Taking massive action: fight for your goals

I’ve mentioned a friend of mine—KM—in previous posts. We met during a four-day writers’ retreat in Port Townsend and, in some ways, I’m surprised by our connection; in other ways, it makes sense. As she once said to me: It just is. Over time, she’s become a sounding board, the voice of reason (aka my conscience), a cheerleader and mentor of sorts. My hope: to reciprocate in kind. Recently, KM emailed me one such token of her “tribal” (e.g., the battle cry of writers, bloggers, yogis, etc.) affection—a link to an article intended, I believe, to make me think (she’s subtle like that) about why I haven’t been fighting for my goals. After all, I’ve always believed if you want something bad enough, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. A word of caution: avoid hinging that something on someone else. We must pick up the gauntlet and take massive action by fighting for ourselves.

Are you ready to take massive action?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Last ditch efforts: are they worth it?

About six months ago, I attended my first writers’ retreat in a tiny idyllic town bordering the Puget Sound. Since then, I’ve joined numerous online workshops studying the writing craft and then: poof. The desire to write anything at all escaped in a puff of imaginary smoke—all my ideas and excitement and dreams tamped out as if they’d never been. A few weeks ago, I received a second invitation to register for yet another course. With one quarter left until a new year begins, I figured that if I plan to end 2019 with a bang, then it’s now or never. The phrase “last ditch effort” flashed behind my eyes. And now here I am, four of 12 lessons in and, for the first time in a long while, I’m having fun writing again. The moral of this post? Last ditch efforts might not prove successful every time. But it only takes once if it’s meant to be.

Could your life benefit from a last ditch effort?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Taming the monkeys with practical tips: how to ‘unstick’ yourself

 

Thirty-seven days ago I felt stuck. Questions like: What am I doing with my life? Where do I even begin? wrestled each other in a mind full of monkeys. And then a new friend I met during a recent writers’ retreat—I’ll call her KM—“checked in” with me online. I dumped. She listened. And then she “counseled” me with sage guidance and a personal challenge—with contract—if I chose to accept. Although only eight days remain in my challenge, I’ll continue practicing the advice KM shared. I’m not only more grounded and less anxious overall, but the gains have spilled over into my daily habits and interactions. I knew the retreat was life-changing. But with my limited experience and expectations, I never could have guessed to what extent. Stay tuned as I share, over the next several posts, how to get unstuck by incorporating two practical tips into your daily routine… and change your life. If you accept the challenge.

Do you need to get unstuck?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Jokers to the left of me, clowns to the right of me: reality’s call

Since I attended a writers’ retreat last month—see “The power of networking…”—a mirror image of me moves throughout each day disconnected from reality. The crux of the matter is that my mind and heart still reside in the space I created 1,527 miles away. Yet my body continues to travel on autopilot through the motions of everyday life. Like the old song lyrics go: I’m stuck in the middle… Because if I evaluate my circumstances from the outside in, I observe a 50+ woman striving to serve as a productive member of society, love her family and friends, care for her health and make a difference in her small corner of the world. But the reality is that—even so—from the inside out, I’m stuck on pause as I contemplate my next move and attempt to answer reality’s call: Is this as good as it gets? It’s in this crossroads, I’m certain, where it’ll all begin to make sense.

Are you stuck in the crossroads?

Image courtesy of tiverylucky at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

The power of networking: why a writers’ retreat pays off

Calling all writers and storytellers: published, non-published, pantsers or plotters and more: If you’re passionate about all things literary, and you’ve always wondered if you should attend a writers’ retreat… go. While they each tout their own merits, it’s not the XYZ annual writer’s conference or your weekly writer’s workshops or critiques I’m extolling here. Writers’ retreats are a different creature. Not only do you immerse yourself into the entire writing experience—aka you write—but, at least in my situation, I was privy to the do’s, don’ts and the how to’s of the craft presented in fresh ways. And, because retreats often limit the number of participants, you get to know your tribe intimately and practice the power of networking. Maybe it’s because I’m still riding the high from my own writers’ retreat (see “How a life-changing adventure works”). Or maybe it’s because I want to share this newfound insight with my fellow peeps. Either way, what have you got to lose?

What’s your networking “go to?”

How a life-changing adventure works

Twenty-two days after I started a three-week factory reboot, I boarded a plane for a life-changing adventure—an opportunity to practice many of the concepts I’ve been studying and writing about: setting intentions, working smarter, finding your support system and establishing a vision. It began with a three-hour flight to SeaTac, my premier ferry ride and 100 miles behind the wheel of a rental car that transported me to Washington’s Port Townsend off the Puget Sound. For four days, along with a fellow tribe of writers, I immersed myself into all-things literary—from tips and tools to hone the craft, to one-on-ones with our host, to free-writing sessions—while making time to explore the idyllic town, savor tea at Pippa’s and sample my first authentic Thai cuisine. Although still processing where to go from here, I’m determined to hold onto the space I created there—a low-key, stress-free rhythm—because it’s only life changing if I allow it to be.

What kind of life-changing adventure do you crave?