Do you have a minimally viable plan?

It’s been a tough week at Chez Munder, friends. TOUGH. On all fronts. Usually, I can squeak by when life needs my attention. Maybe my emotions are out of whack, but I’m totally crushing my word count. Or, maybe my writing is lagging, but I’m rocking the home responsibilities. This week was an all-around ass kicker and I’m mentally, emotionally, and physically beat.

Did you notice I broke my chain on 2021 Tuesday blog posts? Yeah, sometimes there’s just too much real life in my real life.

Thankfully, I have a minimally viable plan (MVP) for most areas of life and responsibility when things kick up and they are a saver. Some people may call these Plan B, but I resonate with the word image painted by the words minimally viable. What image do these two words paint for you? 

My MVP is more than a Plan B.  It’s a small, itemized list of 2-3 tiny (sometimes infinitesimal) tasks that, if I can’t manage anything else in my day but check those 2-3 items off, I’ll call the day a win. My MVP removes any emotion from the task and it feels easy, even when nothing else in my life does.

Maybe I didn’t do my weekly housecleaning, but there are no dishes in the sink, and we have clean underwear for the next day. Maybe I can’t get my planned exercise in today, but I took a 15-minute walk out in the fresh air. Maybe I couldn’t face calling my family, but I sent a cheerful text. I won’t lie, friends. Some days my MVP is simply getting out of bed and getting dressed.

These plans weren't developed overnight and I've adjusted them repeatedly. In many ways the content of my MVP doesn't matter. What's important is they reflect the current priorities in my life.

This week helped me realize I need to adjust my writing MVP. I’m at a tough part in my edits, I’m waiting for the story to thread itself together, and I'm avoiding my keyboard. This is a sure sign my MVP for writing is too large. Too scary. Not minimally viable.

So, I’m scaling my writing plan back a few notches. It’s frustrating, because I’ve set some large writing goals this year and I’m disappointed to find myself behind, even while leaving (I thought) a nice chunk of margin. But small progress done consistently will build the mindset and discipline I’m going to need to reach them.

How’s your March going? Do you have a minimally viable plan for when life gives you a poke hello or you feel mentally and emotionally exhausted? What’s the one thing you do in a day that helps you feel satisfied?

Since I’m still running behind this week, here’s my minimally viable workout for today. Nick always makes me smile, and does anyone else think he looks like Joseph Michael, The Scrivener Coach or is it just me?

I dare you to walk 15 minutes with Nick and not feel better afterward.

For anyone interested in more of the philosophy and practicality behind my planning and how I narrowed my priorities, I'll remind you there's a fresh round of Sarra Cannon's HB90 Method starting March 14th. Please consider using my affiliate link and remember, once you purchase the course you have lifetime access and each new quarter is an opportunity to refine your process.

Ready to join me for #TheWalkingWriter?

Happy Thursday, y'all! After I shared one of my big, bucket list goals--to complete The Crazy Horse Memorial Volksmarch in 2022--I received quite a few emails and comments which circled around the same question: how will I, as a blind person, train and build strength in order to complete the walk?

My stock answer to most "how do I" questions is pretty standard and runs along the lines of: the same way a sighted person does. Depending on my mood, I might then segue into a bit of Blind 101 and ableist language education.  I am not a blind person. I am a person who happens to be blind.

All knee-jerk responses aside, I thought this could be a fun way to share some of the many ways I strive to stay active not only as a person who is blind and lives in a climate with snow and ice a large percentage of the year (which, yes, does limit some of my outdoor activities), but also as a writer with strong sedentary and nap-loving tendencies. 

Want to come along? Just look for the #TheWalkingWriter tag here on my blog in 2021. To make things a little easier for those of us who are leery of making any financial commitment right now, I'm going to share mostly free or inexpensive ways to meet my goals. 

I'll start small this first post. Like, five minutes small. One of my favorite writing techniques is the Pomodoro Technique. Not only does it help me stay on track and avoid distractions during my writing time, but it also allows me to sneak in a quick check of both my current fitness state and my cardiovascular progress.

How do I use it? I set my timer, write or edit for 25 minutes and then, for my five minute break, I walk stairs. A single flight. 12 Steps in all. Over and over again without stopping. That's it. Then back to the writing. Then another five minute stair break. 

Okay, I hear some of you snickering out there. But try it yourself. Just walk up and down one flight of stairs for five minutes without stopping. Let me know how you feel. Don't be surprised at your results. I was truly horrified my first attempt. Maybe it's a not a challenge for you, and maybe you won't break a sweat and your heart doesn't try to pound out your chest. Bless you, if that's the case. Mine sure did.

What about when I lived in a house or apartments without internal stairs? How did I sneak activity into my writing breaks? Well, when bored with simply walking through the house practicing my cane form, I turned to another favorite and free resource, YouTube.

Yes, it's visual. Yes, I'm not. The key is to find exercise classes with strong verbal cues. One of my favorite instructors is Leslie Sansone and her Walk At Home videos. The beauty with Leslie? She uses four steps, not a lot of room, and as long as you keep moving, you can't do it wrong.

Here's a quick, five minute walking break perfect for doing in front of the computer during my Pomodoro break:

Granted, five minutes at a time won't build the strength or cardiovascular fitness I need to compete the volksmarch, but it builds consistency, habit, and confidence. Plus, I consider anytime I get my blood pumping and my heart going a win and good for my writing. 

How about you? Did you set any health goals in 2021? Are you an at-home exerciser or do you prefer a gym? If you're an author, how do you fend off a nap-attack when it's time to write?

Bucket List Goals - Love 'em? Hate 'em? Sharing one of my own.

 Bucket list goals. Have you ever made one? I used to chuckle when I reached *that* part of goal setting. The "dream big", and "if nothing stood in your way" part of the process. But, I'd close my eyes and write a few things down, usually with a snort of derision.

Imagine my surprise  a few years ago, when  I was neck deep in my declutter process (Brief aside: seriously, neck deep! Why does a blind gal have so much damn paper clutter sitting around? Why? I'll let the hoarder gods mull over that question.) I came across some 10 year and 5 year goals I had written down at one point, never actually expecting to reach them. I read through my list and wow! I had actually accomplished some of these.

No, not my desire to be able to complete 5 one-armed pull-ups inspired by Linda Hamilton's arousing physicality in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. But a few smaller, and less out-of-this-world bucket list goals had actually come to fruition. Go me!

Ever since then, I've made a point of including one of my bucket list goals in my 3 year plan. What am I working on this year? Well, with COVID and the chances of my getting a vaccine stretching out to August, and my desire not to have my choices impact my friends, family, and extended community this is actually my 2022 "Big Goal." 

In September of 2022, I'm going to join in the Crazy Horse Memorial Volksmarch. If you are unfamiliar with the Crazy Horse Memorial, I strongly suggest you head out to their website and learn about their commitment and mission. Consider making a ongoing donation.

My first visit to the memorial was all the way back in 1972, and I've been able to make it back eleven more times, including a notable visit to experience a  night blast. But, as much as the memorial means to me personally, I've never made a visit at the right time of year to join in one of the walks up the mountain. It's always been on my bucket list.

You might think, pfffft. A 6.2 mile walk up a mountain? No biggie. I might have thought that way, too. But, not to harp on it, things have changed for me. I don't want to merely have someone take my arm and drag me around (the sighted world's main and totally incorrect idea of what to do with a blind person). Plane tickets and a place to stay are the least of my planning. I'm going to have to train for this. 

I need to work on my balance. I need to discover what kind of cane and tip will give me the best feedback over rougher terrain. I need to build my forearm strength, improve my ambidextrousness with my cane use, and practice walking longer distances and times because the arms get tired, folks! I also want to play around with some talking GPS software and work on my situational awareness. 

When I write it all out like that, there's a lot to work on. Perhaps 2022 isn't too far away, after all. How about you? Have you made bucket list goals? Have you ever accomplished one of your "no way" goals?

Here's a quick look at what I'm working toward: