In 2019, I want to start making money from my writing. In order to do so I first need to address the physical and mental clutter that has been holding me back. Then I need a plan to write, edit, secure art work, publish and market a series of self published titles. I am going to work on having this all together and books published by the end of the year.
I mentioned in my previous post that we have moved a lot. While times have been rough for us, rental prices have soared in this city. San Francisco was the only booming economy during the recession, which lead to property prices rising past what people could afford. That drove people out of the Bay and into the Valley. As more Bay Area transplants arrived in Sacramento, rental rates have skyrocketed. So the space in which we are currently living is much smaller than where we've lived before. In other words, a clutter attractant.
This has driven some pretty intense mom-guilt which definitely takes up mental space once reserved for writing.
I'm going to attempt Marie Kondo's method of decluttering over the next 6 weeks. I'll document it here, just to keep myself honest.
What Am I Expecting from this Process:
If I can reduce physical clutter, I can reduce stress and the amount of time sent cleaning. I can work on some of my more absent-minded habits and clear space in my small environment to actually spend time working.
I have a lot of feelings of have-to's and obligations to the household and to my young son. Perhaps I focus so much on these things that I am starting to procrastinate on the things I really need to get done. I would ascribe this not to intent, but to mental clutter.
I feel that I am constantly making cooking and cleaning decisions for the entire household, which includes myself, my husband, my son and one other family member. I am the primary housekeeper, cook, grocery shopper and, well, a mom. That's a lot. I definitely was a bit more mentally balanced when I worked part-time, because time away was time for me.
But I wasn't doing what I loved. My dream has always been to have a family and be a writer. Naturally, I didn't--perhaps I couldn't--anticipate all of the mental clutter I've collected over the years and which holds me back.
I need to secure some time for myself. Since both of my parents are retired now, they have agreed to watch my son. This will give me time for housework and writing,a s long as I develop and stick to a schedule. This is like starting to exert a muscle that hasn't been used in awhile. That muscle? Discipline, Habit. Once upon a time I relied on these things easily. But between then and now much has happened and I have seesawed between striving for control of my life and feeling completely out of control of it. Figuring out what I need to get myself on track has been challenging, to say the least.
With some help and luck I will find a way back to myself and build the life I want. That I suppose, is my larger goal for 2019.
I will address these first and chart my progress here before walking through my publishing plans. Writing, for me, is life. Working toward developing a balance between the two is essential for me to get anywhere with either. I'm certain there are many aspiring writers with life challenges standing in the way of them sitting down and doing what they love. Hopefully my decision to address these problems will be inspiring to those who have similar blocks.
Thank you for reading! See you around :)
The Physical Clutter:
I mentioned in my previous post that we have moved a lot. While times have been rough for us, rental prices have soared in this city. San Francisco was the only booming economy during the recession, which lead to property prices rising past what people could afford. That drove people out of the Bay and into the Valley. As more Bay Area transplants arrived in Sacramento, rental rates have skyrocketed. So the space in which we are currently living is much smaller than where we've lived before. In other words, a clutter attractant.
This has driven some pretty intense mom-guilt which definitely takes up mental space once reserved for writing.
The Solution:
I'm going to attempt Marie Kondo's method of decluttering over the next 6 weeks. I'll document it here, just to keep myself honest.
What Am I Expecting from this Process:
If I can reduce physical clutter, I can reduce stress and the amount of time sent cleaning. I can work on some of my more absent-minded habits and clear space in my small environment to actually spend time working.
Mental Clutter:
I have a lot of feelings of have-to's and obligations to the household and to my young son. Perhaps I focus so much on these things that I am starting to procrastinate on the things I really need to get done. I would ascribe this not to intent, but to mental clutter.
I feel that I am constantly making cooking and cleaning decisions for the entire household, which includes myself, my husband, my son and one other family member. I am the primary housekeeper, cook, grocery shopper and, well, a mom. That's a lot. I definitely was a bit more mentally balanced when I worked part-time, because time away was time for me.
But I wasn't doing what I loved. My dream has always been to have a family and be a writer. Naturally, I didn't--perhaps I couldn't--anticipate all of the mental clutter I've collected over the years and which holds me back.
The Solution:
I need to secure some time for myself. Since both of my parents are retired now, they have agreed to watch my son. This will give me time for housework and writing,a s long as I develop and stick to a schedule. This is like starting to exert a muscle that hasn't been used in awhile. That muscle? Discipline, Habit. Once upon a time I relied on these things easily. But between then and now much has happened and I have seesawed between striving for control of my life and feeling completely out of control of it. Figuring out what I need to get myself on track has been challenging, to say the least.
With some help and luck I will find a way back to myself and build the life I want. That I suppose, is my larger goal for 2019.
2019 Progress:
I will address these first and chart my progress here before walking through my publishing plans. Writing, for me, is life. Working toward developing a balance between the two is essential for me to get anywhere with either. I'm certain there are many aspiring writers with life challenges standing in the way of them sitting down and doing what they love. Hopefully my decision to address these problems will be inspiring to those who have similar blocks.
Thank you for reading! See you around :)
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