Do you know that feeling? I knew Q2 was going to be busy and I knew April was going to fly by. But wow, what happened to May? From April 1 to now has been a one-way trip while strapped to the front of a bullet train.
Think about that visual. Can you relate?
There’s no way to point out any one thing but we are living in interesting times and the juggling of responsibilities, both personal and professional, has seemed all that much harder. Life has been about the flexibility, hasn't it?
And here I thought those stretching exercises wouldn’t pay off. I am *this* close to reaching my childhood dream of becoming a contortionist. Don’t judge. Ten-year old me thought that was the height of cool.
If I’m honest, the markers and milestones in Q1 and Q2 haven’t been all negative. Sure, I meant to write this specific post at the end of March and I’ve not completed any of the four(!) writing projects I had slated for the first six months of 2021. But there’s been some amazing wins this first half of the year.
Chief among them? I hit the big 40lb mark when it comes to weight loss. (That number still blows my mind.) I’ve accepted the reason I’ve not finished those two novellas-in-progress is because the stories need more before I consider them finished (sigh), and I’ve developed a consistency in my day to day habits I once thought impossible. I’ve also delved back into the world of MM Romance with the release of two novellas. 3rd Time's the Charm came out in April, and Stormy Weather in May.
That’s a lot to celebrate.
Not so coincidentally, I’ve also been listening to and learning from some amazing thought leaders when it comes to mindset and upper limit beliefs. You might have seen some of my posts #MindsetIsEverythihg.
My favorites include Clarissa Guillen, Christina Oman, Dr. Edie, Pahla B, and Cara Harvey. Each of these women come from a different place in life and have a different focus, but all of them share the belief our thoughts create our feelings, which drive our actions, and which then produces our results. I’ll link each one to a favorite teaching so you can experience them yourself.
But understanding and working with my mindset isn’t the answer with all of life’s woes even though it does help me live each day with enthusiasm. The weight of all my must-do’s (get-to's with a mindset shift!) is still there, and I’ve had to be both a little more creative and a lot more disciplined to get things done.
As much as I tell myself I’m a shiny object lover and easily distracted and I want to do ALL THE THINGS, realistically, I can’t. My inner two-year old then lies on the floor in the middle of my writing space and kicks and screams because ALL THE THINGS! NOW! (Have you ever been in a store with a tantrum-throwing two-year old? Whoo boy. Good times. But you can't slink off and leave them there, no matter how much you are tempted.)
What can I do? Lower the pressure. Narrow my focus. No matter how much I don’t want to.
Honestly, reducing my priorities and goals to one item a month is hard. So damn hard. I fight myself every time I do it. For some reason inner-Chrissy is convinced she can take three classes, write three books, and work on three new habits every single day of the week.
Inner Chrissy is a machine. A Terminator. She is convinced she can out badass a 1984 Arnold every time she takes on a project.
Real life Chrissy? Not so much.
To translate this into my June, I have ruthlessly chopped my plans to one item and one item only: completing one of my novellas-in-progress. Then, and only then, will I move forward into planning my Q3 with a focus of only one project a month.
For anyone interested in the system I use to understand my priorities, plan my writing and life goals, and evaluate and adjust as needed, there is a new round of the HB90 Method offered by Sarra Cannon starting on June 13th. (I'm excited to see the changes Sarra has made in her time tracking system.) Please consider using my affiliate link if you sign up and remember, once you purchase the course you have lifetime access and each new quarter is an opportunity to refine your process.
How is Q2 of 2021 working out for you? What adjustments are you making to add time and energy to your life and goals? Leave me a comment or send me an email - chrissymunder@yahoo.com. I’d love to hear from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment