Tag Archives: personal development

Writing Goals 2015

This post is about writing goals, but it really can (and should) apply to any area of your life.

We’re a week into 2015 which means, according to the stats, that as many as 75% of you are still on track. Awesome. However, the stats also say that the number of us still sticking to those resolutions by the end of the month is going to nosedive like lemmings off a cliff. Less awesome.

My writing goals, along with my goals in other life areas, were not randomly plucked out of the air on New Years Day. I spent some quality time in December looking back over what I’ve achieved in the past year and where I went horribly derailed despite my best intentions. Live and learn people, live and learn.

Achieving goals is something I’ve come to realise is largely down to habits. Good habits specifically, like getting up at 6am to write, which I’ve been doing for about four years now. Understanding the bigger picture in working your way towards success takes more than just an hour of ‘I wish’. It also requires being brave. So, putting my big girl pants on, my goals are:

Submit, submit, submit, even when the rejections become demoralising
Self-publish 2 novels as my alter-ego
Finish writing the novel I’m halfway through
Write 2 new full length stories
Finish NaNoWriMo in a week (doing it in 3 days this year was astounding, but it damn near finished me off)
Keep this blog going for another year

There, that’s my caring and sharing done. It seems a lot, seeing it written there for all the world to see, but possible. Not easy, but all research indicates that goals should stretch you a little, even if that means they scare you a little too.

I’ve broken them down into monthly and weekly goals, so I can take baby steps. The monthly goals are written on an index card and blue-tacked above my desk, where they shout at my face all day long to remind me. At the end of the month, I’ll be able to see in black and white whether or not I’m on track.

So, without further ado, I’d better head off now and make some progress on one of them.

Perhaps after another cup of coffee…

When you get up in the morning, choose YOU

My Top 5 Podcasts of 2014

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They say you become an approximation of the five people you hang out with most. Given that I’m a writer who works from home three days a week, that would be two actual other people, followed by me, myself and I. Luckily, I listen to a lot of podcasts. Yet I know a lot of people don’t, so here’s a few reasons why you should.

Firstly, there is a whole heap of them out there, so you’ll be able to find something to suit your mood. Secondly, because there are so many, if you have a niche interest, with a bit of hunting around, you will find one about your odd subject of choice. If you don’t, you can always start one yourself. There’s even podcasts on how to make podcasts. See what I mean? Plethora of information. Finally, in order to get you to listen, people essentially give away a condensed version of their content for free. This is a great way to try before you buy, especially in the world of business, where conferences and books can cost a fortune. Go on. Give it a try.

So, without further ado, here they are (with twitter links to their creators/presenters):

Top podcast of 2014

The Pen Addict with Myke Hurley & Brad Dowdy

See what I mean about a niche interest? My long-held secret crush for pens and notebooks finally blossomed into true love due to these men. Which sounds much nicer than calling them the pen-pushing enablers they really are. The shows are always fun and informative, and for anyone who does a lot of longhand writing (or drawing), just knowing some of the best pens out there can make your life so much easier. They do the hard work so you don’t have to. Plus, they are a super nice pair of guys following their dreams, which I always admire (you can check out Brad’s Nock Co pen cases here. They are awesome – my Hightower goes everywhere with me).

Top Businesses Podcast

This is Your Life by Michael Hyatt

I’ve put this under business, but it is so much more than that. Michael’s tagline is that it is a podcast about intentional leadership, but I think it goes much deeper. It certainly deals with brand and platform, alongside how to be a better leader, but it is not actually all career specific. A lot of what Michael focuses on is the principles and ethics which lie beneath these decisions, and in a cut-throat world where a lot of people will do anything to get one foot further up the ladder, it is a refreshing reminder that honesty and integrity on the things that really matter. It is about achieving your goals and ambitions in the right way, not ‘at any cost’.

Top Writing Podcast

Writing Excuses with Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Howard Taylor and Mary Robinette Kowal

In my humble opinion, anyone who is – or wants to be – a writer should be listening to this podcast. I’ve actually been listening to it for years, but during my little writing sabbatical at the beginning of the year I was able to go back and re-listen to many of them to get the really good stuff out. For a podcast which is only 15 minutes long, it is amazing that they manage to get so much useful information into an episode with four people talking. Each of them brings a different perspective to the topic, meaning that even if one person’s tips and tricks don’t work for you, there is a good chance that someone else’s will. Also great if you like reading in general, comics and occasional buffoonery.

Top Getting Up Podcast

5AM Miracle with Jeff Sanders

Now, you might not think that ‘Getting Up’ is a category, but let me assure you it is. It might never have been called that before, but early rising has been a hot topic in 2014. I’ve been getting up at 6am to write for years now. I’ve not made it to 5am yet, but I think 6 is a pretty reasonable compromise. It’s not easy, even when you’re getting up to do something you love. Jeff’s podcast is a good way of not only finding that motivation, but also tips and tricks to make it easier once you’ve dragged your sorry backside from under the duvet on a cold, dark Monday morning. Covering productivity and healthier living, this podcast has matured greatly over the past twelve months and it has been great to follow Jeff’s journey through this.

Best Health & Wellness Podcast

Jillian Michaels with Jillian Michaels and Janice Ungaro

Another misleading header, as although this podcast started out as health and fitness, it has now grown into having a nice catchup with friends talking about whatever the topic of the day is. And that is just fine with me. Janice gets a mention here because although she’s technically the producer, she has become the other half of this comedy act. The thing that I love the most about this is that Jillian talks with complete honesty – there is no hiding behind the PR company here. It’s like sitting round in a coffee shop with a bunch of friends that you know are slightly crazy but you love them anyway. The serious stuff gets slipped in there somewhere along the way without ever sounding too preachy.

So that’s my roundup. It’s been a good year for consuming audio material and seriously, if you haven’t tried podcasts before, then go find one. Free and easy, just like libraries. What do you have to lose?

Notebooks of 2014

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I have written a lot this year.

I reached that conclusion when I looked back over the notebooks I have completed over the past 12 months. Yes, all of these books are full (other than a few pages at the end sometimes). I clearly have a problem. One that I have zero intention of seeking treatment for.

At about this time last year, I discovered the bullet journal system by Ryder Carroll. I’ve talked about implementing it before. I freely admit that I don’t use the system in its entirety, and I have changed the way I’ve used it over time, but the basics are fantastic. For anyone who wants to capture ideas in a notebook, then it is the best way to do it I’ve ever come across. Throw in my discovery of Field Notes and I’m one happy lady.

My plan for 2015? To keep going. One day I hope to look back on these and remember a life lived to the full. Isn’t that what we all want really? The places I’ve travelled, the people I’ve met. In those pages there are story ideas, snippets of conversations, journal entries and simple to do lists, all of which mark the passing of time and the movement of my own story. It may never mean anything to anyone else, but it does to me.

Merry Christmas!

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A quick thank you to everyone who has followed, commented and provided feedback on this little blog over the past year. When I started out, I had no idea what I was going to do. I simply knew I was a stranger in a strange land, living a life that two months prior I hadn’t imagined, trying to take opportunities when they presented themselves and tackle life’s challenges head on.

So, make the most of the holiday season, have fun, laugh, enjoy the gifts life has given you. 2015 is probably going to be one hell of a ride.

(Image Credit: Mary Murtz)

My Top 5 Books of 2014

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These are my top 5 books that I have read in 2014, not necessarily that were published in 2014. Sometimes I’m late to the game, but just because something isn’t brand new, doesn’t mean it isn’t worth mentioning. Every year I intend to read more than I actually do, but this is the first time since I was at University that I have taken advantage of the library on a regular basis. It’s the perfect way to try something you’re not sure about, which has led me to some complete gems over the past twelve months.

So, without further ado…

General Fiction

The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson

This book was immensely enjoyable, but hard to describe. Larger than life characters and even bigger plot, this book was so carefully crafted that the suspension of disbelief – even in the face of insurmountable odds – never wavered. I dare anyone not to root for the main character from beginning to end. From Soweto to Sweden, the comedy is punctured by some dark moments, but a reminder to never, ever underestimate someone because of who you believe they are.

Fantasy

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

My sister is a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson and she’s been trying to get me to read his books for years. I finally got round to doing so earlier in the year, and I’m glad I did. I think Mistborn is a perfect entry point into his writing, and you can read my original review here. For any would-be writers of fantasy, it is also a great tool for understanding the importance of world-building and how to get the balance right between background and plot.

Self Help / Personal Development

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

I found this book by way of his Ted Talk, via the Productivity Book Group podcast. As a person not naturally given to positivity (I tend to think of myself as a hardened realist), I’ve been trying very seriously over this past year to work on my mindset as much as anything else. Insightful without being patronising, this book has delightful anecdotes, interesting research and some basic, simple tips to help people take the steps towards the benefits of being more mindful.

Biography

My Spiritual Journey by Dalai Lama

This falls into the category of random library find. I gave a brief review of it earlier this year. It was humorous, insightful and gave a picture of the man I had heard of (who hasn’t?), but didn’t really understand. Spiritual without being preachy, there was no attempt to hard convert to Buddhism here, as there so often is with books containing religious figures. It was simply a fascinating window into the life of a man who has travelled a very different road to most of us.

Business

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

In the interests of honesty, this was not the first time I had read this book. It was probably one of the first books I had read on business/personal development, probably a decade or so ago. Back then, I just didn’t get it. I found it too dense, too remote, too hard to plough through. The only thing I remember taking away was the concept of mission statements. I opened it again this year and it was a completely different experience. I was finally ready for it, I think. I’m a big fan of organisation and productivity – both personal and business – and I try to follow the principles of Getting Things Done by David Allen. Now that is engrained in my life (six years and counting), I think the maturity of my own process allowed me to understand the bigger picture approach that Covey prescribes. Proof that sometimes, you have to go back to something twice to get a true understanding of the content.

Now I’m starting to plan my reading for 2015 – if anyone has any contenders then feel free to pop them in the comments below. I’m always up for a challenge!

The best city on earth: Sydney

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Given the events of this week, it seemed a perfect choice to do a Throwback Thursday to Sydney. Sydney was my home for a while a few years ago, and a place I’ve once again visited in the past six months. In fact, as I sat here twelve months ago, the plan was to be living in Sydney right now. So the siege this week was something I saw with the detached sense of someone who wasn’t there, but could quite easily place myself at the scene mentally.

The ‘I’ll ride with you‘ hashtag, appearing so quickly and easily during the events, reminded me of why I love Australia (and Aussies) so much. While much of Europe takes its typical approach to these sorts of things – I’m thinking the approach that always seems to lead to war – and America certainly isn’t much better, Australia instead embraced the theory of mateship that it knows itself for. No one needed to feel unsafe because of the actions of a madman. We’re all in this together. Not send them back to their own country or they’re all coming over here and stealing our jobs/benefits. It is a different culture. A different world. One which is far away, but always in my heart.

This is how it looked when I first saw it and digital cameras were very much in their infancy. There is something about being in Sydney that is so unique – there is no way you can confuse it with any other part of the world:

Sydney is my favourite city in the world. I’m not a huge fan of cities. I never dreamed as a kid of wrapping up all my possessions in a knapsack and leaving home to find my fortune with the big lights. But Sydney gets so many things right it’s hard not to fall in love with it a little bit more every time.

Of course, the fallout from one madman’s events will continue to land for a while to come. I just hope that the people of Sydney are able to continue with their first response of compassion and understanding as the grief rolls through.

It’s no understatement that my time in Sydney went a long way towards shaping who I wanted to be and what I wanted from my life, in terms of quality, writing, experiences and relationships. And this summer, when I walked back to Manly Wharf, it was a place that still felt like home…

Review: Field Notes – Ambition Edition

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I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the Field Notes Ambition Edition is one of my favourites. It was this edition that has finally made me a colors subscriber.

Presence of hedgehog makes it even better

They have been pushing the boundaries of what they could do with Field Notes over the past few editions, so I was wondering just how far they would be able to go with the winter release. There is a fine line between genius and crazy and part of me has been dreading them crossing it. Instead, by going with the three different types of notebooks in one pack, I think they’ve managed to hit a sweet spot.

The memo book itself is a lovely colour (wine) and more importantly for me, uses grid paper. I love grid and the form factor and size makes it perfect for an everyday carry bullet journal:

Secondly, and a sensible one for the time of year, I can certainly see the appeal of the 56 Week date book. They’ve also avoided actually dating the pages which, given the fact that anyone who regularly buys Field Notes is likely to work through their existing pack before opening the next one, means it is not rendered immediately useless if that doesn’t happen until March:

Finally, the ledger book. Now, this one causes me a bit of a dilemma. I really like it, but I’m not sure how to use it. Not in a way that is anything other than a regular notebook, which almost feels a bit of a waste. I’m not that into sport, and all my financials are done on a spreadsheet. If anyone has any suggestions then please let me know, as I’m struggling a bit to come up with something creative.

After the brightness of Unexposed, I love the muted colours of these books. They work with the gold trim to create a old school sense of style which I’m very comfortable with. Also the sound of that trim cracking as you open the pages for the first time is intensely satisfying in a way that only notebook addicts will understand. I can see them coming out at work without causing any raised eyebrows (Unexposed was about as far from corporate as you can get without spitting in the eye of your CEO).

Thanks of course go to Mr Brad Dowdy, the Pen Addict himself, for getting me interested in Field Notes in the first place. You should check out his website if you haven’t already. Without him, I would be emotionally poorer (but certainly financially richer…)

Why join a writing group?

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I’ve been to several writing groups over the years, starting with my very first one when I was still at college. My dad, for a while, helped out with some adult learning and spotted a flyer for it at the local library and encouraged me to go. Over the years there has been quite a mixed bag and I’ve encountered all of the ones I talk about below.

My least favourite writing group is one full of pretentious arty farty types – think middle aged men in cravats – who think they are qualified to give scathing literary critiques are required because they actually believe their eye is as good as a booker prize judge. They once had a letter printed in the back of the local newspaper and can crush the fledgling writer in their very palm. Which is good, because they haven’t got anywhere and they don’t want anyone else to yet either.

The other side of that coin comes in the group that is too friendly. Great for building up confidence and self-esteem, but if all the feedback is positive then you never really improve. It might be less likely to make you cry, but it’s really no more beneficial than the one above.

All too common is the giant writing group, where you only have two minutes and forty seven seconds to read 800 words and get a whopping 2 minutes of feedback. One of those minutes is usually wasted on deciding on who goes first. Not exactly useful.

Found on the interwebz, contact me for credit

So, having run that psychological gauntlet, is it worth being part of a writing group? The answer is most definitely. But there are a couple of factors that have to be, like Goldilock’s porridge, just right.

The Right People

So you all love writing. Great. You have the sum total of one thing in common and you don’t even agree on that. It takes more than being a writer, but doesn’t automatically mean you need to have a heap of other similar interest either. What you do need is a group of people you like enough to trust. Sharing your WIP when it is a new thing, all yours, is an scary experience. If you fear getting shot down, or being given meaningless praise, then you’ll share the stuff that doesn’t matter most to you. You want encouragement, but also suggestions and help that is genuine. Trust will grow over time, but that means having the right people in the mix.

Genre

Make sure you’re not all writing in the same genre. This may sound counter-intuitive, but trust me, it’s not. Not because you might see the people in your group as competition – success can and should happen to everyone there if they deserve it – but because it dramatically reduces the group’s perspective. If you write literary fiction, being able to persuade someone who writes YA or SciFi will mean you have done more than just write for those who are already going to like it. That forces you to notice craft and really kick it up a level.

Experience

There is great value in having experience which spans from beginner to already published. A group of writers who have one or two rejections between them, have never networked, will by design have a limited perspective. Conversely, a group of published writers are also coming from the same perspective. A writing group comprised of people at all stages means that point of view can be handed up as well as down. No one there has an invalid opinion. Even if you are working on your first draft, you have the perspective that the rest of the group may have forgotten. Sometimes, this can be a handy reminder of why everyone is doing it in the first place. This mix, in my mind, is the most useful element you can have in your group.

Get these things correct and it’ll be smooth sailing. Of course, you might not get it straight away. Every group will evolve naturally over time regardless. But it stops writing from being a solitary experience, where the only people who understand are the people in your head. It will open your eyes to new worlds and perspectives.

My writing group now is a mix of all of the above and it is one of the most inspiring and motivation things I have ever been a part of. When I left for my spell in New Zealand, I felt its loss more than I probably should have done.

Anyone else had a similar experience? Do you know that annoying man in the cravat? Let me know in the comments!

It’s time for a Time Out

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This year has been a crazy and exciting year for me. I’ve circumnavigated the globe, changed jobs, become self-employed as well, and walked hand-in-hand with people who are going through things much worse than anything I have had to deal with.

There comes a natural point in which I realise I need to take a time out. It happens every year, usually much earlier than this, but putting it off any longer is futile. I need to unplug from the world, reassess where my life is going and how to make the most of the few weeks which remain before the end of the year.

Research is mounting up to show that not enough people are doing this. One of the leading causes of burnout, people are simply not stepping away from the world of work, the drama of their social lives, or even the constant bombarding of information from the internet. People are feeling overwhelmed and overloaded and it is pushing so many people down the road of unhappiness. Even the fact I’m sharing this in a blog post is indicative of the ubiquitous pressure to connect and share with the world at large. Don’t get me wrong, connections are very valuable and an essential part of life, but is this just the written version of the selfie?

For the past ten years (at least), I have put great faith in stepping away from it all for at least two consecutive weeks each year. Time to read, time to be creative and thing of new projects I want to tackle. There is nothing like being freed from your daily obligations to get the creative juices flowing. It has always been of great benefit in my work life too, allowing me to successfully cope with the pressure of day jobs which have been a vortex for my time and energy. Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case as much this year, which – hopefully – means it should take even less time to unwind and relax.

I have picked out my selection of books to read (fiction and non-fiction for variety), a couple of notebooks to both journal in and devise cunning plots, and a determination to remove that little wireless button from my life for a bit.

There may also be cocktails, but maybe not. That’s just part of the freedom to do what I want to do.

So, what does it mean to Write Foxy?

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On Sunday I was fortunate enough to attend Miranda Dickinson’s Write Foxy event, which was jam packed with some amazing guest speakers.

So what does it mean to Write Foxy? It does not mean you are limiting yourself to the topic of elusive woodland creatures. And although all of the speakers were female and Miranda is well known as a Romantic Comedy author, this was not a day exclusively for those who want to write ‘chicklit’. The whole day was genre unspecific and for those at any level of writing experience. To Write Foxy is to take back the passion of writing and do what you really love. A day legitimately and wholly devoted to the writing experience.

For me, there were several highlights and key moments in the day. The first was being completely vindicated by Hannah Beckerman (The Dead Wife’s Handbook) when it comes to planning. People always seem a bit suspicious of my level of planning, as though it somehow equates to a lack of creativity. Hannah was great at explaining how developing a strong structure in advance can actually create a sense of freedom when it comes to writing. There are no moments of panic when you feel like you are fumbling in a blind alley towards your ending. No sitting, staring at the blank screen waiting for the muse to appear. But nor is it so set in stone that there is no choice but to follow your original plan relentlessly. I couldn’t have completed NaNoWriMo in 3 days without a plan, that’s for sure.

The aha! moment for the day came from Cally Taylor (Home For Christmas, The Accident) who tackled the topic of editing. Or, as I like to call it, my nemesis. I realised that although I am meticulous in my planning, and my life in general, I have no such approach when it comes to editing. Instead, I get out a red pen and plod through the thankless task. No wonder I always get distracted by writing something new and shiny instead. Cally showed us a way of approaching editing that has given me a whole new perspective on getting from that first draft to a polished manuscript, without it feeling like pulling teeth. As my goal for 2015 is to actually do something with this fort of stories I’ve been building around myself, I feel like I now have a framework to help me learn to enjoy the task as a part of the writing process itself.

The unexpected laugh out loud moments came courtesy of Tamsyn Murray (Stunt Bunny, My So-Called Afterlife), who explained the three act structure to us in a way that was better than any of my English teachers ever did. Or maybe her choice of a well known children’s book as an example was just aiming it at my mental level… Now I’m re-reading this and wondering if I’ve managed to do it with this post (the piece of training documentation I wrote for work the other day though is something Aristotle himself would be proud of. Isn’t that what people mean by work-life balance?)

To round off the day, Miranda Dickinson (Take A Look At Me Now, and the soon to be published I’ll Take New York) gave everyone a timely reminder that for everyone there, no matter what they wrote, where they wrote, or how much they wrote, the whole point was still to have fun. To really love what you write and, more importantly, to give yourself the freedom to do so without guilt. Writing is a solitary process to begin with and hard to explain to friends and family without sounding like, well, a bit of a nutter really. I’m lucky that everyone I know has just accepted that I’m a nutter anyway and the whole writing thing is now quite incidental to that fact. But, despite the fact I don’t have anything traditionally published yet, I do now call myself a writer and say it like I mean it. For that, I will be forever grateful to Miranda for being a champion of the generosity mindset and always extending a hand down to help those on the way up.

It is something I hope to be in a position to do myself one day.

There are still tickets available for the February Write Foxy day, so if you’re free and want to start taking your writing seriously (or if you already do and want access to a whole load of additional tips and tricks) then you should check it out here. Plus, if I haven’t sold it to you, there will also be free goodies and oodles of cake. Writing events should always be this well catered….

Sherri Nicholds

Life hacks and tools for creative entrepreneurs

Tag Archives: personal development

Writing Goals 2015

My Top 5 Podcasts of 2014

Notebooks of 2014

Merry Christmas!

My Top 5 Books of 2014

The best city on earth: Sydney

Review: Field Notes – Ambition Edition

Why join a writing group?

It’s time for a Time Out

So, what does it mean to Write Foxy?