Bustin’ Out of the Comfort Zone

October 3, 2011 by

If you’re anything like me, you hear your friends and family say all the time, “I need to bust out of my comfort zone.” Especially in today’s fast paced life, it’s so easy to get complacent, to except what each day brings, fall into routines, and just let life happen.

I’m particularly guilty of this. I love my routines and my expectations and changes to a well-laid plan can really set me off. Not the typical personality you expect for someone who claims to be creative, hu?

Last week, my comfort zone was given a jolt. For almost a year now I’ve been working with a trainer to get healthy and get a handle on some chronic pain.

It was a scary move for me at first. I had to open up the doors and windows to my mind and heart that are usually boarded shut and share my eating and exercising habits with a virtual stranger. Over the course of the year, however, we developed common ground. As an advisor he’s helped me manage the obstacles in the road. As the relationship became less scary, I became more comfortable.

Last week my trainer informed me he’d taken a new job. I was being reassigned to another one in the facility.

The announcement wasn’t unexpected; I’d known for several months that he was contemplating and working toward a career change. Somehow, though, I hadn’t let myself think too much about those changes would alter my little comfort zone.

After an initial freak out and some quiet moments talking myself in from the ledge, I’ve come to realized that I’d become almost too comfortable in the zone I was in. Almost complacent. A shake up is probably just what I need, and a new approach to a similar task is rarely bad — it’s just different.

So, today I leap. When I go into what has become a comfortable place for me, i will be meeting someone new. This someone will be looking though all those secrets I had a hard time sharing, and again I’ll have to let a stranger peak in my windows. But I have a feeling it’s going to be good.

How do you handle shake-ups to the comfort zone?

Filed Under: Life, Road to Fitness Tagged With: , , ,

Honoring The Process, Even When it Changes

January 13, 2011 by

Even though writing is a creative activity, talk to a few writers and you’ll soon learn each and every one has their own process — even if that process is to just jump in and let the story come to them.

I’m no different. My process–like most other writer’s–is a hybrid all its own. I consider myself a by-the seat-of-my pants writer, but yet I can’t really start until I’ve done some setting research, some characterization, figured out goal-motivation-conflict, and mapped out at least four major turning points. What? You’re thinking that makes me a plotter? You haven’t really talked to any plotters about their process then, have you?

It seems like whenever my friends and I talk about process, someone always laments about how they wish they could refine their process, come up with a more seamless way of getting from idea to great, finished story. I’ve always maintained the best thing you can do for your craft is honor the process. Don’t worry so much about how the gems come to you, just do what comes natural.

Well, it seemed like good advice. Until my process decided to up and change on me.

Up until a few weeks ago, I’ve also been a very linear writer. I start with page one and move forward, word by word, paragraph by paragraph, page by page…well you get the idea. This current work in progress, however, has been different than my previous three in many ways.  I had hit a brick wall. Knew what I wanted to happen between my characters, but wasn’t quite sure how to best demonstrate that next step. In the meantime, one of those later turning points I had mapped out (the one that would propel the story into the third act) was nagging at the back of mind.

I absolutely KNEW how that scene was going to play out. But what about the 100 or so pages between where I was and that moment?

Lost in that helplessness of cursed writer’s block, (which I don’t really believe in, by the way, but that’s the subject of another post.) I said ‘screw it’ to that pesky middle. I drew lines down about four pages–so I could visually see where I’d left off with the in-line story–and started writing that turning point. And then kept moving forward. For the first couple days, I worried that I was messing with my process. What if, in the end, I screwed up the story by not following the natural course?

I soon came to realize, by following that gut-instinct I was doing what I always preach. I was following my process of the moment. Yes. I’ve learned something new about a process. It’s a living breathing thing that can change and adapt to a given circumstance, or grow with us as we hone our craft.

So, how’s the WIP coming? Yesterday I wrote the end-scene of the book – and typed ‘the end’ on the last page. Today: I take a new look at that middle. I’m hoping that having that clear image of where they’re headed now, will help me connect the written sections. I’ll have to update you in a week or two as to whether that is fact or not.

Filed Under: Life, Uncategorized, Writing Life Tagged With: , , ,

Change, A Closing Door

October 4, 2010 by

It’s been said that you have to close one door in order to open another, but walking away from what is known can be hard. True, fear can be a powerful motivator, but sometimes that motivation happens in a negative way.

I’ve heard of people–other writers–who hesitate, hang on to their work instead of submitting, all because they are comfortable in the status quo and the unknown is just that.

So, the real issue is learning to overcome that fear and have enough faith in oneself to embrace what tomorrow might hold.

I’m at just such a turning point. I feel if I want to make the next forward movement in my writing career I need to let go of some of the things that monopolize my time. I’ve had this notion for a long time, but for some reason–fear maybe–have been able to make that last step.

I need to close a door, so another can open.

How do you handle/face change?

Filed Under: Life, Writing Life Tagged With: ,

Untraditional Christmas Traditions

December 23, 2009 by

I can’t believe where this month has gone! We’re just two days from Christmas, which means there are less than 10 days left in the year. Where did 2009 go? For that matter, where did the last decade go?

As we gear up for family celebrations this year, it feels somewhat off kilter.  Normally we spend every other year in Florida with my family, but for the second year in a row we’ve opted to make the trip in the spring instead.

On the years we’ve been here in town, we’ve always spent Christmas night with my husband’s family, but over the last half dozen years or so, that’s shifted for one reason or another and it’s seem to become harder and harder to fit in that few hours of extended family time. Since we’ve decided to make the get-together the day after Christmas this year, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are going to be strictly immediate family days, which will be a real blessing. With one in college and one in highschool, we just don’t seem to get enough of that these days.

During the time I was juggling calenders with the sisters-in-law, trying to figure out a day and time that worked for everyone, my wise daughter made the off-the-cuff comment, “This is why traditions are a good thing.  Everyone just knows what we’re doing.”

But with four families of mostly gown kids that traditional dinner can be hard. All the traditions seem to change.  We used to take a family picture in front of the tree. This year, the kids were replaced with the bullies (Rose and Lily) because teenagers scoff at getting a picture taken. (They’ll tell you it’s because I love the bullies more. Don’t you believe it.)

I think we’re going to keep a rather new tradition though.  The last few years we’ve been home we’ve gone to the movies on Christmas Day. The kids and I especially are big movie buffs, and there is always such a good selection.  It’s time spent together and then a nice conversation after over dinner about the film. Though hubby insists we pick something that won’t have us all crying this year (Marley and Me was last year’s choice).

We’ll be honoring other traditions too. A turkey dinner on Christmas day. Family time on Christmas Eve. And we will have that family get-together too….it’ll just be the day after.

Filed Under: Bulldogge puppies, Life Tagged With: , , ,