Owning books is a joy. I appreciate seeing my dear friends staring at me from their homes on my bookshelves. I relish running my hand across their spines and visualizing the words, worlds, and adventures we experienced together. These are my loyal companions, and I am determined we will never part company. I enjoy reading eBooks and listening to audiobooks, but they can’t compete with the tactile aspects of a real, hardcover book.

I am lucky to have so many purchased volumes populating my bookshelves, but I also exercise my library membership. It is not unusual for me to have five, or six on loan at any point. It comforts me to know money is not a barrier, or an excuse, for not reading different genres. The library is a great resource for indulging without a huge financial commitment. In fact, I am more likely to purchase a book I have borrowed from the library so it can find a home on my shelves. My personal copies are the ones I recommend and lend to friends and family.

My biggest change for the lockdown was when they closed my library. Thankfully, I had just picked up six books, but in extending the due dates, they deleted the books I had placed on hold. Last week, they opened a new bin for returns, and next week, they plan to loan books again. I can’t wait to meet my new best friends.

Do you supplement your purchased books with library books?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

In business, there is a proven technique for attaining long-term improvements. Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that focuses on continual improvement. We can apply the method to every aspect of life. It relies on minor modifications that snowball and, over time, culminated in growth, advancement, and progress. There are six steps: Standardize, Measure, Compare, Innovate, Standardize, Repeat.

Standardize: What are you doing today? You have a process, even if you don’t realize it. Study what you are doing and commit it to paper.

Measure: Objective examination of your current workflow helps you determine where you are efficient or inefficient.

Compare: Inspect your results and plot them against your goals to see if your present operation is moving you in the direction you wish to go.

Innovate: Search for a better way to execute your plan. Your innovation may be big or small. Studies show that modest incremental changes get superior payback because they are easier for you to achieve and faster for your team to integrate.

Standardize: Implement your innovative ideas and make them part of your daily practice.

Repeat: Once your modernized workflow is a habit, you start the procedure again. Until your baby steps lead you to your target.

How are you progressing toward your goal?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

It seems like 2020 started yesterday, and today I check my calendar to discover half a year swept away. July is living up to its reputation for hot, sun-soaked days, but the expected lazy summer lull is not materializing. Instead, crazy workloads, and increased family demands coupled with uncertain procedures for completing once-routine tasks, rule the day. The normal state of my mind is a constant barrage of busy-ness. Thoughts chatter incessantly. I plan the future, review past performances, plot new trajectories, and fret about what I might be forgetting.

Time rushes onward, we stress about the lack of time and wish we could slow its passage. However, research suggests we control our perception and how we experience time. When we engage in benign, semi-pleasant, routine tasks, we enter a mindless state, and time slips away without conscience awareness. Likewise, when we must complete boring, non-challenging tasks that demand close attention, we can experience time stretching into a never-ending waste of precious moments.

Researchers say the cure for both situations is to focus on the moment and allow your brain to become fully engaged in the task. The act of full engagement alters your perception, time slows and expands. Call it mindfulness, focus, awareness, zen, meditation, or whatever, we may reap significant benefits from more purposeful observations of the world.

How do you slow down?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I loathe having nothing constructive to do. Being productive, maintaining neat lines of items to complete on my personal agenda is much nicer. I get a rush when I can cross them off my list, call them done, and move forward. Time wasters include standing in line, driving in traffic, or having to re-working projects because of miscommunication. They top my list of anger-inducing ineffective misuses of my life. I strive to avoid those situations. Where possible, I order online, shop during off-peak hours, align my route to combine errands, ask extensive questions when beginning group activities, and document agreements in writing.

Coworkers have admonished me to slow my pace, so they didn’t need to work harder. Managers have accused me of cheating or lying as no one could do the task in such a short timeframe. But I have always been vindicated. To keep a project on track, I sometimes resort to completing assignments delegated to specific team members. It doesn’t bother me much because it beats staring at the clock and waiting for the minutes to pass. There is nothing better than the satisfaction of a job well done.

How do you handle unproductive time?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I have a secret. It’s embarrassing when I am caught, and I discover someone is listening. Talking to myself, in my head, and aloud is a normal occurrence. I assure you, my conversations are rather mundane. Where is my phone? Did I pay the bill? Should I buy lemons at the grocery store? Who is knocking on my front door? Why did I come into this room? Those are typical topics I explore almost daily. 

Late at night when the house is finally silent, the questions fade, and everything grows quiet. The voice changes, and I know my evening adventure is about to begin. I have heard this voice since I was a child. It has told me calming bedtime stories, created imaginary characters, and handed me the key to fantastical worlds. It is my trusted companion. Together we work through complex issues and create ingenious solutions for everyday problems. I write the tales I tell myself and share them with my friends.

What stories will you tell yourself today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I have a favorite mug I reserve for Sunday mornings. The cup is a brilliant sunny yellow and has room for a substantial amount of coffee. While I’ve never measured, I suspect it holds more coffee than two of its dainty porcelain cousins. The walls are thick. They rate it safe for both the microwave and the dishwasher, and my coffee stays hot for hours. The handle fits my hand perfectly and keeps my fingers and knuckles far from the scalding contents, reducing the chances of unintentional burning and the potential of accidents.

My sturdy friend and I have been through countless Sundays of garden workouts. She doesn’t complain when I set her on a cement step, balance her on the edge of a raised bed, or wedge her into a spot between my gardening gloves and my trowel. I’ve misplaced her more times than I can count. But she stands out in green grass, muddy soil, and on the shelf with my garden gear.

There are hazards associated with drink coffee outdoors. I’ve plucked stray leaves I noticed floating on my coffee’s surface. Her bright color attracts bees and wasps, though I doubt they enjoy coffee as much as I do. On more than a few occasions, I discovered dirt smudges on the rim. But there was still enough clean space to sip my brew.

Do you practice a Sunday ritual?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

We’ve read the articles offering helpful advice on how to make the most of your scheduled writing time. We study craft, and how to construct character arcs, story arcs, outlines, structure, proper sentence, voice, and point of view. The rabbit holes lead us on a journey through name generators, checklists, worksheets, and tools to block distractions from email and other notifications. Instagram offers pretty pictures of perfect office setups guaranteed to provide the magic you need to create an epic fantasy.

None of the research helps when I sit to put words on a page. Inundated with negative news, anxiety, fear, and frustration rule my emotions. A million thoughts race through my overactive brain. Worry about completing my to-do list, and dread of what I might forget makes it impossible to concentrate on my task. Before I can write a single word, the first thing I must do is forget everything.  

To be productive, I have learned the trick is letting go. Dirty dishes, laundry, grocery lists, doctor appointments, school schedules, work deadlines, and dinner plans will have to wait. I close my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I gather all the baggage and set it aside. When I open my eyes again, my mind is quiet, and I write.

How do you clear your mind?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

This quote conjures images of Jack London traipsing through a fall field, his shotgun nestled in the crook of his arm. His other hand holds a switch he has cut from a sapling. He whistles to a pair of bird dogs as they beat the bushes in search of inspiration. They spend the morning searching through thickets and tall grass. The dogs freeze, and point, they have caught the scent.

After successfully capturing a dose of fleeting inspiration, they return to a cozy cabin, a warm fire, and a celebratory drink. The typewriter pounding lasts into the wee hours.

Where do you find your inspiration?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Some weeks have an easy flow, everything goes as planned, events fall neatly into place, the world turns on its axis, and the sun rises in the east. Then we experience periods that try our souls. We encounter roadblocks, red lights, and unexpected problems in quick succession. Saying our plans are a disaster is an understatement. There is an answer to every challenge confronting you, but solutions only surface when we commit to doing the work, pulling apart the snarls, and creating unique ways to smooth the road ahead.

The process is stressful, and it requires long hours, determination, and a resolve to never give up. The recipe produces tension and anxiety. Music offers a wonderful way to relax, unwind, and gain the fortitude to move forward. You can’t hold on to your stress while the melody plays, your toe taps, and you sing uplifting words.

Reading allows us to escape. We can forget our reality, the endless difficulties, and enjoy a marvelous story. At the heart of the best books is a precious kernel of hope, especially as we watch our hero struggles, fights, and succeeds in attaining his goal. In music and reading, we find the courage to continue.

How do you manage the tough times?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

On countless evenings, I find I cannot sleep. My brain won’t stop, it races, obsessively testing ideas, possibilities, and contemplating the question ‘what if?’ I have long since learned my lesson, there will be no rest. I relinquish my control, leave my bed, and write. Other nights I am jolted from my dreams by some cosmic alarm clock, I clutch a brilliant idea like a lightsaber slashing through the dark. Once again, I stumble to my desk, power on the laptop to transcribe the dream. The stories refuse to be pushed aside.

Creating stories and telling tales flows in my blood, and I schedule writing sessions every day. But I do give myself a break from my normal routine on the days when my brain refused to register that I should have been sleeping.

Do you write at unusual times?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer