Yesterday, a frog asked me to solve an elementary level math problem. Number manipulation is my favorite subject, so I agreed. Imagine my surprise when he declared I was wrong.

Here is the story question he gave me:

Five frogs were sitting on a log. Four frogs decided to jump into the pond. How many frogs were left?  Was your response one?  The correct answer is five frogs remain sitting on the log. Shocked and appalled, I was certain the amphibian didn’t understand simple subtraction. He licked his eyeball and assured me the error was not my mathematical skills; it was my logic. He said I assumed no difference existed between deciding and doing.

Action taken without prior reflection can yield disastrous results, but all thought and no movement is just as detrimental. Congratulate yourself for reaching a decision and prepare yourself for the difficult work to begin. The toughest step is moving from deciding to doing. Fear often induces paralysis, leaving us sitting on a rotting log, instead of leaping into our journey toward a better situation. Don’t allow inaction to negate your resolution. Realize you don’t need every answer, and perfection only happens with practice.

Are you ready to jump into your day?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

If I’m being honest, I don’t understand the love/hate titles assigned to Friday afternoon and Monday mornings. Sure, I look forward to certain weekend activities, eager for the experience, but I find a brand spanking new week equally thrilling. Many individuals slip into a depression on Sunday, dreading the next morning’s alarm.  Maybe they just require a slight shift in thinking.

Researchers tell us a part of our brain seeks pleasure. What gets lost in translation is, you activate that section when you expect pleasure, not the actual pleasure itself. We can leverage this. It needn’t be an extravagance, overly complicated, or time-consuming. Queuing your prized playlist, wearing a favorite shirt, or planning lunch with a friend, may create sufficient excitement for your pleasure-seeking brain.

There are obvious recommendations about getting enough sleep, creating a plan, and preparing specific tasks over the weekend. Consider starting your day early, avoiding those who complain about Monday, or catching ten minutes of something motivational, like a podcast, or a video. See Monday like a fresh opportunity. Listen to your inner voice telling you, “Get up.  Stop stalling, Get a move on. What’s taking you so long?”

What special touch will you add to your Monday?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I love decadent Sunday mornings. The luxury of spending just one more minute snuggled under a warm, fluffy, duvet is a rare gift. I like to keep my morning simple, and my first order of business is a cup of steamy, strong, black coffee. Adding to my self-indulgence is a regal, weekend-only treat.

I am a croissant connoisseur. A croissant snob. They must be delicate, flaky, light, and oh so buttery.  I prefer them gently warmed. Few things are more extravagant than a homemade, perfectly baked, golden moon, plucked directly from the oven. You can hold the chocolate, almonds, powdered sugar, whipped cream, pastry cream, figs, raspberries, apples, bananas, the Nutella, and even that extra pat of butter.

The idea croissants are fait maison, and eaten immediately is a dream, and I resort to my neighborhood bakery.  Set on a plain white plate, essential for containing the flaky crumb fallout, I alternate a delirious bite with a sip of earthy coffee. My morning explodes into ascending levels of pleasure.  One is never enough. Three, however, is far too many.

What is your favorite breakfast ritual?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

They predict a storm this weekend. The forecast calls for precipitation, freezing rain, sleet, and snow with projected accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. They won’t rule out hail, tornados, thundersnow, flooding, high winds, and streets covered with ice. I am waiting for locusts, snowmageddon, and the four horsemen.

I drive home, racing past packed grocery store parking lots without stopping. At my house, a full freezer, a stocked pantry, and the aroma of a simmering crockpot greet me. I have plans, and the impending assault helps set the mood. Fog obscures the view from my window, and a misty drizzle falls.

I have scheduled a long writing session, and the inclement conditions suit me. My characters are on the run, fleeing their evil tormentors. Biting wind gusts blow fallen leaves into their path. Tree limbs crack like whips, and lightening scratches angry marks across the midnight sky. Bram Stoker trembles in his grave as the pursuers gain on our intrepid heroes.

Temperatures plummet, the torrent solidifies, snowflakes fall, sticking to every surface. Jon Snow adjusts his Night’s Watchman cloak. “Winter is coming.” Can my protagonists escape? Will the hunters captured them, or do they succumb, becoming victims of the elements? There is no way to foretell the tempest’s fury.

Does the weather influence your work?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Today we are 10 days into 2020. That is 240 hours worth of opportunities to work on your resolutions. Or, are you struggling with your first steps? The holidays hang on, lulling us with over-indulgence, followed by lethargy. It demands a great effort to shake the party atmosphere. A journey requires an approximate destination. Knowing your intention lets you determine your general direction and set your course. You don’t need every step plotted and planned.

Maybe you have written, highlighted and adorned your goals with pretty pictures, but your analysis holds you hostage. Your stack of self-help books grows daily until they become a pedestal for your remote control. Action, getting off the couch, changes your perception. Things look different, and you react in unexpected ways. Trying something you have never done can be scary, but it may prove to be exhilarating.

There are plenty of reasons to hesitate and move with caution. That first step could be a doozy. It might be the best thing you have ever attempted. You must ask yourself which you fear more, finding yourself, a year from now sitting on the same couch, with your life intact, or living in a future where you attain your dreams. Don’t wait for it to happen. Dare to stride boldly toward your destiny.

What “first steps” are you taking today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer