Lindsay Emory's Blog

Oh boy.

Where do I start?

Where do I end?

2021 was weird, y’all. I tried talking to people about it, and I think other people felt the same way as me, that we were all in a weird time warp and the twelve months of 2021 somehow felt like the second half of 2020? Or something? I don’t know if other people felt the same as me because I’m not sure anyone really has the language to discuss this all yet.

But the beautiful thing about believing in science was I couldn’t argue with a calendar. Yes, the sun had risen and set 365 times and the earth had traveled around that distant star and… here we were. A year gone. A year up to bat.

So I did what I always do. I ordered a planner, I thought about what I wanted to do - with planning, with life… (cue laughter from the heavens).

Because a lot of people (honestly, I’m not just saying that), like to look at planner stuff, I’m putting up some of my choices this year, but mostly, I’m sticking with my systems from the past few years and if you’d like more info on all that, here you go:
My 2019 Planners as Planned
A Peek at my 2020 Planner Lineup
My 2021 Hobonichi
My 2021 Planner System
ALL THE PLANNER RELATED STUFF I’VE EVER PUT ON MY BLOG

There. You happy?

Since this year was a weird one, I didn’t do a lot of pre-planning but on New Year’s Day, I locked myself up in our little office, put my headphones on (the rest of the family was watching The Matrix, parts 1-5) and got to work. It took a while. There was a folding table. Lots of post-its, pens, and stickers. See:

Eventually, I got my mind right. I transferred all calendars, appointments, etc. into the new Hobonichi. Set up a few systems and edited some old ones. As I have the past few years, I used the extra December month page and turned it into a monthly kanban board for recurring monthly goals and tasks:

I also spent an inordinate amount of time selecting the stickers that will go on the outside of my hobonichi. This is a serious decision!

Stickers for 2021 vs. Stickers for 2022. Love them all so much.

The Deep Thought I kept having this year is.. how much longer is this going to be useful to me?
Related questions: Am I completely in denial about “planning” 2022?
Is there another word that would suit this process better? Because “planning” seems like a stupid word to use in these times.

To tell the truth, I switched to this system when my life was very different. I needed MORE room. I needed BIG. I needed COMPREHENSIVE. But life has changed. Life is changing. In a few years, I won’t be tracking all these practices, orthodontic appointments, school holidays, on top of my own dates.
I’m intellecting on what that’s going to look like. How will I know when it’s time to change?

I guess the same way I knew I had to go bigger. I’ll know when it’s time to go smaller. Or more streamlined. Or something.

But regardless of the SIZE of the planner, I think I’ll always appreciate the intention that I bring to this process. This is my creation. This is how I express what I want from the next twelve months, the next 365 days of the sun setting and the moon rising. I want it to work LIKE THIS. And if it doesn’t, well. That will be disappointing.

But, you know. I can deal.

With all that said, my word of the year should surprise no one.

Yes, it’s the same word I chose in 2021 (read more about that here.)

I wasn’t done with the word yet. It still felt vital to me. Alive. Hopeful. Active.

All things that I need.

So I hope that you found this interesting. Or helpful. I hope that you are planning something awesome this year.

Because here’s what I’ve learned for sure. We might be waiting for life to get better. But life isn’t waiting on us. Children are growing, flowers are growing and tides turn whether or not we’re ready to go outside or not.

I’m tired of waiting.

I want fun times. I want adventures. I want laughing with my girls.

If you’re not already in the Inner Circle, you may be interested in signing up here. I send out the Secret Posts on the last Friday of every month and maybe there will be more exclusive content this year… After all, my word is CREATE. So who knows what I’ll do?

Favorite things of 2021 –

things to give to your friends, your family and yourself.

Once again, I’m bringing my favorite things list – JUST LIKE OPRAH. (Okay fine, here’s her list)
2020 guide HERE

 2019 guide HERE

 

I love these kinds of lists when other people do it, and when people sincerely talk about their faves, I find it fascinating and helpful!

So these are LEGIT some of the things that I’ve enjoyed/ discovered/ relied upon in the crazy year that we have called 2021.

Mantra bands —   I’ve worn a selection of these for several years now (see here)and deliberately chose one for 2021. It’s a nice moment each morning when I pick what vibe I want to connect to and maybe you or someone you love needs to do that as well.

Apple Airpod pros —Are you, or someone you love (AHEM) still working from home!?  Someone in my house recently upgraded to these and we are so impressed with their functionality. Treat yo’self.

Rechargable Neck fan — If you or someone you love (AHEM) runs hot, this little thing is nice to keep around. Also, it’s great for flying with a mask on because that gets hot and weird and a little extra breeze on your neck is nice.  Also good for passing to the backseat in car trips when kids complain about not enough air.

Buxom balm— This became go-to lip product this year. It’s enough oomph to make a difference but easy to apply or re-apply after a mask comes off. It does do the plumping tingle though, so if you don’t like it, skip it.

The cosmetic case I splurged on this for myself this summer, as I was starting to travel again. It’s been TSA compliant for me so far (I make sure I try to keep all my liquids on just one side of the case) and it makes me feel like I am somewhat organized.  

Portable outdoor speaker —  I treated Jefe to this for his birthday and we love this thing. For outdoor workouts, cookouts, fire pit nights, all the outdoor socializing that happens more often now.

Skinny can corksicle — When I finally found skinny can drinks that worked for me, I needed something to keep them cool in the pool / river. I now feel very with it.

Stasher bags —  Um, where were these when I had littles? Amazing, amazing. Great for keeping snacks/ gummies/ supplements organized when on the run. I’m going to be keeping an eye out for deals on these.

STOCKING STUFFERS!

For kids? Or not… I got these silicone poppers for the kids. I hoarded them for myself. So satisfying if you’re a fidgeter. Just get a pack and put them in everyone’s stocking.

Vaccine card protectors:   I’m so grateful to the nurse who told me in March not to laminate my card because there would be boosters. I’ve gifted these to many of my loved ones and if you haven’t gotten them yourself, here you go. One for everyone (please?)

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS!

Whether your Christmas/ neighborhood/ family get togethers are a maybe this year or definitely restarting, I keep some multi-purpose multi-gender multi-age just- in- case gifts around.

Marshmallows — Always a huge hit. Who wouldn’t want a tub of cereal marshmallows? Or use them for a fun hot chocolate bar!
Popcorn salt  —   With a nice fancy popcorn themed basket? The popcorn salt is 100% necessary in our house and, like many royals, I like to share the joy of popcorn.

 Reminder: some of the links on this page are affiliate links and I may receive a few coins in return for your purchase.

Fave Books…

I’ll have to do a longer blog post about this but my reading this year has been… woof. Challenging, might be the best word for it. I didn’t always finish books, but what I finished, I ADORED.

Nonfiction:
Wintering by Katherine May (read my blog post about it here) Amazon || Bookshop.org

Preventable - I find Andy Slavitt a reasonable, reassuring communicator of public health information, either on his podcast or on his Twitter. His book is balanced, thoughtful and an empathetic call to action. Amazon || Bookshop.org

 

Fiction:

Our Woman in Moscow - Beatriz Williams. Can’t say enough about this book. Amazon || Bookshop.org
The Ex Hex - Erin Sterling. So fun. Bright and imaginative. Amazon || Bookshop.org
The Seat Filler - Sariah Wilson I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Made me laugh and sigh and gave me all the feels. Amazon || Bookshop.org
Blood Heir - Ilona Andrews - Probably most satisfying if you’ve been a Kate Daniels fan but this book just hit all the best buttons. I don’t know how Ilona Andrews does it. They’re at the top of their game. Amazon || Bookshop.org

 REMINDER: Bookshop.org gives back to your local independent bookstore. If you’re ordering physical books as gifts, it’s a great option!

On Screen:

So much was my favorite this year!
Off the top of my head: Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Only Murders in the Building, Loki, Free Guy, Ted Lasso and Lucifer.
Quite an interesting mix! But that’s me, I guess. I’m a woman of varied interests.

Music:

These tracks have kept me going this year.

Anything Kesha:

All the Taylor Swift… Always and forever…

I have a whole book idea based on this album… (This video gives me old school cheeky 1D vibes and WHO DOES NOT NEED THAT IN 2021, I ask you?)

No explanation needed…

OKAY!!!!
Wow. That was a lot more than I expected. If you’re interested in these types of recommendations, I usually do a monthly round up of my fave things, movies, shows, books, etc. in the Secret Posts I send to my Inner Circle. So… you know… you could sign up for those here.

And over the next few months, as we go through the holiday gathering season… be safe. Be Well. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

A new episode of the Women With Books podcast is up!

Women With Books Podcast featuring USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle

Welcome back to Nancy Naigle!! I called Nancy “one of my favorite people in publishing” in this episode and I hope you’ll see why. She’s positive, kind, funny and talented. We talk about her new release The Shell Collector (Bookshop.Org | Amazon) and about all of the new beginnings she’s had in her life, about living in a bunkhouse during Covid and the interesting types of books she can’t resist (a Women With Books first!) And she made me cry, like three or four times. Listen and find out why!

Click here to listen or download from your favorite podcast app.
Click here to get the books discussed on the episode.

The Shell Collector is a great beach read

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

A new episode of the Women With Books podcast is up!

Women With Books Podcast featuring USA Today bestselling author Tif Marcelo.

So excited to host author Tif Marcelo on this episode. We talk about her new release In a Book Club Far Away (Bookshop.Org | Amazon) and about the life of a spouse / service member in the U.S. Armed Forces (I think Doug Emhoff and Dr. Jill Biden would both appreciate this book!) And of course, we talk about life, book clubs, and friendships.

Click here to listen or download from your favorite podcast app.

“In a Book Club Far Away” feels like the theme of the last year, right?

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

I’ve been obsessed with this article from the Wall Street Journal since I read it in December.

I’m a subscriber so I can’t tell if it’s behind a paywall but here’s the summary: “Widespread remote work is poised to remake the ‘digital nomad’—less backpacker in hostels, more middle-aged worker with a global hotel subscription.”

Basically, it’s about now that we all get to work from wherever, where will people go?

It talks about people traveling the world, working from Ireland one week then Jamaica the next and then Bali after that.

Then it goes further, asking, if people are doing ^^^ that, then how does that change travel? And it led me to ask, How does it change the things we own, carry with us, find valuable?

The article introduces us to “Swiss Entrepreneur” Alan Frei (who owns an online lingerie and “intimate toy” company - a detail that isn’t really relevant to anything but… wow. Interesting, right?)

Right off the bat, I got involved in Alan Frei’s life:

“Alan Frei lives the life of a backpacker. That is, all 62 of his belongings fit into a single backpack, which he carries with him as he travels and lives in different cities around the world—a total of 53 countries over the past three years.”

SIXTY. TWO. BELONGINGS.

My first reaction was… what.

My second reaction was… that sounds kind of nice.

And then… I think I could do that.

Then the counting started.

[A little background. 2020 was a year of decluttering for me. I had planned to do this before the pandemic and the pandemic only exacerbated my feelings of “ew why am I keeping all this crap that I don’t even use.” So the concepts of minimizing, streamlining, sustainability, only choosing the things that gave me joy, etc. were already being practiced around here.]

I couldn’t help myself from imagining… what would I carry with me in a single suitcase as I flitted from hotel to hotel? (And now that I write this out, I must recognize the EXTREME fantasy of this. In the midst of a pandemic, I myself personally WOULD NEVER but BOY… would I love to? After being basically in my house 90% of the last 11 months? A thousand times yes.)

First off. I would need to pack the essentials.

(1) Toothpaste. (2) Toothbrush.

I could use hotel soaps, but I really like to bring (3) my own special washcloth. And I’m a curly headed person and hotel shampoos and conditioners are not great, so I’d have to have my own (4) shampoo, (5) conditioner and (6) some type of hair product. Currently, I switch between like, six, but for purposes of this fantasy experiment, I’m sure I could find the perfect all-in-one suitable-for-all-climes styling cream.

(7) Deodorant.

(8) A razor.

(9) Face wash. (10) Face cream (11) Vitamin C Serum. (12) Retinol (13) Another serum.

Okay. At this point, I think it’s clear that men (or gender neutral people who don’t care about taking exquisite care of their facial skin or hair) can go far more minimalist than those of us who have a little… shall we say… upkeep.

Whatever. I will forge on. I’ll make up the numbers somewhere else, I’m sure. I’ll stop counting disposable items like razors. See?

Another side note: If I was living on the road out of one suitcase, would I have to pack my own nail clippers? Or basic meds, like Advil and antacids? Or Q-tips? Or would I just make an appointment at a nail salon every time I needed a trim? Call down to the front desk and get those little packets of pills? On the one hand, Mr. Alan Frei was very precise that he only carries 62 items with him, so I’m sure he’s thought all this out. But how much room do these things take, really?

(14) Hair tie. (15) Hair clip. I must have things to do my hair with. I’m not devoted enough to this project to cut it all off, like Mr. Alan Frei has.

And even though my makeup routine has become quite minimal in the last year, I would still need to pack a few things to make myself look presentable on zoom calls: (16) A lipstick (17) mascara (18) Concealer (19) some type of all purpose blush/ bronzer. It would have to be a cream, though, because I don’t want to use up one of my 62 items on an extra makeup brush. See? I’m totally getting the hang of this.

(20) Perfume. I love perfume. But would I get sick of just one? Maybe I could only bring one and then when I want a new scent I could bop down to the nearest Sephora and try on something for the day?

Hmm. I’m at 20 items already. 20 out of 62 is… doing the math … a significant portion of my allotted items. Will I make it?

Okay. Let’s go to office supplies. Takes deep breath.

Mr. Alan Frei uses his phone and a fold up keyboard but I am a REAL writer. I need my (21) Laptop, (22) Mouse, (23) phone (24) headphones.

Question: Does Mr. Alan Frei (and why am I calling him Mister? I don’t know, it just feels right.) count charging cords in the 62 items? And those things you have to plug in to convert electricity? Gah. I’m going to count them. Let’s say that takes me up to (25) (26) (27) and (28) for various tech supplies. (And does he count cases in this list? I’m starting to stress out at the idea of no organizing pouches or protective cases. I’m going to assume they’re included… What heathen would pack nice headphones without a protective case?)

(29) Bluelight glasses.
(30) Notebook
(31) Planner
(32) Pen
(33) Highlighter
(34-36) Backup Pens
(37-39) Backup Highlighters. (Y’all know me. I write and I plan and I blog about both. What do you want from me.)

(40) Kindle. Duh.

Holy crap. I’m going to be a naked digital nomad if I don’t start including clothes.

(41) sneakers (I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to RENT shoes like Mr. Alan Frei.)
(42) slippers (I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to walk around airplanes and strange hotel rooms without something cozy on my feet.)
(43) I guess… some other type of shoe? Rainboot? OMG WHERE AM I GOING, anyway? WHAT IF I NEED A STURDY SET OF WELLIES.

(44- -

This is where I think I have to stop this particular fantasy. Because I’m mentally moving on to underwear and bras and trying to decide if I really need to wear them and wondering how often I can not do laundry and…

And…

I haven’t even gotten to shirts, pants, a sweater (just ONE?!), pajamas, workout clothes, a light jacket, a heavy jacket, a watch, or a spare set of earrings, sunglasses, a discreet yet designer purse or a reusable stainless steel water bottle. Or a small selection of nice essential oils and my favorite crystal and a few bags of a pick me up tea. And I forgot about sunscreen!!! (Goes to show how indoors-y I am now, right? But I couldn’t travel to Phuket without some sunscreen.)

I think of myself as fairly minimalist and I often pride myself on being a good packer but if I’m living permanently out of hotel rooms, then I would want to do it in a sustainable, hygienic way then… yeah. I’m going to need a sufficient amount of clean underwear and a few small luxuries.

But the idea…

Oh the idea of it.

Of throwing together a bag and running away for a year or two… maybe …

Maybe I could give up cute hair for that escape.

Would you?

And where will we go first?

I’ve touched on winter-y topics before on this blog like winter skin care and hygge essentials but today we’re going to discuss the whole damn season.

Winter, that is.

One of my friends and fellow book club members recommended Wintering by Katherine May to our book club and I’m ready to talk about it… with everyone.

And everyone else wants to talk about it too, it seems. Even the GOOP podcast. Because it’s an incredibly prescient book for this literal season (Winter in the Northern Hemisphere) and also the metaphorical season (global pandemic).

What’s the book about?

It’s about Winter. Ms. May uses the concept as a metaphor to describe hard periods in our life. She takes various spiritual and physical investigations to look closer at what winter means to nature, to culture, to religion. From sauna to pickling to dormice to voice lessons to the Northern Lights, the topics range from readily understandable to surprising. It’s a deep but easy read and, as I told the Inner Circle in the January Secret Posts, I really wish someone had given me this book to read last May, so that I would have properly approached this pandemic winter with proper preparation and reverence.

Because that’s what this pandemic “season” is - a winter. A time of stillness and hibernation but also a preparation for the next cycle of life.

Ms. May gently encourages the reader to spend some time preparing for the winters in each of our lives; after we experience change, or trauma, or loss. Yes, we will feel pain or loneliness, but we’ll be better off for accepting that those times come… and then they go.

I have to quote the book here:

There are times when everything seems easy, and times when it all seems impossibly hard. To make that manageable, we just have to remember that our present will one day become a past, and our future will be our present.

For me, this brings to mind that beautiful piece of poetry from the Bible - one that I’ve gently reminded myself of when I’ve been in times of turmoil:

  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. …

  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Ms. May gives the reader examples of how cultures around the world have traditionally approached winter - starting to pickle and can fresh foods from summer, cutting firewood, ensuring machinery and shelters are in good order. And I’ll be honest, the idea of consciously preparing and creating a warm, rejuvenating cocoon for winter is an idea that has confused me.

I approach summer like this, not winter. I make sure my family has fresh bottles of sunscreen ready to go, that everyone has new flip flops that fit their growing feet, that our A/C hasn’t been making weird sounds.

In Texas, Summer is the season that can kill. Not Winter.

You see, winter, for Texans, appears accidentally. We stumble into it, year after year. The fall is one party after another, it’s Friday Night Football and Homecoming and Halloween, Thanksgiving and then the glitz and tinsel of the Christmas season and then January hits us and it’s oh so quiet.

What happens… next, we ask? We anxiously await the heat and brutality of summer but we do not know - or have forgotten - how to savor the winter we do have.

And on the one hand, that’s fine with me. But then when my husband and I talk of moving to the mountains he looks at me and asks, “what are you going to do when it gets cold? Like, really cold?”

He’s worried I won’t be able to take it.

I shrug him off. I don’t know if I’ll like the “really cold.” But I’m 98% sure I can survive it.

Especially after reading Wintering.

That sounds too good to be true. Maybe a little cheesy. But I really do feel like something shifted inside my brain after reading this book. Some broken and forgotten pieces of my evolutionary subconscious clicked together and I am reminded that… yes. Winter - and hard times - comes and then it will go. And we’re all going to be okay. Eventually. If we can stay warm and make nourishing foods and sauna and read good books.

We’ll be okay.

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

 

A Year of Books; Reading them, Finishing them, Buying them (or Not)

 

Last year’s year in review here.

What I Read in 2020:

Contemporary Romance/ Women’s Fiction = 10 (although some of these were re-reads from the 80s and 90s so… are they still contemporary? Lol)

Paranormal/ UF/ Fantasy/ Sci Fi = 7

Non Fiction = 5

Historical Romance = 20

Historical Fiction = 3

Mystery = 10

 Because my reading habits were sort of hit and miss this year, I did not do my usual monthly round ups on the blog after May. I included some in my newsletter, but if you want to find all the book recommendations I did this year, they’re here.

And here’s a partial “best of” book list I did here.

What I Started but Didn’t Finish (DNF’s)

Nonfic/ Memoir = 2

Sci fi/ Fantasy = 3

Historical Fiction/ Historical Romance = 3

Contemporary Fiction/ Mystery = 3

What I learned from my DNFs and finished books: Reading contemporary fiction was hard for me. The last contemporary fiction I read was in April. After that, it got harder for me to finish contemporary novels and then I had to admit that in a pandemic, I only wanted to escape into eras gone by… even if it was the twentieth century. I read and re-read a few books set in the 80’s and 90’s and they were sort-of historical enough to let me escape.

Of course I’ll chalk this preference up to the unique nature of 2020 and the delicate balance of preserving one’s mental health during a global pandemic.

I also learned that I still require and enjoy a quick plot, banter and conflict.  Books that had a slow start, too much backstory, or were too treacly or had complicated world building that I couldn’t get into were more likely to be DNFs.

A Book No Buy.

I really felt I was on a No Buy this year. Of course, I started with an official No Buy for the first three months. And then I decided to extend it. Mas o menos.

…

Okay, fine. I did buy a few (dozen) books.

Granted, some of these were pre-orders and some were for my book club. Another round of book purchases happened this summer when many good and important books by Black authors were highlighted and/or put on sale and I snapped up some of those that I wanted to read.

But I read quite a few library books this year as well and tried to always (1) check my TBR pile or (2) check the library before I purchased anything.

While of course I give myself grace for “violating” my No Buy because PANDEMIC REASONS, I still really appreciated reading books in a more deliberative way this year. Truly stopping and asking myself what I *really* want to read next is, as you can see, a learning experience for me.  As I’ve said before, reading is too important to me not to give it a little extra attention.

 What I Want to Read in 2021; Book Resolutions

First and foremost, I need to organize my Kindle! If I didn’t read something in 2020, I’m going to take it off the TBR pile! (Mostly.)

Continue checking the library first if I get a hankering to buy a book. This slows down my “one-click” finger and makes me think about a purchase. If I still will wait for a library hold, I probably really want to read it.

Pre-order my favorites as often as I can! This brings joy to future me! And it means a lot to the authors too! ;-)

READ EXACTLY WHAT I WANT. DNF if it’s not bringing me joy. 2020 has taught me that NO ONE has time for duty reads.

And that’s it for the 2020 review!

What were your favorite reads of 2020? Are you making any goals or resolutions for 2021? I’d love to hear about them! I’m often chatting with people on Instagram about books - hit up my DMs, even!

To learn more about my books, go here or sign up for my Inner Circle newsletter where I often post my DNF lists! Or follow me on Facebook where I post my infamous BOOK ON SALE ALERTS featuring books that I love that are, well, on sale!

 

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

If you’re interested in being a writer or pursuing any kind of art, here are the non-fiction books that I’ve found helpful and/or inspiring to me. YMMV. I will try to keep this updated (I’ve removed some through the years as it becomes less relevant and added some too…)

****UPDATED in 2021!****

About the Muse and Creativity...

The Artisan Soul - Erwin Raphael McManus  - comes at creativity from a Christian/ religious perspective

Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert  - I also highly recommend the podcast by the same name. Not a Christian perspective but definitely some #woowoo there.

The Practice - Seth Godin - get this one in a paper version so you can outline/ highlight to your heart’s content.

About Goal Setting...

The Pro Writer Mindset - Jennifer Blanchard - practical advice on goals, writing and business. Loved this.

Dear Writer, You Need to Quit - Becca Syme - I highly recommend Becca’s Better Faster Academy courses to every writer I meet (she’s my writing/life coach/guru) but this book is a nice introduction to her methods and madness and empowers you to make the best choices that work for you. (Check out my Women With Books episode interviewing Becca for more information.) (This Book has turned into a whole series. I recommend all of them and they don’t need to be read in order.)

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women - Valerie Young - a good and empowering read about conquering your imposter syndrome

You are a Badass at Making Money - Jen Sincero - really, any of Jen Sincero’s books help you level up, but this one’s my favorite because cha-ching.

Atomic Habits - James Clear - I’ve decided that most productivity books don’t really apply to most multi-tasking women but this one actually spoke to me and I recommend it all the time.

About Marketing…

Romance Your Brand - Zoe York - Probably an upper level book - not for beginners, but not doctoral advice. Shows one perspective on how to organize a career in genre fiction.

Your A Game - Damon Suede and Heidi Cullinan - about promotion and marketing and how different personality types can approach it.

Newsletter Ninja - Tammy Labrecque - the ultimate bible on how to build and engage the most powerful marketing tool; a newsletter

About Writing ...

Romancing the Beat - Gwen Hayes - a concise, easy to read guide on how to plot a romance novel

Save the Cat - Blake Snyder  - I'm a disciple of this storytelling method. It doesn't click for everyone but once you see stories through a Save the Cat lens, you'll never go back.

Writing Love: Screenwriting Tricks for Authors II: Story Structure for Pantsers and Plotters - Alexandra Sokoloff - another writing book from a screenwriter, this one focuses on cinematic love stories. Similar to Save the Cat, but a different angle.

Writing the Cozy Mystery - Nancy J. Cohen - another great, concise and practice guide to writing a popular genre

 

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

What is a word of the year? And why would I need one?

Good question.

I’d seen it around on the internet for a few years because I jumped on board. I think I was reluctant to choose a “word of the year” because I was a hard-core resolutionist. I had bought into “New Year’s resolutions” all my life. Society said that was how I was supposed to start every January 1, with a list of detailed and nearly impossible plans. A simple “word of the year?” That was what communists did.

I don’t remember what made me decide to try it, but I did, and the results were…interesting.

I won’t say having a simple word that I could remind myself of, throughout a year was life-changing. But… it was easier to remember one word. And I had to be honest with myself, the pile of discarded and useless New Year’s Resolutions that never lasted past January was large and possibly governed by OSHA regulations.

Basically, resolutions hadn’t worked so well for me. And having a word of the year was simply more elegant, more profound and slightly more effective.

So yeah. I’m doing it again.

For review: My 2020 Word of the Year. (also talks about my 2019 word of the year.)

Without further ado, I present my word of 2021.

When I was still deliberating on this word, I went into Canva and played around with some designs. And when I put this photo with the word, I knew this was it. This perfectly encapsulates what I want to feel in 2021; the essentialism of creation, the anticipation of a blank page, the empowerment of what I can do with just my brain and my fast typing fingers.

But first, a Review.

Last year’s word/ phrase was Hell Yes. And I’ll still stand by all my reasons for picking it. 2020 was looking out to be a big year for me and I was going to say NO to anything that wasn’t a HELL YES.

But then 2020 turned out to be a HELL NO year.

So many of my plans - personal and professional - got a big ol’ HELL NO thanks to the global pandemic.

I’ll admit that trying to have a HELL YES life in a HELL NO year was a bit bewildering for a while there.

Still, I persisted in using HELL YES. There was a simplicity and a profundity to it, when my day-to-day choices were, do I want to go outside for a walk or do I want to meditate or do I want to bake brownies or do I want to play a game with my kids? Talk about bringing focus to my life. I was searching for hell yes in tiny alterations of my much-minimized landscape.

I learned a lot.

I thought I’d be saying HELL YES to cross-Atlantic travel and publicity tours.

Instead, I was saying no to depression and grief and HELL YES to resilience and health.

I keep saying this, but I hope I never forget everything that 2020 taught me.

New Year, New Word.

So why did I pick Create?

A verb.

Even though I tried to make the best of HELL YES in 2020, one of the things I noted about its limitations was that it was a passive word. “Hell yes!” is an answer to a question or offer that someone else puts out there. All the initiating action is really in others’ hands. And I wanted 2021 to be a me-initiating kind of year. A progressive, pro-active, forward movement year.

I needed a verb.

A word for work and life.

And yes, eagle-eyed readers will have already noted that I’m recycling CREATE from 2019. (and that I already sneakily hinted at it in this blog post.)

That’s because one of the loveliest things I discovered about my 2019 word was that CREATE was just as pertinent to my personal life as to my professional writing life.

I want to create a life that I love as much as I want to create stories that we’ll all love.

So.

I’m taking CREATE out of the box, shining it up, and seeing what we’re going to do in 2021.

The stickers on my hobonichi were chosen to coordinate with my word of the year. I love them soooooooo hard.

What’s next…

Ah. I wish I knew.

It’s not like 2021 instantly changed what is possible for me and my family. We’re taking this stupid pandemic seriously and it’s not always easy for me. Obviously, I’m an #activator. I want to start, jump on planes and send off manuscripts to anyone who wants them.

But CREATE is a good reminder for me. Things are in my hands. But I can also be #deliberative if I choose. Creation is a journey and a process. The Bible says that God took seven days to create the universe. But He’s given me the okay to take a little more time with my creations.

Thanks for going on the journey with me.

I try to share as much as I can on my Instagram and in the Secret Posts - my newsletter for the Inner Circle. Follow and subscribe and let’s create 2021 together.

I love learning about other people’s planner systems and peeking on their pages on Instagram so I wanted to add to the planner universe and show what I’ll be using in 2021.

A lot of this is an evolution from years past.

So first you should probably check out my 2020 planner post. And my 2019 planner post. And my peek into the 2021 Hobonichi here. Because I’m going to refer back to all of those.

On New Year’s Day I had a marathon planner session. First I had to assemble alllll my new washi I bought before the holidays to make some free shipping limits. lol

I collected all the stickers and post-its and notepads so I could fully see what I had to work with and what was going to work in 2021.

I put together a little combo vision board/ kanban board. I tried the full on Sarra Cannon kanban board method in years past (discussed here) but in 2021 that type of kanban didn’t feel right to me.

First of all, after taking a Better Faster course this fall, I decided to focus on my goal setting on a shorter time period than a quarter. I’m adopting a monthly schedule for goals and when I select those, I’m simply going to write them on my vision-kanban board (above) so I can see them out in front of me and then check them off when I complete those tasks.

I re-ordered the Sessa Vee inserts for my Louis Vuitton MM agenda and this will be my social media/ newsletter planner. Above, you’ll see that I’ve highlighted the days my Inner Circle Newsletter will be sent out. (Not in the Inner Circle yet? Sign up here.)

What I love best about the Hobonichi Cousin is the inclusion of the monthly, weekly, and daily pages. The daily pages I use for my morning journal/ morning pages. I’ve been reading a few pages of Seth Godin’s The Practice every morning before I journal and I thought it was funny that this quote showed up on January 1, the day that I was setting up my agenda.

The evolution of the HB90 method for me is going to be coming up with monthly goals instead of quarterly goals, like I said before. And I’m using these blank pages to write those down in my planner and then again, I’m putting them on my habit tracker pages., so I can remember them as I enter my habits each day. (See an example of the habit tracker pages on this post.)

Also last year’s system for recording books, media and DNF’s worked so well I’m doing that again.

I loved the in-planner kanban board that I did last year so much, I did it again this year, using the empty December month and some fancy washi and stickers to transform the page. I’m using these peach plastic page flags to mark my repeating personal tasks that I wanted to prioritize on a monthly basis.

My planner stack!

Here’s what’s in each:
Louis Vuitton MM Agenda: social media/ newsletter planner
Louis Vuitton Couv Carnet: Hobonichi Cousin - ALLLLL of the things.
Louis Vuitton Desk Agenda: professional notes in a notebook
Louis Vuitton Desk Agenda: personal/ spiritual development w/ discs

So… that’s mostly it! (I may have a few extra notebooks floating around. I am a writer after all. I have to scribble stuff down!) A lot has been carried forward from last year and I feel good about that because that means I know what works for me and that it did work for me - even in the weirdest, least-planner-y year ever.. The tweaks and changes I’ve made are ways that I can improve upon the system and that’s kind of the goal for my year, I guess. I’ll be blogging soon about my word of the year and how that’s impacting all this ^^^ planning.

If you’re into planners and love to sneak more peeks, make sure you follow me on Instagram because one of my New Year’s resolutions is to share more planner pics there. I love that community and it’s a beautiful little spot in a distracting, often disturbing real world.

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!