The power of data. We aren't robots. We are human. It's okay.

 

April's motivation is both an oldie and a goodie. You've seen this posted here before, and, as things turn out, you'll probably see it posted again. It's a reminder I struggle to keep front and center and a lesson I strive to learn. We are not robots. We are human. We ebb. We flow. Either state of being is okay and both are necessary to our well-being.

This reminder is needed on my end because Q2 is here, and if I thought Q1 zipped on by, well. heh. I can only hold on as the merry-go-round kicks off and drags me along behind. My grip is tentative and sweaty. One leg on and one leg dangling precariously off the side. I need a little boost. How about you?

Hopefully, you're able to join me in a bit of data crunching. It's easy to think, oh, I got nothing done. But is that really true? Yes, my big writing project is still laughing hysterically at my Q1 plan, but there was a whole lot of accomplished in the first three months of 2022 and I'm going to celebrate. 

The thing is, when I review data from 2021, 2020, and even toss 2019 into the mix, I'm left wondering why I'm so surprised Q1 felt off. Data, my friends, data. When I look back at my plans and reviews for the last three years my Q1 targets are always overly optimistic. Soon or later you'd think I'd get a clue. We are human. We ebb. We flow. Either state of being is okay. 

It's easy to think I'm always going to be my best self. I'm always going to work to my maximum capacity. What's hard is accepting I'm not. And I won't.  It's okay. But, knowing my ability to forget this simple truth, I'm adding it as a reminder to my December calendar so that next year, I'll give my schedule a bit more margin and see how that feels.

Have you recognized your own cycle of ebb and flow? Do you work with that cycle or do you still struggle? How was your Q1 of 2022?

 

What are you reading this week?

 I'm working on my Q1 review and reflection and feeling somewhat grumpy and out of sorts at my (perceived) lack of progress. As a way to avoid feeling uncomfortable emotions (hey, noticing unhelpful coping behavior is the first step), also poking at my TBR list and feeling somewhat grumpy and out of sorts at that, as well. Soooooo, I'm reaching out to see what y'all are reading? What's tickled your fancy this new year of 2022? What old favorites are you returning to? Share the reading love and help a grumpy gal out.

March! #monthlymotivation

And, yes! Did I try a lot in February! 😉

Happy March, my friends. Can you believe it? Hopefully, your February was a bit more eventful than mine. I could give you all kinds of story, but I didn't do the work and it shows in my results. Were there good reasons for the lack of focus? Probably. But all emotions and excuses aside, I made decisions to do things other than what I had planned.

Like my writing. I have a lovely writing schedule for 2022, and it's a good thing there's wiggle room. Because the majority of the month  was spent battling when it came time to do the work. There's only so much flailing about and not getting down to business one can do in a 28 day month and still expect to hit the target.

But, rather than beating myself up or shaming myself for my lack of progress, it's time to work with my brain and thank it for wanting to protect me from my writing (the apparent modern equivalent to immediate, flaming death), and ask it to instead, figure out a way to get these new scenes written and this novel complete. 

Because, just like Cara said*, if I try to finish these scenes and don't succeed, all it means is I tried to finish these scenes. I'm not a bad person. I'm not a failure. I'm not the worst writer, ever. It doesn't mean I will never finish another book in my entire lifetime or no one will ever want to read another one of my books again. It simply means I didn't finish this book, this time, and it's time to get back to work.

You hear that brain? We can save the threat of immediate, flaming death for the reviews.

So, there's my February in a nutshell. I tried to do something and my brain offered me all kinds of unhelpful thoughts in an effort to keep me safe. What did your brain do for you?

And, if you want to learn more about Cara Harvey, you can find her @aPurposeDrivenMom across the web and pick up her new book, The 15 Minute Formula, wherever books are sold.

*Earworm time! Anyone else get hit with the "Just like Ronnie said" earworm when reading this post? Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aJvIFK9-xk

 

February's #MonthlyMotivation

 Happy Tuesday, my friends. How does this 1st of February find you? Almost everyone I chat with tells me that January sprinted by them, they can't believe it's February, and other variations on the theme. As for myself? I haven't yet found my rhythm for this new year. I'm poking at this and prodding at that, but I'm still juggling a basket full of unexpected appointments and responsibilities and there's no ease to my days. 

Yet.

It'll happen. Oh, yes. It'll happen. I have faith.

All lot of my unease is my own perception of time and events. I understand this logically. Emotionally? Eh. Always another story. When I planned out my Q1 I had scheduled myself to work on my writing 13 days in January. My gut feeling prior to my monthly review was I didn't hit even half that amount. Reality? I actually worked on my writing 11 days. That's only two less than what I had calculated I had time for. Go me!!

But, the perception of a rushed and unproductive month is hard to shake. Time to pull out some dance music and do a little celebration boogie. You don't have to watch. It isn't pretty. What it will do is send me into February with a bit more energy and enthusiasm for the all-too short month ahead.

How did your January go? And, what do you expect in your February? 

#MonthlyMotivation - it's all about the moderation

 

Happy December, my friends. We've made it through 2021 (almost). I chose this month's motivation with deliberation as it fits my mood going forward into a new year. I've spent so much of my life trying to get more done in less time, juggle all my glass and rubber balls (thank you, Gary Keller- so sorry I ignored your advice), and alternated between a mix of a "the heck with it" attitude and one centered on "do all the things". I didn't get very far.

2021 has been a year of tough love. Both with myself, and those around me. There's nothing like a pandemic to force one to examine and set boundaries of a personal kind. If you are interested, I've narrowed my stance down to the same I hold for everything else in life: we are all entitled to our own views, and I'll respect yours - as long as you allow me the same courtesy. But, pandemics aside, my embrace of "all da hustle" left me feeling panicked, defeated, discouraged, and damn tired.

Yet, 2021 was an amazing year for my writing productivity. How? Blinders and a whole lot of mindset work as offered by Pahla B., Dr. Edie W., Clarissa Guillen, and Christina Oman, to name a few amazing thought leaders. While each of them have their own life area they focus on, they all share the belief that our thoughts create our feelings, which drives our actions, which leads to our results. Links to learn more about them are available on my Links of Interest page and I hope you check them out.

Despite thinking that by focusing on one thing at a time I was falling behind, it's the moderation mentality that has allowed me to rewrite, re-edit, and republish two short stories and five novellas in twelve months. (Let's pause for the patented Chrissy dorky fist pump. It's okay, you can join in. You ready? *pump* Go me!)

2022 is looming large and, I admit I'm nervous. What comes next? Can I keep going and achieve most, if not all, of the cool things I desire? My biggest, over-arching goal is to live a life of joy, energy, and enthusiasm, and by taking each day at a pace I can manage, no matter what other accomplishments comes my way, that's the star I'm shooting for.

How are you feeling as we wind up another year? What has made a difference in your life? If you don't want to share online, just shoot me an email at chrissymunder@yahoo.com. I'd love to hear how you are doing.