Whether it’s the arrival of the big yellow ball in the sky, the emergence of cheerful snowdrops and daffodils waving in the breeze, or the words of hope and encouragement from Boris and his well talked about roadmap, something feels different. The atmosphere seems clearer and less oppressive. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that schools are set to reopen their doors -the end is in sight- and we can get back to some kind of routine that doesn’t involve subordinating conjunctions or obtuse angles. Or, is that just me?
As well as the obvious reasons, I’m also feeling a spring in my own step. I’ll be honest, this lockdown I went through a particularly dark patch with my own mental health but I somehow managed to work through it and found someway to divert my attention, and I have Netflix to thank for that.
I found myself stuck in a slump with everything, including the shows I was watching, and decided I needed something different, something lighter. Along came Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, Get Orgnized with The Home Edit, and Tiny House Nation, and I found myself starting to think differently, particularly as I started to read A Life Less Throwaway by Tara Button. I quickly found myself wanting to organise and declutter my own surroundings and, with the help of half term week and my daughter insisting on playing on her iPad and watching YouTube for most of it, I was able to throw myself into the task.
It wasn’t long before I had several bin bags of items to be donated, several more with rubbish, and a sense of calm whenever I looked somewhere that had been sorted. But, it made me realise that, unless I have some form of order around me, I don’t work at my best. I still have a long way to go before the whole house is done, but I’ve made it my mission to do something to achieve this every day. I’ve even included it on my new tracker for March.
With school going back, I’m hoping to be more productive with my days so that I am more focused on my writing, website, and other “business” endeavors I am wishing to pursue, which includes an Etsy shop and an audio book of Sorceress of Truth. These are way in the future though, so I’m getting ahead of myself.
So, apart from starting the mammoth decluttering task, what did I achieve in February?
First up I managed to do a full read through of book 2, Sorceress of Flame, so I’m now ready to dive in with a mini edit during March. I’m determined to have the first draft done and with an editor in the next few months, so it will be published this year.
While I didn’t manage to write 250 words every day —the home organising took over a lot of my time— I did write over 3,000 words towards the prequel, so it is going in the right direction. I’ve also been learning a lot, over the course of the month, when it comes to marketing and launch strategies etc. So, watch this space!
A few things had to give, including designing my newsletter, but I hope to be more on top of things once school starts back, and maybe find my mojo again. Maybe I’m being too optimistic, or maybe it’s that pesky Spring making me look at things half full, either way the tasks on my tracker are getting longer. I’ve gone for a bit of a mystic theme for March, and I love it!
So, what am I planning for March? Well, it’s going to be much the same as what I’ve been doing really, working on Sorceress of Flame and the prequel, BUT with no homeschooling! On a personal note I’ll continue to work on the house and increase my activity levels while I await the day we can get the go ahead to meet up with family again.
I’m super excited for Wednesday 3rd March. First of all I will be getting my Covid jab, which is great, but it’s not the best part. It is launch day for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, as we are getting close to the start of the season, and I’ve been invited to a Zoom call with the drivers and the team principal! Anyone who knows me will tell you how much I love F1, and in particular Sebastian Vettel, so this has made my year. I just have to cross my fingers that there are no technical issues or child interruptions.
On that note, I’d best go and plan my outfit. It’s been so long since I’ve been seen in public, I have no idea what is decent anymore, are pj’s acceptable?
Take care, Jodie xxx
I think PJs are widely acceptable these days, lol. I really enjoyed your post. I’m in desperate need of a declutter and you’ve inspired me to make plans to do that. Good luck on your projects this month!
Thank you! Honestly, I think pj’s are the Zoom uniform now 🤷♀️ I’ve found the decluttering really addictive once you start. I’d definitely recommend reading A Life Less Throwaway though, or something similar, as I think it’s the way forward to break the cycle. You’ll have to let me know how you get on.
I recently read a book called Essentialism, and it said that having extra stuff lying around actually drains your mental energy. I think that’s especially true for writers. Our brain is so full that I think we need to keep our physical world organized. Thanks for the book recommendation! Enjoy your meet up!