writing life

When I opted for sobriety in January 2018, I knew why that option was best for me. For most of my adult life I have had difficulty falling and staying asleep. And that was only compounded when I started working as a flight attendant. And when I was struggling to sleep and always waking up tired, it was hard to stay focused. Everything took a hit—my writing productivity, my running, and my overall sense of joy for life. Sobriety was a way to turn those things around. And to be successful with any goal, you must step into your why.

The Power of ‘Why’

Change for change’s sake doesn’t amount to much. There’s no ‘why’ to motivate you, to help you become the best version of yourself. For years, I wanted to break free of lies I told myself around money. That I wasn’t good at handling money. That I could never achieve financial freedom. And that I could never break the spending patterns that made financial freedom seem impossible. [Read more…] about Step into Your ‘Why’

Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed that it’s been ‘harder’ to write. Not the act of writing itself, but sitting down to write. There have been more distractions, more things that I’ve let get in the way. There are periods when I can focus consistently, making progress on a novel. Other times, anything and everything pulls me away. It’s not always easy, but I’m working to get back the discipline I once had.

The Choices We Make

Over the past twelve months or so, I’ve been reading a lot of personal development books because I’m always interested in getting better. I don’t want to leave this earth without having done everything in my power to reach my truest potential. I’m not, however, looking for the latest hacks or quick fixes. I haven’t been happy where I am in life for a while, and I want to take meaningful action to change that. [Read more…] about It’s Not Always Easy

As the end of May rolled around, I decided to do an audit of how I had spent the month. If I did anything well, it was that I made it to the gym or out for a run every day but one. There were days when I didn’t feel like it, or when I was too tired (the one day I missed), but I did it anyway. While I wrote every day, I was constantly distracted by my phone and anything else that vied for my attention. What I realized was that I hadn’t really moved forward, and it was time for me to wake up.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

One of the worst feelings in the world is knowing that what you’re doing isn’t what you feel called to do. You’re not on purpose, and as the days pass you wonder if anything will ever change. But the only way for things to change is for you to change. [Read more…] about Wake Up

It’s been a month since I switched to the overnight shift at my job. With the exception of the last three years I worked as a flight attendant (2018–2020), usually doing the overnight flights to Europe, I’ve told myself that I was a morning person. Creatively, the early morning hours were my prime time to create. It was then that I could focus for an extended period of time. With my new shift, I’m still adjusting. And I’m learning that every day you simply must try to do your best. [Read more…] about Do Your Best

A couple weeks ago, I ran out of my asthma inhaler. An unfortunate set of circumstances meant that it would be a week before I could see my doctor to renew my prescription. Normally, if I run out, my pharmacist can give me one refill while I organize to see my doctor, but she was on vacation. And for me to go a week without my inhaler, which I take daily, would—and did—trigger an asthma attack. Pair that with a 48-hour period where I didn’t sleep more than three hours, and all my favourite friends came out to play: self-doubt, procrastination, and defeatism. I knew my biggest challenge would be getting unstuck.

When Mindset Falters

I’ve always known the importance of mindset as I pursue my writing and other goals. I must believe that I can achieve what I set out to do. And if I believe, then I know I will show up and do the work…on most days. Because I’m human, and sometimes I falter. But as I dealt with my asthma (and the difficulty I had breathing for several days) and the fatigue, the momentum I had built up over the preceding weeks had almost instantly waned. It was a struggle to focus, to write, to not let distractions rule the day. And I felt like giving up, asking myself repeatedly, “What’s the point?” [Read more…] about Getting Unstuck