The Age of the Sticky Notes: How to Organize Life + IWSG

How do you measure productivity? How do you keep yourself productive?

My world has been...well, insanity, especially since we started chasing this musical full time. (Check out the website. Follow on social media. Sign up for the newsletter to experience our crazy journey with us -- all the way to Broadway.) In fact, we're elbow deep in video edits and making promotional reels and all that jazz...

But I digress. 

When I was a teen, I had WAY too many interests to be healthy. I was in theater, I sang in choirs and performed as a soloist weekly or more, I wrote stories, I read a lot, I was a sketch artist, I biked and hiked and arranged not only my social calendar, but pulled together group dates and events for a wide variety of friends regularly. And then there was school.

In navigating a crazy schedule, I had a system.

I'd make a list (long term goals broken into smaller parts) and keep it in my pocket. Every time I tucked my hands away, I'd come across the "to do"s, and then would focus on the next easiest one...or most important one, depending on how motivated I was.

This system worked until I quit putting my hands in my pockets. Or had no pockets. 

Then I moved to a planner. 

Everything went in the planner. Everything...

Until that was too bulky to carry around. We transitioned to a calendar -- full family mode -- with notes in ALL the margins AND scribbled over the full-page images.

In this is a new age, every little edit, every suggested change has become a sticky note. A physical presence. A bright colored reminder. Though I still have a calendar, I now keep lists on my phone, but  life looks like a lot like this:

Except in more colors -- yellow, pink, green, blue, orange, purple... All the colors. I try to keep tasks organized by color, but I'm too much of an artists and just grab the nearest thing when inspiration strikes.

This is a constantly evolving system. I think we often get frustrated when our efforts aren't working or fall short, not realizing that there is room for change. That change is good. Change is healthy. Change keeps us growing. So I hope if you're feeling that tension, you'll take a minute, breathe, and reexamine your process or world. Take control. Try again.

Because you're awesome and powerful and you've got this! 

What system have you discovered that works to keep you organized, motivated, and moving forward?

IWSG June 4 question: What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

I'm going strictly little kid here because this is a BIG question.

• The Giving Tree. Loved it as a kid. Someone so selfless was amazing and should be emulated. (I hated it as a mom -- when my proverbial well was empty.) 

• Where the Wild Things Are. Keep that imagination alive, kiddoes! This was life for me as a kid and the book gave me permission to keep that creativity bubbling. 

• The Velveteen Rabbit taught me about compassion, about loving someone to the end.  

• It's Not Easy Being a Bunny really registered with me as one of eight kids and the black sheep of my family, interests wise and academically. It taught me it's okay to be an individual and STILL appreciate your unique family culture. 

• Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. Mom quoted this so often it would be hard NOT to have an impact. Bad days happen to everyone, even in Australia. 

And lastly, but most importantly, The Bible (especially the New Testament) and Book of Mormon. Most influential books of all time.

What books had a BIG impact in your life? What are you doing to be organized or motivated? How much cheese have you eaten this week?

In Which You Win Book Cash and Women Kick Trash

Say hello to our special guest today, Stephen Tremp (and his fabulous Halloweeny read + GIVEAWAY)! Take it away, Stephen.

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” ~ William Shakespeare 

Thank you Crystal for hosting me on my Salem’s Daughters Blog Tour! I love the action, adventure, fantasy and thrillers genres. In these stories not all heroes are heroes; some are heroines who demonstrate greatness in a variety of ways such as courage, inner-strength, or pressing on to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. 

Not all leading and supporting female characters are tough girls like Wonder Woman (most famous and hottest heroine of all time), Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones), Buffy (Vampire Slayer), Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) or Xena (Warrior Princess). These women were born with innate powers or they achieved advanced abilities through discipline, practice, sacrifice and a support group. Then there are the women who are not born into nor do they achieve greatness. Rather, they have greatness thrust upon them, often against their will. 

There are three such women in Salem’s Daughters, one born with greatness, another who achieved greatness, and a third who had greatness thrust upon her. 

Emily Livingston: The antagonist is born with greatness. Emily is the leader of her early 17th century coven and possesses each individual power of her followers, as long as they are alive. Together they terrorize the bed and breakfast. 

Erma Dempsey: Debbie’s meddling Irish whiskey drinking, dark witted, sharp tongue spitfire of a grandmother who co-signed on the three-and-a-half million dollar loan to build Murcat Manor achieved greatness through seven decades of working hard and fighting for everything. Born into poverty, she and her husband Ross never gave up on anything and had to scratch and claw to become successful. These traits help set the stage for a showdown between Erma and the thirteen cats. 

Debbie Stevens: The protagonist has great power thrust upon her against her will. She only wants to start a family, but instead has to give up her dreams to fight the evil threat killing her guests at Murcat Manor. 

These three bad-ass ladies were fun to develop using each of the three forms of greatness Shakespeare mentioned in Twelfth Night, or What You Will. 

Question: Do you have a favorite bad-ass female character in books or movies? 

Short Blurb: A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast. 

Stephen Tremp writes Speculative Fiction and embraces science and the supernatural to help explain the universe, our place in it, and write one of a kind thrillers. You can read a full synopsis and download Salem’s Daughters by Clicking Here. 

Stephen Tremp posts weekly blogs at his website Breakthrough Blogs. 

Next Stop: Friday October 16th Lexa Cain.

 

And now how about some giveaway action?

Last week Carol Riggs shared with us THE BODY INSTITUTE, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win a signed print book with bookmark!

Carol's Game:

1. Carol once met singer Harry Chapin, got his autograph, and kissed him on the lips.
2. Carol’s family owned a Mexican restaurant when she was 13, in which she washed dishes and reluctantly played waitress. 
3. Carol lived on an island once, in Sitka, Alaska.

THE LIE: #2. Carol’s family owned a PIZZA restaurant, which was awesome because a)she got to eat pizza all the time, and b)it involved lots of CHEEEEESE. 

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Julie Flanders!!!

Congrats, Julie! 

And now how about our giveaway for the day?

Stephen gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win A $25 GIFT CARD TO AMAZON. 

You have until Tuesday, October 20 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on October 21. 

TRUTH OR LIE

1.    Stephen once met Los Angeles Laker basketball player Kobe Bryant.
2.    He does not like meatloaf.
3.    He still likes to color with crayons.

Oh, and one quick note from me. Chrys Fey interviewed me for my birthday. How cool is that? Check it out HERE. (And drop us some cheese in the comments, eh?)

So sleuths, which is the lie?  Do you have a favorite bad-ass female character in books or movies?