INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Keeping busy with menial tasks and other day to day activities can become exhausting. Staying busy with activities that are meaningful to you, however, can be energizing. Focus on devoting more time to doing the things that really matter to you. Get inspired and busy yourself with activities that will move you closer to some of your life goals. Make a list of your life goals. Include the loftier ones that feel more like dreams than goals, too! The list is your road map. Plot out what steps need to be taken to reach each goal and then get started. You probably have at least one hobby in your life that you really enjoy, if not more. Concentrate on one or two of them. Become an expert! If your hobby is an artistic or creative pursuit, put some time and energy into becoming more skillful at it. Even hobbies that don't seem action-oriented on the surface can be explored deeply. For example, if your hobby is reading, you can start in on that stack of novels you've been meaning to read. But don't stop there. Research new authors and explore new genres. Start a blog and write reviews of the books you read. Join a book club. No matter what your hobby is, there is always a way to take it to the next level. If you're in the middle of a work or school project that you're enjoying, really throw yourself into honing your skills and making it a success. Or you could get busy with a project at home, like replacing all of the curtains, building a piece of furniture, or painting the walls a new color. If you are coordinating an event soon, you can focus on that as a project. For example, you could finally rebuild that classic car you've had stored in the garage for months. Sharpen some of your current skills by signing up for an online college course on the topic. For instance, maybe you want to improve your writing or Photoshop skills. If you enjoy cooking, try taking a cooking class. Love yoga? Sign up for a program at your local gym. Technical school classes and on-the-job training are great ways to develop and increase your skills, as well. Taking a formal class isn't the only way to approach this. Be your own instructor and educate yourself! For example, perhaps you have some specialized knowledge on a topic that you can develop further by doing internet research, checking out local libraries, visiting museums, etc.

SUMMARY: Do what you love. Pursue a hobby. Focus on a project. Take a class.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Figure out what you would like to be paid for writing. You may have different rates for different outlets; for example, you might charge less to write an article for a nonprofit organization's blog than you would for a larger business. You can be flexible on your rates, but you should establish a standard. It's important to have rates so that you have a fee to quote if you are hired for a writing job. There are many websites and other publications that need writing, but they often don't know what to charge. Give them a starting point and negotiate depending on length, difficulty and time involvement. It's also important to not charge too little. If you are constantly undercutting your rates, you may find it difficult to raise them and earn what you really deserve. If you are trying to get writing jobs that pay by the piece, you may get many small payments. It can be easier for many employers or outlets to pay you through a simple payment service like PayPal. You can usually register for free on an online payment service like PayPal, but they may take a small percentage of your pay. If you're making money, you'll likely have to claim it on your taxes. Make sure you keep meticulous records of your income, including job, date, and amount. If you are collecting royalties from a book, remember that this is also taxable income. Show your clients that you are an active writer who is currently working. Even if you're not getting paid, you should still have relevant, current examples of your writing available on your website. Every six months or so, comb through your writing to find the best of your recent work. Add one or two of these to your portfolio.

SUMMARY: Establish your rates. Get an online payment account. Keep track of your writing income. Keep your materials up-to-date.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Make sure that the dough is neither too thick nor too thin so that the cookies are cooked throughout without burning their surfaces.

SUMMARY: Roll the chilled cookie dough into a layer that is about 3/8" (10 millimeters) thick. Place a thin layer of flour in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Dip a round cookie cutter in the flour and press the cookie cutter into the dough. Place the cut cookies on a cutting board. Add a piece of wax paper on top of the first layer of cookies before adding a second layer of cookies. Continue layering the cookies until you have cut out as many cookies as you can. Group the leftover dough into a ball and roll it out again. Cut out more cookies, using as much of the leftover dough as possible, and place the cookies onto the wax paper.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Both species have short, sharp calls. However, if you listen carefully, you can detect slight differences in the calls. The Downy Woodpecker's pik call is a rapid string of high-pitched notes that descends in pitch toward the end. Their call typically lasts about two seconds. Hairy Woodpeckers, however, make a similar short sharp note, described as more of a peek sound. It is slightly lower in pitch and does not descend at the end as the Downy's call does. Hairy Woodpeckers also have a rattling or whinnying call. The males and females of both species use their bills to drum on trees as a means of communication. However, Downy's drum is slightly slower than that of a Hairy, about 17 beats per second as opposed to the Hairy's 25 beats per second. Both species primarily eat insects, along with some fruit and seeds. But there are some differences in how the two species feed that may help you identify them. Because of their smaller size, Downy Woodpeckers can eat foods that larger woodpeckers can't access, like insects in the stems of larger weeds. Hairy Woodpeckers never feed on weeds. Hairy woodpeckers like to drink the sweet sap of trees. They may even peck into sugar cane to drink the sugary juice within. This can be tricky because both are found in woodlands and may often flock together. However, the Downy Woodpecker favors smaller branches while the Hairy spends more time on large branches or trunks.

SUMMARY:
Listen for differences in their calls. Listen for different drum sounds. Pay attention to different eating habits. Consider differences in location.