Finding balance in your writing routine

There is something in the way that many of us approach life where we feel it is important to do it all. We have to be a mother, a loving wife, successful in business, a sex goddess, and mentally stable. We give so much of ourselves to others that we often forget to leave something for ourselves. And when the pressures of life become too much, multiple things from that list go out the window.

Our friends might see the disaster coming and tell us that we need to slow down. Yet, there is something in our psyches pushing us to keep going. We have to be Wonder Woman—until we can't function anymore and we break down.

Numerous times in recent years, I have been forced to face this very situation. There are things that I want to achieve, and I know what it will take to get there. But there are only so many hours in the day and sleep is a necessity—unfortunately. So, other things get neglected, and the question of my mental stability is often left on the table for discussion.

I know I'm not alone in this struggle. When I have a conversation with others about time management, common threads seem to surface. It doesn't matter if you're a woman or not. It doesn't matter if your writer or not. Finding the balance between what you do and who you are is a struggle for everyone.

Slay the Naysayers

Every writer encounters at least one naysayer, even in the early stages of their writing careers. You know the ones I'm talking about. They're the people who say things that make you feel bad about your choices, or they hinder your ability to make progress, they shake your confidence, or zap you of energy.

They come in all different shapes and size. And some of them are stealthy in their actions, not even realizing what they're doing and the negative impact that they have over your writing.

But there are strategies for dealing with the naysayers, so you can make progress towards your hopes and dreams. It all comes down to mindset.

In today's post, I want to share with you some of my personal experiences with the different naysayers and how I deal with them.

How much control do you have over your goals?

We're coming to the end of the year, which means that people around the world are going to start reflecting on the year that has just past and are going to start making those New Year's resolutions. It's only nature. A new year. A new start.

Many writers will start their year with new goals too. Some writers decide to finally get their names out there, building their online presence. Others will set the goal of publishing that book. Others just want to finish the dreaded manuscript. Whatever the goal, there will be common threads among writers.

You have likely seen a few messages or posts on other sites regarding SMART goals. This is important, because they do make the goals attainable and a little less daunting. However, there is an additional aspect to goal setting that I want my fellow writers to think about.

How much of your goal is in YOUR control?

Play with Screen Brightness and Color Schemes.

You’ve come to the end of a really long day and you would like to do some writing, but you just can’t face that monitor. Time to play around with those monitor settings.

Eye strain is something that plagues many of us in this day and age. We spend so much time on our computers or electronic devices that our eyes just aren’t coping. Many will read their eBooks off of a tablet or smartphone, and that laptop seems to be attached to our limbs. Or we’ll watch the latest movie on that LCD TV mounted on the wall. Between our day jobs and the computer requirements there, and our home lives, no wonder so many of us suffer from eye strain headaches every day.

However, there are some tricks that we can play to keep the eye strain away.Read More→

Knowledge, Self-Doubt and Support

Every writer goes through moments of self doubt. None of us are immune. It’s a natural part of the process. These feelings come in waves, often striking hardest when we’ve taken a step outside of our comfort zone — sometimes triggered by a setback.

If you scour the internet, you’ll find many inspirational stories where one has pushed through the self doubt and has gone on to bigger and better things. However, none of these stories give you insights into how one might actually push through the self doubt.

In truth, there is only one way: the support of those around you, but not family and friends.

Creating Focus for Your Writing

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have a large number of writing projects on the go. Every time I turn around, there’s another idea that pops into my head that calls my attention. However, one needs to find a way to focus their writing efforts, so they actually complete their projects.

Developing focus is one of the topics that I have found myself talking about with my mentoring clients and in my personal writing groups. There seems to be a general consensus. If you are wanting to eventually turn your writing into a way of making a living, you need to tackle this issue by compartmentalizing your writing.

Let me explain further.
Read More→

Refueling the Writing Muse