On Creative Blocks and Barricades: Breaking Through to The Other Side

I stalk Facebook and see my writing friends publish books, produce book trailers, and attend conferences and writer's conventions. I read other friends' statuses as they go camping, fishing, swimming, and frolic in the summer sun. Me? I got nothing. After work, I barely make it out onto my deck to water my container garden. 

I am physically, mentally, and creatively blocked.

Physically--I'm sluggish, overweight, and all-around unhealthy. My hot flashes are horrendous. It's easier to count the times that I don't have a flash in progress. Summer sun? Ugh. No thanks.

Mentally--I'm in a rut. I think it's relative to my physical state. I find myself cranky, pessimistic, and whiny.

Creatively--I haven't written anything besides e-mails, endless lists of things to do, or a rare blog post.

Sad, huh? So, I've decided to make some changes:

Physically--
My last cigarette was on July 4th. While the country celebrated 237 years of independence, I celebrated independence from my addictions.
On that day, I also began a Master Cleanse for four days to rid my body of some of the toxins I've been marinating in. I plan on following with a three day juice cleanse, (More on that in a later post.) and on to a healthier way of eating. (I'm thinking of the Paleo diet)
My friend and I will be starting an exercise program in her home. Yes, the same one who had a plane crash in her front yard.

I'm hoping our exercise is a little less dramatic.

All of the above should help lessen the hot flashes. We'll see...


Mentally--
Since starting the cleanse, I'm no longer smoking like a chimney

or chugging coffee by the potful, so I no longer sit at the dining room table and stare into space, lamenting on all the things I need to do. I've been more productive in the past three days than I've been in the past three months. My energy has increased and I find myself getting out of bed by 5am, feeling fully rested. Let's see how long that lasts...

Creatively--
I haven't written a to-do list in four days. Instead, I've been busy crossing off the items and doing things that weren't even on that list. Writing? No. I haven't been that good, but I have unearthed the new novel I started awhile ago. I may even have the first three chapters done and highly polished by October's 2013 Baker's Dozen Contest.

Some of the changes I made are drastic, but they were definitely necessary. I'm hoping the detox program can jump start a healthier, energetic, and creative life.

Have you ever found yourself blocked? What did you do to climb out of your rut?

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Changes For The New Year

(Source)

"Goals are dreams with deadlines." ~Diana Scharf Hunt, Author (The Tao of Time)

As I said last year around this time, resolutions are not my forte, but GOALS are a horse of a different color. I read somewhere that writing down your goals can help them become reality. So, instead of resolutions, I've decided to write my goals for 2012.

If we are to believe the Mayans and their calendar, we don't have much time left. Hopefully, I will accomplish my goals before December 21st.

Financially:

I will cut my debt in half.

I will save enough money to cover our household expenses for 2 months. (I'll work up to saving 6 months.)

Health:

I will be smoke-free, for good.

I will lower my weight by at least 10%

Business:

We will increase productivity and sales.

We will raise our customer base.

Career:

I will complete YA novel

I will complete one children's fiction piece, one children's non-fiction piece, and one adult piece per month.

I will stick to a realistic writing schedule.

I will have at least twelve new works published by the end of the year.

Notice how my career list is twice as large as the other lists? That's because I've raised the bar for myself. Hey, I'm not getting any younger.

"Part of the issue of achievement is to be able to set realistic goals, but that's one of the hardest things to do because you don't always know exactly where you're going, and you shouldn't." ~George Lucas

In 2011, I worked hard. The scrambling and juggling I did to accomplish tasks always made the end-result feel less than fulfilling. True, our home was in constant upheaval most of the year and I spent as much time as possible with our fresh-out-of-the-military daughter, but those are excuses and excuses are never productive. In 2012, I will work smarter.

2012 will also bring a new blog schedule. I've noticed people are downsizing in the number of blogs they follow and the amount of time spent online. My twice weekly blog entries took time to research. Time I could not spend on my novel and short stories. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed blogging immensely, but to stay productive, I've decided to cut my posts down to a more manageable once a week. I hope to make the posts engaging, informative, and fun with publishing news, markets, fun facts, book thoughts, and taking the leap into doing author interviews!

"Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress."
~Bruce Barton (1886-1967--Author of The Man Nobody Knows.)

Progress. My #1 goal for 2012. I didn't write nearly as much as I wanted. I have this thing where I feel the need to tidy the house, wash the dishes, write bills, put in a load of laundry, or whatever before I settle in to write. I don't know why. Considering I hate doing all those other things. I feel as though writing is my reward for getting my chores done, but in 2012, I'm going to be naughty and enjoy my reward first. Kind of like eating ice cream for dinner. Who's going to yell at me?

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”--Oprah Winfrey

Attitude is everything. Having the right attitude can help someone heal, develop self-confidence, accomplish a difficult task, or bring one closer to publication. 2012 is the Year of The Dragon, and I can already feel the fire under my butt!

"It is never too late to be who you might have been." ~George Eliot

I came across George Eliot's quote about four years ago, soon after I applied to the Institute of Children's Literature. I wrote it down on a piece of paper and tucked it into my wallet. I am excited about the coming year. In June, I will turn 50 years old (YIKES!) and the quote has never felt more appropriate for me.

"Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." ~ Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back