Did you make resolutions in January, and you’re already finding yourself falling behind?
Don’t waste time kicking yourself because changing an attitude about getting a job done, whether it’s losing ten pounds or writing a book, is a tough thing to do!
First of all, remember each day is a fresh start to reaching your goal. If you’ve set a goal of writing 3,000 words per day and a whole week has gone by without writing a single word, don’t give up. Start every day new and don’t look back at yesterday and feel guilty.
Second, try to figure out where you’re failing. Was the goal too ambitious?
You might need to pace yourself. For instance, aim for a small change that gradually increases throughout the year. You don’t need to change overnight, but you need to be careful not to set yourself up for something you can’t achieve without practice.
Again, using the example of writing 3,000 words per day, you might start with 500 words per day, or 3,000 words per week, and every month increase that.
Finally, are you looking at the small picture of step-by-step improvements, or is the big picture distracting you? For instance, you might want to train to run a 10k race by the end of the year. Don’t look at it from the perspective of today - You’ll need to be able to run for a whole hour. Look at it from a training perspective of some weeks working on speed, other weeks on distance… slowly working on reaching your goal. Divide the goal into manageable parts, and concentrate on the small steps.
I hope you reach all your goals this year!
Do you have questions and need help with writing and marketing your self-published book? Please write to me here or at http://www.jexbo.com/.
Planning Tips for Working Moms
If you’re like me, you have a lot of things going on all the time. I have my business, my family, and a house to take care of. Some of the things I do to keep things straight might work for you, so I’d like to share them here.
First of all, I make lists of everyone I need to buy presents for, and then I shop well in advance of any occasion where I might need to give someone something.
I keep a list for birthdays and Christmas, and once I’ve bought a present for someone, I check them off the list. Then, I store the presents in my “present container” which has a list taped to the top with everyone’s name on it, and I write what I’ve gotten for each person.
If you’re really ambitious, you can also wrap the present before you store it. Then when the birthday comes up, you aren’t scrambling to find something. You just get it out of the container!
Second, I print off calendars and keep copies on the refrigerator, in my purse, and next to my computer. You can find a huge variety with a search engine such as Yahoo – just search for “free printable calendar.”
There are also online calendars you can use which will remind you of upcoming events. I make everyone write what they have coming up on the main calendar on the refrigerator, and I check it each night before I go to bed to be sure I know what’s coming up the next day.
Third, prioritize what needs to be done. If your list includes doing laundry, and finishing a chapter of a book you’re writing, I would say laundry could be first.
Unless of course, you’re writing to a deadline, in which case everyone can wear something that’s not quite clean for a day or two.
Finally, delegate as much work as possible. Even very young children can help around the house – sorting laundry to be folded, setting the table, and making their own beds.
Do you have tips for authors out there? Please write to me here or at www.jexbo.com. Thanks!
First of all, I make lists of everyone I need to buy presents for, and then I shop well in advance of any occasion where I might need to give someone something.
I keep a list for birthdays and Christmas, and once I’ve bought a present for someone, I check them off the list. Then, I store the presents in my “present container” which has a list taped to the top with everyone’s name on it, and I write what I’ve gotten for each person.
If you’re really ambitious, you can also wrap the present before you store it. Then when the birthday comes up, you aren’t scrambling to find something. You just get it out of the container!
Second, I print off calendars and keep copies on the refrigerator, in my purse, and next to my computer. You can find a huge variety with a search engine such as Yahoo – just search for “free printable calendar.”
There are also online calendars you can use which will remind you of upcoming events. I make everyone write what they have coming up on the main calendar on the refrigerator, and I check it each night before I go to bed to be sure I know what’s coming up the next day.
Third, prioritize what needs to be done. If your list includes doing laundry, and finishing a chapter of a book you’re writing, I would say laundry could be first.
Unless of course, you’re writing to a deadline, in which case everyone can wear something that’s not quite clean for a day or two.
Finally, delegate as much work as possible. Even very young children can help around the house – sorting laundry to be folded, setting the table, and making their own beds.
Do you have tips for authors out there? Please write to me here or at www.jexbo.com. Thanks!
How to Deal with Writer's Block
It’s easy to hit a wall when writing and not know what to write next, but there are a couple things you can do when you are stuck.
Take a break from writing if possible – go for a walk, call a friend, or work on things around the house that need to be done. Being away from writing might bring something to mind that you wouldn’t have thought of if you stayed in front of the computer.
Keep a list of words or phrases that evoke feelings you could use in your work – words like rebel, warm, and fester can instantly make me think of something to write.
Try writing a different way – if you normally work on a computer, try writing in longhand. Or you might use a recorder and just talk out loud before transcribing what you said.
Do you have any tips for dealing with writer’s block? If so, I’d love to hear them! Please write to me below or at http://www.jexbo.com/. Thanks!
Take a break from writing if possible – go for a walk, call a friend, or work on things around the house that need to be done. Being away from writing might bring something to mind that you wouldn’t have thought of if you stayed in front of the computer.
Keep a list of words or phrases that evoke feelings you could use in your work – words like rebel, warm, and fester can instantly make me think of something to write.
Try writing a different way – if you normally work on a computer, try writing in longhand. Or you might use a recorder and just talk out loud before transcribing what you said.
Do you have any tips for dealing with writer’s block? If so, I’d love to hear them! Please write to me below or at http://www.jexbo.com/. Thanks!
Author Tips for Saving Money
I’m a firm believer in clipping coupons and shopping at sales, but there are other things you can do to save money while still enjoying your life.
Something I like to do is make copy-cat recipes of favorite restaurant food. When you cook at home, it costs a fraction of the price of eating out. A family favorite at my house is the Benihana fried rice I make using the recipe from the Benihana website! You can do a search for copy-cat recipes for your favorite restaurants and see if your family likes it better when you make it.
Write down everything you spend in one week, and the next week try to take spend 10% less than the previous week. Then the following week see if you can take 10% from that week. Or you can even try cutting your spending in half.
Limit your shopping as much as possible. I once heard someone say, “What the eye sees, the heart wants,” and I find that very true. If I’m in a store, I find myself wanting everything I see, so the trick for me is to stay out of the stores as much as possible.
What are some money-saving tips you have? I’d love to hear from you! Please write to me here or at http://www.jexbo.com/.
Something I like to do is make copy-cat recipes of favorite restaurant food. When you cook at home, it costs a fraction of the price of eating out. A family favorite at my house is the Benihana fried rice I make using the recipe from the Benihana website! You can do a search for copy-cat recipes for your favorite restaurants and see if your family likes it better when you make it.
Write down everything you spend in one week, and the next week try to take spend 10% less than the previous week. Then the following week see if you can take 10% from that week. Or you can even try cutting your spending in half.
Limit your shopping as much as possible. I once heard someone say, “What the eye sees, the heart wants,” and I find that very true. If I’m in a store, I find myself wanting everything I see, so the trick for me is to stay out of the stores as much as possible.
What are some money-saving tips you have? I’d love to hear from you! Please write to me here or at http://www.jexbo.com/.
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