Developing My Writing Habit

I enjoy writing things out with a pen on paper. Writing gives me a chance to slow my racing brain down and complete an entire thought. Writing with a pen on paper also gives me a chance to use my damaged right shoulder in a different way than using a mouse and a keyboard. I also get the pleasure of practicing my handwriting which has always been important to me but something I have not focused on for a long time.

Using a pen on paper to put down a thought that's been rolling around in my head is also very therapeutic for me. The slower pace of handwriting can really bring the details out and help me discover new things or different paths and ways to accomplish goals.

I started keeping a journal quite seriously as a teenager in high school as part of an assignment for my English class. As a 17-year-old, I did not fully grasp the profound effect that writing out my thoughts, feelings, and ideas would have on my life but I kept up the practice for many years.

When my twins were born I recall writing a very negative journal entry about their absent, biological father. A few days later, upon re-reading that entry, I realized two things: 1) That I did not like this negative and hateful woman and 2) I did not want this negative, hateful woman raising my precious daughters.

The reading is that journal entry was a very humbling and eye-opening experience. I had visions of a life with my children that I knew I did not want to come to fruition and I knew that the only one that could change that was me.

Since that profound experience, I worked hard to develop a more positive attitude and focus on moving forward as a loving, single parent of two beautiful girls. However, the almost daily habit of writing in my journal slowly dwindled to nothing which is sad

The loss of my journal practice means I did not document a lot of my thoughts, feelings, and insights during my girls growing up years. I sporadically wrote but I don't recall my writing as being as profound as that highly negative entry that initiated a much-needed change in my attitude and outlook on life.

Here and there I have picked up the practice of consistent writing only to let it dwindle and disappear again. I often wonder if the eye-opening effect of that awful journal entry triggered something deep inside me that equated negative thoughts and feelings with journal writing as a practice. I wonder if that subconscious, erroneous connection is what drove me away from my faithful practice of writing.

As I look back I recall all of the excuses I used like lack of time or energy. Spending money on a new journal was a waste because there were so many more important things to use that money for. I sometimes just felt like I had nothing important to say so why bother writing?

As a whole, I feel that regular writing is a practice I truly want to bring back as a daily routine whether it be journaling or blogging or working on book ideas. I feel like writing is a vital part of keeping my brain in check and my soul soothed.

What are your thoughts on writing? Do you have a regular writing habit? Published: By: Yvonne - February 13, 2020

Planning Tools I Use to Stay Organized

When I plan my schedule, I do my very best to compensate for those random things I can think of that might pop up like:

• Traffic
• Weather
• Other people running early or late
• Longer lines than usual at the grocery store, pharmacy or bank, etc.

You know, the usual things that come into your brain when you are planning your day.

Life is what happens to us while we are making plans.
~Allen Saunders~

The problems that crop up that I would never, in a million years, even consider are the ones that always temporarily throw me for a loop. For example:

• The lawn maintenance person parking behind my car so he can blow out the sprinkler system. Isn't there a better spot to park other than right in the middle of our tiny parking lot?
• The neighbor, in distress, because their car battery is dead. Of course, I'm the only neighbor at home today as I've taken the day off to get some things accomplished :)

These above examples can certainly throw my plans into disarray! Especially when I am super motivated and super ready to just tackle my task list and get things done!

Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.
~Roy T. Bennet, The Light in the Heart~

Once I've had a rant in my head about the injustice of it all, I remember that I'm a great problem solver and I can rearrange my schedule to still suit my needs. I cannot be bothered to get frazzled for longer than a minute or two because I know I can still help that neighbor and get everything on my list accomplished. I can rearrange my schedule and do other things because the lawn maintenance person will only be there for 45 minutes at the most. It's all going to be okay! There's still time, all is well!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I typically plan in a very fluid and flexible manner. After many years of trial and error, I have realized that my planning style needs to be very flexible. I know that there will be things that are set in stone, so to speak. Things like a scheduled medical appointment or a family gathering or having carpets cleaned. Those events are the least flexible but are also priorities on my schedule and task list and all other tasks and events need to be scheduled around them.

So after years of trying to find a blueprint for the perfect schedule, I realized that there is not one. There are lots of great ideas out there and lots of helpful information but to find that sweet spot for me I have realized that different techniques work based on what I'm doing or what I need.

One of the apps I love and use often is the Do Now app which allows me to set-up a bunch of different tasks and includes breaks amid the task list. This app really works well when I'm using the Pomodoro Technique. I can set-up a list of tasks and set the time to work on a task (or tasks) for 25 minutes with a 5-minute break between each session. If a task will take longer than one 25 minutes session I can set more than one session for that task. Taking 5-minute breaks every 25 minutes actually helps keep me focused rather than detracting from getting that task done.

So for me, I like flexible techniques. I keep things simple and for the most part, I use my technology for keeping track of everything I need to do. My Google calendar keeps events in order. My Trello app keeps master lists of tasks and events for future reference and I also use it for goal planning. One app I use is the "Do Now" app. I use it when I need to be laser-focused and will be sitting at my computer. The break reminder helps me remember to get up and stretch so I don't get all cramped or fall down a rabbit hole (at least not too far).

When unexpected delays and problems crop up and attempt to derail your best-laid plans, how do you cope and what skills do you use to overcome the stress and frustration?

Published: By: Yvonne - February 06, 2020