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!

Quarterly check in…Making a business plan work for me

The decision to finally begin using a quarterly business plan is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made…besides making the decision to begin writing in the first place. J 

Each quarter when I review my progress and map out another quarterly plan, I can see in black and white where I’ve done well and what needs attention or tweaking.

When I reviewed my progress based on my expectations for the first quarter of this year, it was immediately apparent that my intentions had been great, but not realistic. I thoroughly expected to have the first draft of my young adult completed by March along with the final draft of the next book in the mystery series on top of an eBook for marketing purposes.

But I didn’t hit the mark.

My young adult is still in the works and the eBook didn’t see the light of day. The main reason is that I spent much of January and part of February reviewing and revising my manuscript so that it could be ready for my editor. The editing and revisions on my end took more time than I had anticipated. It happens and it is what it is. And even though I was able to work on my young adult (and a completely new series idea!) for a few weeks while my novel was being edited, final revisions have been my main focus for the past few weeks and now I need to focus on cover & formatting and publishing & marketing.

When I spent time prepping my second quarter business plan, I didn’t beat myself up about the uncompleted projects. Instead, I used the plan to appreciate the progress I’ve made and to assist me as I reworked my action list on how I might complete the remaining projects during the coming months.

It’s not an exact science – projects take longer than anticipated or unseen hurdles pop up but that’s why reviewing my projects on a quarterly basis works for me. Based on how my schedule has gone or if my personal life has affected my progress, I can assess, analyze and amend the plan as needed. Having a plan doesn’t always mean I’ll always stay on course, but it’s better than the alternative of driving by the seat of my pants. I may write that way because I don’t mind taking a fork in the road when it comes to writing, but when it comes to all the admin responsibilities and other tasks related to an author’s life, I’d prefer to have it down on paper so I can stay in my lane.

However, when it comes to business plans, there are many opinions about what to include…vision, business structure and planning, writing and publication plan, market analysis, audience research, marketing strategy, pricing strategy, sales projections, financials, platform building, growth and development, and so on.

But I wanted a plan I could look at every day and use in a relevant way. I found many ideas and played around with a few, but overall I just wanted something simple. After researching the idea more and feeling bogged down by suggestions, I was saved when I finally discovered this post by Jane Friedman about a suggested business plans for writers. I like Jane’s suggested format, so that’s what I use. It’s simple with four columns: Area of Focus, Goals, Timeline (my word; she says “Timing”) and Action List.

So I thought I might share with you what I include in my business plan.

In the focus column I include four main areas: Writing, Publishing, Marketing and Platform. These areas have their own row and for each focus area, I add projects and ideas as goals, note an expected timeline and add an action list for each particular project.

The goals column for writing and publishing would include whatever projects I’m currently working on, whether they are in first draft, final revisions or just the nugget of an idea that I want to begin researching and making notes about. I note in the timeline column when I anticipate completing each project, or I leave it open-ended if it’s still an idea that’s a WIP. Under the action list for writing, I use bullet points to list tasks still pending for each project. Those tasks might include the date the manuscript is due to the editor, how many words per day/week will result in my completing the novel within the timeframe I’ve guesstimated, what areas need further research, cover option or ideas I need to check out, and anything else to keep me focused. Under the action list for publishing, I use bullet points for tasks relating to final formatting, anything necessary to do right before publishing and also tasks I need to complete once the book is published.

My goals related to marketing are based on the projects underway and soon to be published, along with ideas on how to market previous listings and what I might do to further market myself. These might include online promotions for previous listings, a specific promotion for a newly published book, social media marketing, or live events where I can promote myself as an author. My timeline column for marketing can be all over the place for new books, since I’m hazarding a guess based on when I think I may publish. That timeline is more forgiving, but it can also help me stay on task to keep up with regular or seasonal promotions for past publications and for any upcoming events I have already scheduled. The action list for marketing will include bullet points with specific ideas on how to promote a newly published book, an event or tasks for regular and seasonal promotions, but it can also include a brain dump of random ideas that I may like to utilize during the next quarter.

Goals relating to the focus of platform building are not necessarily specific to each quarter. My goals usually include a brain dump of what I hope to begin working on soon, or what I need to focus on in order to expand and build on where I already reach an audience. These goals reflect new ideas for engagement, visibility, interaction with readers and networking. The timeline is very forgiving, and sometimes I just list a season or the first or second half of a year, since I have no idea how long each project might take me. This action list is added to regularly whenever I come across a new idea that might help me with that particular platform idea.

This is how I’ve been organizing my business plans for the past year and so far, it works for me. I’ve tweaked a thing or two but overall, I can easily manage it, refer to it and update it (i.e. scribble all over it) as I go along and at the end of each quarter.

How I keep up with it, though, is due to quarterly and monthly check-ins. However, since this post has become long-winded, I’ll have to share my thoughts on those another time.

What works for one doesn’t always work for another, but I thought I’d share what’s been working for me. If you organize your writing, or any other creative business with a business plan, I’d be interested in hearing additional idea or thoughts.

Until next time…keep planning and carry on!

Winter projects: writing, therapy dogs & the ideal routine

PNW winter

I’m singing the winter blues while I look forward to the comfort and warmth of mild spring weather. The idea of spring seems far-reaching when temps in the PNW continue to hold fast to flat-out bone-chilling cold and we are teased with a few days of sunshine only to get blasted with a blanket of snow again. 

Getting out for walks with Jozee is a highlight for me, and we were treated to a few days of beautiful weather last month and the end of January when we were able to enjoy parks and lake and river walks, even if it was a little cold. The sun on your face helps you ignore the cooler temps. 

But I’m seriously ready for spring and warmer weather, even if it means rain.

Jozee on a river walk

In the meantime, while I dream of hikes on sunny days, I’m working on my book projects...

My young adult is coming along while I continue to write and also while I work through notes and pages first typed years ago – it’s interesting when I can see the difference in my writing (then versus now) and can make changes based on what I’ve learned since I first began writing the book.

My new series has also received my attention and I have a list of projects to complete now that I’ve mapped out what I want to do with the series. I’m excited to start checking those items off of my task list.

In addition to my writing projects, I’ve also focused on a couple of other projects…

Therapy dog training

Jozee and I have begun some new training. I’m currently taking classes to become certified as a therapy dog handler and she’s taking classes to prepare her for testing to become a therapy dog. My classes will be complete later this month and her classes go into next month, after which we’ll complete a test together as a team. If we pass, we’ll begin visiting at a nearby hospital a couple of times a month. If we aren’t able to pass the initial test, it’ll mean some additional training and another test in six months. It’s not all bad, as that would mean Jozee would be older (closer to 2 years) and I’ll have shadowed other handlers to learn better skills. Either way, we’ll get there and eventually take part in the rewarding experience of visiting hospital patients.

This time of year is when resolutions from the New Year begin to fizzle and I’ve noticed a swarm of posts and worksheets or e-course offers from bloggers and writers about how to avoid procrastination, increase productivity, find an ideal routine and prioritize priorities in order to stay on task. Since I’m a writer and not immune to procrastination or self-sabotage, I read some posts and took advantage of some of the worksheets and a few e-courses. While I have my 90-day plan for my writing projects, which helps me review my goals in an attempt to stay on task, I never thought about a 90-day plan for my personal life. In my review, I realized I haven’t been solidly on task and that my work/life balance isn’t really balanced, possibly because I’m working from home and sometimes those lines are just too easily blurred.

The month of March is going to be a month of learning, where I’ll learn more about therapy dog training, more about myself as I work on the “ideal” routine and more about my writing while I review and revise a project from the past and get to know new characters as I piece together a completely new series.

These projects will keep me busy enough while I wait for the break of winter when it finally gives the stage to spring.

What about you? What projects keep you busy during the cold winter months?

Whatever the project may be, stay warm out there.

Until next time…

I’ve lost a bunch of hats, and my head feels funny!

If you had to come up with one word to describe yourself or your current situation in life, what would it be? I can imagine coming up with one word might actually prove to be very difficult.

If you are like most, you’re wearing any number of hats on any given day given your current situation…parent, spouse, employee, employer, entrepreneur, chauffeur of children, coach of your son or daughter’s team, caretaker of a child, a spouse or a parent…and the list goes on and on.

Those hats change every so often, and especially when you enter each new season in life. From being young parents, to middle-aged married beings with high school or college kids and very busy schedules, to empty nesters to retirees; each season can bring about change that is gradual or very swift, but regardless of either, it brings about a change in the hats we wear.

I’ve come to the conclusion that these past few months, while I’ve been tackling time management alongside puppy rearing and playtime, I’ve also been tackling something I hadn’t realized was even an obstacle. That obstacle was my inability to realize that my expectations in life were drawn from how I managed myself when I was wearing previous hats, in previous seasons, under previous situations.

I failed to realize that I was undergoing a transition.

In my last post I commented on warmer days or my next vacation and, honestly, those days were just right around the corner because I left only a week later for a vacation in a warmer state to celebrate my birthday. And this wasn’t just any birthday; it was a big one. One of those birthdays you say doesn’t really bother you, because your age is just a number, right? Honestly, it really didn’t bother me, until I got to thinking more seriously about it.

What got me thinking more seriously about it was the fact that I’ve entered a new season, but my mindset might not have caught up to the idea that my life has changed quite a bit. My life is not what it was before when I wore all those hats as a busy mom, wife and daughter, who also worked for someone else or for herself while running her own business. I’m not an empty nester yet, but it’s close, and while I enjoy spending time with my husband, and having a puppy feels like having a child again (pure understatement, really J), my schedule is not wrapped around what everyone else in the household is doing or what an employer requires of me.

My schedule is my own.

That one little fact in addition to the entry into a new decade has left me just a little breathless. All those hats I use to wear, which we all know can get a little heavy sometimes since women are so terrible at finding time to take them all off to care for themselves, have dwindled down to just a few. Imagine, rather than the idiom reference, if you wore one real hat every single day for a whole year, how would your head feel when you finally took it off? It may feel very much like what it is to suddenly not be so many things to so many other people.

While I have been more committed to self care the past year or so, I thought it was just because I had finally realized how absolutely necessary it was. However, it may have been my way of preparing for the upcoming transition I was going to go through. I just hadn’t realized it at the time.

Being so many things to so many people for awhile begins to feel normal, maybe because the constant pull in so many directions gives a false sense of feeling grounded. But when change occurs and you’re not pulled in all different directions, you may feel a little off balanced if some of the tugging suddenly stops. That’s how I visually see things when it comes to what some women must feel like when this sort of transition occurs.

Writing is one way that keeps me grounded, which may seem funny since my books are all fiction. I also have a number of ways to focus on self care, such as journaling, yoga, and so forth, but as with anything, I’ll learn as I go to determine what works best for me. A transition also means change or evolution, which also means progression and development. It means learning more about yourself and evolving as you continue to move forward. It also means, no matter what age you are, how many hats you wear or what season you’re in, what you learn about yourself will help you through each transition and hopefully as you move on into the next.

Whatever season you’re in, however many hats you wear, I hope you take time to focus on self care and find what also keeps you grounded so that when all the tugging suddenly stops, you don’t find yourself unbalanced and flat on your back.

Quarterly check in: April showers, fur babies & serial killer?

As I sit at my desk contemplating what I might want to blog about today, I’m hearing the constant downpour on the rooftop just outside my office window. The forecast for today indicates 100% chance of rain, but I really don’t need a weather app to tell me that.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest means this much rain doesn’t faze me all that much. In fact, I find it kind of soothing. Of course, what I really mean is that I find it soothing when I can remain indoors, warm and dry. If I have to venture out and drive in it, I’m really not all that thrilled. And, to be honest, as much as I don’t mind the rain, I’ll admit I longingly look forward to warmer days when I can spend more time outside or when I can take part in a vacation to a warmer climate.

Until those warmer days or my next vacation, today is a day when I’m staying put so if Mother Nature wants to treat us to an excessive amount of rain, so be it.

Since rain does mean staying put on a Sunday afternoon, I’m taking time today to go through my writing tasks to get a sense of where I am with them, or how far behind I might be, in order to run through a quarterly review. I’m already aware of the fact that I’ve had good days and bad days when it came to staying on task the past few months, for various reasons, so the fact that I’m behind isn’t a surprise.

Koa & Kai - inseparable

Having a puppy and two kittens that constantly demand my attention is obviously one of the biggest reasons I’ve been distracted the past two months. 

From the kittens chewing or scratching up papers, to digging miniatures out of my dollhouse, to sitting on my desk right in front of my computer screen, and from Jozee needing regular potty breaks and chewing on shoes and walls and the kittens themselves, I’m up and out of my chair more times than I can count. If I had a dollar for every time I said the words, “no” or “stop that,” I’d be set for life! But then the kittens eventually settle down, Jozee does her best to behave, and I keep telling myself to just breathe…it’s temporary…it’s just temporary…eventually I’ll get back on a regular schedule. And at least I’m moving more regularly and keeping up a good step count. J

Jozee

January was a productive month, and I was able to complete the tasks necessary so that the fourth book in my series was finally published the first part of February. Just in time, too, since the beginning of February was primarily focused on Jozee. 

The rest of February and much of March were hit and miss when it came to making real headway on my projects, but between my young adult, another book in the series, and a short story, when I do find the time to work I have plenty to work on.

Between watching Jozee and the kittens to working on my books in between naps and play time (seriously!), here are just a few other notes with regard to my recent progress:

I shared in one of my last blog posts that I had started reading “The Artist’s Way” and that I was going to try to make use of the morning pages idea – that didn’t really pan out for me. I was too busy with Jozee first thing in the morning and by the time I was able to sit down to work on anything, I wanted to use my limited free time to work on my books. I’m probably going to try the idea again in another month or so.

I did, however, begin reading again “The Writer’s Workout” by Christina Katz. Right now this type of book is easier for me to stick with and the daily tips will continue to push me as I move forward and continue to adjust my new writing schedule around the daily distractions of fur babies and whatever else pops up.

I also shared in a past post about my attempt to start using a bullet journal – I’m finally getting the hang of it and I really enjoy it. It’s messy, compared to all the pretty examples I see others sharing, but it works for me and I love the freedom I have to make it my own so that it works for me.

I got our taxes done – have to celebrate that one! J

And, odd fact, I was running through and updating information on all the characters in my series – I found it interesting that I’ve killed off 12 characters so far. I’m a virtual serial killer. Not sure what to think about that!

Although I feel behind on some tasks, I’m still making progress as I’m able, and as long as I continue to do that, all will be well. Just like the little saying I have at the beginning of my bullet journal, “A little progress each day adds up to big results.”

Have a great day!

January - a great jump-start for 2018

We’re at the end of the first month of this New Year…and you can probably guess from my title that this month has been a good one for me.

First and most exciting is that the 4^th book in my series (Cross My Heart) is complete, as I mentioned in my last post, and it will be available very soon. I’m thrilled beyond words to finally have this book out – it has been a WIP for much too long. So far, the feedback on this story has been very positive and I can’t wait for others to finally read it.

Now that Book #4 can be checked off my list, I’ll work on getting myself out there to attend events to meet readers in person and to share my books with those who don’t yet know about me. And so far, with only a month in, I’m doing pretty well after scheduling two meet the author/book signings…one in March and another in June. It’s a bit of a wait but the upside is it gives me more time to prepare. Either way, it feels great to have two already scheduled.

Since there aren’t any writer’s conferences scheduled until later in the year, I will continue to find other ways to learn from like-minded individuals. For example, I’m currently participating in a week-long summit showcasing multiple speakers including writers, bloggers and business entrepreneurs who are sharing advice on multiple subjects, some of which include time management, marketing, branding and productivity. With a packed schedule on various subjects, I look forward to learning useful tips from others who are willing to share their experiences.

I received my copy of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and I began the process of taking part in morning pages three days ago (stream-of-consciousness writing in longhand). I already know there’s an artist in me; so my purpose in trying out this process is to tap deeper into my creativity. It could be interesting to see what I discover and eventually I may share if or how this process helps me.

Completing a novel is one of the most liberating feelings for me as a writer – I really enjoy closing one project and beginning the next. Now I can freely focus on my next projects. And yes, I’m do mean multiple projects when I say that…while I don’t want to overextend myself, I have the time and ability to manage several projects so I will take advantage of that. Even so, the lists of books and other projects I want to complete only continues to expand, so I will use time management and goal setting skills to prioritize and stay on task.

So how am I doing that? While I mentioned using a bullet journal in my last post, that book will be used primarily for my personal life and tasks…with a few pages set aside for writer stuff when a thought hits me if I’m out and about and I need to make a note. Then that note will be transferred to my writing planner where I track all sorts of items: writing projects, ideas and task lists, weekly/monthly/yearly goals, social media ideas and to-do’s, marketing ideas and to-do’s, book events and conference information and anything else writing-related. I use a weekly calendar to track my schedule, daily word count, social media tasks, details relating to phone conferences or e-mails from book event coordinators and my weekly focus.  I also keep track on a larger scale with regard to items I need to complete on a monthly basis.

There is a lot of information to track, which is even more of a reason to stay organized. 

I was both excited and a bit anxious when I finally decided to make a big change this year with regard to my schedule and my desire to live a creative life. January has been a test month for me – but it did not disappoint and I’m thrilled to continue to move forward and especially to begin working on some other projects that have been put on the back burner for too long.

Month one is done – now on to the next. And I will be posting soon when the 4^th book in the series is available for online purchase. 

Have a great day!

An extra hour with snow is my kind of day!

An extra hour in the day – it can feel like a gift, those extra sixty minutes. If I have to admit to how I used my extra hour today, it’s probably the time I spent going outdoors to take photos of the snow we were treated to this morning and sharing those photos on social media with my friends and family. October treated us to some very nice weather, but November appears to have other ideas, having shown its hand with a dusting of snow as early as the second day of the month and a good amount today. 

1st good snow of 2017

If I had to pick one of my favorite weekends of the year, this is one of them, because I love the idea of getting an extra hour in my day. Sometimes I use it wisely, other times I don’t, but I like the idea of it, just the same. Of course, six months from now when we turn our clocks back, I often wonder why the heck we still take part in daylight savings because I thoroughly dislike the idea of actually losing a whole hour of my day.

But do we have to wait for daylight savings to gain that extra hour? Or can we easily find an extra hour or more every week depending on how we use our time? 

Well, of course it depends on whether we use our time wisely; it’s just not always that simple.

I’ve come to recognize that the concept of time management is going to be a lifelong work in progress; there’s just no getting around that. Not because it’s a difficult concept to learn, but because life happens. Things change. You may get to a place where you have it all figured out but then discover you have to adjust your schedule around new obligations, other people, different schedules. What you learn is how to adjust your expectations of how to manage your time depending on what you currently need to account for.

As we move into this new month, I’m preparing myself so that I can stay on task. October had a lot going on, and I don’t expect November to be any different. What I have always liked about November is that it can be a good month to find the extra time to stay in and write and is also the reason taking part in NaNoWriMo can work for me. However, with many things to focus on currently, both personally and professionally, I had to admit to myself that I just wouldn’t be able to find the extra time needed to join and commit to NaNoWriMo this month. 

Sometimes you just have to acknowledge that while you may be able to find extra time in the day, you might not be able to find time for everything you’d like to do. I gave up joining NaNoWriMo for that reason. I feel good about my decision and I know there’s always next November, or even Camp Nano in the spring or summer before that if I so choose.

Instead, I’ll be completing the tasks necessary to publish the fourth book in the Jorja Matthews’ mystery series, as well as other to-do’s I need to focus on in order to prepare for the end of the year. This upcoming New Year will include many changes for me, leaving me with a lot to complete in order to accommodate these changes. As those who know me are aware, I’m not one to nonchalantly take on change, so I’m making good use of the time I have to prepare myself. Regardless of the fact that change is coming and my time management skills will again be put to the test, it is all positive and exciting and I am eager to see what this next year has in store.

In the meantime, I think I’ll make more use of my extra time today to enjoy taking more photographs. 

Have a great week!

Who are you going to be this year?

Play time in Monterey, CA

The first full week of this New Year is coming to a close – how did the beginning of the New Year start out for you?  Did you run at full steam, fresh out of the gate, ready to take on the world?  Did you take your time, carefully mapping out your new routine, thoughts and ideas you hope will garner victory with your goals?  Or did you decide to tuck yourself in and hibernate just one more week before you hit the ground running?

Whatever your process, we now have 51 weeks left of this year…still plenty of time to reach those goals, make those changes, find more time to do what makes us happy and whole.

My New Year began fairly well - while I was not quite running at full steam, and there were days when I just wanted to hibernate for awhile longer (it’s been so cold!), for the most part I went through the process of mapping out what I need to do to keep myself on track and I was able to make some good headway on what I expect from my author self, including some good time spent working on the fourth book in my series.

I have a new writing planner all ready to go – where I can track my status as I write, as I research and learn, as I market, promote, blog and otherwise work on my author platform.  It helps me keep myself accountable when I can see at a glance what I’ve accomplished in any given week or over a whole month.

I have my weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly to-do lists all compiled and ready to complete and check off as each month passes by.

I have inspirational quotes and photos in my new planner, on my desk and in my office.  Here are a few of my favorites from my 2016 planner: 

“Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.” ~Pablo Picasso~ 

“Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” 

~Jack Canfield~

 “Surprise yourself every day with your own courage.”  ~Denholm Elliott~

“When something goes wrong in your life just yell ‘plot twist!’ and move on.”

The last one is my favorite, because it’s humorous but it’s probably the hardest to attempt considering all the ‘plot twists’ I’ve dealt with the past two years.  I’ll likely get back to posting positive quotes on my Facebook page on a semi-regular basis…they help me as much as anyone who might see them on any given day.

In addition to preparations made to hit the stride I need to move on in full force, I had to ask myself this question: who are you going to be this year?

I know how I could be described…there are the obvious labels like, mother, wife, daughter, employee, friend, business owner, dog lover.  I could also be described as curious and creative, confident and organized, sincere and trustworthy. 

But what changes do I have to make to become who I want to be? 

To reach my goals?  

To live a balanced and creative life?  

To be able to do what makes me happy and whole?

Who I want to be would include my good attributes, but to succeed in life I need to water down those that hold me back, such as fear of change, hidden insecurities or the craving to remain in my comfort zone.  I want to be passionate, motivated and have a strong belief in myself, but the person I want to be would also include being open to change, an inspiration to others, determined, energetic and fearless. 

So there you go – I’m a work in progress, just like the books I’m currently working on, but with positive change the results will be improvement and momentum.

And that’s what I’m looking for this year, so I’m on the right track!

NaNoWriMo update – week 3

Are you getting tired of hearing about the month-long writing challenge yet?  

It will be over soon enough, but thankfully not for another week and a half because there’s still a lot I can get done.

I’m still managing my time pretty well, getting my word count in at a decent rate and I’m seriously having a lot of fun with my characters.  I’m looking forward to going back through what I’ve put together at the end of the month so that I can add in more detail and tie the chapters together for a smoother ride.  But that has to happen later – until then, to get through this challenge, you have to tell your inner critic to shut the heck up and leave you alone.  To feel real movement, I’m focusing on major scenes, new characters and key points that will move the story forward as they relate to each plot or subplot – it’s later that I’ll plug in the little details and fill in the blanks or plot holes. 

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming 4-day weekend.  Of course, I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving, a delicious turkey dinner and time spent with family.  But after that?  I’m really looking forward to having three whole days to spend on writing.  Those three days should easily net me at least another 15,000 words, if not more.

Since I’m already over 32,000 words, any writing I make time for after this next weekend will likely be a bonus.

I’m ready to start the fourth week of this challenge, I’m super excited about a work week that’s going to be shorter than the weekend, I look forward to time with family (and leftover turkey sandwiches), and I can’t wait to see how far I’m able to get with my story and with my word count by the end of the week.

There’s a lot to look forward to – I hope you also have a great week!

Diligence & Discipline For Hire - 50,000 words required

It’s that time of year again…when many writers decide on whether or not they are going to take part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  It can be a difficult decision to commit to and since my last go-round with NaNoWriMo was in 2014, it took me until yesterday to finally decide whether I was going to join.

So what did I decide?

I decided I’m in.

It’s a tough time of year to commit to something so time-consuming, especially when I review my schedule and know that I’ll be taking part in this challenge while working around so many other responsibilities and upcoming events scheduled throughout the month.

But then, I’m a sucker for a challenge.

Besides, each month of every year has a number of responsibilities and events that we can use as an excuse not to join.  There’s a saying that if you make an argument for your limitations, then you get to keep them.  So why not make an argument for the possibilities instead?  There is no risk in joining, other than that the coveted word count may not be reached, while the rewards gained from this challenge can last a lifetime. 

And if I’m honest with myself, it’ll be good for me. 

NaNoWriMo is great for any writer who needs to re-evaluate their time management, taken an exercise in discovery and learn to work around obstacles.  Time management is a necessary evil when you have days full of to-do lists.  An exercise in discovery is what can occur when you are quickly creating something and prevent yourself from getting in the way of your creation.  And obstacles in life are pitfalls that may give you pause and make you ponder, but they should not prevent you from finding time to be present and ready to create. 

So I’m going to work steadily with diligence and discipline as I inch my way down the page each day towards my goal.  I’ll enjoy taking part in a creative process that will inspire me as I keep a steady rhythm and gain valuable habits. 

Whether or not I reach the goal of 50,000 words, I know the exercise will still benefit me in many ways, but I’m going to do my best to earn my completion badge at the end of the month.  I’ll be posting throughout November as I take part in the NaNoWriMo challenge.

I’m excited and ready to begin!

The tools I use as life shifts between busy, bad and beautiful

If you’re on Facebook, you might receive those posts reminding you of something that happened to you a number of years ago. Today, I was informed that I became friends with my aunt seven years ago…on Facebook, that is. In life, we’ve been friends much longer than that.

Lately, what these reminder posts have accomplished is to give me a little shock when I realize how much has happened in the few short years since this or that occurred. If I use this latest FB reminder to go on, the amount of change our family has had to adjust to in only seven years is astounding.  From one end of the spectrum to the other, from incredible highs to extreme lows, all in the middle of what life usually has to offer.       

I’m sure many of you know what I mean.

Whether life is busy, beautiful or bad, I was pretty good at figuring out a way to swim through the muck and get done what I needed to get done. For the most part, anyway – I still had those days and while I’ve always been organized, time management has always been a work in progress. But when I lost my dad early last year, what had usually worked for me became foreign, difficult to stick with, or just outright challenging to even attempt.      

During a recent reflective moment, I reviewed my blog posts for the past few years and I noticed a trend…2013 and 2014 had a good mix of blogs having to do with possibilities, positivity, productivity, characters, the writing process, staying organized, recharging, creative chaos, perseverance, distractions, patience, time management, editing, publishing, writing events and holidays.

My dad passed away on January 2, 2015, and I’m sure most would understand when I say that my process as I managed life became difficult for awhile. Posts for 2015 were less than half the amount than the year before and included the subjects of loss, writer’s block, feelings/fears, characters (when they were speaking to me), productivity, motivation and time management. But the posts related to productivity, motivation and time management were likely more of a pep talk to myself, as I continued to try to stay on task given everything that had happened.

I had to get through a lot of firsts after Dad passed away and when I finally got through the first anniversary of his death, something finally happened. I realized I was continuing to remain stuck in the past and that I needed to get my head back into the present. When a person is able to do that, especially after such a great loss, it’s a truly beautiful thing. 

Since then, my posts for 2016 have included these subjects: a new outlook, staying on track, clearing the clutter, book events, staying focused, characters, and the writing process. Some days, I have a hard time coming up with what I want to share (I’m not immune to difficult days) but today I wanted to share what I’ve been doing to help keep myself focused and on task. 

Most important is writing – 

Good or bad, just getting something down is really important – this quote helps motivate me:

Reading to relax and unwind.  

I’ve always been a reader but I’ve slacked on how many books I can get through in a year, so I’m finding the time to read through the pile of books I constantly keep adding to.

Continuing to learn something new... 

about writing, marketing, blogging, or whatever might help me as an author. Learning from others will also provide me with motivation and inspiration and it helps to learn what works, and what doesn’t, for others who are doing what I do.

Clearing the clutter and reducing the creative chaos.  

I’ve taken on this task in the past, but most recently I have decided my past attempts have only scratched the surface. It’s going to take me awhile to get through every room in the house but so far the amount of items I believe I can do without is amazing. I’m currently using Ruth Soukup’s book, Unstuffed, for ideas.  One of the most rewarding tasks to date was to really clean my desk. Not just dust it. Not just reorganize it. But to go through every drawer, every shelf, every tray and each surface that has become more of a catch-all. Once I was done, I was floored by how much better my desk looked and how less chaotic it felt when I was trying to write or work on other projects. It is unbelievable how much better I feel when I sit at my desk and now I can enjoy creating without all that chaos waiting to curb my enthusiasm.

After

Before

Paying more attention to what will calm my spirit and feed my soul.  

There’s much to be said when it comes to this subject. Being mindful, purposeful and grateful are extremely important and keep me motivated and inspired, and push my thoughts in a positive and productive direction, which will help keep me moving forward rather than looking backward.

Staying healthy – 

It's a hot topic right now and easier said than done when hurdles keep coming up but there are baby steps we can take…drinking plenty of water, getting enough rest, walking if nothing else in order to get ourselves moving rather than sitting all day, learning to eat right or in moderation with what is right for us. Now that I can begin working on my gardens again, I look forward to getting outside and playing in the dirt. Not only is it good when it comes to staying active, it’s great for my mind because I can work out so many character and plot issues when I’m gardening. And of course, we can all benefit from some more Vitamin D.

There’s more that can be added to this list and if you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them. But this is some of what I wanted to share when it comes to what I’ve been doing to stay focused and to move forward with motivation towards goals I wish to achieve. What I hope is that eventually these tools can help me shed the busy, reduce (or better get through) the bad and always enjoy what’s beautiful. 

Until next time; carry on, read on and have a great week!

Gimme a break…

When you hear the phrase, gimme a break, it may bring a few things to mind: the memory of an old sitcom, a television commercial about a candy bar, or that instant reaction you have when something just doesn’t go your way.

Or, maybe you just really need a break.

My response to that phrase is mostly the fourth option – you know what I mean? When you feel as if you need a time out - for a whole day or even a whole week - so you can just figure out how to get caught up on everything?

I wrote, recently, about staying focused when it comes to finding a way to reach our goals.  Specifically for me, the goals I’m usually writing about involve…well, writing and my continued journey as a published author. And I also recently wrote about what I did to help myself when it comes to writing so that I can do better about staying on task weekly, monthly and even yearly. But when it comes to other areas in my life: work, home, family, when I can go on vacation again, those too involve goals that require some focus so I don’t get lost in the sea of to-do lists.

But how do we find the time, energy and ability to focus well in all areas and also reach specific goals when it comes to each area?

That is the question of the day.

My focus for the past few months has had to continuously shift from many important areas: the needs of my high school senior who will soon graduate before moving on to college; the needs of a family member who I am assisting as she battles a life-threatening illness; and the demands of a job where hands on deck have been slim and duties far outweigh the available hours in the day. This is in addition to keeping up with a writing schedule, taking care of my family, the house and myself; while making day-to-day decisions we always hope will keep us healthy, wealthy and wise. 

Time management has been an on-going issue ever since I took on a full time job right about the time I also first became a published author, and I will always try to learn new tricks and tips that might offer some benefits. Even going back to some old posts I wrote myself has been helpful…and in reviewing those about time management I came across this one about being productive versus just being busy. Part of that post involved ideas on how to stay on task, including making lists to stay on track. Anyone who knows me knows I love to make lists.  So what I decided to do was to use that idea to begin making lists of the “have to’s” and “want to’s” in my daily life, involving, writing, health, home, and family. Oddly enough, the lists aren’t huge. Some items are obvious and easily managed on a daily basis out of routine while others I could easily accomplish after a little more time in order to form a habit.

However, one list in particular has really grown…and that would be my projects under a “want to” list. 

When I wrote recently about decluttering, I started out with the intention of cleaning each room and removing/getting rid of items I no longer need or want.  But since I started the process, the act has brought on a revelation for me that I’m sure I knew, but just never really saw until I made “the list.” And it was pretty much a ‘gimme a break’ moment. The revelation is that I have so many unfinished projects, with some that began many years ago and I may have kept up with them for quite some time, but I haven’t been able to find the time to stay on course or actually complete them.  Examples include: a scrapbook from our last road trip, organizing photos for the past four years, finishing a quilt out of completed cross stitched patterns, painting a few more ceramic houses to add to my Christmas village, completing a scrapbook for my writing projects and so on, and so on. 

Actually, I could find the time to complete one or two projects, but when there are too many to choose from, it becomes much more difficult to choose wisely from the list while finding time out of the few precious moments of every day. 

This is where my need for a break came in…but taking a day off from life won’t help me shrink that project list without causing me anxiety in other areas of my life, especially since it’ll take more than a day or two. My next task is to narrow down that project list to what I really want to complete, and what I can actually do without completing. Then I’ll pick a project based on its importance, begin from there, and once I finish with one, I’ll move on to the next. Some may take only a day or two while others may take a few weeks since items on my “have to” and other “want to” lists will always come first. 

While this project of putting together a task list to complete these projects wouldn’t be called taking a break, it will eventually give me more time to manage what’s important if I’m able to prioritize tasks, make sense of what’s essential, and recognize what can wait, or what doesn’t need to be done at all.  

The result of this project as a whole should give me the ultimate prize…some extra time to take more breaks and eventually I’ll also be clearing the clutter.  

I hope you also find some extra time to call your own – have a great week!