I don't know about you, but I'm glad 2017 is over. It was a challenging year for me! I wasn't prepared for many of the issues that came my way and I often found myself wishing I lived in a cave somewhere in the wilderness. Someplace where no one could call, email or text me. Where I didn't have to make dinner every night. Where I could go into the bathroom, soak in a hot tub and not have a cat whining on the other side of the door.
Sound familiar to you?
I dealt with my brother's health, two remodeling projects, several major trips and book deadlines. I had big family dinners on holidays, lawn and garden work, babysitting the grandkids and I even watched my neighbors' kids for a few days so they could take a weekend trip. Then there were RWA chapter meetings, critique group meetings twice a month, monthly press releases, Facebook meetings, book signings and PAN meetings...
You get the idea. My schedule was a mess. The worst part was that many of my commitments weren't even on my calendar. Either I forgot to jot them down or I simply forgot to check--because there was so much stuff piled on top of my planner that I couldn't see it! I missed a couple important appointments because of my sloppiness and had to apologize all over the place.
This year is already looking as busy as last year so something has to change. I have to delete things from my life that waste time and stop sitting on social media late at night. I've been thinking about this for a few days and have come up with a short list of ideas. Simple, everyday changes that can eliminate confusion and last minute rushing. And apologies.
1. Keep a list of important deadlines (like books due and vacation dates) taped on the wall just above my calendar so I can see in advance how much time I have (or have left) to get a project done.
2. Keep the planner updated and don't lay any papers on it. (This is a no-brainer, but sometimes you have to point it out to yourself before you make it a priority.)
3. At the end of each month, look over the
next month to see what is coming up and sync my purse calendar with my big planner.
4. Write things down AS SOON AS I THINK OF IT. I have ADD and I can't tell you how frustrating it is to think of a major detail concerning something (often a book!) while I'm doing something else, only to forget it right away.
5. Go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier! I never get to bed before midnight and I need to start going to bed at 10pm.
6. No more scrolling through Facebook, reading mindless posts (I made chicken for dinner tonight...).
This is a start, but it's enough to get me on the right track. As the title of this blog indicates, 2018 is going to be a year where I slow down and calm down.
What about you? What positive changes are you making for 2018?
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Denise Devine is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary
romance, romantic comedy and she also writes inspirational fiction. She wrote
her first book, a mystery, at thirteen and has been writing ever since. She
writes about true love, happy endings and stories that touch your heart.
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