Spring into Good Habits

     Spring has sprung!  Although we have had sunny days, and high temperatures for the past three weeks in Indiana, the calender has officially declared spring is here.  I love being outside when the weather turns for the better.  You will find me blowing bubbles and playing sidewalk chalk with my Gracie Girl, eating Freezie Pops with my teenagers on our back deck, and chatting up neighbors that I haven't seen since we went into hibernation.  I love digging in the flower beds or just sitting outside with one of the books I am currently reading.  All wonderful ways to spend time outside.  However, these wonderful  days also lead to the demise in my writing life.  When it is cold and grey outside, I have no problem typing the day away in my office.  I welcome my golden retrievers to lay on my feet in January and keep me company as I write 2 to 3 thousand words in a day (sometimes more).  The birds are not chirping, the sun is taking a holiday away, and eating Freezie Pops outside just doesn't sound like much fun to me when you have to bundle up to do it.  Do you struggle with the inevitable Spring Fever as well? I would love to hear what your favorite warm weather ways to spend a day, and how you keep it all in check with the business of life.

     You see, I am the easily distracted fish, Dory, of Finding Nemo fame.  Pretty shiny things catch my eye.  Fun adventures easily woo me away from what I should be doing. I really try to embrace my inner Dory, yet keep her tied to a chair when required.  For me, it's about balance and incentives.  I need to carve out time in my day to write in the spring and summer.  It is not a choice.  Yes, that is a self-imposed pep talk.  With a new book being released this summer waiting for me to edit, a new memoir I am jumping into, and taking on a first work of women's fiction that I am co-writing with a friend, it is important that I hold myself accountable.  However, it's beautiful outside, for crying out loud!  It's okay for us to get outside and enjoy the chirping birds and flowering tress.  I think the key for me is scheduling that time in my day, yet keeping it flexible.  If I want to write in the morning and enjoy a sunny afternoon walk with a friend, then that will be my plan.  Sipping coffee outside with friends in the morning will be great, as long as I get busy in the afternoon and whittle away at the keyboard.  Again, balance and rewards.  It's funny how we use that game with ourselves as we might our pets and children, isn't it?     

Enjoy this beautiful day!  Bless and be blessed!

XOXO

Jen