returns, and not to waste time on those that don’t.”  Go read the whole thing.

The roundup to the Roundup: I’m sticking to my resolution.  Your weekly backup nudge.  And lots of great posts to read.  So what did you find this week?  Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between February 1st and 8th) and not the blog’s main url. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week?  Read the original open thread post here.