Monday Morning Motivators! (1-07 thru 6-07)

More Healthy Eating: from CJ

We already talked about serving sizes (palm of your hand, remember?) and proportioning the types of food you eat.

Now, let’s talk about reading labels. All too often we buy supposedly healthy food based on the pictures or words on the front of the package.

Guess what? They’re often just as fictional as our writing!

Here’s what to look for:

–in breads, you want whole grains, not just whole wheat. A slice should provide 2-3 grams of fibre.

–in prepared foods (like those Lean Cuisines you keep on hand for emergencies) look for no more than twice as much carbohydrates than protein. So if there are 20 grams of carbs, then there should be at least 10 grams of protein

–avoid trans fat, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats as much as possible.

–other things to avoid are corn syrup, sugar, fructose, or sucrose in the first ingredients listed

Have fun and eat healthy so you can power up your writing!

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Treat Yourself to Mind Candy from Margie:

Writers never have enough time to read all the books they’d love to read. Books by their favorite authors. New releases in their genre and outside their genre. For writers, books are better than candy.

Visit your local library and treat yourself to a stack of audiobooks.

Audiocassettes or CD’s – it’s all good. Always check out five or more. You can renew on-line. Some of the readers are stellar, others less stellar. Chances are if you check out five, you’ll have at least four winners. When can you find time to listen to all those books?

Start your day ‘reading’ while you get dried and dressed.

When your domestic diva surfaces and you find yourself cooking. ))

When driving more than ten minutes. Definitely when commuting to and from a day job or driving across town. When exercising. You may walk outdoors or on a treadmill, or listen to your book with your exercise DVD on mute.

Audiobooks are your Mind Candy. Use them to maintain fitness and sanity.

Sugar-free and fat free, you can have as much Mind Candy as you like. Enjoy!

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Healthy Eating: from CJ

Okay, I know we’re all writers and always talking about ways to make our writing lives better, but one thing we often forget is how to eat right to give our minds the energy they need.

Here in the US, we’re plagued by an epidemic of obesity and overweight, so here’s a primer on healthy eating for your mind and body.

A portion size = the palm of your hand. No, the fingers do not count!

Each meal should have one portion of protein (meat, fish, chicken, etc), two portions of colored stuff (fruits and veggies with color), and one portion of the white, starchy stuff (rice, corn, potatoes, bread, pasta, etc)

An easy way to remember this is to mentally divide your plate into quarters:

–1 protein

–2 colored veggies and fruit

–1 starch

It’s that simple. Start with that and next time I’ll throw out some other easy and healthy tips.

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A SECOND TENSION TAMER: Alligators to Zebras from Margie:

Try this Alligators to Zebras brain-buster to shift gears and stretch your brain before you start your writing session. Or – use it as a cognitive tension tamer for those times when your mind is flooded with emotion. Use this exercise when you need to corral your escalating thoughts.

It’s simple. Go through the alphabet and think of an animal to match each letter. Alligator. Bear. Cow. Deer. Elephant. Fox.

Doing this exercise makes you shift your focus from whatever is overwhelming you to scanning your mind for the right animal. It helps. Make yourself do it.

If you’ve completed this exercise and you are still feeling on the edge, go through it again, only this time, add an adjective that starts with a matching letter. Change animals if you can think of another one. Be creative. Angry Aardvark. Banana chewing Baboon. Crazy Crow.

Complete this cognitive challenge then add Diaphragmatic Breathing or the Toes-to-Fingers exercise (scroll down through the Monday Morning Motivators to review it).

You’ll tame your tension and tap your creativity, a great way to start your writing session.

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Time A-Wasting from CJ:

Ever find yourself sucked into a time vortex when you should be working? You know, “I’ll just spend ten minutes checking email before I tackle this next scene” only to turn away, blurry-eyed from the computer an hour later…

Take control of your time wasters! How? Simple. Use time to your advantage by using a timer.

Set your microwave or a kitchen timer to the amount of time you really want to spend on your writing break. This keeps you grounded and gives you a reminder of where your priorities lie: with your writing.

Try it and you’ll find there really are more hours in the day!

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When Life Dumps Doo Doo . . . from Margie

Wouldn’t it be awesome if life handed us exactly what we wanted? Of course, then we wouldn’t BUILD CHARACTER by learning how to process disappointment and rejection. I’m sure you noticed I emphasized BUILD CHARACTER . . .

Sometimes life dumps doo-doo on us. Bad news is bad news – whether it’s in our writing world or our real life. It’s not right, it’s not fair, it’s not bearable.

Try this triple rational–irrational–rational response set.

First – Be rational. Stay calm and deal with the disappointment like a trooper.

Second – Let yourself go irrational. As soon as you’re behind closed doors and not near impressionable children, let your emotions fly. Cry, stomp, yell, call your best friend and tell them how outrageous the whole things is. Verbally vomit. Cathart. Be as irrational as you dare.

Third – Be rational again. Process the bad news in an adult way. Tell yourself the right things. Be the adult you are.

This triple-whammy allows you to deal with life’s doo doo on several levels. You’ll feel better and begin to heal.

Plus – you’ll have those full rich emotive experiences to deepen your fictional character on the page. Tap in to your visceral responses when you’re upset and you’ll build your character as well know how to build your character’s character.

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Banishing Stage Fright: from CJ

Everyone has some stage fright, even if we don’t admit it. But for some it can be incapacitating to the point where they can’t perform at all, whether it’s speaking in public or putting their fingers on the keyboard and writing.

The fear of getting it “wrong” can be paralyzing. Here are some tips to overcome it.

First, close your eyes and breath from your belly. In and out.

Imagine your audience. It can be an audience of one, perhaps your perfect reader or your agent or editor. Or a larger crowd.

Okay, can you see them? Now, ask yourself: what do they want from me? What can I give them that would please them? Make them smile in delight?

Usually it’s Entertainment, Enlightenment, or Education. Or a combination of the three.

Once you decide what your audience wants, why they would pay their hard won money or take the time to listen to your words, then with your eyes still closed, make a grand gesture.

Perhaps a sweep of your arm like an opera singer, or a mysterious flick of the wrist like a magician. Anything that works for you, but use this movement every time you practice your speech or sit down to write.

You’re programming your body that with this gesture, you are now “on”, primed for success, all excuses and stalling behind you, this is it.

Finally, envision yourself giving your audience exactly what they want. And more. Imagine wild success, cheers and applause.

Now open those eyes and get to work!

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COGNITIVE KICKS from Margie:

When we are changing or punching up a behavioral pattern, it’s helpful to have visual reminders to keep ourselves on the new track. Use white boards, poster-board, and large sheets of paper to create multiple signs for your mental message.

Make your signs BIG and BOLD. Place them in several rooms of your house. Make your Cognitive Kicks strong.

Keep your message succinct. You may have signs similar to these:

FICTION FIRST

CREATIVITY TIME: TEN – NOON

1ST DRAFT DEADLINE: May 31st.

Every time you read your signs, you’re reinforcing your steely self-discipline. Every time your friends and family members read your signs, they’ll know you are committed to honoring your goals. Kick up your motivation and productivity with Cognitive Kicks.

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Take Ten: from CJ

We all know that we’re supposed to exercise everyday. We all know that we’re supposed to do 45 to 60 minutes of exercise to reap its benefits.

And most of us, don’t. No time, no energy, no time….But, you do have the time!

New research has shown that it only takes ten minutes of exercise, five to six times a day to gain the same benefits as a solid hour.

The only trick? You need to exercise vigorously enough to build up a sweat. Other than that, anything goes!

So next time you need a break from writing, take ten and by the end of the day you can cross that exercise goal off your “to-do” list!

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BUDDY CALL BUDDY SYSTEM: from Margie

Having trouble starting your writing sessions and staying focused for a set period of time? Try the BUDDY CALL BUDDY system.

Connect with a writing friend who may also benefit from a friendly stick-to-your-schedule boot in the patoot. Either e-mail or call your buddy at the agreed-upon time. Tell them you are starting your writing session and share your goal: page count or time spent writing. Dive in and write, write, write. Notify your buddy when you’ve met your goal.

If your writing schedules match, you can write at the same time. If not, notify each other when you’re starting and stopping. Keep your goals doable. Achievable.

Beware: Don’t chat or e-chat and cut into your writing time.

Dozens of pairs of writers from my Defeat Self-Defeating Behaviors course have used the BUDDY CALL BUDDY system for months to years. Their productivity has soared. Several have been rewarded with publication or new contracts.

Learn how to honor your writing schedule and achieve success.

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Build Your Karma! from CJ

Ever get stuck in a cycle of professional jealousy? Or just the blahs…feeling like it’s never going to “happen” for you?

It’s so easy for us writers to do this. We wonder, why didn’t I…..win that award, get the starred review, get a great deal, snag an agent….the list is endless.

Often this isn’t a reflection of where our writing is–but where we want it to be. And our fears that we may never get there.

Here’s one way to banish those green-eyed goblins so you can get to work on building your own future instead of borrowing someone else’s.

Go to www.hallmark.com and find an e-card. They’re free, fast and your spirit will lighten immediately when you send one to brighten someone else’s day. Or send one to yourself (you can even set up a calendar to send them on future dates, so that when you need an extra dose of encouragement, one will pop up in your in box) and give yourself a smile!

Try it!

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TAME YOUR TENSION: TOES-TO-FINGERS EXERCISE from Margie

This tension tamer can be done any time, anywhere. Try it at your computer, or when you’re in a high stress situation such as waiting to step into the spotlight to present a workshop or book signing.

It’s a variation of a Progressive Relaxation Exercise. Go through the muscle groups, starting with your toes, and tighten them for a slow count to five, and relax them for a slow count to five.

Typically, you go through toes, legs, buttocks, abdominals, chest, shoulders, arms, and fingers, working each muscle group twice. Skip any previously injured areas.

If you have time, repeat the full exercise. If you’re in public, you can tighten these muscle groups in an inconspicuous way.

Try it. Start with toes — finish with fingers. If you’re at your computer having a difficult time pushing aside real life to focus on fiction, free your mind and concentrate on those muscle groups as you go through this exercise.

Relax your body, relax your mind.

Use this Toes-to-Fingers Tension Tamer and experience more success.

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Working Back-wise from CJ:

Writers are particularly prone to low back pain. Here are some ways to prevent or relieve pain.

~Your mother was right about good posture. Protect your back by strengthening your core muscles (abdominals and back muscles) that give you that gorgeous, strong posture. Pilates and yoga are good for this.

~Have a ball! If you work on a laptop, abandon the desk chair every once in a while and instead use a 65cm exercise ball as a chair. Place your laptop on a table or ottoman so that it is at a comfortable height. Feel how you work your muscles to balance on the ball. Talk about time efficient, working out as you work!

~Go for the L-Z boy! Studies have shown that always sitting at a strict 90 degree angle can place a strain on your lower back. Try using your laptop while sitting in a recliner or rocking chair that allows you to lean back. Researchers recommend a 120 degree angle as the most healthy.

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PILLOW TALK! from Margie

What are you typically telling yourself when your brain turns on every morning? I must do X, Y, Z and double X, Y Z? Are you negative or positive?

You have internal dialogue running from the nanosecond that you partially awaken until you drift off at night. If you’re stressed or depressed, that internal dialogue is likely to be negative. What if you decided to turn off the negatives and turn on the positives?

While your head is still on the pillow, kick off your day with FIVE POSITIVE THOUGHTS. They may be general or specific. Here are some examples from writers in my on-line course, Defeat Self-defeating Behaviors.

1 – I ’m feeling good now – I can keep this good feeling going all day.

2 – As soon as I meet my first two goals for the day, I get to celebrate by calling my best friend. (This writer looked forward to her reward!)

3 – I’m lucky to have great people (spouse, kids, family, friends) in my life.

4 – Today I get to do ____________ for myself.

5 – I love being creative and I’m so glad I have the creativity gene.

Make your mind-set positive – start your day with PILLOW TALK. Reinforce those positive thoughts throughout your day.

Enjoy!

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Cube Breathing from CJ:

Sometimes our bodies need a little help to get in that writing mood. Next time you’re having a hard time shedding the demands of the real world and escaping into your fictional universe, try Cube Breathing.

First, sit in your writing chair. Close your eyes. Rest one hand palm down just below your belly button.

Now, counting to four, take in a deep breath. Concentrate on breathing so deeply that you push that hand on your belly away. Hold your breath for a count of four. Exhale slowly, in a count of four, feeling your hand collapsing in. Hold your breath for a count of four. Repeat.

Visualize each count of four as one side of a square. Repeat six complete cycles until you’ve completed the cube in your mind.

Open your eyes and start writing!

This type of deep breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, is something we can use at any time, any place. If you feel anxious, feel as if you’re taking short, shallow breaths, try a few cycles of cube breathing and you’ll be amazed at how relaxed and energized you are!

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Feeling Blocked? Go Random! From Margie:

Sometimes writers feel overwhelmed when they sit down to write. They don’t know where to start. Or don’t want to dive into their story. They’re feeling depressed and defeated before they begin.

Don’t waste that writing session. Go Random!

Tear a piece of paper into 10 long strips. On each strip of paper, write one small writing-your-story related task, one that’s probably going to fit in your next chapter or two. A section of dialogue. A setting. An action sequence. An emotional passage. A power internalization. Brainstorm titles or character names. Brainstorm plot ideas. Research.

For the last three, set a timer for twenty minutes so you don’t use the brainstorming exercises to avoid writing, or you don’t fall into research miasma.

Fold the strips of paper and place them in a jar or basket. Shake or stir, close your eyes, and select one at random. Then – do it.

Continue drawing those lucky write-your-story motivators and writing what’s stated, until one of two things occurs. Either you complete all of the tasks, or you decide to write the full scene.

Either way, it’s a win-win. You’re writing. Randomizing your writing session can jump-start your creativity. Like a car battery that needs jumper cables to get juiced, going random may give you the jump-start you need.

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SPANISH FINGERS from CJ

Try this quick and easy exercise to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome during those long hours working at your computer!

First, stretch your fingers wide, hold your hands as flat and vertical as possible, palms facing away from you. Starting with your pinkie finger, curl and stretch each finger in turn inward towards your thumb as you curl your wrist in the same direction, in towards your body—just like a Spanish dancer with castanets.

Repeat several times with both hands, then reverse directions.

Ahh…feel that stretch! Great also while driving—another stressor for those delicate wrist joints.

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TAKE CHARGE WITH KAIZEN MOMENTS from Margie:

Kaizen — a Japanese word for continually striving for self-improvement.

Sometimes we get discouraged when we try new things, when we strive to improve ourselves. We expect too much, too fast. We may feel like failures and quit trying.

Do you tell yourself: I’ll never get this. I’m terrible.

Or — Do you tell yourself: I’m learning. I’ll get better.

These two quotes are fitting:

Try again. Fail again. Fail better. ~Samuel Beckett

If you make a bull’s eye every time, you’re standing too close to the target. ~Will Rogers

Take charge of your moods by adding some Kaizen moments throughout your day.

Remind yourself that you are still learning. You are striving for self-improvement. Work hard and applaud yourself for stretching to learn more. Fail better until you get it right.

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KARMA CLICKS from CJ

Want to start your day off right? Help hundreds, maybe even thousands of others? And do it all for FREE???

Start your morning with a few Karma Clicks. These are websites that use your click to generate funds to donate books, food, health care and more to those in need.

Here are a few to get you started. Bookmark them and click every day. In ten seconds or less, you’ll be starting your morning off right–helping others!

http://www.thehungersite.com

http://www.theliteracysite.com

http://www.thechildhealthsite.com

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com

http://www.therainforestsite.com

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com

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GETTING IN THE ZONE from Margie

Optimize getting into your writing zone by selecting an activity to do before every writing session. You will prep your unconscious to get into the zone.

Force yourself to limit your time by setting a timer for five to ten minutes. You don’t want to infringe on your writing time.

Try one of these get-your-body-moving quickies:

1 — A stretching routine

2 – Yoga mat work or Yoga ball

3 – Walking outside or on treadmill

4 – Hula hoop, jump rope, or do a head-stand . . .Your goal is to prepare your mind for the writing session.

When your timer goes off, you’ll be primed and ready to write. Later in your writing session, if your mind feels mired in mud, set your timer and get moving again. You’ll boost your energy and your creativity.