Have I been asleep?

Yes, it's been a few days since I last posted. I'm going through this sort of burn-out phase; not burnout from writing, mind you. Just a burnout from my daily job.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I work with kids - kindergarten through 2nd grade mostly, and they're great! I get hugs, hi's, and waves when they see me in the hall. I work in small group settings and one-on-one settings for those who really need it. 

But after a full day of putting out my best self, let's just say my body wants to lay on the couch for a while and do nothing. Often, I take a nap, and sometimes I watch mindless television. It's all I can do really. I'm not even up to reading a book.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

If you're like me, I want to hear from you. What do you do to stay motivated after a long day of work? When do you fit in your writing time when it's all you can do to be a couch potato?

 

5 + Smart Strategies for Writers

Five powerful strategies that have kept me writing. 

1. Get up early. Write. [No excuses!] Your brain is fresher in the morning and less clogged with the duties of the day. 

2. Write when you don't feel like it. This includes all other times of the day when you could be writing but don't. I always keep a notebook with me. Record scenes, dialogue, or your next book title at doctors' offices, etc. 

3. Don't live on guilt trips. If you don't write one day, start fresh the next. But don't use your missed opportunity as an excuse not to begin again.

4. Share what you are working on with others in a general sense, but try not to share your entire plot! You want others to read your book after all.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

5. Don't give up. Never. Don't surrender. Don't live in doubt. Don't expect overnight success. Know that hard work will always be required to be a great writer. 

5 Writing Quotes to Motivate You Today

"Write what should not be forgotten." Isabel Allende

"I try to leave out the parts that people skip." Elmore Leonard

"Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words." Mark Twain

"To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard." Allen Ginsberg

"If you really want to know yourself, start by writing a book." Shereen El Feki

Photo by Licha Haney

5 Tips and Tricks for Reading More

No time to read?

You probably have more time than you think.

Here's what you can do to get a little reading time in.

Photo by Ishaq Robin on Unsplash

1. Keep a book in your purse, backpack, or your car's glove compartment. Instead of pulling out your phone during those open moments at the doctor's office, read. Yes, you can also read on your phone but I have found that reading on my phone can quickly turn to other things like game playing, so I try to avoid reading that way.

2. Substitute reading for television watching. Yes, I get it, you just want to vedge. Consider a light read, a shorter book, a book that is pure entertainment. 

3. Read at night right before bed. I try to get in at least half an hour. I not only get some reading time in but I fall asleep faster.

4. What day or days off do you have each week from work? Plan some time during these windows to not only catch up on your life but to get some reading time in. Set a time if you have to.

5. Read to others. If you have children or grandchildren this is easier than you think. If you don't, consider reading to someone in your circle of friends. Once, years ago, a friend of mine was so sick she was in bed for months recuperating. Rather than go into details here about her sickness, let me just say that I went by every week and spent some time reading to her. The book? Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. 

Reading not only improves your memory and concentration but lowers your stress, say the experts. But reading is also fast becoming a book that is placed on the back shelf in favor of social media.

Wasted time?

Or a good read?

You decide.