This season has been crazy so far and I have been feeling more than a bit overwhelmed this week. I’m sure that many of you are too. I participated in #NaNoWriMo (Writing 50k words of my novel in the month of November- WHY do they have it in November?!) and am close to wrapping the book up. Until it does wrap, I am a bit mentally challenged (and often distracted) as it is stuck in my head and needs to get out. In fact, book 2 in the series needs to “get out ” too but will definitely have to wait until after the holidays.
How do book writers do this regularly? Get counseling? 🙂 I write on some hard topics and perhaps this is an answer. I also hear of some who do an outline as soon as they have an idea for a new plot line-so perhaps that would be helpful. My head is full of my characters and what they are experiencing and I apparently I need to learn HOW to let that go.
I work a day job as well, which includes some weekend and evening events, so “days off” from that office are limited- and also have some marketing clients. Usually the house is decorated by now but alas, it is not. (We did get a tree up and lights on yesterday. Yay!)
I’ve started shopping for presents so there is some success there. But I am hosting a gathering on the 15th and haven’t even started planning yet. I usually bake massive amounts of goodies each year for family and friends (I have a reputation to uphold there)-but have already decided to cut WAY back on that.
This is the year of too much. And it is making me sad because I want to be joyful.
But the days only have so many hours in them, and there is just too much going on.
Today at church, our pastor gave a very timely message for me and it hit me right at the heart of things. The scripture was Isaiah 7:2-9 (I would encourage you to read it) and the points pulled from it were:
- BE CAREFUL- Things to think about: what is pressuring me? What feels overwhelming? These are things that might cause me to make unwise decisions because I am feeling rattled. Right there in church, I reflected and made a list, and then I was able to choose some priorities over others. Even listing it out helped some.
- BE CALM– What can I do this week to increase my calm and peace? Anxiety is also something that can steer me towards making unwise choices. Well, making a list and prioritizing was a start to this. Realizing what has to be done this week- and what can wait until next weekend. Reminding myself that I am human and that there is one of me (although hubby has been a big help) and not setting myself up for failure by expecting myself to be Super Human. It just won’t happen. So I am working on my calm list this week, and already some of my “must-do’s” have moved to next week.
- DO NOT FEAR– This is a rough one for me as anxiety in the last few year’s is high on my list of things to work on. Within this stress I listed above, there are a lot of new things happening too and there is always some fear in new things for me. I need to keep telling myself to trust God- as He truly does have it all in His hands. I do feel a peace that He is guiding my steps and that I am moving the direction that He wants me to go.
- DO NOT LOSE HOPE– I am much too stubborn to lose hope entirely but aren’t some days discouraging? For sure. This is my temporary life, and my temporary home, and I want to focus more on what has value for my eternal life. I have much to be grateful for, as we all do.
This week, I am going to work on finding joy in the chaos of the holidays. I will implement the above strategies and I am also going to keep two lists. One of accomplishments and one of my things I am grateful for. Both will help me look back-and make sure that I am focused and reflecting on a clearer path.
