Change of seasons, change of mindset … it’s funny how that seems to work, at least for me.

My goal to get off disability took one step closer to becoming reality yesterday.

I had a meeting with a business coach yesterday. It was the first time I’d ever talked to anyone outside my circle of friends online about what I actually want to accomplish. I was really amazed at just how far one meeting went to change my mindset from a “just trying to make money at home” to feeling like a real business person.

So to celebrate afterward I took a walk along the river. It was such a gorgeous day, and warm too… I didn’t want to come back home!

I found an awesome fallen tree trunk to sit on, that jutted out far enough that I could take pictures of the river in both directions…

This is the view of the Hunter Street Bridge, looking north…

And this is the view looking south…

And now today, I’m back inside and getting back to work.

I guess for today I’ll have to confine myself to looking at everyone else’s pictures of the great outdoors. Thank goodness for Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday so I can get my fix even when I can’t get outside myself. :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

This started out yesterday as a “week in review” type post, but I kinda got sidetracked. (Story of my blogging life, it seems :))

There are times when I really wonder if I should be posting a week in review, because I don’t always get a lot done in a week. And this was one of those weeks. But then I thought that this is really when I do need to set out in writing what I have done so that a) I can see exactly how much or how little I have accomplished, and b) it will serve as a good incentive to do more next week.

One thing I’ve found that helps me in getting more done every day is to set myself a challenge for the day. It’s a tool I borrowed and adapted from a post by Robert Plank some time ago. Sometimes I make it, and sometimes I don’t but it really helps to have a focus for the day and to set my priorities. It’s way too easy for me to get sidetracked and end up doing a lot of little things, without actually finishing any one major project. This week I met two challenges, and have five more that need finishing up.

The two challenges that I did finish were:

1. Set up Lena’s Creations store and add four different designs of Christmas cards featuring my own photography. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now, and I’m really pleased that I’ve finally taken the first steps to getting it done.

2. Made an original video and posted it on youtube. It’s a short affirmation video and it’s also posted on The Acorn Stash blog. At the risk of sounding pathetically whiny, it hasn’t had very many views yet so if you could check it out and rate and/or comment I would be eternally grateful to you. :)

To keep me accountable this week, I’m posting my challenges here:

1. New products to be added to the Cafe Press Store
2. A new video
3. New content to be added to the Thoughts of Christmas blog.
4. A new issue of The Acorn Stash
5. A new issue of The Ritchie Report
6. New content on all of the blogs
7. A new Friday Special
8. Take some new pictures

I plan to write my little fingers off this week creating content. If I have to post my results here every day, then I figure that will go a long ways to keeping me on target. Then maybe my “week in review” post next Sunday won’t look so pathetic.

On the personal front, I’m still plugging away at my novel for NaNoWriMo. I’m way behind with only about 7000 words written so far, but I’m having fun with it. I went to a write-in on Thursday night and met a few of the other local authors who are participating. That was a really big step for my hermit self.

Oh, and I decided that I would set my fitness goal for next year to participate in a sprint triathlon. So I’ve been researching training tips and clean eating habits in order to get myself ready for that.

And that’s it for me this week. How was your week? Did you get everything done that you wanted to last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week? Leave a comment and let me know!

Have a great week!
Thanks for being here,

I read a lot of fiction … probably more than is good for me at times. :) And in each novel I read I usually find at least one passage that makes me think, gives me an aha! moment, or otherwise fits one more little piece of the puzzle that is me into its proper place.

But never, unless it was totally and absolutely required for coursework (and none of that since high school) have I ever attempted to write fiction. Until now.

For whatever reason has possessed me (or maybe left me would be more apt), I’ve just signed up to do NaNoWriMo for this year.

Yep, me who has never written so much as a short story in the last 30 years is going to attempt to write a novel in a month! Definitely outside my comfort zone, I’d say.

Do I have any idea what I’m gonna write? Nope. Not a clue.

Will I even get close to finishing? Who knows. I hope so.

But regardless of whether or not I’m successful — and I’m certainly going to do everything I can to ensure my success — I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to put a few more pieces of my puzzle back together by the time the month is over.

For now I’m going to dig out my battered copy of Seven Steps on the Writer’s Path and start getting myself ready the challenge. :)

Have a great day!

If you’re doing NaNoWriMo this year, leave me a note in the comments.