Intentional Mondays

Quote: "It's easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent. And it's also easier to do little things we know we can do than to start on big things that we're not so sure about." John Cleese

Heard this quote in this talk on creativity, which was referenced in a post on Writer Unboxed that I just loved. This quote stands out because I am so prone to checking and responding to emails or seeing what new pins are on Pinterest or reading my news feed on Facebook than to dive into the writing that needs to be done. And speaking of writing...

Write Every Day... While I didn't increase my word count, I did accomplish a huge task in that I finally finished planning/plotting my new book. This was a big deal for me and a necessary step I should take with each book before I dive into the writing. I know that not all writers have to plan/plot before they write but I do. The work on the front end makes the writing go much easier. In theory.

My One Word... Affirm. Spent some time this week journaling some of the ways I've seen God affirm His activity in our lives of late. A good exercise and something I'm going to try to keep doing with some sort of regularity.

Listening To... Reptile by The Church

Sharing Stories... I am reading Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together by Pamela Slim. I do several things in my life that seem unconnected and this book is helping me see that they aren't necessarily random. I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying it and getting out of it. While this isn't fiction, she does share lots of stories throughout the book. So that counts.

As for made-up stories, I'm listening to, and loving, The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. Creepy and gripping. Not sure where she's going with the story but I'm enjoying the ride.

My daughter is excited for a new Nancy Clancy, coming soon, and a couple of new Heidi Heckelbeck titles for her Kindle.

Randomness... I made it through last week! I taught all the classes and ran all the errands and did all the laundry and made the meals and even worked on my new book, which I totally did not expect to do. It is possible, though I am loathe to admit it, that I actually accomplish more when my days are structured than when they are not.

In The Kitchen... Meals planned for a whole week. A true sense of accomplishment. My college girl is home for spring break and wants some home cookin!

Plans... This week is a lot freer than last week. I will have my two classes to teach and will be aiming to write at least 1000 words in my nice shiny newly planned novel. But beyond that and normal life stuff (laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, etc.) I am not booked out. This makes me very happy.

Loveliness... The sound of rain on the roof. We've had enough rain in recent days that I decided I better find something lovely about it.


Photo of the week:

Someone got a haircut and can now see again.
Working that errand into my week this past week was a huge accomplishment. Huge.
Love her dapper bandana.