Motivation Monday: Writing Blues...

 I've been AWOL since NaNoWriMo, and I wish I could say it was due to being terribly caught up in my writing endeavors.

Sadly, not.

Life throws me a lot of different curveballs since I began caring for my elderly parent. Naturally, that flows into my writing time, crafting time, whatever time. So I typically go off and do whatever I can to wind down and destress, which is my gaming, my go-to for escape.

When it gets like this, I get a little down because I can hear my voice in my head telling me I need to be doing something other than sitting around playing World of Warcraft or Conan Exiles. But, what can you do?

Getting motivated seems like a monumental task, sometimes. Right around NaNoWriMo, my characters were screaming in my head, my stories were overpowering my senses and my muse was smacking the backside of my head, like Gibbs. I just jumped right back into it, sat down and got busy. A wonderful feeling, to be sure, but not my modus operandi.

Blogging helps a lot more than I realize. Reading helps a lot as well. I've decided to start reading classic literature that I was never able to, before, or didn't have access to, before. My first choice out of the box is "The Count of Monte Cristo".

Definitely an inspiring piece, one that gets the creative writing juices flowing. For now, I will have to settle with blogging every so often, so if I am ever absent, these days, at least you know why.

What are your go-to's when life gets in the way of writing? How do you motivate yourself to get back on track? Writing or reading, or both? I'd love to hear your comments. You know where to leave them!

Motivation Monday...

 It's Monday and we all need motivation to get through the week once in a while. I need to be motivated.

It's the Monday before Christmas and I do want to wish you all a happy holiday! I know many who are either alone or don't celebrate, and that's quite all right. But be safe, because of those who do celebrate. A bit too much.

Okay, motivate, motivate...

Something my sister-in-law, aka my bestest friend in the whole wide world, told me when we were both overwhelmed.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

No, I'm not eating a real elephant.

However, I do have to look at the big picture of things, all the projects I have going on and just take things a little bit at a time. It's not a race, not a competition. Mainly it's writing, doing crafts and making sure my house is clean.

I try to figure out what I'm in the mood for, for the day, then I attempt to break things down into manageable chunks. Take about an hour to work on a craft. If I feel like continuing, I do.

Take some time to write, either X amount of words or set a timer. I like to set a timer more than designate a word count goal. Sometimes a word count goal freaks me out if it isn't for NaNoWriMo. I don't know why, lol!

My housecleaning is viewed in the same capacity. I have two bathrooms to clean, so one day, it's sinks, next is toilets. Then just keep doing what I need to do until it is done. Laundry, a load a day if needed. Things of that nature.

So, if you're feeling overwhelmed, just stop, take a deep breath and take one bite at a time. You'll get there if the pace is slow and steady or fast and crazy.

Good luck!

How do you manage time? What motivates you to keep going? Leave your answers in the comments below!

Motivation Monday...

 Coffee. I don't know about you, but I absolutely need coffee to get started on any day of the week, but especially Monday.

Yeah, I can skip a cup here or there, I don't have an IV of it in my arm, but that is a good idea. Hmm... something to ponder.

I also have to wake up my brain in the mornings, mostly I play silly games on my phone or iPad. I often feel like if I didn't waste that time playing games, I would get more done, but honestly, I stay at home, just about everything gets done.

Since Covid hit, (don't get me started on the politics of it...) staying home has been what we do. I live in a pretty rural area, so we're social distancing champions. Our entire county has only had 7 Covid related deaths since it began. I digress, though. My days blur, so staying motivated is something of a chore. It's difficult to maintain. Things that motivate me, though, are:

COFFEE!!!

Music

Just getting off my butt and doing it. Whatever "it" happens to be for the day.

I have been taking a painting class and I'm hoping to have the opportunity to teach a basic writing class. Those things motivate me to craft and write.

What motivates you? Leave me a comment and let me know! Have a great Monday and a wonderful rest of your week!