Letting go of rumination (aka my desire to stop beating dead horses)

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Letting Go in 2012

"I swear, you live in your head."
"Cheryl, stop overthinking things."
"You are such a cerebral person, Cheryl."
"You've analyzed this to death, Cher."
"You need to get out of your head."

These are true words spoken by good friends this year, more so in the last couple of months. I've known it to be true, but forcing yourself not to dwell on something is like a kid forcing himself not to fall asleep: the opposite of the desired effect usually results. Yesterday, I received the following article in my inbox from Real Simple: 6 Steps to Stop Overthinking Your Life. I rolled my eyes yet clicked it open and began reading. Reading about people called ruminators. Reading about me.

The strategies given by the article's contributors for overcoming rumination make sense. Shift your focus. I said to myself upon reading that, "I've tried that, but it never works!" Uh, that's because my idea of shifting focus is taking a nap. Perhaps if I tried this strategy the way it was meant to be carried out, I would find a happy side effect of reading more books or writing more. Speaking of writing, I've known this to be a wonderful cure for rumination in the past, and I've even had the inclination to do so recently, but I think I've developed a slight anxiety about putting my feelings in writing - Will my journals really remain private? What will eventually happen to those journals? Will my friend who promised to burn them when I die keep her word? I know that this is a silly paranoia; still it often prevents me from relying on the outlet of writing, so I'm thinking maybe a password-protected file on my computer. And a challenging book that requires all of my attention for total comprehension - maybe a book in Hebrew even. Shifting focus and writing. These are the techniques I'm going to try in 2012 in an attempt to finally let go of - or at least do less - ruminating.

What do you want to let go of in 2012?

Set It Sunday: Double Feature

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As my Set It Sunday post from last week vanished into thin air, I guess I'll backtrack a bit (thus the double feature). My goal from two weeks ago was to write every day. Though I didn't get to spend as much time writing as I wanted, nor did I write all I had hoped to, I did write, and that's the most important thing.

My goal for this past week was to do one thing outside my comfort zone. I opted to take an in-person scrapbook-related class, which doesn't sound like it'd be outside my comfort zone, but it truly was because 1) I hate going to things like that by myself, and 2) the class required me to use all sorts of tools with which I was completely unfamiliar. The experience was a bit nerve-wracking as I found myself fumbling with the easiest of tasks, but I survived and even had a bit of fun. Of course, the best part is that I have a handmade smash book that I can't wait to use (and will share in a separate post).

Set It

This week I'm going to be participating in an online blogging conference:

My goal for the week is to actively participate, despite the craziness that has become my life (which is an entirely different post).

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PS. It will probably be another few days before I can start making my blog-reading rounds again. I finally gave up on Google Reader, which vehemently hated me, and am in the process of setting up my new reader.

Set It Sunday: Less Thinking, More Doing

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Future Me, now Present Me, is happy to see a few thoughts blogged this week. They weren't necessarily the posts I had intended, but they are posts nonetheless, and I think they may have gotten me back on the blogging horse, so to speak.

Set It

Today during lunch, a girlfriend and I had a great think session, in which we each wrote down all the things we want to be doing that we aren't. We talked through our lists with each other to identify our priorities, discussed different strategies for achieving our goals, and then chose one action item that we would complete before having lunch again next weekend. As we were talking, she pointed out something that I already knew from reading my last couple of blog posts: I need to do less thinking and more doing. Analyzing can be a useful tool, but not when it takes the place of doing.

No surprise, the item on my list that revealed itself as my top priority is writing. I know what I need to do to make it happen because I did it successfully once before. Now it's just a matter of doing it. I'm going to reinstate my morning writing sessions and write every single day this week, no exception. It doesn't matter if it's a blog post, an article submission, a private journal entry, or *gasp* a scene for my long-neglected novel - I just have to write. And write I will.

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The one where I cry "Do over!" and also learn a valuable lesson

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Ever have a week where you wish you could climb into a DeLorean, erase what happened, and have a do over? Such was my week. That blessed, glorious week where I was going to make sure that my "have to"s were not my only focus and that I allowed myself time for my "want to"s? Well, not a whole lot of "have to"s got done, but neither did any "want to"s. The only thing I managed to accomplish was coming down with Preschool Plague of Summer 2011 on the eve of July 4 (if I were to actually keep up with this blogging thing, you wouldn't be scratching your head, wondering how I caught Preschool Plague; you'd know that I am working with preschoolers two days a week now). You know how you often wish you could afford the luxury of staying in your PJs and watching TV in bed all day? The novelty wears off well before the fourth day. And while I admit that there are times I am so wrapped up in my writing that I don't leave the house for a week, not feeling able to leave the house for a week suddenly gave me some sort of recluse phobia. But the intention of this post is not to complain (thank you, though, for letting me do so), nor is it to apologize for not fulfilling my promise of verbal vomit (though I am sorry, especially to Cate who was sweet enough to say she was looking forward to it); being too sick to do any of the things I had previously put off and said I was going to accomplish last week taught me a valuable lesson.

Not being able to recapture the time that I lost, it's finally starting to sink in how important it is to follow my new rule to get out of this terrible habit I developed over the last year or so of denying myself, on a daily basis, personally fulfilling activities until I catch up on all that "has" to be done. First of all, my list of "have to do"s is way too long, and thinking that I'll ever be caught up on it is unrealistic. Hubby often asks me, "What do you have planned for the weekend?" to which I usually respond, "Well, I'd really like to write, maybe scrapbook, and I haven't even looked at that free online course that I was so excited to get into; but I have to do X, Y, and Z" (where X, Y, and Z are not things that truly have to be done in order for bills to get paid or for life to go on). Before I know it, the entire weekend has passed me by, and I have not allowed myself a single moment of pure enjoyment (with the exception of Sunday nights because True Blood is nonnegotiable: if you catch on fire between 9 and 10, don't count on me to put you out). According to this interesting read that I just happened upon this morning (talk about timeliness), this behavior is not fair to "Future Me," not to mention Future Me might - oh, I don't know - wind up in bed for a week with PRESCHOOL PLAGUE! Today Me needs to start being more considerate of Future Me. I wouldn't tell Hubby that I couldn't go out to dinner with him over the weekend because I know that when Monday rolls around, along with all the busyness it brings, Future Him will be disappointed that we didn't take advantage of the downtime and spend it together. Like so many other people, I will go out of my way not to disappoint others, but don't think anything of doing - or refraining from doing - something that will cause disappointment for myself.

Today Me, meet Future Me. Future Me just came home from seeing the final Harry Potter movie (sniff) and is enjoying a cup of hot tea while traveling the blogosphere. Future Me is-a-gonna be a ball of anger if she sees not a single blog entry posted after today's. You know what would make her happy? Seeing at least two more blog posts. Future Me is counting on you not to let her down.

What are you planning to do this week to make Future You happy?

This post was written in part to roll over my goal from last week
as a late Set It Sunday.

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Set It Sunday

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Last week's goal was to do at least one thing that was entirely for me. I achieved this goal early in the week when I spontaneously allowed myself to watch the last hour of Eclipse that I just happened to come across while flipping channels. I had a million and one things to do, but I put it all aside, kicked my feet up, and enjoyed my favorite scene (the tent) without multitasking or feeling guilty.

Set It

This week, I'd like to tackle that long "to blog" list. I've had so much to say in the last few weeks but haven't allowed myself to take the time to say it (so be prepared for verbal vomit coming your way). Work can no longer be my only priority; I have to take time to do non-work related activities that are important to me.

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To all my American friends, have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Set It Sunday: The Return

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With all that's on my to-do list, which I must do,
my only goal for this week is to do at least one thing
that's entirely for me.

It can be anything - do a craft, bake a cake, watch a movie -
but it cannot be something that I'm obligated to do.
I've got to start adding a little bit of "me time" back into my weeks,
and hopefully this will be the start of a good habit.

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One little word on 1/1/11

Happy New Year!

I would apologize for not posting all the end-of-year ideas that have been swimming around in my brain for the last month, but honestly, I'm not sorry because I was enjoying a glorious vacation from all things "plugged" (with the exception of TV... hello, HBO was replaying season three of True Blood).

A relatively recent New Year's tradition for me is to come up with one little word that becomes a focus of sorts for the year. In 2009, it was relax, a word I'm still trying to incorporate into my daily life two years later. Fortunately, whether of my own accord or by mere circumstance, my word for 2010 was a bit easier for me: try. I didn't try everything I had hoped to, nor did I succeed in everything I tried, but the following highlights made for what I consider to be a rewarding word. In the past year, I've tried:

• my hand at Etsying (hey, if "googling" is now a word, "etsying" can be, too). I've only had 20 sales, but it's enough that I now have a fun little way to support my crafting habit.
• freelance writing, which I really love doing.
• becoming a paid published author, and I succeeded (yay!). This is by far my proudest accomplishment of 2010.
• devoting time to being crafty (in a good way) just for me. The result is finally having completed pages in our family scrapbooks.
• adding to my WIP. My manuscript is 17,779 words longer than it was this time last year, but I expected to have the novel's first draft completed by now.

It's this unrealized vision that ultimately led me to my one little word for 2011:

REALIZE

1.

to grasp or understand clearly.

2.

to make real; give reality to (a hope, fear, plan, etc.).

My friend Cheri described herself a few weeks ago as "Queen of Unfinished Projects." Over the last few years, this has become me as well. There's a lot of thinking about doing, but not enough actual doing. As I said in a Facebook status earlier last month, "Good intentions, bad follow-through. Story of my life." I think some of the problem is that I have too many good intentions, which leads me to the first part of my word: I need to realize what my priorities are, as well as what's getting in the way of them, and focus on those. Unfortunately, that is going to mean saying "no" to some - or a lot - of people and opportunities, but I'd rather dedicate myself to a few things and see them through than make a whole bunch of commitments I ultimately can't fulfill.

The second part of my word is probably obvious: I want to realize my goal of getting this novel written (and, much to my dismay, it's apparently not going to write itself). This time next year, I will have a draft that is ready for pre-readers to critique. Does someone have a brown paper bag I can hyperventilate into, please? I'm tired of thinking about it. I'm tried of talking about it (though that probably won't stop me from continuing to do so). It's time to DO IT.

Here's to 2011 and realizing all it has to offer!

Getting back on the writing horse

You may have noticed that there's not much to take a "second Glantz" at around here lately. That's because this has been me for the past month: trapped in my own head. (Cue The Cranberries: "In your head, in your head, zombie, zombie, zombie-e-e.") 

Over the summer, I achieved a milestone and made my lifelong dream of becoming a paid, published author a reality (and I can die a happy girl). While it may not be the best thing I've ever written or have yet to write, I was - and am - so proud of myself. I wrote a kick-ass query with a good hook

What do you get when you mix a Jewish bride, a Presbyterian minister, and an agnostic groom? A little bit of drama, a whole lot of compromise, and a beautiful wedding.

and spent the time doing the research to find the perfect market for my piece (a big kudos goes to Marla Beck for helping me find the balance between the craft of writing and the business of it).

Looking back at what I posted on my Facebook page the day my article was released...

Cheryl Glantz Nail Excited that my first freelance article was bought and published. Learned a LOT from the process and am looking forward to trying again soon.

Out of Many Beliefs, One Ceremony - InterfaithFamily.com

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The wedding she'd never imagined was just as beautiful as the one she'd pictured.

...I'm a little embarrassed. I'm not ashamed by my excitement, and to say that I learned a lot is really an understatement. It's that highlighted part, "looking forward to trying again soon." I really was looking forward to it. I even created a dedicated website for posting clips (fun fact: I bought this domain in 2006 with the intention of launching a custom scrapbooking business, and no, I never did; side note: if any of you have suggestions for improving my site, I'm all ears). And then I got lost inside my own head. And in the Twitter streams and blogs of newly published authors. And in the overwhelming questions, "Where do I go from here?" and "Can I do it again?" I expected my bit of success to propel me into a chorus of "Defying Gravity" (okay, maybe I sang it once), but I let it paralyze me.

No more, I say! When my friend Sarabeth tweeted me about Angela Booth's challenge to write for 100 days, from September 22 (happy birthday, Hubby!) to January 1, I knew that signing up for public accountability could be the kick-in-the-pants I need to get myself out of my head and onto the page. So here goes nothing!

Goals to end 2010:

1. Write. Every. Single. Day. Whether it's 15 minutes or two hours, whether it's for a project or only for myself - even if I have to hide in the bathroom to steal time during the holidays - I will write for 100 days straight without excuse.

2. Submit at least one article per month to 24/Savvy. I have become embarrassingly inconsistent in my contribution to this webzine, and I hope to fix that during this challenge.

3. Write and query at least one article. I may not get published again. I may not get paid again. But I'm going to try.

4. Apply to freelance writing jobs. The number of bookmarks I've created on my browser for the jobs I'm interested in is ridiculous. Have I applied to a single one? See above about paralyzing fear. It's time to start making use of those bookmarks. I'm not going to respond to calls just to do so, but I'm going to take seriously the ones that truly interest me.

5. Blog at least once per week. Really, I'm hoping for more frequency than this, but with all the other goals I have, I need to make sure I don't set myself up for failure. Blogging is something I really enjoy. It takes me out of my bubble and connects me to the outside world, and I need to learn to make more time for the things that make me happy.

6. Take my novel out of the drawer. *deep breath* This goal creates a certain amount of anxiety for me. I'm 35,400 words in, but it's been three or four months *cringe* since I've spent any consistent quality time with my characters. I miss them. They've been screaming at me in my sleep to finish their story, but those pesky "Is it good enough?" type questions have been distracting me from my original goal, which was not to publish the novel but to write it. I still want to publish it. I want it bad. But I can't even begin to try that next step until I get over myself and get re-lost in the story I want to tell.

7. While I need to re-immerse myself in the craft of writing, I can't let myself become an island again. I've become part of a wonderful community of writers on Twitter and in the blogosphere, but I haven't allowed myself to really participate as of late because it made me feel like a fraud, talking about writing without actually "living writerly." I need to jump back in - without letting it consume all my writing time. Balance is such a pesky word, isn't it? I haven't decided how to achieve said balance yet, but I have a feeling it will probably involve setting aside a limited amount of time each day to catch up on what other writers are doing.

8. This last goal is going to be the hardest: share my writing with others. With the exception of my friend Leigh, I haven't let anyone - not Hubby, not my mom - read my fiction, and even Leigh has only read parts (she showed me hers, so I was encouraged to show her mine). While I stand by the belief that you shouldn't feel pressured to share your writing until you're ready (or ever for that matter), I think it would be immensely helpful, and more than likely productive, if I was a little less protective of my writing (and my feelings). My Gram likes to remind me that "Rome wasn't built overnight," and you know, it wasn't built by just one person either. If I can't share my writing with the people who are most supportive in my life, then finished or not, the novel will never leave the drawer.

I can do this. I will do this.

"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."

~Jim Rohn (Thanks, Cheri!)

Set It Sunday

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I hope everyone is having a great, safe holiday weekend. Obviously, three-day weekends make me lose track of the days, but it's been so long since I've hosted a Set It Sunday, I decided that a day late is better than never.

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I'm not even close to being caught-up on my overstuffed blog reader, so I'm afraid that I honestly have no idea what you've all been up to this week. As for me, the last goal I officially set was to 1) spend 30 min/day purging my office, and 2) ready items for donation.  Check and check, though I still have a ton in my office closet that needs to be purged, so I will continue to spend a few minutes purging everyday until that office closet is nice and clean.

Set It
As this week gets underway, I'm still struggling to pull my head up from under the water, so I'm committing to a light load.

1. WRITE. It has been weeks since I've spent time with my main characters. I don't care how many words I write this week as long as I write something.
2. To continue my purging efforts, I'm going to go through that big pile of magazines I've been saving for that one recipe I want to try - you know how that goes - clip and organize the articles I want to save, and bring the rest to the recycling center.
3. When my mom was here visiting last week, we made a great dent in purging my clothing (it's always easier to get rid of that ten-year-old t-shirt when you have an objective person making a face at you when you try it on), but I have a few more drawers to go through, so I'm going to continue my mission to trim my wardrobe.

I have a million and one things to catch up on still, so I better go attempt to make a dent in my to-do list. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend - stay safe - and have a fabulous week.

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Set It Sunday

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Oy, I can't believe I'm first posting this. Better late than never, right? I hope all of my beautiful mommy friends had a wonderful day. What you do is nothing short of amazing.

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How did everyone do this week? I'm looking forward to hearing about Cheri's Week in the Life project, and it looks like The Nutty Brunette reached her goal of posting more.

As for me, I did eh-eh.

1. Print digital layouts from LOAD. Done, but I still need to put them in their rightful LOM albums.
2. Write an article for 24/Savvy. FAIL. I had good intentions, I swear, but I decided to change my topic at the last minute.
3. Make a commitment to Booking Mama's 2010 EW Summer Books Challenge. Done.
4. Revisit the timeline of my WIP. Done, but I'm renaming this my TIP - timeline in progress - because I finally accepted the fact that it's a living, breathing document that develops organically as my characters take over my brain and hijack my plot. Those sneaky kids.

Set It
Life is getting a bit crazy at the moment. As such, I'm committing to a light load. Also, I expect I might be MIA for a few days at a time in the coming weeks.

I did some MAJOR purging this weekend (of my house, not my stomach), and it felt fantastic. To the amazement of Hubby, I purged two-and-a-half shelves worth of books, half of a shelf of strap-hinge scrapbooks, several drawers of stamps and punches, and basket after basket of unused lotion and shower gel. Some of these items will be tagged for a summer yard sale; other items will be donated. My goal is to keep up my stride:

1. Spend 30 minutes/day purging in my office, which is the most daunting of rooms to sort through, and yes, it really will take me 150+ minutes to go through it all.
2. Pack up all the items that are to be donated, and label them with the names/addresses of their new homes in preparation for delivery.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a sexy blonde vampire named Eric Northman...

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Set It Sunday

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Good morning! I can't believe it's already May, but the upside is that it's finally starting to feel a bit like spring here. With it light in the morning and light at night, weekly productivity has increased tenfold, and I love it!

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How did everyone do this week? Cheri, I'm anxiously awaiting pictures of your shower curtain!  :)

My week went really well.

1. Send my queries to the two magazines I researched. After doing a few hours of additional research, I actually ditched the two magazines I previously found and was pleased to send what I think was a really well-written query to one market that is about as perfect a fit as I can get for the article. 
2. Go through at least one box of paperwork to sort, scan, organize, and shred. Can we say spring cleaning? I sorted, but I quickly realized that I'm not yet ready to digitize, the main reason being I'm unclear as to what I need to keep and what is safe to ditch. Does anyone know that magic number of years you're supposed to keep your bills, statements, etc.? Or does anyone know of a reliable website with that info?
3. I am far from reaching the 25,000-word goal of #yafrenzy, but I think I can reach a grand total of 10,000 words by the end of the month if I really work at it, so that's what I'm going to attempt to do. Cue choir of angels: I reached a grand total of 10,980 words! I have so much more to say about the achievement of this goal, so look for a blog post about it in the near future.

Set It

1. Remember all those digital layouts I created during LOAD last May and this February? Like all my digital pictures from the past year, they're sitting on my computer for minimal viewing pleasure. In honor of National Scrapbooking Day weekend, I'm finally going to get those puppies printed and put into their rightful Library of Memories albums for maximum viewing pleasure.
2. I owe an article to 24/Savvy, so that's on my agenda for the week.
3. Make a commitment to Booking Mama's 2010 EW Summer Books Challenge to get my nose back in the books. Speaking of... the new Sookie Stackhouse book will be in my hands this time on Tuesday - SQUEE!
4. I'm at the point in my WIP (work in progress) where I need to revisit the timeline. It's tedious, but necessary work.

I think that's more than enough to keep me out of trouble for one week, no? What are your personal goals this week? Feel free to play along on your blog, or let us know in the comments. Whatever you decide to focus on, I hope this first week of May is a fantastic one for you!

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Set It Sunday

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Good morning! I'm sorry for the unplanned "radio silence." It was just one of those weeks.

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I love watching Cheri's progress on her goal of taking spring pictures. I need to do a better job of taking out my camera - we have the most gorgeous tulips blossoming right now (the best part of which is that they're doing so despite our zero maintenance of them).

The advice I received about following up on my manuscript submission wasn't overwhelming in one direction or the other, so I spent most of the week still torn about what to do. I found an article this morning that suggested three months is the "official" time when you can assume that no news equals a rejection. I'm three weeks shy of that time period, but since the submission was a long shot to begin with, I think it might be safe for me to send the queries elsewhere. Being new at this, I'm not completely confident in my decision, but I guess the best way to learn is through experience.

Set It
1. Send my queries to the two magazines I researched.
2. Go through at least one box of paperwork to sort, scan, organize, and shred. Can we say spring cleaning?
3. I am far from reaching the 25,000-word goal of #yafrenzy, but I think I can reach a grand total of 10,000 words by the end of the month if I really work at it, so that's what I'm going to attempt to do.

Oh my goodness, I'm tired just thinking about all of it! I hope your week is a happy and productive one.

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Set it Sunday

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Happy late Sunday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was wonderful. I visited with a dear college friend yesterday, and today I enjoyed a mix of organizing memorabilia and vegging in front of the TV.

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I love Cheri's goal of working 15 minutes per day to achieve a larger, more daunting task. I'm curious to hear how it went. It's really amazing what can get done in 15 minutes, and I think this is a great way to approach those BIG to-dos.

I was super excited to read that Kristin achieved her goal of choosing a Ph.D. program to attend. Congrats, girlfriend!

Last but not least, The Nutty Brunette's focus on health this week is an awesome one. She's also doing a local walk for lupus, which is right on, and I love that she's doing it with her kiddo.

As for me, I wrote a 4,7740-word flashback for my novel this week. It's a few hundred words short of my goal, but I'm proud of my accomplishment nonetheless, especially since I had so much else to do this week.

Set It
I submitted an article to a magazine several months ago, and I have yet to hear a yea or nay. This week, I'm going to 1) tap into my online writing community to find out the proper etiquette for following up with the editor, 2) follow through with the follow-up, and 3) if it's a nay (which is the assumption at this point), I'll send a query to two additional magazines I researched that might be a good fit for it.

Whatever your goals, I hope you have a great and productive week!

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Set it Sunday

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Happy Sunday! I hope wherever you are, it's as beautiful by you as it is here. After a difficult workweek, I have been enjoying a glorious weekend, full of good food, productivity, fun, and R&R. But now it's time to think about next week.

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Finally feeling 100% like myself this week, I successfully got back on schedule as intended, and it feels great!

Cheri has done a wonderful job of keeping up with her photos, and holy moly, her scrappy transformations have me drooling. Nicely done, Cheri. I think I know what I need to add to my list of goals one week!

Kristin, did you meet your goal of picking a Ph.D. program? I'm anxiously waiting to hear!!!

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At the beginning of April, I decided to participate in Heather W. Petty's YA Frenzy, the goal of which is to write approximately 850 words/day on your YA WIP (young adult work in progress). The days that I write, I usually write more than the intended word goal, and I usually write fairly well. The problem is that I haven't been consistently working on it everyday. So that's my goal: with the exception of Saturday (when I have a college friend coming to visit - SQUEE!), I will practice YA Frenzy each and every day this week. That means at this time next week, I should have another 5,100 words added to my WIP, and that thought makes me very happy.

On a less fun note, it's that time of year when opening the windows and airing out the house makes me want to get rid of all the junk that's lurking in the closets. This week, I'm focusing on clothing. I'm going to get caught up with the laundry and downsize my wardrobe. Even though it's a task I don't anticipate enjoying, I know I will feel great about the end result.

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Set it Sunday

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This is a quickie tonight, guys, because I'm still under the weather.


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The one good thing about being sick this weekend is that I finally got my taxes DONE. Woot! And the outcome was a pleasant surprise. Bonus!

Thanks to Cheri, The Nutty Brunette, and Kristin for consistently playing along and challenging themselves with ambitious goals. You ladies rock!
 
Set It
I have one simple goal this week: to finally get back on schedule. Between the previous week's unexpected surprise (which I still need to blog about) and getting sick last week, it has been a while since I have felt up to snuff and in a regular routine.

Sorry to be so brief (or maybe that's a welcome change for you, LOL), but I'm off to bed (again) to hopefully kick this sick to the curb. I hope you all have a fantastic week!

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Set It Sunday

New to Set It Sunday? Click here to read the motivation behind the meme.

 

Sorry for the day-late post. I'm completely off schedule for a very fun reason (more about that later in another post), so I can't say that I feel incredibly guilty about it.  :)


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Thanks to Cheri and The Nutty Brunette for playing along again last week. How did you ladies do?

This was NOT a good goal-completing week for me. Between working 10- to 12-hour days and the very fun reason that kept me busy from Thursday to late yesterday, I'm almost embarrassed to review this list publicly.

1) follow my morning schedule - I did really good with this one. Go me!
2) go to bed at 10 - Twice. This one might need to be tweaked in the future. Ten is a bit early for me.
3) read for 30 minutes before bed every night - A few nights, but not every night. I need to force myself into this one.
4) finish my book - Because I wasn't faithful to #3, this one didn't happen.
5) clear my blog reader this week - Hahahaha! Really? Who did I think I was kidding? I was the WORST bloggy friend this week that I've ever been. I didn't read a single post (nor did I respond to a single comment). This is mostly because of the terrible habit I started with this new job that needs to go: working through my lunch break.
6) finish my MIL's scarf - This was going to be my Saturday project, and then my Saturday got hijacked (in a good way), so this is a "no" for the second week in a row. *hanging my head in shame*
7) reopen my Etsy store - I'm closer, but no.

Like I said last week, I'm not going to waste time feeling guilty or lamenting about my failed intentions. Instead, I'm going to work on those things that I know are holding me back from completing this list.

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1. Take a lunch break. EVERY day. Even if it's not the full hour, I'm going to step away from my desk and give my brain a break from work. This will also allow me time to:
2. Get reacquainted with my bloggy friends. *waving hi*
3. Finish my MIL's scarf. I'm putting this project on the couch so that I have no choice but to pick it up when I want to watch TV at night.
4. Reopen my Etsy store. I can do this now, so what am I waiting for - a formal invitation from myself?
5. Taxes. Need I say more?

Whatever you decide to tackle, I hope your week is a great one!

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