Musings from my Writing Cave

Sometimes I get caught up in the mindset that I am not accomplishing a whole lot or making headway of any kind, which I believe is a side-effect of being an over-achiever. I want to do all the things, but at the end of the day, there is only so much time. What I have gotten better at with age, is taking a pause and recognizing my accomplishments. It might be that I got the kitchen clean, or got in a shower, or finished editing a book, but they are all wins in my world, especially if they are something that I had on my mental list of things to do.

When I'm particularly hard on myself I look over the past 5 years, or 10, or even 20 and focus on the things that I have not only accomplished but experienced.  When you really sit down and think about it, you can add a lot to the enrichment side of your list. I mean, you might not have done laundry for a week, but that day you spent with your family laughing about old times puts a smile on your face even now. It is all about balance, and cutting yourself some slack allows you to be at peace with those days of respite or "me time" that you sometimes squeeze in. I can't tell you how essential they are in life and the whole "take time to stop and smell the roses" phrase that we grew up hearing, is making all kinds of sense now.

I suppose that this is my reminder for you to be kind to yourself. 2020 hasn't been particularly nice to anyone so far, and it seems that we are in the "mushy middle" part of the story as writers like to call it. It is where I lose my focus on the story, when I run out of plot ideas, or when my characters stop speaking to me (yes this is actually a thing). I see a lot of similarities between writing a book and the year 2020 as strange as that may seem. But what I am really trying to say in a nutshell is listen to your body and give it the proper rest and replenishing it needs. That way, you can better accomplish all the things that bring you joy. We will all get through this mushy middle, and it is my hope that at the end of it all, we will end up with that happily-ever-after we all strive for. XO