Blog Posts Update

Are you caught up with my recent posts? In case you missed any from the past few months, which are all found on the blog page of my website, here's an idea of what I've shared:

My New Favorite Productivity Tool

I’ve developed ways to stay on task and overall they work well, but every so often something happens to cause me to question my time management skills. I enjoy using notebooks but recently I was feeling overwhelmed by the multiple notes I had compiled and I wasn’t doing a great job of keeping my to-do lists organized, until I decided to try this digital tool...

Continue reading here...

Quarterly Update: Creativity Takes the Wheel

With my new productivity tool, I was able to pinpoint where I’m less prolific than I wish to be, beyond the desire to publish more often. Then I was able to brainstorm how I can be more productive, but in a creative way. A light bulb went off and I came to realize the business side of being an author doesn’t have to be…all business. It can be fun and it can be creative. It should be creative, not only to keep the interest of followers, but myself as well. After all, if I’m not enjoying it, how can I expect others to?

Continue reading here...

My Top 10 List for a December to Remember

This year, the month of December was already memorable because it’s the last month of 2020. But my preference was to take that title away and make it a December to remember in spite of that fact.

I also refused to coast through December on auto-pilot just because I’m looking back at what was or looking ahead for what I hope will be...

Continue reading here...

Looking Back before Moving Forward

My last post of the year and how I’ll accept the bad, learn from any failings I can’t blame on 2020, and appreciate the good as we near the light at the end of this very long tunnel before heading into 2021 with a positive mindset...

Especially when I came up with new creative ideas for the blog on my website! 

Continue reading here...

I'll be sharing another new post the first week of 2021 with more detail about what types of new posts I'll be adding to the blog. You can follow my blog if you want to stay up-to-date with those posts, and you can also sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a post, as well as any news, updates, bonus material or release information.

Blog posts update

Did you miss it on the blog?

Here's a round up of some of the posts I've shared on my new website and blog (which you can visits here) in case you've missed them:

BI-YEARLY CHECK-IN: WRITING VS. JOURNALING  

I've discovered the messiness of life and my muse don't co-exist all that well, so on those days when my creativity is hindered and I'm unable to write stories, it definitely helps to journal.

This is what I do to release the messiness on my mind so that my creativity agrees to come out and play.

Click here to read further...

PODCAST INTERVIEW...CHECK!

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Vikki J. Carter as part of her Authors of the Pacific Northwest podcast.

If you've read the Jorja Matthews mystery series, you're aware the protagonist is a bookstore owner and also a private investigator. You may be aware of my background as a P.I. and my writing process, but if you're curious to hear more, you can listen to my author podcast interview because it's now available!

Click here to read further...

QUARTERLY CHECK-IN...AND A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE

The first few months of 2020 made my head spin.

Here I discuss how I'm going to take the opportunity to appreciate slowing down, focus on what matters and discover what I can do to be better prepared when life gets busy again, so that I can continue to focus on what will benefit me the most, both personally and professionally.

Click here to read further...

MY #STAYHOME MONOTONY BUSTERS   

There's been so much uncertainty about how to manage a new routine when our lives changed so drastically so quickly.

Here's my take on how I tried to break away from the monotony. I shared this post with the idea that I'd only have to break the monotony for a month...having no idea that our days wouldn't return to normal in just 30 days! However, the ideas I share will continue to be useful now and for however long I'm going to need them during these challenging times.

Click here to read further...

I'll continue to update my blog feed on my website, which you can visit here, and remember you can always find the latest blog posts here.

Until next time...take care and happy reading!

Improving life, day by day, bit by simple bit

Price of Betrayal - the 5th novel in the series - find it here

FUN FACT: There are officially 100 more days left for the year. What will you do with the remaining days of 2019?

Last month I shared about the fact that I was challenging myself in an attempt to make better morning habits to start each day off right. I used The Morning Sidekick Journal to track my daily morning habits and after 66 days, I felt accomplished and ready to continue with my newly formed morning routine, even without the book as my daily guide.

While I was filling out the journal during the 66-day challenge, one of the daily questions was to list one way I could improve life by 1%.

Just one idea per day.

I was going to store the journal away but before doing that, I decided to add my list of ideas to my bullet journal, where it could be in one place and I could refer to it whenever I wanted. And because fall is said to be a good time for change, reflection and self-discovery, I thought I’d also share it here. I’ve tamed the list down to just 31 items, something for every day of the month.

Here’s my list of one way per day I believe I can improve life by 1%:

1. Stick to a morning routine
2. Be mindful and present in the moment
3. Meditate, even if just for five minutes
4. Use morning mantras
5. Reach out to family and friends
6. Craft/color/draw for the fun of it
7. Drink more water
8. Exercise regularly
9. Walk in nature often
10. Laugh every day
11. Use positive affirmations
12. Listen more, speak less
13. Schedule in self care
14. Do something out of your comfort zone
15. Work on forming a nighttime routine
16. Enjoy more sunrises
17. Be open to change
18. Forgive yourself
19. Forgive others
20. Eat veggies every day
21. Spend less, save more
22. Reduce screen time
23. Stay positive
24. Stay focused
25. Journal and reflect on the day
26. Don’t overstress
27. Think before speaking
28. Be open to possibilities
29. Take advantage of every day
30. Be grateful
31. Continue to build on good habits

Sticking to just half my list will improve my life by a huge percentage and I had a difficult time paring it down to just 31 because so many of the ideas I had felt important! But you get the idea and I’m sure you’d have a number of things you might add that would resonate more personally for you.

If you’re using this season to reflect and make changes, working on a list of your own might not be a bad idea. When I was building my list, I didn’t think much of it until I went back through and combined all of the items together. What seemed like simple, daily tips morphed into a motivating roadmap that I can easily follow and build upon.

While I’m glad to say I’m focusing on many of the items on this list on a daily basis, there are a few that I knew would take some work before I’d be able to put them into practice. One such item is #14. How many of us really enjoy pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone? Not me. But it’s a necessity in order to grow as a person and a professional.

So I finally pushed myself and I tackled a project that I’ve been putting off for way too long and which completely took me out of my comfort zone. This particular project was to finally build an author website. Yes! I finally have a website. During the process I had to keep reminding myself about #17 (because I enjoy using Blogger and it’s been my “home base” for so long) and #26 (easier said than done!). It’s going to be a WIP as I work out any kinks and change things I might not like, but it’s up and running and soon I’ll also be sending out regular newsletters. This is another jump away from my comfort zone – I’m on a roll! J

If you want to check it out, view my website at www.pjhowellauthor.com and be sure to sign up if you want to receive my monthly newsletters via email. If you spot any issues with the website or signup process, please let me know. I think a website is a lot like a child and it might take a village to raise it properly.

So what will you do with the remaining 100 days of this year?

I know what I’ll be doing…writing, editing, playing with my new toy (the website), building my email list, having fun with newsletters, and preparing for a large speaking event. I believe those tasks will keep my days full and productive. Don’t you?

Let the 100-day countdown begin!

Forming morning habits…and keeping them

I’m a fairly habitual person, when it comes to my routines, sometimes to a fault. And while I’ve had my regular morning habits, I have to admit I’ve always failed at keeping up with a good morning routine. 

What’s a good morning routine?

An early morning sunrise on Maui

A good morning routine, to me, means the ability to get up early (or at least earlier), get your butt moving and accomplishing tasks (aka: helpful habits) to help you start out your day on a positive note.

I failed at this miserably when I was at the day job, no matter how many times I told myself to stop hitting the snooze button. It never failed that I’d spring out of bed, rush to get ready and fly out the door giving myself no cushion when it came to the half hour drive to the office. I left for work in a hurry with the knowledge I was already running late, which was a poor recipe for the beginning of a calm morning.

A year and a half ago I left the day job to focus on my writing and at first my morning routine (or when I began the day) was impressive, at least for me. I was out of bed and starting my day pretty early, at least early for someone who’s working from home. But eventually, you settle into a more relaxed routine when you work from home. Finally, I realized my so-called morning routine was not only lacking, but was possibly contributing to my lack of productivity, my stress over time management and opening the door for my good friend, procrastination.

I tried different challenges to help in this department and sometimes they worked, for awhile, but my old habit of starting the day late without helpful habits seeped back in. A shorter day left me with plenty of time to write, exercise, read, walk Jozee, and any number of other daily tasks, but I wasn’t allowing the time necessary for daily preparation via morning routines, setting intentions, using affirmations, or reflection on the day along with an evening routine to help me prepare for the following day. My business plan as well as weekly and monthly tracking were helping me stay on task with my writing projects, but I needed more to help me stay focused and on task throughout the day.

So, I started another challenge to form better habits by using The Morning Sidekick Journal, and I last wrote about this when I was on day 21 out of 66. I was feeling good about my progress, although getting up early was still not that easy for me. I’ll confess that part of the reason for my inability to get up early is because I often have a difficult time staying asleep. If I wake up at 12a and can’t go back to sleep until 3a or I wake at 3a and I’m still awake at 5a, it’s not easy to give in and get out of bed at 5 and ignore the need to find those lost hours of sleep. I’ve since decided that a 5a start time is probably always going to be a stretch for me, but on nights when I sleep well enough, I enjoy starting the day between 6a-6:30a. Whether the day starts at 5, 6 or 7 a.m., part of this process is not only learning what works, but what works for you.

When I first started tracking habits for a morning routine, it seemed a little silly, especially when the instructions were to make them as easy as possible. My habits included: drink water before coffee, make the bed, eat breakfast (I don’t always), daily intentions, morning mantra, yoga (at least sun salutations to work out the kinks), push-ups, and morning pages. Most of these aren't difficult, or too time consuming, but what I discovered is that without tracking them, it was extremely easy to just hop out of bed, shower and move on with the day after making a cup of coffee. While my mornings are no longer frantic like they were when I attempted to get to the office job on time, there is something to be said about setting the tone, or the pace of the day, with a regular morning routine.

A few things I learned about getting up early: 

• repeat to yourself the night before what time you want to get up – it’s a fun exercise, especially when you eagerly roll over to look at the time to see how close you got; 
• if you use an alarm, don’t have it close to the bed so that you can snooze it; and 
• once you wake up, get up right away because snoozing just makes you feel groggy.

A few things I learned about sticking with morning habits: 

• you start the day off with more energy; 
• you start the day off on a positive note; 
• you begin the day feeling accomplished when your morning habits are completed; 
• already feeling accomplished and pleased with your progress, you’re prepped to eat the frog (complete the hardest task of the day first); and 
• having completed the hardest task, you can then look forward to having the rest of the day to complete whatever other tasks are on your list.

Forming habits can be a challenge, especially if it’s difficult to remove yourself from your normal routine and definitely if those new habits take you out of your comfort zone. I was a prime candidate for this type of challenge and I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s benefited me in more ways than I expected and now that I’ve also added an evening routine, my day feels well-rounded.

What about you? Do you have a morning routine that works? Have you formed habits that help you start the day on a positive note? If so, I’d love to hear how they work for you.

Until next time...

Bi-yearly check in – Still loving what I do

I’m moving into the second half of my second year away from the day job while I continue to focus on writing and the business of being of an author. Another six months has passed and now I’m critically reviewing my calendar to determine what I’ve accomplished and what I can do to continue to move forward toward my goals.

First of all, the most important thing is that I did publish another novel the first half of this year. Priceof Betrayal, the fifth in the series, was published in May. Yay! On top of that, I republished the remainder of the series with new covers so that they all have the same vibe. It was a huge undertaking and took me away from writing for a bit, but in the end it had to be done and I’m happy with the results.

As for the remainder of the first half of this year…

I’ve continued to work on my young adult and my new series idea in between completing the fifth in the series while revamping the whole series look. While I had hoped the young adult would have been completed by now, I will have a final first draft ready soon. The new series is still a WIP and I’ll continue to work on it when inspiration peaks, while I work on the sixth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series. I also have some other book ideas and, believe it or not, they aren’t mysteries.

I’ve continued to review and revise my business plan in order to try to stay on task. I’ll continue to use this plan, along with monthly and quarterly check-ins because I like to revisit what works or doesn’t work and I need some form of accountability. I especially need these tools to stay focused considering the number of writing projects I want to complete and the new book ideas I’d like to get started on. I’ll agree that there’s something to be said about focusing on one project at a time. Do it and get the job done. But I’d rather not put big ideas away for that long, so I’m working on time blocking. I can block out three two-hour sessions and work on a different project each session, with breaks in between, unless I want to work on one project all day. However I manage it, at least when I do work on a project, it’s the only one I work on at that time.

Getting ready to greet hospital staff

I mentioned before how Jozee and I were taking classes so that she and I could become a therapy dog team. Since then, Jozee and I completed our training and took the required exam. We are now a therapy dog team for our local hospital where Jozee can say hello to visitors as we wander the halls and where she specifically visits with the hospital staff as part of a care-for-the-caregivers program. It really has been a wonderful experience and we visit every other week. For those who wonder…Jozee is bathed and groomed before each visit and we follow strict healthcare guidelines whenever we’re at the hospital.

Speaking of Jozee, I started a new blog: Jaunts with Jozee. I need to add more posts when I have some time, as I’m only six in, but it’s a simple blog about Pacific Northwest parks we visit with Jozee and what we enjoy about each of them, along with photos to share.

In order to help me form better daily habits to stay on task, I also started morning pages and I'm making an attempt to form a better morning routine. I’m not 100% at either but then I’m not perfect. Changing your habits or forming new ones really is a difficult process and I’m learning quite a bit about why we do things the way we do (or don’t do them). We humans really are funny beings when it comes to what we feel comfortable with or what we do to avoid making changes, whether it’s for mind, body, business or soul, even if that change is good for us.

In the midst of everyday life and my jaunts with Jozee, my plan is to continue to form better habits when it comes to writing, the business side of being an author, health & exercise and a morning routine. Each week might be a mixture of enthusiasm and uncertainty laced with satisfaction and a tad of frustration, but in the end I’m doing what I love and I love what I do.

Balancing multiple challenges with positivity – you can do this!

I was at a loss about what to blog about today and at first I thought it was because of a lack of focus and the need to just get outside. Then, I realized it’s possibly because I have too much to think about and I wasn’t sure which subject to focus on.

Jozee, balancing on a stick under water

The reason for too many subjects is that I’ve been balancing a number of challenges lately. The best way for me to work through them is to write about them so I thought I’d share some of the details here.

First, my biggest challenge was the decision to redo all of the covers on the Jorja Matthews mystery series. It’s been on my to-do list for quite some time but my ability to finally figure it out is due, I believe, to another challenge I’ve been taking part in (more on that in a minute). From that point on I was buried with multiple tasks involved with what photos to use on the books published so far, completing a re-edit on Best Kept Secrets, reformatting the paperback interiors of Ties That Bind and Cross My Heart due to margin issues, completing the covers for all of the eBooks, and pulling my hair out when the paperback covers took longer than I would have liked. And, if that weren’t enough, after believing I was finally done, I realized I should have looked at offering the paperbacks in a matte finish instead of the glossy cover that has been the go-to format since that’s what was used when the first novel in the series was originally published. I’m now waiting to receive a proof copy of one of the books in a matte finish to see how it looks and my hope is that I can switch all of the books to that finish. That should be happening this week.

Whew!

If I’d known it was going to be this difficult, would I have dealt with the hassle anyway? Yes, most definitely. This was a change that I’ve wanted to make for quite some time and while I wish I had thought of it a couple of books ago, I can now move on with the series and be happy that they all have a similar look and theme.

So what challenge may have helped me pull the cover idea from my subconscious? I’ll attribute it to finally trying my hand with morning pages. I originally learned about morning pages from a speaker at a conference I attended a year or two ago and after looking into the subject, I purchased The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, where the idea of morning pages was birthed. Now, I’ll be honest in saying that I bought the book, and I began to read it, and I began morning pages in January 2018 during my first month after leaving the day job. However, I only wrote morning pages sporadically for two months. The next time I made any attempt at morning pages wasn’t until March of this year – a whole year later!

If I knew then what I know now, I would have done better to stick with it. Julia Cameron describes morning pages as three pages of stream-of-consciousness longhand, or a brain dump. I’ve used them as a basic personal brain dump but more often I use them as a creative brain dump. If something personal is really bugging me, I’ll tend to get that out, but what I enjoy using morning pages for is to let out all of my thoughts, questions and concerns about my writing projects, marketing, branding and other topics with the business of writing, the tingles of book or character ideas, and whatever else flows freely from me when I’m in that zone. While I understand how writing about personal frustrations can free a creative to think more on the creative side of things, I’ve found that working through any creative issues in my morning pages has been the best use of them. Case in point: the new cover idea for the series. Also, new story ideas to include in my young adult novel and answers to questions I had about the backstory on my characters in the new series I’m working on. Those are just a few of the bulbs that went off in my head while taking part in morning pages. There have been more when it comes to other areas in my writing and even in my personal life.

I’ll stick with morning pages because they work for me. I may not write every day, and it’s been an uphill climb in completing them on a more regular basis, but forming new habits isn’t easy. While I only wrote morning pages four days in March, I was able to write 11 days in April, 16 days in May and so far for June I’ve written six out of nine days. That’s progress! Therefore, I no longer wish to call the morning pages a “challenge” but instead, part of my creative routine.

Speaking of forming habits, my other challenge involves just that. I’m doing my best to form better habits for a morning routine. I’ve never been a morning person. It’s a simple fact but not an excuse. I can still get a lot done in a day but I tend to begin and end later. I’ve decided I’d like to change that one simple fact about myself. I’d like to enjoy daybreak, have more daylight hours for writing and feel good about using the rest of the day as I see fit before an early bedtime. A while back I bought The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and was truly optimistic that a book could help me get my butt out of bed earlier. I tried and I failed. But I know now that my attempts were not driven by the right need; my reason “why.” I’ve since changed my mindset, I have my “why” and I’m taking baby steps to form better habits and a regular morning routine (to include morning pages) when I do finally get my butt out of bed. I’m currently using The Morning Sidekick Journal (created by Amir Atighehchi, Ari Banayan & Mikey Ahdoot) and I’ve really enjoyed using this journal. While getting up earlier is still a work in progress, I’m on the 21st day out of 66 and I’m seeing progress. The fact that I enjoy using this journal through my journey is a bonus. While getting out of bed earlier every day is a challenge, forming habits that make my days better and more productive is the bonus I’m striving for and will be well worth it in the end.

On top of all that, I’ve started a new exercise routine. And that is most definitely a challenge! But I enjoy the exercises, many of which include weight lifting and high intensity workouts with varying exercises and so far I’m enjoying them.

Are all these challenges a lot to take one? Not really, since each one helps me with a key area in life: writing, creativity, productivity and health. These are areas I should always invest in and which will benefit me greatly if I continue to focus on them.

What about you? Are you a creative who has tried morning pages? Are you a night owl trying to form an earlier morning routine? Have you tried to form new habits overall and if so, how did it go?

Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, I hope you have a creative and productive day!

Will your child someday ask, “What’s snail mail?”

Did you know April is National Card and Letter Writing Month? When is the last time you mailed a handwritten letter to someone? Recently? Last year? Never?

Your answer to that question may very well depend on your age or generation. The older generation, who recall when typewriters were a thing and computers were not the norm in a household, would remember letter writing as a way to communicate, while the current generation of young adults barely use phone calls to converse, much less write a letter. Their form of communication has been texting or messaging for as long as they can remember. In fact, if I had to guess, I doubt either of my boys, on their own, have used even half a book of stamps between the two of them their whole lives.

This reminds me of a comedian we saw recently while visiting the Brad Garrett Comedy Club in Vegas. Collin Moulton had some great humor about aging parents and the huge generation gap between kids and grandparents. One subject that brought tears to my eyes was when he joked about a grandfather having to explain to a young one what writing and sending letters was all about. This video will give you an idea of what I’m talking about [disclaimer, he picks on the USPS a bit in this video]. All joking aside, it isn’t an easy task to ask young adults or children to write a letter. The concept is extremely foreign to them. If you’re a parent with kids, you’ll know this or understand when the time comes to inform your son or daughter they need to write thank you notes for gifts or money received after their high school graduation. The question I got was, “What do I say?”

I can’t recall the last letter I wrote but I’ll admit it’s been quite awhile – I had a great aunt who loved sending and receiving cards and letters (plus she never owned a computer or used email), so she and I continued to write to each other for years until she passed away a number of years ago. I’m thankful we shared the experience because the notes and cards I received from her are now keepsakes and will always hold special memories for me.

My aunt and I wrote back and forth because we both enjoyed the process of writing and receiving cards and letters. During other time periods when I’ve written to family and friends for any length of time, the reason has always been due to distance or because there was no other way to communicate. One example is when my brother was in the service or when he was out of the country and gone for months at a time on missionary trips. Email was not always an option given whatever location he might be in. Another stint in letter writing was when a friend of mine was in prison for about a year. I couldn’t visit her at the prison, so it was the only way we communicated until her release. When I was in middle school, my best friend in the world at that time moved out of the state and I was devastated. As devastated as you can imagine a 13 or 14 year old might be. We wrote from that point and all through high school, almost religiously, and even a bit beyond I believe. Those types of letters are precious and likely the most honest truth about our young lives beyond whatever we wrote in our own journals.

Having a month dedicated to sending cards or letters has made me pause and think…I miss writing letters. I miss having a reason to write and sharing the love of writing letters with another person.

Do we need a reason to send a card or write a letter? No. We can send one, just because we want to.

Does someone have to live states away or even in another country to deserve a card or written letter? No. we can send one, just because we want to.

But the way our lives move on at such a fast rate of speed, we don’t tend to find the time to sit and write a letter or a cute note in a card to someone special. Especially when it’s just as easy to pick up the phone, send a text or stalk them on Facebook.

So for me, because I have more stationary and cards than I need (I’m sure I’ve mentioned it…I’m a stationary/paper/journal addict), I plan to use this month as an excuse to get back into snail mail. Some challenges I’ve seen involve sending a card or a letter every day – that’s too much for me. So my challenge to myself is to pick at least two friends or family members each week and send them either a card or a letter. Even if they don’t reciprocate with a card or letter of their own, that’s okay, as that won’t be the point of the challenge. What I’ll enjoy is the fact that they’ll smile in surprise when they realize there’s something in their mailbox between the bills and the junk mail.

If I can make a loved one smile at the sight of something as simple as a note card or letter in their mailbox, that idea alone will brighten my day and is the only reason I need to take on the challenge.

How about you?

Is there someone you know who would smile at the sight of a card or a letter from you in their mailbox?

Even something short & sweet?

I'm betting there might be… J

So long 2018…it’s been great knowing you!

Another New Year is about to begin…are you ready?

Ocean Shores

I wasn’t sure what to expect from 2018, to be honest, since this was going to be my first year away from the day job, but as I reflect on this past year I will say I'm happy. When I reviewed my year with photos, I was reminded of all the fun this year has been, and when I reviewed each month with regard to my author life, I feel satisfied with how I tackled my first year.

In February I was finally able to publish the fourth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series, Cross My Heart. This was perfect timing considering the next two months or so I was sidetracked with my new puppy, Jozee, who demanded much more of my time than I had anticipated. 

The rest of this past year I focused on writing the fifth book in the series, which is almost complete and has an appointment with my editor in February. I also published another book, this time trying my hand with nonfiction with Note to My Author Self. This was a book I decided to share with readers but which was written for myself; because I needed to. Some books are just born that way.

Over the past year I took part in multiple events to include speaking engagements and book signings in May, June and November, an in-person women’s business conference, an in-person writer’s conference, multiple business and author webinars, and full day or week-long online seminars. Now that I’m looking back at the number of events I took part in, I realize I could have provided updates on these events in order to share some of what I learned at each event. I can still do that, in time if I get to it, but this next year I plan to stay on top of those updates. Due to some extensive organizing this past month, I’ve mapped out a plan on what I need to do in order to accomplish that goal.

I’ve worked from home before, when I was a private investigator for over a dozen years, so I knew I could do it. However, I also figured I’d have to expect setbacks after going back to an office job for a handful of years before changing things up to work from home again. The first half of the year I winged it in a semi-organizational way, but eventually I had to concede to the idea that I had to get serious with the business of writing and finally create a business plan. Originally, I planned on quarterly business plans with the idea of moving to six-month plans, but I’ve since decided I prefer going over them every three months. I know that reviewing my plan four times a year will help keep me on task.

I changed the look of my blog, which was time-consuming but rewarding when I realized how much I preferred the final result. I teeter-tottered back and forth about whether or not I would join National Novel Writing Month in November but eventually decided not to let the challenge take priority over my current WIP, considering how close I was to completing it.

I’ve updated my writing calendar so that I can begin 2019 with fresh new pages for my writing updates and to-do’s and I’m currently working on putting together a new bullet journal for this next year. I first wrote about using a bullet journal in January when it was still fairly new to me and I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to stick with it because my attempts at the end of 2017 were hit and miss. However, I’m pleased to say I was able to stick with it the whole year and I’ve enjoyed creating my new journal for 2019. I look forward to filling in each page as I move ahead in another productive year.

I hope you also look forward to the coming New Year and that it will be ripe with possibilities, full of inspiration and complete with satisfying results.

Happy New Year!

When the holidays sneak up on you

Koa - cute, cuddly and a big baby

Thanksgiving seems early this year, or maybe it came up on us fast, I’m not quite sure. My dental hygienist had a good laugh at my expense the other day when I asked about scheduling an appointment for next week. She shook her head and told me next week wouldn’t work because it was Thanksgiving.

I actually replied to her in astonishment with, “No it’s not.”

And then she showed me the calendar.

I use calendars, obviously. I’m a paper planner addict and have one for both my personal and writing life. How the heck did I miss that next week is Thanksgiving? In my defense, I’ve been busy with writing, marketing and book promotions, a book event, and planning ahead for book promotions throughout the rest of the year.

In addition, I enjoy celebrating Halloween all through October and realistically, I begin to think about Christmas on November 1st. I am one of those people, yes, who begins to listen to Christmas music or watch holiday movies right after Halloween. Thanksgiving is just another day smack dab in the middle of ghost stories and holiday baking.

Although, I have to say I enjoy left-over turkey sandwiches. If I had to choose, other than time spent with family, that is my favorite part of the holiday.

And pumpkin pie.

Can’t forget the pie.

Okay, now I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving. J

Joking aside, this month is more about family. The food is just a bonus.

In addition to family, my other focus this month was on writing and health/wellness. My writing schedule is still going well and I’ve been able to reach my word count just about every day. As for the remainder of my focus for the month, I took part in a fitness challenge and did about half as well as I expected but ended with a better mindset and some good advice on what I need to do to stick with a routine. I also began a gratitude journal the beginning of the month and I’ve actually stuck with it - I’ve tried to do this before but would usually fizzle out after a week or so. And, I began a new meditation practice this past week that has helped me feel calmer this time of year than I remember ever feeling before.

I guess that explains why I didn’t completely freak out when I found out next week was the holiday. I’m not prepared and plans are still up in the air, but I’m okay with that. Which is a bit odd, coming from me. I suppose that’s additional proof the meditation technique is working.

Other than not keeping up with what date the holiday was landing on, the month of November is providing for me what I had hoped. And considering the fact that December is going to be a fairly busy month, I will appreciate the limited focus in November. It’s something else I will add to my grateful journal.

Whatever your plans for the holiday and the rest of the month, I hope you find time to be with family and celebrate the areas in your life you can be grateful for.

The top 3 things I’ll focus on this November

I’m a self-proclaimed klutz and it’s not uncommon for me to wind up with bruises and no memory of how I got them. My husband just shakes his head when he hears me exclaim after stubbing a toe or running my leg into the corner of a table or slamming my arm into a door frame. Actual falling, fortunately, isn’t usual for me but I have to stay on guard to avoid completely tripping and landing flat on my face or back. 

I enjoy this time of year when “falling back” has nothing to do with my inability to walk a straight line or avoid hitting a solid object. When falling back gives me the opportunity to sleep in, even though I’m getting up at the normal time, and when it allows the day to move just a bit slower each time I realize it’s not as late as I think it is.

Gaining that extra hour is just one more bonus to this, my favorite time of year, along with fuzzy socks, hot drinks, cozy blankets while watching movies and the beautiful array of colors outside as the trees shed their summer coats.

Today I’m using the extra hour to soak in what a good month October was, as I review what I have mapped out for the month of November. As noted in my last post, October was going well, both with my writing and my personal life, and the trend continued with a high word count the last full week of the month and fun times celebrating Halloween.

To keep up with the trend, I expect good things from the month of November. So far, the month has begun with another book event of my own at the annex of a local church. This was a first for me as far as venues go, so I wasn’t sure what to expect and while it worked out a bit differently than other events, I enjoyed what turned in to a type of round table discussion. I answered questions and discussed my books and my writing life, but each of the ladies who attended also added to the discussion as it pertained to their lives, their pets or their work history, whether they were currently working or living on retirement. One of those in attendance was formerly employed by the sheriff’s office, is now currently working as an investigator for the state and also has rescue dogs, so she and I had quite a lot to chat about. Another brought her little dog to the event, and for awhile that small dog stole the show with how adorable it was. I feel good about the fact that as I continue to hold book events, I can still be pleasantly surprised by how the events turn out. There really are no dull moments when it comes to this writing life and because I’m starting out the month with a grateful journal, I’ll place that in the number one spot.

I’ve decided that the rest of November I will focus on three things: writing, health/wellness and family. I had thought of entering NaNoWriMo this year but after some reflection on what that would mean for me, I decided this year was not a good time to join. NaNoWriMo requires 50,000 words to win and I’m about three-quarters of the way through my fifth Jorja mystery, so I won’t need 50,000 words to complete the novel. Also, I think NaNoWriMo is better suited to jumping in head first on a new novel and I can’t justify setting aside my current WIP just to join the challenge. I’ll continue to write as I have been, knowing that I should be able to look forward to a completed first draft by the end of November. Hooray!

Instead of joining the NaNoWriMo challenge, I decided to join two other challenges that will focus on health and wellness. The first will focus on a new fitness routine and tips that I can use throughout the month, which is much needed when holiday foods can cause havoc on the scale and I’d prefer to enjoy holiday gatherings without counting calories. The other challenge involves making time for some soul care and includes keeping a gratitude journal, meditation, prayer and fasting. After all the fixings of a turkey dinner at the end of the month, I’m sure I’ll be more than ready for some fasting.

Those two challenges won’t take much from me or require too much of my time during the day, but each will benefit me greatly during this season and while I continue to focus on taking care of myself while I also keep up with my weekly word count.

Last, but certainly not least, I look forward to time spent with family. Each day is a good opportunity to make memories, which is something I’ll take advantage of when I can and continue to be grateful for. It’s also what I’ll end this post on so that I can add it to today’s grateful list.

Have a great day and a great(ful) week!

Reading, journaling and photo challenges, oh my!

Clouds provide plenty of photo ops

It’s the last day of a long weekend, the longest of the year for most, and we now have another holiday under our belts and will soon be celebrating the next. 

But for now, it's a good day to stay in, so I’m enjoying this last non-busy, non-stressful, no-need-to-drive-anywhere-if-I-don’t-want-to kind of day. Yesterday I spent a full afternoon working on my novel and felt incredibly accomplished by the end of the day. Today, I am leaving what I do to the moment or mood and right now, I feel like blogging, while listening to Christmas music. Yes, I'm one of those people this year.  J

As we’re about to move on to the last month of the year, I’ve been thinking about where I am with regard to the goals and mindful intentions I made early this year. Will I have made good use of the 365 days as we close out another year? I’ll be posting my end-of-the-year update next month; some goals I completed, others I’m still working on or maybe haven’t even begun, but I’ll share more about what tools I’m using to reach my goals (or work toward reaching them) with regard to my specific mindful intentions for 2017.

In the meantime, the month of November was about spending time with family, focusing on health (there’s so much crud going around!), and writing.Oh, and reading, of course. And journaling. And taking in the moment to capture photos here and there when the mood strikes me. 

While I’m always reading one or two fiction novels at a time, I’m also reading the non-fiction book, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ve already read the book, but I decided to join an online book club challenge and it’s the book they proposed. I decided I liked the idea of reading the book again along with other creative women and hearing how they interpret or relate to it. In the process I may have also found an online writing community, so that’s a plus.

I’ve also been working on a journal that is probably the most difficult one yet…I’m trying to decide whether or not I want to start a bullet (or dot) journal. Not what you expected me to say when you think of difficult journaling? Well, it is. I use paper planners. I love them…I’m a paper planner fanatic, sad to say. But I also make tons of to-do lists or lists in general, constantly, and not always in my planner because the planners don’t accommodate me in that regard. Which means my planner is usually full of loose pages of lists. So, I’ve been looking at the idea of bullet journaling, and began a “test” project for these last three months of 2017 to see whether I’d like it, or stick with it, before I decide to commit to a whole year. So far, the jury is still out. I like the idea, and I know it could probably be the best fit for me with everything I need to keep track of, but it’s a huge change from what I’ve been use to. Either way, I have another month to go; we’ll see what happens.

This time of year can be really stressful for many and lately I’ve felt an aversion to anything that has too much negativity, raging opinions or commercialization. I’m “this close” to unsubscribing from a number of people who clog my inbox with buy-my-latest-item emails and when it comes to social media, I’m more in love with Instagram since I first began using it. Rarely does a post on Instagram make me frown or cringe and I like using it to share my own photos. I enjoy taking photographs because it’s a great way to get caught in the moment, find the beauty where you are and enjoy time to yourself while you capture what draws your attention away from this noisy life. December is the time when we reflect on the year as a whole and I look forward to taking part in another December Reflections challenge by author/blogger/photographer Susannah Conway. This month-long challenge is a mixture of photography and journaling…so, of course, I love it. It’s also a great way to look back on the year, whether in photos or with journal prompts, in preparation for how I’m going to approach the coming New Year.

But now I’m getting ahead of myself – I’ll enjoy these last few days in November before diving into the month of December. 

Whether you read, write, journal, take photos or all of the above, I hope you’re able to find time during this busy season to let the moment or mood strike you in order to enjoy some extra quality time to yourself.