In Which Keely Makes Her Move

For my birthday in 2013, I bought myself a FitBit. It took me a month to get it out of its box. It took me a year and a half after that to take it off the bookshelf, charge it, and slip it onto my wrist.

Procrastination anyone?

There were REASONS I purchased a pricey toy and didn't use it for so long. They pretty much boil down to that bastard, depression.

Suffice it to say, in the continuing battle with the hoary old dragon, I finally shifted into a headspace that allowed for a change of behavior. Take that, you fire breathing monster.

I started tracking my steps on September 15. Since then, I've walked a total of 331.82 miles. During my most OCD week, I hit 50.3 miles. This is a lot of walking.

What have I learned?

That when I walk, I'm not eating. For a comfort eater, this is big news. I've lost 12 pounds over the last two months. Woot!

That I really, really, really love binging on TV shows while I pace my living room floor in the evening. Long live Supernatural, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and Longmire.

That walking can leave me open to productive thinking or negative stewing and I need to be careful which track I let my brain train travel.

That it's easier to get my step goal in most days than I would have imagined. At work, I take a couple of walk breaks throughout the day and sometimes I'll answer email on my phone or open the mail while tracing a path into the carpet, just I can get my move-groove on.

That focusing on this one thing--getting my steps in--has led to a host of other positive choices:

While I hope never to be a counter of calories, I know make more of my meals, ditching the hidden calories of multiple meals out each week and getting a better handle on portion control. I've schedule both routine and specialist doctors appointments I'd been putting off. I'm making time to write, participating in NaNoWriMo with an "in it to win it" mindset, mostly because I've figured out how to weave writing sprints with walking sessions into a single activity I look forward to. I've begun adding a few other exercises into my day mix things up a bit.

One decision can be a game changer. 

In the prologue of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, author Charles Duhigg recounts the story of a woman who made one decision--to stop smoking so she could make a trek across the desert--which led to her losing 65 pounds, running marathons, getting out of debt, buying a house...The list goes on.

I feel a kinship with this woman. My one decision--to get up and move--has already netted me so much that is positive. I look forward to discovering what other possibilities arise in the future as a result of this walking journey.

Over to you: What habits have you changed that have in turn changed you? What habits in your life are helping you achieve your goals and which would you like to kick to the curb?


And by the way, if you haven't read Duhigg's book, I recommend it. Fascinating stuff.

NaNoWriMo: Writing at Home & Away

In case you missed the announcement, November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, and this November is no exception. Writers everywhere, from novices to old pros, will try to slam 50,000 words onto paper or the computer screen before the first of December. It’s a lofty goal, and one that brings equal parts frustration and elation. 

Of course, not everyone embraces this particular challenge, and even if you’re not a novelist, November brings other writing tasks to complete like addressing those holiday cards, making out the checks that pay the bills, and penning that long Thanksgiving shopping list. These tasks can be much more enjoyable, and can go much more quickly, if you set-up your nest for success. Here’s how:

 1. Cut the clutter to carve out a place just for writing. 

That’s a tough one, no matter your writing goal. Even if you earmark a spot at the kitchen table that shall remain clear, this means you can get in, get done, and get on to your next task. 

2. Stash some supplies.

·      If your nest is like mine, drawer space is precious, but devote one to scratch pads, pen, pencils, envelopes, and postage stamps so you can get those must-do writing chores done quickly, or you can also get down to brass tacks whenever your creative writing muse appears.

·       If you can’t sacrifice an entire drawer, try a shoebox covered in pretty paper and keep it close at hand in the top of the hall closet. Your To-Do List and your creative side will thank you. 

3. Make it moveable.

·       Rather than worrying about being shackled to your seat, invest in a good lap desk. I love mine. If the family’s watching a movie, I can keep them company and get some work done by taking my lap desk to the sofa. If it’s a gorgeous day outside, I can use it to take my work with me into the wild, too. And I do!

·       Load up a messenger bag and keep it ready to add your laptop so you can dash out the door for a writing date, or to enjoy a change of scene. Mine’s always packed with pens, Post-Its, and even snack bars. A fresh perspective might just increase your productivity, whether you’re addressing invitations or crafting your latest novel.

            So, there you have it. If November means NaNoWriMo or getting those holiday greetings into the mail, you can reach your writing goals with these tips for home and away. But our conversation doesn’t have to end here. What are the must-do tasks you’re working on this November? How will explore your creative side this month? We at the R8 would love to know!

To NaNoWriMo or Not? That Is the Question.

This is the first year that I’ve done NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. For those who don’t know what that is (and I’m betting most, if not all of you, know more about it than I do) it means that you sign on at www.NaNoWriMo.org and vow to write 50,000 new words on a new manuscript. You cannot start until November 1 and you must end on November 30.

I almost didn’t do it. I’d just spent a whirlwind Halloween weekend going trick-or-treating twice, being in a Halloween parade and sewing a Saint costume for my child to wear in the All-Saints Day service. So, the last thing I wanted to do as I sat in the recliner at 11 PM on Sunday night, gasping for air and zoning out on the Real Housewives, was add another thing on my to-do list.

But, as I scanned my emails, I thought of NaNoWriMo. I’d been talking to the Rockville 8 about it, what exactly you do for it, etc. at our last meeting. Now, I was feeling guilty. I’d told myself that I’d do it. I’d promised myself I’d widen my horizons this year by trying it. Yet, at the moment, I was sitting in my recliner like an exhausted, used-up lump.

That’s when it hit me. I’m exhausted all the time anyway. I’m always used up. I’m always too busy. So, if I’m going to be all those things I may as well add one on the heap for myself. So, I logged onto the website and joined. As I did it, I questioned my own sanity. But I guess there are others who have questioned theirs as they added their names to the list.

It was also exhilarating. I was finally a part of something I’d heard others talk about. As of Sunday, November 7, I have 7,179 words. I should be at 11,669 words if you figure the 1,667 word a day pace. So, I’ve got some catching up to do. By my own reckoning I need to do 1,947 words each day from here on out to make it. So far, I’ve done an average of 1,026 words each day. This includes the day that I spent all day at my child’s competition. The day I had a deadline at work and dragged myself home. The day the traffic was horrendous on the way home. The day I had a headache and thought my head would explode. I’ve literally done something each day. Even on the hardest days.

Here’s the secret I’ve discovered. I may have started out exhausted when I was writing but many times I forgot my fatigue and stress by the end of my words. My husband has been supportive. My child played nicely with various toys. The dog sleeps on her rug under my desk and warms my feet. They’ve all pitched in and done their part.

And, when it didn’t get easier as I wrote, when it felt like pulling teeth, I still did it. It may not have been pretty but something made it to the page.

Last night, after all day at my child’s event, I felt like I’d been sucked dry. I really, really didn’t feel like it. So, I gave myself a carrot and wrote an exciting scene that I’d brainstormed just that morning. When I looked up, I’d written about 1,400 words. It felt effortless.

There’s another thing whispering in the background. The Rockville 8 goals for 2010. I seem to remember something about having a complete rough draft of a new book by August 2010. Did I really say that? Can I make it at least by the end of 2010 with the help of NaNo?

So, maybe I won’t make 1,947 words per day. Maybe I’ll only get 30,000 words for this month. But, then I say “only 30,000 words” and laugh. That would be a really good thing because it would be 30,000 I might not have had.

Tell me about your NaNo war experiences. What worked? What didn’t? Any advice?

So, this post is 692 words. Can I count this toward my daily NaNo goal?