by Elaina Lyons

Unfortunately, I haven’t been back to writing books for a hot second. Between working two jobs and raising a rambunctious 1-year-old, there is exactly zero time to sit down and write any meaningful amount. So I’m allowing myself some grace (more on this later!) and hoping that soon, if and when things calm down, I’ll be able to continue my third book and eventually get it published.

That’s something I’ve been working on a lot lately — grace. I tend to be super hard on myself, more so than is usually helpful. And comparison-itis has gotten the better of me more times than I’d like to admit. So in the recent weeks and months, I’ve made a few changes that have been helpful. Maybe they can help you too!

• I cut down on social media. I downloaded an app called AppBlock, which allows me to block social media apps for certain periods of each day. I’ve limited myself to less than an hour a day on social media since I got the app and, I have to say, the changes I’ve seen are huge. My mood has improved, I’m far more productive, and my “comparison-itis” is already less noticeable. I’ll write another post about this shortly.
• I started reading again. Whenever I get even a couple of minutes that I don’t have to work or take care of the baby or do household chores, I read. I wouldn’t bother trying before, because I figured reading a page here and there wouldn’t be enough. And while I don’t usually have enough time to sit in front of a keyboard and write, I can get a page or two of reading in. It makes me feel more centered and gets the creative juices flowing for when I can write again. (Post about how reading can help us as writers will be out soon!)
• I don’t judge myself as much for not appreciating every single moment. I feel like we’re constantly being told to be present every second of the day or we’ll miss something and regret it forever. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s impossible. Sometimes life requires that you simply get through a day rather than enjoy it. And that’s OK. You (and I) don’t have to love every second of every day in order to be grateful for what we have. Sometimes things suck. It’s OK to acknowledge that.

That being said, I am going to try to be more present here. And as always, if you want to be a guest blogger and talk about any indie author-related things, shoot me an email!

(And don’t forget to read my books, please! 🙂 )

Grab your copy of “The Love You Know” here.

Pre-order “The Love You Have” on Amazon Kindle here.

If you’re an indie author and you’d like to guest post on this blog, email me!