December 2016 Daily Stepping

[inspiresuccess]

Welcome to the December Stepping Thread. Set your goals, break them down into steps, and make your dreams come true. Hour by hour, day by day, week by week, state your steps and we'll support you and cheer you on.

"To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping" – Chinese Proverb

[inspiresuccess]

Hello everyone,

My goals this month are:

1. Stay healthy.
2. Get back on track with my design business.
3. Now that I've lost a lot of weight, start building a winter wardrobe in my new size.
4.Try to develop a more positive attitude about hearing loss and not let it overwhelm me.
5. Take charge of my hearing loss by learning lip reading online.

[Elaine Glimme]

Thanks, Inspire,

I'll post a little later.

[Elaine Glimme]

I'm in a crumby mood today - nothing big, just a lot of little things.

My steps for December -

get caught up on chores in the next two days.

Writing steps - edit Weasel's dream
write what leads up to the climax, and write the climax.
and just keep writing.

I'll post more steps once I get those finished.

[inspiresuccess]

I'm in a crumby mood today - nothing big, just a lot of little things.

I thought crumby was a word I didn't know so I looked it up in the Dictionary.

crumby -- adjective
crumbier, crumbiest
meaning: 1.full of crumbs; 2. soft.

Then I started laughing. Maybe you meant "crummy". Or...maybe you really are feeling "crumby".

[Elaine Glimme]

Thanks, Inspire. I didn't know there was a word, "crummy." Falling apart into crumbs is good also, but I'm not really feeling that bad.

I wish November weren't almost over. I wish I'd accomplished more. I wish I'd written more. Oh, well, there's always December. And there's always today.

[inspiresuccess]

RE: my first goal of staying healthy. I've been really going off track further and further with m***a. I've made some unwise choices because of it. They are fixable but it really sucks to have to fix messes. It would be nice not to create them in the first place. I saw my doctor today. We are going to increase 2 meds and I have to stop using the light box immediately (This can trigger my condition). Sigh. The meds should be delivered tomorrow and he said they'll kick in after a few days. We'll see how it goes. We have an appointment on December 28th and he said let him know ASAP if the meds are working. Crap. Not a good start to December!

[Lynx]

Hi everyone,

A few hours left before the end of the writing (er, drafting) month. I'll look on their site for 30 minutes to see how they finish up.

Inspire, I too hate the cleaning up feeling after m***a has gone off and created a mess. Not fun to both need to create and manage the reactions to the creating.

Goals for this month:
1. finish near to last bits of essay tomorrow. I'm tired tonight so any writing will need to wait till I'm rested.
2. let it lie fallow a few days while I read some backlogged research and articles.
3. While it's fallow, read the excellent editing guide: The Artful Editor (short. I ordered it via Ebay and my own copy should arrive soon). Also go to the closing party/event for nanowrimo on Sunday.
4. Run cycles of edits through my drafts. Weave in, sort out, let go so the maybes, etc.
5. In the next week see if I want to recruit a friend or two to sit and read through my best draft (i hope) around the 22nd.
6. Do the final final I-can't-make-more-major-revisions edit-throughs.
7. Start setting up my post-submittal projects.
8. Let a major commitment end (two last meetings, this weekend and one in January) and not replace it.

Lynx

[Lyndon]

Restarting the 8-minute writing habit exercises I had let slide, when I was frequently doing 80+ minute writing enjoyments. Until distracted.

Declaring December = November for my NationalGameWritingMonth (a friend suggested “nagawrimo”)

Besides throwing small amounts of money to various organizations, I think that the personal action where my time can have the most impact is hand-writing letters. (I’d do hard thinking with word processing assistance first!) Per people working with congresscritters this counts more than typed physical letters which in turn count a zillion times more than email or online petition signatures.

A friend has short, stubby, arthritic fingers, and that would be such a bad idea for her. But she is way better on the phone. I can be pleasant on the phone, but it is wearing and very draining.

Another in her 60’s goes on weekly peace vigils, since last decade, holding up signs, and talking kindly to people who will talk to her – whether or not they are kind. (See above that this is not something I should do!).

Trying to focus energy and attention on what I can do.

To be continued!

[Lyndon]

It took about 3 hours to get in an 8 minute writing session from when I said to myself "O.K., start now!"
Distractions and resistance 'R' Us.

Second 8 minute writing session during lunch, took less than half an hour. Better!

[Lynx]

Double 8s, go Lyndon.

Life's Alternative Goals (things that make me LAG).

Got news of the release of a report last night on a major law revision (with a citizen initiative in the works should the politicians dodge). Have been jockeying with a news outlet to do an article on this. Now, certainly I have to read the report and consider angles. Same part of my time, brain, etc. as editing, researching, and writing.

This is a Rant
Plus, had the monster realization that my partner's natural and unbending (we've discussed this challenge for decades), unprompted talking style is directly opposed to the style that best supports me and my writing challenges. Just one example, I go up and louder when feeling celebratory, she goes quieter and softer. When it's my success and she goes the opposite affect, I just feel "what the point to sharing this." No blame, just jarring styles.

I also know some my need is deep-seated. It's as easy to alter as ones sexual orientation. [hint: don't bother] Both of our styles are deep-down, my need and her response that's genuine from her point of view but misses my need.

Moving on. I became very very clear about this a couple of nights ago. So, what now? I want to make micro/nano retreat frames for myself during my editing campaign in December. Speak less and stick to just the facts of living (shopping, paying bills) Keep my excitement for friends who match my style better.

I have to carve out silences and isolation, stuff Rilke reminds his young poet of. Its a fresh hurdle to avoid talk with her, but this clarity will also prevent us having major blow-ups and my losing/wasting energy out of frustration, disappointment, anger, and confusion. That's what I used to feel when our talking went off track which didn't much matter day to day but really is amplified when I'm under creative and time pressures.

Need I add that this is not wished for or wanted and the last thing I ever imagined I'd not be able to negotiate in my most intimate relationships. I am a trained mediator, communicator, and negotiator.

I close with a mention of my sense of inadequacy tinged with loss and grief.

Yes, a Rant!

Lynx

[Elaine Glimme]

to Lyndon and all his friends, thank you for everything you are doing.

[inspiresuccess]

I close with a mention of my sense of inadequacy tinged with loss and grief. Yes, a Rant! Lynx

I hope the rant helped. To say relationships are challenging, is the understatement of the century.

[inspiresuccess]

Lynx, I posted a quote in the Quote for the Day thread. I thought of you and your relationship when I read it.

[Elaine Glimme]

Figured out what to do with Weasel's dream. (Yay!) I'll have to redo most of what I wrote but shouldn't be very hard.

(Note: If you read "Bridget Jones' Diary" Please remember all the times that she said, "I've never done it it, but it shouldn't be very hard," and then she messes it up.)