Only a week and a half until Christmas! I'm not panicking, because my shopping is done and most things have been wrapped. We have a tree and stockings inside, a few Christmas lights outside. I didn't go all out this year, but we have enough up to make the house look festive and the kids seem satisfied. '
Writing, not going as well. All the holiday parties and preparations have cut into my very limited writing time. This week I have vowed to leave the housework to the rest of the family, ignore any requests to prepare food, and limit my focus to my computer. Edits on my next Harlequin are due to Amazing Editor very soon, so this is top priority.
But in the midst of the chaos, I'm grateful for family around me, a few spare minutes alone with my husband, the wonder I still feel viewing Christmas lights, and anticipation at the joy on my children's faces Christmas morning. That's what's underneath all the busyness, right?
I hope you are finding a small bit of wonder in your Christmas preparations too! Happy Holidays!
Dani
Writing, not going as well. All the holiday parties and preparations have cut into my very limited writing time. This week I have vowed to leave the housework to the rest of the family, ignore any requests to prepare food, and limit my focus to my computer. Edits on my next Harlequin are due to Amazing Editor very soon, so this is top priority.
But in the midst of the chaos, I'm grateful for family around me, a few spare minutes alone with my husband, the wonder I still feel viewing Christmas lights, and anticipation at the joy on my children's faces Christmas morning. That's what's underneath all the busyness, right?
I hope you are finding a small bit of wonder in your Christmas preparations too! Happy Holidays!
Dani
During this week of Thanksgiving, I want to talk about something I usually spend a lot of time complaining about—without the complaints. Yes, I hate having to leave the house every morning at 7:10am. I hate having to dress up while my sister authors are working in their pj's all day. And I hate having to give up 8 hours a day (plus an hour commute round trip) to do something that doesn't inspire passion in my soul.
But there are good things about my day job too! I'm going to share a few of them with you.
1. I make guaranteed money.
That should be a given for every job, but some salaries suck more than others. I make a decent wage and bring home a decent paycheck every other week. Not as big as I'd like, what who's is? Getting paid for writing is great, but not very consistent. My job gives myself and my family stability.
2. It's a low stress environment.
I've worked in some high-tension places before. The job I have now has very little tension in my department. That makes for less stress and an easier start to every day. Plus stress sucks the energy out of me, leaving very little for my writing. So low stress=happier writer.
3. I can write there...sorta.
I can't actually do a full-on write there, but I have plenty of busywork that let's my mind wander, and I can make notes while I'm there. So even though I'm not actually writing, I'm thinking about it, processing it, so that when I can write, I actually accomplish something.
Combining writing with a full-time day job and family is hard work. There are days when I don't want to get up, don't want to get ready and leave the house. But in times when jobs can be scarce, I'm more grateful for mine than I sound sometimes.
What are you thankful for this week?
Dani
Winner! The winner for my Home for the Holidays blog is Missie Jones! Missie, look for an email from me in your box! Thanks, everyone for the comments
1. I make guaranteed money.
That should be a given for every job, but some salaries suck more than others. I make a decent wage and bring home a decent paycheck every other week. Not as big as I'd like, what who's is? Getting paid for writing is great, but not very consistent. My job gives myself and my family stability.
2. It's a low stress environment.
I've worked in some high-tension places before. The job I have now has very little tension in my department. That makes for less stress and an easier start to every day. Plus stress sucks the energy out of me, leaving very little for my writing. So low stress=happier writer.
3. I can write there...sorta.
I can't actually do a full-on write there, but I have plenty of busywork that let's my mind wander, and I can make notes while I'm there. So even though I'm not actually writing, I'm thinking about it, processing it, so that when I can write, I actually accomplish something.
Combining writing with a full-time day job and family is hard work. There are days when I don't want to get up, don't want to get ready and leave the house. But in times when jobs can be scarce, I'm more grateful for mine than I sound sometimes.
What are you thankful for this week?
Dani
Winner! The winner for my Home for the Holidays blog is Missie Jones! Missie, look for an email from me in your box! Thanks, everyone for the comments
Chaos.
One look at my bio is enough to convince anyone that this is an appropriate description of my life, at the moment. The things that get my attention are the things that need to be taken care of right now. I try not to let things creep up on me, but it happens more often than I'd like.
This fall/winter I'm struggling to stick to a compressed writing schedule, in hopes of releasing several books early next year. This only adds to the pressure I put on myself. Why? Not because I enjoy it. I'm trying to get my family to a place where I don't have to work full-time. This issue is getting there.
So I'm forever on the search to make things work. My personality works best with some kind of schedule, but its really hard to schedule chaos. I recently tried getting up earlier, thinking more time was the key, but it was no go. I don't cope well with the rest of the day as well with less sleep. So what's a crazy woman with a crazy life to do?
I'm trying to do this:
1. Acceptance
This is just the way life is for now. I don't like it. In fact, it makes me very unhappy at times, but changes aren't coming anytime soon. I need to deal with my attitude and move on. I have a quote posted on my bathroom mirror that says, "I discovered I always have choices, and sometimes it's only a choice of attitude." (Judith M Knowlton) So very, very true.
2. Just Keep Swimming
I have this as my screen saver at my day job. Everything I plan may not get done, but as long as I keep moving forward, progress will be made. Sometimes the snail's pace is very frustrating, but I keep trying. That's important.
3. Touchstones
This is my newest form of "schedule," still in the testing stages. :) My life and activities change daily. I rely heavily on my To Do List and a day planner, but a true, rigid schedule will only get disrupted by last minute homework, illness, or an unexpected errand that puts me behind.
Since I can't find a way to create more time, I have to use what I have more effectively. When I get to work, one of the first things I do is get out my Day Planner. I glance over it for important events and the list of what needs doing today. I prioritize and mentally map out a plan. I'm now calling this my "Touchstone", because I'm touching base with myself and what's going on in my life.
I've started doing the same when I first get home in the afternoon. I greet everyone, put my stuff away, then sit down and see what's left on the agenda for that evening. This way I'm hopefully approaching tasks in a logical manner instead of plunging into them haphazardly.
4. Clock Out
I've had a goal for years to take one day off a week--it simply never happens. I find it disconcerting to think of myself as a workaholic, because I don't want to be one. I want to be able to write during the day and relax with my family at night, but there's too much that needs doing with a full-time day job, part-time writing career, kids, pets, house, etc (even with my hubby pitching in very heavily). So this goal needed to adapt.
Now I aim for one day off per month, but as a compromise I have to quit working period at 9:30 each night. This has been really hard and I've only been at it for a few weeks. I'm to have nothing but fun after 9:30pm: no writing websites, Facebook, Twitter, etc. No "relaxing" with a craft book. Just TV, cuddling with the kids (or hubby!), reading, etc. It shouldn't be too hard, but it really is. My brain is always saying, "But shouldn't you be..."
Nope. I shouldn't be...
So there's my Not So Perfect Plan to tame the chaos. Having a plan doesn't mean I always succeed, but if I don't try, I'll never find what works, right? Do you have any tips or tricks that I can add to the pile?
Dani
So I'm forever on the search to make things work. My personality works best with some kind of schedule, but its really hard to schedule chaos. I recently tried getting up earlier, thinking more time was the key, but it was no go. I don't cope well with the rest of the day as well with less sleep. So what's a crazy woman with a crazy life to do?
I'm trying to do this:
1. Acceptance
This is just the way life is for now. I don't like it. In fact, it makes me very unhappy at times, but changes aren't coming anytime soon. I need to deal with my attitude and move on. I have a quote posted on my bathroom mirror that says, "I discovered I always have choices, and sometimes it's only a choice of attitude." (Judith M Knowlton) So very, very true.
2. Just Keep Swimming
I have this as my screen saver at my day job. Everything I plan may not get done, but as long as I keep moving forward, progress will be made. Sometimes the snail's pace is very frustrating, but I keep trying. That's important.
3. Touchstones
This is my newest form of "schedule," still in the testing stages. :) My life and activities change daily. I rely heavily on my To Do List and a day planner, but a true, rigid schedule will only get disrupted by last minute homework, illness, or an unexpected errand that puts me behind.
Since I can't find a way to create more time, I have to use what I have more effectively. When I get to work, one of the first things I do is get out my Day Planner. I glance over it for important events and the list of what needs doing today. I prioritize and mentally map out a plan. I'm now calling this my "Touchstone", because I'm touching base with myself and what's going on in my life.
I've started doing the same when I first get home in the afternoon. I greet everyone, put my stuff away, then sit down and see what's left on the agenda for that evening. This way I'm hopefully approaching tasks in a logical manner instead of plunging into them haphazardly.
4. Clock Out
I've had a goal for years to take one day off a week--it simply never happens. I find it disconcerting to think of myself as a workaholic, because I don't want to be one. I want to be able to write during the day and relax with my family at night, but there's too much that needs doing with a full-time day job, part-time writing career, kids, pets, house, etc (even with my hubby pitching in very heavily). So this goal needed to adapt.
Now I aim for one day off per month, but as a compromise I have to quit working period at 9:30 each night. This has been really hard and I've only been at it for a few weeks. I'm to have nothing but fun after 9:30pm: no writing websites, Facebook, Twitter, etc. No "relaxing" with a craft book. Just TV, cuddling with the kids (or hubby!), reading, etc. It shouldn't be too hard, but it really is. My brain is always saying, "But shouldn't you be..."
Nope. I shouldn't be...
So there's my Not So Perfect Plan to tame the chaos. Having a plan doesn't mean I always succeed, but if I don't try, I'll never find what works, right? Do you have any tips or tricks that I can add to the pile?
Dani
The other day, as I sat in my cubicle at the day job, facing yet another report to be worked, one of the few co-workers who knows about my books popped her head around the corner.
"Have you seen it? Is it real yet?"
I had to smile. It was release week and she knew how excited I was about seeing my book on an actual shelf. We chatted for a few minutes before she disappeared back around the corner. I was left thinking about how encouraged that made me feel, and I realized, just about everywhere I go, God has put someone there to encourage me.
At the job before this, an older woman there encouraged me about balancing work and my family. We shared recipes and tips for juggling. In my family, my mom, sister, and mother-in-law have always been my champions. I have too many encouragers in the writing world to list here, but they include the Mavens and my incredible Playfriends. At my publishing house, its my editor. Whether I'm excited, sad, depressed, nervous, or giddy, always keeping the cheering section alive at home is the hubby.
I'm a very lucky woman to have so many Earthly Angels to encourage me on what has been a bumpy journey. So many women feel all alone, and I haven't felt that way in a very long time! Gratitude just overflows when I think about it!
So today let's celebrate those wonderful angels in our lives! Who are your angels and why?
Dani
Wow! Can y'all believe its been 15 weeks since we started this little club? Nationals is next week and We Are Ready!
Today, I want to celebrate. Whether you've lost a little or a lot, whether you've posted every week or just followed along, I hope you've been encouraged and reinforced at least 1 thing that will stick with you on your journey to being a healthier person.
This is a hard road, and for those of us on it, its a road that doesn't end at a particular weight number. It continues to weave itself throughout our life's journeys, and that can be a tough realization to face.
But there are things along the way to make me smile -- a pound lost, the realization that I need new (smaller!) clothes for Nationals, a new tip or trick, a new recipe -- but most of all, those special friends you get to meet along the way! Thank you for joining me here every week. I wouldn't have made ANY progress if I hadn't had to check-in and reveal what I had/hadn't done to others.
Challenge: If you want to share your final progress, please do! But I hope you'll share the most important thing you learned over the last 15 weeks.
See you in Atlanta!!!!!
Dani
I recently went to visit my friend, author Kimberly Lang, for walking lessons. That's right. Walking lessons. Or more accurately, lessons for walking in high heels.
I received a special gift for my first publishing contract: a pair of "sale shoes". I've worn moderate heels through the years, but these are 5 inch with a 1 inch platform (so its really like walking in 4 inch heels). And they are so special that I wanted to look natural wearing them -- not be the girl carefully picking her way through the lobby because she's afraid she'll fall in her fantabulous shoes. :)
The lessons went great, and I learned one important thing -- walking with your chin up makes a world of difference in attitude.
When she told me to stop watching my feet and lift my chin, I was amazed at the difference it made. My shoulders went back and I felt stronger, taller (something I could sure use), more centered. It made me look more confidence, even though I didn't feel that way at first.
Fake it till you make it -- the old adage personified. Over the past 6 months, I've found myself looking down a lot in my writing journey too. I keep watching for the next obstacle, the next thing I have to work my way around or over, because delays keep popping up everywhere. Its very frustrating, and more than a little scary for the person who likes to know exactly where she's going. So I have a feeling this little lesson is about more than shoes -- its about life.
I'm trying (with the help of some friends and my hubby) to keep moving forward with my chin up. Rely on my instincts and keep an eye in the distance for what might be coming down the pike. In the long run, that will do me way more good than staring at the obstacles at my feet that I can do nothing about. And those shoes? Well, I walked my way through an entire readers' luncheon without faltering, so I know practice CAN make perfect.
What obstacles have you caught up in the moment? What little things can you do to build your confidence and keep moving forward?
Dani
The lessons went great, and I learned one important thing -- walking with your chin up makes a world of difference in attitude.
When she told me to stop watching my feet and lift my chin, I was amazed at the difference it made. My shoulders went back and I felt stronger, taller (something I could sure use), more centered. It made me look more confidence, even though I didn't feel that way at first.
Fake it till you make it -- the old adage personified. Over the past 6 months, I've found myself looking down a lot in my writing journey too. I keep watching for the next obstacle, the next thing I have to work my way around or over, because delays keep popping up everywhere. Its very frustrating, and more than a little scary for the person who likes to know exactly where she's going. So I have a feeling this little lesson is about more than shoes -- its about life.
I'm trying (with the help of some friends and my hubby) to keep moving forward with my chin up. Rely on my instincts and keep an eye in the distance for what might be coming down the pike. In the long run, that will do me way more good than staring at the obstacles at my feet that I can do nothing about. And those shoes? Well, I walked my way through an entire readers' luncheon without faltering, so I know practice CAN make perfect.
What obstacles have you caught up in the moment? What little things can you do to build your confidence and keep moving forward?
Dani 
I remembered something about myself tonight. I' m a perfectionist.
Shocking, I know. But I've really struggled over the past few days with a synopsis for my editor. Tonight I wasn't feeling well, was trying to finish the synopsis and send it off, trying to bolster my sinking writer's self-confidence, and it hit me -- I don't have my blog post up for tomorrow. Maybe we could skip just one week? Oh, heaven forbid!!! My perfectionist tendencies kicked in. I certainly could not do that.
Looking back over the last week, I've felt the same way in another area: my diet. I haven't done it perfectly, so I've been very down on myself. Exercise is going well, but I haven't followed my diet to the letter. So of course nothing is working. Of course I feel fat. Of course I'm depressed.
Because I'm not perfect. Hello! We're not supposed to be.
Yes, I can try harder. But I also think this perfectionist thing hurts me. You see, if I can't do something perfectly, why do it? It's a lot easier to just give up. :) So this week I'm going to focus on 1 meal at a time, and stop beating myself up over every little mistake.
Challenge: Are you a perfectionist? Or are you more flexible? How do your personality traits hinder or help your weight loss goals?
Check in today and let us know how you're doing!
Dani (who promises to turn on the comments this week so Ella doesn't panic!!!)
We’re working hard to slim down before RWA Nationals in July through healthy eating, exercise, sharing information, and accountability. Join us any time along the way, introduce yourself and post goals, or just contribute to the conversation! We’re here to share!
I'm going short and sweet this week! I seem to be facing any number or setbacks...admin appreciation week at work (with food coming out the wazoo -- I wasn't horrible, but I wasn't perfect either), illness, revisions and release week, and trying to get my teenager out of the house for a trip. BUT I'm finally moving downward again, woohoo!!! AND my exercise is finally on track too. Though I need to take a page out of Ella Sheridan's book. She's doing incredible.
Sorry this is so short! Release week is kicking my tail. :) But I want us all to have a place to check in, report progress, or your own setbacks and how you are facing them. The halfway point is coming up sooner than we can imagine. Yikes!!!
Challenge: Where are you at for Week 5? What changes have you made to your plan/eating/exercise?
We’re working hard to slim down before RWA Nationals in July through healthy eating, exercise, sharing information, and accountability. Join us any time along the way, introduce yourself and post goals, or just contribute to the conversation! We’re here to share!
I usually find that about Week 3 I start to run out of motivation – that surge of energy that keeps me on track with various levels of enthusiasm. Usually because results can be hard to come by with my health issues.
Sine I’m no motivational guru (I need more advice than I can give on this topic), I’ve searched the web for interesting sites and strategies we can all utilize to keep us moving forward.
The Healthy Writer Blog www.healthywriter.com
Calorie Counter www.calorieking.com
Healthy Living Articles www.dailydietmotivation.com
Shape Magazine www.shape.com
Prevention Magazine www.prevention.com
Kaizen Blog (links to diet posts) http://smallstepstobigchange.com/?cat=284
Trackers:
www.sparkpeople.com
www.mynetdiary.com
Don't forget searches on YouTube and Pinterest for diet motivation, exercises, and healthy cooking.
CHALLENGE: Where do you find your motivation? What keeps you moving forward?
Share Your Progress! (even if the #s haven’t changed, we still have lots to celebrate)
Dani 
Today is April 15th, and the Tax Man cometh...whether you're ready or not! I know, I too could use something to smile about after the stress of paying taxes (not to mention the stress of getting the paperwork right!). So I played my usual mind games to help myself forget about the stress and deadlines. I usually take a mental break and dream about my characters, but instead I dreamed of what might happen if the Tax Man looked like this:
Or maybe like this:
Or if, when he showed up, it might end up something like this:
But no...I just had to pay instead. *cries* Oh well, at least I get to spend the day with great readers like y'all!!! I love hearing from readers too, so share with us who YOUR fantasy Tax Man would be (actor? singer? book hero?). Comment with your email address and be entered to win an advanced electronic copy of my newest release, Finding Her Rhythm! Its not available until April 30th for everybody else!
Find more Tax Day Fun at these cool websites:
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