I hope everyone had a festive fourth of July. Living in a historic town tends to take this holiday VERY seriously. Fireworks ablaze, parades, and a riverboat parade, too. Lots of fun for all, but I kind of hibernated because my pup hates the noise, and being such a good pet parent, I stayed with him to keep him calm. We retreated into our lower level until it got quiet around 11pm.
I can't believe another month flew by, and we are now ready for this month's IWSG post! Once again thanks to Alex and the AMAZING IWSG team for giving us the opportunity to voice our writing insecurities and offer advice to our colleagues who need it. If you would like to join, hop over to Alex's site and sign up!
This month, I have put writing on the back burner to concentrate on finishing up my gardens. I am almost there! But, it has given me the time to do a lot of thinking about future projects and where I would like to go next on my writing journey. This time taught me that it's OK to take time off from writing to do other things. It brings us a fresh perspective. So DON'T beat yourself up if you decide to take off a month or two to do something else you enjoy. It will only make you happier in the long run AND it may lead to a fantastic new idea!
Another tip I would like to share with you about taking time off is to work on getting healthier. Many of us over the cold winter has put on extra weight and may have become lethargic. Also, with COVID, I had gained a ton over the past few years. At the beginning of July, I decided to do something about it. GET OFF the couch and get outside and walk again. I also started intermittent fasting. For those of you who are not familiar with this eating plan, it is basically very easy. You pick an eating window of about 8-10 hours depending on how much weight you want to lose. I started with 8, and now I am down to a seven-hour window. In a month I dropped almost twenty pounds! I eat almost everything I want, so it really doesn't feel like dieting and depriving myself of CHOCOLATE. LOL. It truly isn't as difficult as you think. It is AMAZING how clear-headed I have become. I stay more focused, and I feel so much better. Staying focused is a GREAT feature of fasting. Imagine how much writing you can do when you stop focusing on food. The first few days can be a challenge, but after the first week, the food cravings stop and you really can feel so much better. I have thought of several new writing projects this past week. I am also brisk walking an hour a day. The best time to do this is at the end of your fast because the last hour or so can be difficult, especially if you have a family who is eating in front of you while you are fasting. Luckily, I don't have that problem. Try it for a few weeks and see how you feel! You will have only POSITIVE side effects from this program. One of mine... I cut out one of my blood pressure meds. YAY!
Well, that is it for this month! Enjoy your summer fun, and I will see you next month. Hugs to you all!
