Hey, hi, hello, good morning.
Happy 2024! (Are we still saying that?) I’m back after accidentally disappearing from the internet (well, this part of the internet) for the last, eh, three months. I’m back and gosh, what an eventful last few months it’s been. I honestly didn’t meant to just……suddenly stop posting, but I got some unexpected news, and then I became hyper focused on my book writing project, and after a few weeks of not posting here, I decided to make it a deliberate, on purpose break. I was feeling very stretched for time and energy toward the end of 2023, and wanted to use whatever reserves of each I did have each day/week to working on said book (manuscript).
I missed writing to all of you, though! I hope the close of 2023 was good to you.
I’ve never been someone who feels called to have a morning pages routine or who has a daily writing habit, but I got it in my head that I wanted to finish my manuscript (or at least get very close) by the time the ball dropped at midnight on New Year’s Eve. I started writing it multiple days a week, and then it became almost every day. Sometimes for an hour or two, sometimes just enough time to get 400 words down.
Did I finish, you might be wondering? No, no I didn’t. But, I did make a lot of headway, and am dancing around the final scene(s), so ultimately, I’m proud of myself. Proud of dedicating the time, proud of fighting past the fear that I was wasting my own time or working on something “fake.” Proud of myself for making it a real, non-negotiable priority in my life, even if I don’t necessarily have something worthy of external validation to show for all that time spent glued to my computer screen (like a printed manuscript or a book deal or something).
As it turns out, it can be really hard to decide to put your big, scary goals on the front burner, and to carve out the discipline that’s required to make them into a reality. It’s also incredibly hard, I think, to prioritize yourself or the things that light you up, especially if they’re not things (hobbies, causes, activities) that other people are readily familiar with and value, or that anyone can visibly and quickly witness the output of. For a lot of creative projects (including writing a book, good Lord), it’s a slow burn. Something with limited payoff in the traditional sense of the word, that you have to really care about to keep at (the internal satisfaction is high, though, IMO). It’s a lot simpler to just shrug them aside and say yes to the other plans with friends or family or the never-ending list of errands you have to run — the things that have more instant gratification or may seem more urgent, more important by someone else’s definition of the word.
Anyways, here’s to that — just doing the damn thing, and doing it for you. Whatever that thing is — from trying to write a book (who am I?) to painting or playing tennis or volunteering more often at your kid’s school or making dinner… going for it. Really. Setting boundaries even when it seems impossible or even selfish. Sitting your butt down (or, you know, whatever is required for your passion project of choice) and putting in the work. Ruthlessly prioritizing, even if it means establishing a new routine or incessantly boggling the minds of other people who don’t understand why you feel called to xyz. You’re not doing it for them.
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That’s it for now! Just wanted to pop in and say hello/I’m back. I’m going to try to get back to a more regular cadence when it comes to this newsletter. Thanks for being here, and I must ask — if you’re feeling well, please sign up to donate blood with the American Red Cross or your community’s local donation center or hospital. The U.S. is currently in the middle of a blood emergency, which is, well, not good. Dangerous and scary, to say the absolute least. I’d appreciate it. 💛
Thanks for reading,
Joelle
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