So I'm a few hours late on my two week goal, but that's all right. Still a significant improvement over what I've done before. And I apologize but it appears that most posts are going to be updates until I can really get the ball rolling on actual noteworthy accomplishments.
In regard to writing I'm trying to get into a habit of writing consistently. Writing in my specific voice/style is a bit of a hit and miss at the moment because it's been so long since I've written real quality work. That's got to change if I want to get the first draft done this year, and the best way to do that is by writing every day, no matter how little.
My greatest hindrance at the moment is my bad habit of editing while writing. It's a common challenge for writers and basically lethal. Instead of being able to just write I keep going back and pausing and trying to craft a polished sentence or paragraph on the first try. As much as I hate to admit it, that's impossible for anyone no matter how experienced or accomplished a writer you are. It's just not how it works. Writing this way means it takes hours to write just a page.
Thankfully, I found this trick to get around it. By lowering my screen to where I can't see what I'm typing, I am forced to just let the words flow. It also prevents me from being distracted because I have to devote my full attention to what I'm writing else I get lost. All I have to do is go back later and fix spelling errors and the like.
With my Etsy business I haven't gotten much further on it directly in terms of products and research, but by organizing my room it's related. When homemade soap cures, it needs airflow which takes up space. Not only that, but I need space for an inventory of all my products and supplies. This required a moderately time-consuming reorganization of my bedroom. I had to move my hedgehog Roll away from the door so the soap could go there for the airflow, I needed to buy storage drawers for his cage to rest on so his supplies could be stored there and my Etsy inventory could go in the dresser the cage was originally on, I needed to take off my closet door so I could stack things against the full length of that wall, etc.
Basically, that was nearly a full week of my time, since I also worked some overtime and had other lengthy engagements. But it's nearly completed and my room actually feels like a bedroom! I'll be sure to post pics once it's ready.
Also related to my business is my continued study of finances. My research brought me to Personal Capital which helps you keep track of your net worth by linking to all monetary accounts needed to calculate it (such as checking, credit, loans, retirement, savings, etc). Having loans means I'm in the negative, but that's to be expected. I'll use it as motivation!
(Don't worry, I've looked into their security and it's safe.)
I also found You Need a Budget (YNAB) which is an excellent supplement. PC paints the big picture of my finances, while YNAB helps me manage my money. Obviously it does this by budgeting, which I need help on. I understand the basics of budgeting, but this simplifies it and saves me from having to format an Excel document to carry out all the equations. I haven't had a chance to actually set up a budget yet, but that's what my off week is for.
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In more exciting news, my roommate and I took a journey up to Logan last weekend to visit our friend and her family. It was nice to catch-up and hear they were doing well. She has a daughter who's almost 2yrs old and we took her bowling for the first time. She used the little ramp and she had a blast. Then we went to go eat pizza because well--pizza.
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