51’s A Time Bomb

I just realized I’ve entered my mom’s last decade of life

The sand in the hourglass is filling up the bottom half and in addition to wondering who I am as an empty nester, I now have the pressure of time running out to decide.  I’ve been listening to all kinds of motivational audiobooks, hoping to get a jumpstart…something that will combat my failure to launch in this autumnal stage of life. 

I always come back to writing. It’s a way to purge the darkness from the mind, and on other occasions a mental confetti spilling of joy and amazement. I find myself to be most creative during my morning walks on the beach. Passersby may see me frantically finger poking my phone in the notes app where I am pouring streams of consciousness. Some of this will get put to use someday, I imagine. But it’s energy often stops there.

Today is the day I will schedule myself for action…for goal reaching…for liftoff! This is a mantra I keep repeating. Then there is laundry and work and exercise class and somehow I’m preparing for bed never having gone back to those creative notes; never putting them to use.

I have enlisted friends and family members to hold me accountable. They call and text and email to check in on me. They ask me about my progress. This support system is vital. It gives me the push I so desperately need with a hand extended so that I won’t fear a fall. Back out on the ledge I go to peer out at all of those creative possibilities.

Here I am finally flapping my wings and attempting first flight in this blog.  These first few flaps are difficult. The rhythm has not yet formed but the attempt is mighty and heartfelt.

And the wings are moving

Some of the motivational audiobooks I’ve enjoyed:

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell

Everything is Figureoutable: How One Simple Belief Can Help Us Overcome Any Obstacle and Create Unstoppable Success by Marie Forleo

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.