#OneBookJuly update

So, here we are in week three and I am LOVING my current 2 book setup.

Last year, I was already in one book, but had some issues that I had never worked out having only a Hobonichi Cousin. I would take notes any random time on my daily pages when reading a book, but would then have a hard time finding them again when I wanted to look back on the notes.

This year, I already had a system worked out before July, accidentally. I was using the new Mega Weeks from Hobonichi as an Every Day Carry (EDC) and to capture all the random bits, like book review notes, self help book notes and details of how I actually used the information.  The Mega Weeks has about 200 blank pages at the back and I have no concerns about running out of space, so I have been freely using this for notes. It is also small enough to pull out at a Medical Staff meeting or other random meetings and I don't feel like I am too conspicuous (since most of the other attendees don't bother with notes). Eureka!

A week complete in the Mega Weeks dated section

Comparison of the Mega Weeks to the Weeks planner

Mega Weeks on the bottom in the Galen Leather cover,  regular Weeks on the top.

And, since the Weeks is my planner, there are only so many tasks I can add per day. This helps me greatly as I tend to move away from long task lists and stop doing things rather than getting them done if the list is too long.
The other huge benefit is that I am loving my A5 sized Cousin to play, just stickers, color and random journaling which is bringing me such JOY. My goal for #onebookjuly was to figure out how to get that joy back in my journaling, to capture my days again for fun and because when I capture the days, it does not feel that time is going QUITE as fast. I would still be okay if it slowed down a bit...

A couple of journal entries, and such a JOYful book to flip through.

Owning my days, even the mundane

Let me know if you have any questions, I love to journal and would love to help anyone who may not know where to start.

One Book July 2018 First week

It's JULY and time for ONE BOOK JULY.  Beginning 4 years ago as a challenge to get back to the basics of the planning with one book and one pen for one month. Each year it changes a bit, with new options added for stretching and developing your own system, but really there are no rules. For more information, go to YouTube and watch Rhomany's Realm, Miss Vicky Bee, or Dispatches from the Frat House (Carrie Harling) to see the introduction or look anywhere on line with the hashtag #onebookjuly, lots of stuff will come up.

Every year, I have done a clean up and clean out, paring down the sticker collection and cleaning up my journal and planner tools.  I don't know why, but this challenge inspires me to get clean and clear with everything. 

Starting point on 1 July, 2 size A6 books and 2  Weeks

Here is another view. Crazy number of books!

This year, I started in a place I have never been before, with 4 books. I had an A6 Hobonichi original techo to journal in, a Hobonichi Mega Weeks for fitness tracking, a Hobonichi Mega Weeks for every day carry and a Spring start A6 hobonichi (another one) to track my day, a la bullet journal. I have usually been a one book girl, so this was getting ridiculous. It felt like a good time for a change. I was even struggling to journal regularly, which is unusual for me, another cue to change.

As I considered what to do for the challenge, I was certain that the Hobonichi Cousin, A5 size would be coming back. I had a second half new book (avec) that starts in July, so it would be an easy add. BUT, I really liked having my Hobonichi Weeks to take to work. It allowed me to throw it in my bag and go, it is small and lightweight, and it has plenty of room to plan. There are also plenty of blank pages in the back that can be used for all manner of things, lists, notes, reflections, and I love this. I have seen some ingenious uses of the back pages for journaling from a lot of folks, I just don't bond with it that way, so my journaling would go back to the A5 size, which allows me space to breathe.

The one thing I hate in my system (journalling and planning) is redundancy. I don't want to write the same thing twice and I want to know where to find things. The Weeks is obviously, in a weekly format, and the Cousin has a weekly view. What will I do with both to prevent redundancy? THAT will be part of the challenge.

Inside view

One Book July decision, one A5 size and one Weekly

I want to be attentive to my days, find the beauty in the mundane, and get the things that drive me nuts out of my head. 

Life does not consist of constant adventures, but small details that make us laugh and cry and give us reasons to continue, the mundane details pull me back into my journals for a journey through my own story over and over.

A spread in the A5, delicious.

ROW 80 check in 11/26

Well, things are going well.
A week ago I could not have said the same thing. I was at 26k last week, which was well behind the goal. Today, I am at 40,244 which is only about 3K behind and I am confident in my ability to write 5k for two days and make my goal!


1. Write to a goal of 43K.
I am at 40,244 which is close enough. Tomorrow, I have a half day to write and the day after that I get a bonus day to finish. I usually work on Tuesday, so am very excited about getting the day to write. And my work is all caught up at my JOB. Yay, for great focus.

2. Yoga most days:
This is going well, 5/7 days this week. This is a 71%, which is not great, but I will take it until my word count is caught up.

3. Run walk run:
Still aiming for 2 times a week. This week, only made one, but I am still happy that it is still on my radar and that this week's run was 3 miles rather than the puny 2 I have been doing. There is a story behind this. I found out I have something called dead butt syndrome, which is when the glutes do not fire at all. I have been working really hard to get them activated, which I have learned over the last 2 months. But, I figured out today that activation is not the same as use. When I have figured out how to actually use the glutes to propel me, I am so much faster (2 min per mile faster) and it is more fun to run. Yay.

ROW check in 8, NaNo starts

Well, this check in is not very timely, but here it is.
I am working on a few goals for this week:
1. Write 8400 words in 5 sessions. I have been writing by hand, which I love, but it is not very efficient, so I broke down and set up my Scrivener. So far, so good. It is helping and on Day 2 of NaNoWriMo, I end the day with 4702 words. Yay! (Blue stickies)

2. Yoga 4-6 times a week: This is the easiest goal I have ever had. It calls me and is really important to get my mind in the right place and was soooo important this week when our money was totally stolen from the bank. I am living on the $100 I had stashed in my wallet because of some hacker. Yoga helps me stay sane and non-homicidal. (Yellow stickies)

3. Run-walk-run: started this again and am excited about 2 times a week. The other things I have planned are all NaNo related. I put a lot of pressure on myself most years to get the words written, This year, all fun, no pressure, just find the story.(Red stickies)

The colors in my planner are to help me get things done without being too much pressure. Stickies, I can move and don't make me twitchy. The green stickies are journaling to remind me that I love it and not to quit.

Ended Thursday with 4702 words. Yay for NaNo.

http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=692478

Full and happy week and ROW Round 4 check in

Wow, this week has been full of stuff.

I have taken the doggie for a walk twice. On Tuesday, I was sure I killed her. She was so lazy and out of it, not acting like herself. We finally figured out that she was sore from the walk. Apparently, dogs need to ease into it as well. I took her again yesterday and she is tired and sleeping more today, but not nearly as sore as Tuesday. She worried me then, now she is just tired.

Libby

This week, I have also done three run-walk-runs and focused on my core and being in neutral position as I am walking and running. This is MUCH harder than I ever thought it could be. Like learning how to walk all over again. I walk and then stop, find neutral spine, which feels a bit like I am tucked too far under with my bum, then run or walk, whatever I am on for the cycle. Right now, I am still at 10 seconds of running and 30 seconds of walking. Feeling fine and activating the "dead butt."

Writing has been fabulous this week, and getting in the true spirit of ROW80, I am finding a more sustainable pace than I typically write during November because of NaNo. I love the support and camaraderie of the NaNo forums and knowing that I am not the only one that is struggling with the down side of writing. Sometimes it is just HARD. Worth it, but hard.

I wrote 250-500 words on typical work days and then today, more words. So the total for the week was 2666 words, and completely manageable into the forseeable future. I have also FOUND MY STORY, which was my most important writing goal for this week. I started on a story I found too boring to hold my interest, so I kept looking until I found the one. It will be called a Focused Witch unless a new and better name presents itself along the way.

This week had no friend time outside of work, but the hubby needed me since he had a tougher week. I do have a journaling meet-up set up for Monday and am super excited about seeing this friend I have not seen for about 6 months. Too long.

ROW80 Round 4 check in

Yippee, I completed 976 words so far this week. My goal was 250 words a day, so, not quite at my goal. I am still happy with it. My goal was to work on fitting writing into my life. This month, I have a core class every Tuesday and Thursday, that is making me behind just a bit at work. This affects my ability to let go of work and get CREATIVE. So, almost 1000 words fit into my life in the first week of trying, while sticking with yoga, my core class and adding a run-walk-run on Saturday with a good friend. Pretty good.

Goal 1:  Find the level of writing I can maintain...this week, it was 1000 words.

Goal 2: Maintain interaction with my peeps...this week, went to a run-walk-run event with a friend I miss. So lovely! Oh, and I still enjoyed my writing all week!

Goal 3: NaNo hasn't started yet, so this is on hold except for figuring out the story world I will be working with during November.

ROW80 Round 4 2017

One of these days, I'll get it right. I'll start writing in the fall and just keep going. Maybe I can make it happen for 2017-2018.

I love to write, but life has not been kind over the past few years, what with brain surgery and then having my life taken over by work. One thing I have found to be absolutely true is complete rest from work improves creativity for me. Getting my brain to understand that it is okay to completely unplug is not easy. My work includes making sure people stay safe and mostly don't die. Unfortunately, this is not always easy.

GOALS FOR THE ROUND: (All learning goals, as being too prescriptive makes me twitchy and increases my stress.)

1. Experiment to see what level of writing I can maintain with work and while continuing yoga daily or almost daily. And run-walk-run at least 2 times a week to prepare for 2018 Missoula Marathon. Measurement: I have something more than 250 words daily on average and yoga and run-walk-run on my calendar. Easy to see if I continue to track it.

2. Find the balance that allows me to be interactive with others and write to allow for continued motivation. I know that I am an extrovert and will start losing my drive if I have no contact with others. I need the balance of helping and encouraging with anything else I do.  (Maybe add work on a how-to book that will allow this as I write my fiction.)
Measurement: I continue to enjoy my writing and it does not start making me feel stressed out to get to my word goal. Very subjective. Have no headaches. Objective.

3.Win NaNo with STYLE. By that, I mean, go to write-ins, moderate the hell out of the forum I am responsible for and rock the ML thing. It will be my third year, but I have never done it WELL. This is the year of Montana::Elsewhere.
Measurement: Count the interaction and aim for posts from me at least twice a week and an updated calendar on the site. Beat interaction of last year. (Easy as there was none)