When stress and doubt fill you up where do you turn? Do you escape into a good book, call a friend, or maybe watch those around you for a new idea? For the past 7-weeks I’ve been wittling away at my to-do list, making progress, and forgetting to have fun.
I need balance.
Not a break, not a complete retooling, just a little balance. Life can’t be all about work and study.
This week I’m going to continue working on the list below, but each day I’m going to make a concerted effort to break up the stress in an effort to find balance.
The Goals – week-7 results
- Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done
- Write 2,000 words each week– not done, added 486-words, maybe it’s because of the next line or maybe it’s because of what I mentioned in the opening. Regardless, writing makes me happy. WEEK-8 PRIORITY
- Spend time editing at least 2-times each week– I edited 4-days this week
- Finish reading current craft book and start another– when in doubt read craft books. Finally I got back to this book, only took 8-weeks to do it, but timing can be an interesting thing.
- Participate in Before You Hit Send Self-Editing Workshop in April– the workshop is over. I did put some of my new skills to work this week while reading my friends draft, yeah.
- Turn 2nd-draft chapters to my writer friend for her critique– I’m a smidge closer than last week
- Workout a minimum of 200-minutes a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit– 190-minutes this week and everything else was pretty good, I’m going to consider this really close to done.
- Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week (the 52-moves is like the ballet bar for Nia lovers): Cha-Cha-Cha. In place, step left-right-left, then right-left-right, in a one-two-three count. Keep your feet close to the ground. Feel free to use your hands and arms to express yourself. Find your own rhythm and play with speed. Benefits: helps develop speed and coordination.
- Finish the Sanjana bars and start the Opal bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)– I created more enlarged simplified notes to hang on the mirrors this week. Eek, only a few weeks left of this round. I better get a move on.
- Listen to the Nia sound track for the Sanjana routine each week and add Opal when I get to their bars– done
- Plan out and start participating in the last of my needed continuing education credits for PMP certification– I made progress here. I know, shocking. I finally logged into the PMI database and entered the credits I’ve already earned. I also looked up the courses I’m going to take over the summer. I still have a few more credits to plan for, but I’m about ready to get started. Thank goodness!
Priorities this week: balance, writing, editing, fun, Sanjana movements and balance
Yesterday I posted links to some of my favorite writing links of the week. I left one out, so I’m linking it here today. Jennifer Crusie posted on the 16th The Telling and the Tale, an interesting conversation between her and Krissie about story telling and story. It’s a must read.
Hope you all have a great week, productive, less stressful and fun.
S.J. Maylee 
Definitely we all need balance and a little fun! Sounds like you’re making progress at the same time. Keep up the hard work and take care of yourself. 🙂 Best wishes!
Taking care of myself, so simple, I think I was forgetting to do that. Brilliant, thank you.
Oh, I hear ya. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed and filled with doubt. Usually, I start doubting my writing by the middle of a manuscript. And stress is my life. I’m always stressed lol
I try to sit down, relax, watch a movie, read a book, go out with the kid and hubby.
Balance is never easily achieved. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever achieve it … but just trying to is already better than nothing 😉
Hope you’re feeling better this coming week!
Thanks, Juliana. You’re helping me realize I’m not alone 🙂
Yesterday my 2-yr-old walked through the room, somehow he’d gotten 1/2 undressed and he was quaking like a duck…I started laughing and that stress, that had such a tight hold, started falling away
Balance is a tricky thing for sure, a constant struggle. Trying is key, you’re right, thanks.
stress nibbles at you – walk away – i learnt the hard way a few years ago – give yourself a break be kind to yourself – one can get giddy else, lose balance, topple over:)
I enjoyed the links – thanks -keep smiling – and all best for coming week
I’m to the point now in life that I see the stress for what is it. Now I just want to realize it sooner and have a quicker way of getting rid of it. Physically walking away from that place where stress happens…I think you’re onto something, Albert. Thank you!!
You’re absolutely right about trying to find the balance between writing and everything else. And you’realready doing so well, so no need to stress 🙂 Have a great week!
TY for those sweet words, I can feel my attitude turning around already.
If I drink, I tend to like my writing a little bit more each day. LOL. It’s when I wake up sober, I question every W-O-R-D. Ugh.
Ah, that ever-elusive thing we call “balance”! If you find it, can you bottle and sell it to the rest of us? I think it’s an ongoing challenge to find the right mix of work, rest, and recharging. It is worth re-evaluating at times and making needed changes to get your priorities taken care of. Best wishes with it! You made some great progress!
I used to think the word balance was synonymous with compromise. I’ve learned such is not the case. I’ve also learned that I need to clear some room on my schedule for the things I want to do, but have been neglecting.
Congrats on your successes and all the best as you seek to live a balanced life in the days ahead.
TTFN
Compromise, yes, at times it can feel that way. But! Without balance I lose. So here I go again, working hard, looking for the break in the day to embrace the light and shades of different tasks and I’ll keep moving forward. Hopefully 🙂