It really is okay....

We talk a lot here on Scribble Chicks on what inspires us, and where we get that inspiration. Do you ever have days where you know all the answers, and you know what to do, but just can't seem to do it? Maybe it's not from lack of desire or motivation, but from sheer forces of nature?

I love the clause in my novel contracts that essentially says (paraphrased) "If an act of God occurs we can't be held responsible for not publishing this story". Cracks me up because man, isn't that every day in some form? ;)

I realize mass tragedy and tornados and fire and earthquakes and hurricanes and tidal waves don't happen every day to keep me from writing, but emotionally and mentally, they're actually quite common.

You know the days. You have 3 appointments and 2 deadlines and a husband who wants a decent supper and a sick kid with 2 overlapping viruses who's crying about missing school and you're crying because she can't GO to school and let you get stuff done. And you just burned dinner and your deadlines aren't ignoring you as you're ignoring them, and you just want to cover your ears and scream but can't because your throat already hurts because you're picking up the same virus your kid has?

Yeah those days!

What about you? How do you handle them? Do you beat yourself up for not meeting a goal or for not accomplishing what you'd hoped to in a given day? Or are you super laid back on yourself? I think healthy is somewhere in the middle. I tend to stray to the far extreme of "I'm the worst person/writer/mother in the world because of X".

Which, um, by the way, doesn't do much for the motivation.

You know what DOES work?

Prayer.
Endorphins. (working out)
Baking. (do this AFTER working out)
Laughing with my toddler and reprioritizing life.
Realizing that I truly am just ONE person and a busy one at that.
Accepting the fact that "poo happens" and I can't control the world or even necessarily my own day.
Letting go and giving myself permission to FAIL.

Fail.

Such an ugly word. But someones a useful one.

I just took a personality test recently that revealed to me how hard I am on myself. This is great for being productive and earning nicknames like "the synopsis queen" and managing to do 950485948509 things at once and meet deadlines.....

But when burnout strikes, I crash. And as a result, everyone else crashes around me. Not a good point to get to. I'd rather have slight stumbles more frequently than dramatic, end-all crashes every now and then. Wouldn't you?

So join me today in taking steps to TRYING HARD, but realizing it's okay to STEP BACK. Join me in SETTING GOALS but ALLOWING YOURSELF TO MISS THE MARK. The important thing is to try again afterward. If you said you'd write 1000 words today and you only wrote 19 - don't think "fail". Think "try again".

You go first. I'm right behind ya ;)