Spiral UP? Or spiral DOWN? Your choice!

For over a year, I’ve been dealing with three difficult circumstances that impacted everything, causing one downward spiral after another. Since I tend to handle things privately, I disappeared from social media.  But this fall, I felt the urge to get back to thriving instead of simply surviving. Easy to say, but hard to do! […]

Want a 40% Increase in Your Writing Energy NOW?

Lately, I’ve been short on energy, even when I had enough time to write. Like most “modern” writers, I take short (unproductive, but frequent) breaks to check email or social media posts. In a word, I multitask. Multitasking: the Energy Drain Yes, I’d heard that multitasking was bad, but I figured I must be the […]

Mind the Gap!

I love the ringing sound of “Mind the Gap!” when British train doors slide open at a station platform. “Mind the Gap!” is an audible (or visual) warning. It’s issued to rail passengers to take caution while crossing the space between the train door and the station platform. “Mind the Gap!” The phrase was first […]

Find Your Focus: Stick to the ONE Thing

“Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.” ~Josh Billings This quote comes from a book I love called The ONE Thing: the Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller. As I mentioned last week, after a number of back-to-back setbacks, I needed to relaunch my writing habits. […]

The Dynamics of Change

We’re nearly ready to begin a new writing year! Or ARE you ready? This year you don’t have to get behind on your goals or quit. Why? Because this time you’re going to take time to understand the dynamics of change. Did you know that 75% of New Year’s Resolutions (or goals) are abandoned by […]

Climbing Out of a Writing Hole

“How does a project get a year behind schedule? One day at a time.” ~~Fred Brooks (IBM computer software developer) While I’m not behind a whole year on my current writing project, this question has been ricocheting around in my mind lately. I have writing deadlines stacked up for many months, for which I am truly […]

The Gift of Time

It isn’t my birthday or Christmas or Mother’s Day, but it feels like it today. Why? Because I’ve decided to give myself a wonderful gift now. The gift of time. I’ve been writing and publishing since my kids were babies. They’re in their thirties now, with their own children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. During […]

Stage 4: Maintaining Long-Term Success

At last, success! If you’ve taken time to do each of the previous steps, congratulate yourself. It’s been time well spent. But if you’ve done the work, you want it to last. That brings us to Stage 4 for making changes in your writing life, where you learn techniques for maintaining long-term success. (First read […]

Stage 3: Taking Action

Ready for Stage 3? It’s about taking action. (First read The Dynamics of Change, Stage 1: Making Up Your Mind, and Stage 2: Committing to Change.) If you’ve done your homework in Stages 1 and 2, you’re probably more excited about this action phase than you would normally be. Why? You’re prepared. You’re motivated. You’ve taken […]