The Art of Balancing Your Projects by Observing Ancient Rituals – Daily Quote

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Making tea is an art. A Japanese tea ceremony is an elaborate affair. The host sends invitations, prepares a room within specific guidelines, and creates a menu of yummy snacks. At the appointed hour, the hostess greets her guests, ceremoniously cleans the implements, makes the matcha, and all parties observe rituals, steeped in a rich history dating to the 14th century.

Rooted in Zen Buddhism, the participants embark on an inner journey similar to meditation. Science upholds the idea, confirming the ceremony brings deep calm and even spiritual reflection to those involved. The specific steps engage all five senses and both sides of the brain. With each sense engaged, both spears of the mind work in unison. Living in peace and harmony, free from competing interests, we reduce our stress levels and relax. This intersection is where the world opens, and reflection runs deep.

When I take breaks, my goal is to reestablish balance. Mini vacations let me step away from my work. Alternate activities keep me occupied on one issue while the answers to another problem find a home. But first, I need a cup of tea.

What rituals restore you and allow you to finish your projects?

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Keep on writing. Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – August 31

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 2 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 244 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Your Impossible Dreams, Attained by Taking One Tiny Step Every Day – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments
start-by-doing-whats-necessary-then-do-whats-possible-and-suddenly-you-are-doing-the-impossible.-francis-of-assisi.

What is your definition of “Impossible”? Something no one has done? Or something you don’t think you can accomplish? I couch my “impossibilities” as problems seeking answers. That interpretation creates solvable equations, and solving them requires effort. If the goal is doable, it’s a matter of completing the required work. Climbing Mt Everest is possible, over 4,000 people have reached it, but it comes with a price. Your hope of attaining the summit may cost you your life. Naming the Impossible’s entrance fee leaves the rest to you. Are you willing to ante up?

The solution’s phase two is commitment. Find your burning desire, and bolster your resolve to complete the work that will advance you toward your goal. Don’t expect others to support you because chances are they won’t. Grow accustomed to failing. Soichiro Honda once said, “Success is 99% failure.” The key is picking yourself up and continuing the journey.

Another trick is to stop doing stupid stuff. Any unnecessary activity is an excuse, a self-sabotaging barrier. Try cultivating your inner parent. It helps if you create a voice in your head telling you to quit playing games and get your homework done.

Life presents daily challenges, and without impossible challenges, where would humanity be? I prefer to take charge and transform my world from a guided tour to a self-directed adventure.

What is the cost of your “impossible” dream?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – August 30

/ JoHawkTheWriter

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 243 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Prioritizing Your Schedule to Maximize Your Free Time – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
i-learned-that-we-can-do-anything-but-we-cant-do-everything...-at-least-not-at-the-same-time.-so-think-of-your-priorities-not-in-terms-of-what-activities-you-do-but-when-you-do-them.-tim

Life presents limitless choices, so many we can become paralyzed, unable to move forward. Sources suggest we make a staggering 35,000 choices each day. Theoretically, we can achieve anything we make up our minds to accomplish. But making a choice means we deny ourselves hundreds of alternatives. Performing the task requires time, and time is the limiting constraint.

Daily, you will need to eat, sleep, and perhaps commute to your employer for eight hours of work. Those activities will consume two-thirds of your day. Your free time, the remaining eight hours you can play a game, watch tv, go for a walk, or write your novel. Priorities set in your discretionary hours are the ones that may define your life.

These precious hours I manage and control, optimizing each second. I limit and constrict my other obligations, so I can push more time into doing the things I love. Writing, reading, expanding my mind, spending time with family, they are the non-negotiables in my life.

How do you manage your priorities?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – August 29

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 242 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Ditching the Self-Help Section to Dig into the Real Work – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 4 Comments
i-went-to-a-bookstore-and-asked-the-saleswoman-wheres-the-self-help-section_-she-said-if-she-told-me-it-would-defeat-the-purpose.-george-carlin

I have fallen into a trap. I love learning, reading, researching, investigated, studying methods, structures, and discovering tested results. There is always more to discover, one more how-to book another master study video packed with useful tips, proven formulas, and essential processes.

My head swims in data, opinions, and self-serving advice. I need help to escape the onslaught of self-proclaimed gurus and charming charlatans whose primary goal is beguiling fools. Their intent is to separate suckers from their money while offering regurgitated axioms lifted from their peers. Thankfully, I have finely tuned BS detector, and have seen my share of long copy sales forms, Call to Action ploys and countdown clocks.

When did learning devolve? Goggle grants us easy access to popular answers to any question asked. How many classes must we attend? How much research is too much? How many questions must we ask before we realize we learn best by doing? Hard work, effort, and failing are life’s finest teachers. If you claim to be a painter, you must pick up a paintbrush, dip the bristles in paint and apply it to a canvas. A would-be gardener should have dirt under their fingernails. A comedian ought to consider telling a joke or twenty. Perhaps a writer might want to entertain the thought of stinging a few words together.

Like George Carlin’s saleswoman implies, helping kind of defeats the purpose of doing it yourself. The work creates a deeper understanding of the rules. It provides a tangible context where we experience the consequences of our decisions. We internalize the process, and we truly learn.

When do you jump into the doing part of learning?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – August 28

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 241 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Writing Out Chaotic Thoughts and Emotions to Discover Your Real Consciousness – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 8 Comments
i-must-write-it-all-out-at-any-cost.-writing-is-thinking.-it-is-more-than-living-for-it-is-being-conscious-of-living.-anne-morrow-lindbergh-

We face hundreds of choices daily. We make mundane decisions without a thought. What to eat for lunch, the route we take to work, each may seem inconsequential. But we often opt to pursue a new career or move halfway around the globe, life-altering moves, taken with little regard to consequences. Large or trivial, each decision has the potential to impact the quality of our world.

Conscious reflection leads to a developed philosophy as opposed to relying on emotions and gut instincts. Writing, reasoning, and contemplation allow us to lead an examined existence, one worth living, they say.

The process boosts my rational mind and organizes my thoughts. Through my work, I discover clarity and direction. It helps me develop a phenomenal vision of the future. Cultivating extraordinary farsightedness grants me the ability to imagine a destiny built on intention. Living in a manner aligned with my core values crystalizes as I compose.

The more I write, the more self-fulfilled I feel, which feeds my reasons for continuing my ritual. Now there is a nice Catch 22.

Why do you write?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – August 27

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 240 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer