Christopher Hamilton

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been a week since the last post. That time flew by pretty quickly. So what have I been up to?

Last weekend was extremely productive. I’ve tried to develop the GTD mentality, and by doing so I managed to get lots and lots of little things around the house done, as well as go running both days. There were boxes just sitting there since I moved in to the place in January, and I finally got around to emptying them out and arranging their contents.

On Sunday while I was doing that, my fantastic girlfriend came to the flat to cook me dinner. It meant I could concentrate on getting the place sorted out without having to worry about anything else. After dinner we spent the evening watching crappy movies on TV, and then a small CSI marathon, I love that show.

Monday was a day of work, work, and some more work. The evening went by pretty quickly because I was wiped out, so I just kicked back on the sofa with a book. Tuesday was more of the same, and last night was another quiet evening in which I took care of a few things around the house, made some plans for a few things that I need to do over the next few weeks, and read for a little while.

I plan to go out and watch the footy tonight, and relax over the next few days, as this weekend is going to suck. I have to work all weekend, carrying out a very high profile project, that will need all of our concentration and focus.

Then depending on what time we get done, I might take a run at qualifying for the Sunday Millions this week. It’s been a while since I tried, and I really enjoyed the last time I played in it, even though I didn’t manage to cash.

Until then though it’s all work, work, work.

Lance talked over on his blog about a discussion we’ve been having about the seeming lack of interesting tech companies and applications from the UK.

As he mentions, Last.fm is the big name, but what about the others. Where are they? Are there in fact any other UK Tech companies doing cool things?

Well yes there are, but how do you go about finding out who they are, and what they do? It’s not an easy task.

Lance and I have been digging a little deeper, and have an idea working it’s way through our heads at the moment.

More to follow.

Technorati Tags: UK, Tech

I’m having a few issues receiving email at the moment. For some reason the emails are getting stuck on my hosts server, and I’m unable to download them into Mail.app

I am checking my webmail periodically to see if there has been anything new, but be aware that if you send me an email today you may not get a quick response until this is rectified.

****UPDATE****

That’s email working properly again. My hosts had a few email issues over the last few days, and they have let me know that if any email was sent last night, it may be lost. So if you emailed me yesterday and I haven’t responded. Please email me again.

There’s a certain strange pleasure in chopping up a credit card. It’s a statement of intent. One that sets you on a clear path to fixing your finances. On a number of resources I’ve read recently, it is a vital part of getting yourself financially sound, as it simply means you can’t get yourself in any more debt. It’s the first step of many that are going to be required, and possibly one of the most important.

Is it going to make things less convenient for me?

Sure, but that’s the point. If I don’t have the cash for something, I have no easy way of just buying it and worrying about the cost later. That’s how I got myself into this mess in the first place after all. All I have to do is focus on clearing the card, without worrying that I’ve added anything to it in a moment of weakness throughout the month.

It’s about time I got around to doing this. I’ve spent the last few years making a mess of my finances, and simply trying to ignore, or justify my spending. While losing control of my finances, I’ve managed to dig myself into a hole, that is going to be difficult, but not impossible, to get out of.

I think it’s important to set yourself goals for something like this. It helps add to that focus, as long as they’re realistic goals, and gives you a sense of achievement and a huge boost when you complete one. I have a few general ones in my head, you know the basic “Get rid of the debt”, or “Clear my credit cards as soon as possible.” They don’t really meet the step by step nature I’m going to have to undertake, so I’m going to spend the next few days creating some solid, realistic goals, and tasks that I need to achieve. It’s very much a GTD, (Getting Things Done), mentality that I’m aiming for here, and hopefully it’s finally going to make the difference.

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There are several great resources for taking control of your finances, productivity, and GTD, all of which have become daily reading for me in the last few weeks, and at some point soon, I’ll add them to the blogroll over there on the right.

In the meantime however, go check out these links:

Zen Habits

Life Hacker

43 Folders

LifeHack.Org

Technorati Tags: GTD, Money, Personal Finances

There are a few things in my personal life that need a drastic overhaul, things I need to shine a big bright light on and do something about. Top of this list would be my finances.

It’s hard to believe I managed to get to 28 without any type of monthly budgeting of my wages, and I have no doubt that it has contributed to the reason I’m so screwed at the moment. That, and the fact that I’m an impulse buyer of the worst kind.

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I had a look around my flat last night, and saw shelves of DVD’s I rarely, if ever, watch anymore. Boxes of CD’s I no longer listen too since they are now happily stored in iTunes, and an abundance of things that I haven’t used in a long time.

I think it might be time to have a clear out.

I’m a hoarder, I always have been, but things are getting to the stage that it’s becoming stupid. I need to clear our some of this stuff, and if I can help fix my current financial mess, then all the better. That’s why I’m thinking eBay may be my friend over the next few months.

It’s going to be a complete hassle selling all this stuff, but I think it’s a necessary and worthwhile thing to do. Plus, it’s going to make moving in the future sooooo much easier.

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Now that I really appreciate I can’t continue the way I have been. Sacrifices are going to be required, and not the easy kind, where all you need is the gift of a virgin’s blood to a vengeful and mad God. If only. No, these are difficult sacrifices. Ones that involve less socialising/drinking, and less buying of cool things.

This change should leave a few positives in it’s destructive and uncaring path though. It means I should get healthier, (no spare cash = more running). It means I’ll write more, (no spare cash = staying at home more), and that I’ll get through the massive pile of books I still have to read, (see last no spare cash equation).

So there is a silver lining, even though I’m a touch stressed out about it all at the moment.

Now all I have to do is create the budget, and actually have some will power to stick to it, and sort this mess out.

Technorati Tags: GTD, Personal Finances