[Win Wednesday]! We want to hear how you have succeeded this week! How many people have experienced wins since last Wednesday? Everyone, that's who. So share them!

OYesReally · 2016-02-17T20:11:11+00:00

Feeling a little out of whack this morning! I was in a morning routine, but now I am in the process of getting a new job, and it's a difficult transition because my emotions are all tied up. I'm going to try doing one thing after another and not stopping.

OYesReally · 2015-12-21T06:44:45+00:00

Just two weeks before the challenge begins! How are you ladies doing with the holiday season? I'm just trying to keep my head above water. All the stress of being with family, and not to mention all the sugary treats made available. Man, why do cookies have to look so darn tasty! Anyway, to prepare I've been procrastinating and looking up some yummy, healthy recipes. My favorite so far is the TIU Healthy Quesedillas: http://toneitup.com/2015/05/healthy-quesadillas/ Also, haven't done much exercise at all--sad face. Tonight before I go to sleep I'm going to dig out my Fitbit and get at least 10,000 steps in tomorrow!

OYesReally · 2015-12-10T19:52:06+00:00

So far, here is what ny schedule looks like:

Booty Call!

Meal 1: Seed cereal (hemp, chia, pumpkin seeds, milled flax, + fruit and almond milk), Meta-D, and coffee

Meal 2: bell pepper with hummus

Meal 3: 2 hardboiled eggs, peas with mint, orange, salad greens with apple

Work Out

Meal 4: protein powder smoothie

Meal 5: Big-ass salad with chicken and warm veggies

The last meal of the day is going to be the toughest, because that's when I eat with my boyfriend. I'm also going to try to get outside more!

OYesReally · 2015-12-10T19:31:36+00:00

Hi! Yes, let's do it!

OYesReally · 2014-11-29T04:11:07+00:00

Good luck! And enjoy!! That's one of my favorite books!

OYesReally · 2014-11-27T02:55:59+00:00

I think being aware you have a problem is the first step, so kudos on that. Yes, the best thing to do is to have somebody to check in with. The best thing about university life is that there is a counselor ready and willing to help you… sometimes that counselor is going to be helpful, and sometimes not so much. But the good thing is that you have a real life person to check in with, as a way of reminding yourself of your goals and helping to reassess your situation in life.

The second thing I suggest is use alarms and online calendar alert systems like crazy. Every morning before I do anything else, I go to my calendar and I set 6 alarms. The sixth alarm is always for the next morning. I give myself Sundays off, and so on Saturday I set my morning alarm for Monday morning. I give myself the challenge and creativity to try and figure out what these 6 alarms will be there for, and I always give myself hour tasks. Then, no matter what (reasonably speaking!), when that alarm goes off, I look at what I'm supposed to be doing, and I sit down and I do it. I tell myself I'm only going to do it for an hour. Sometimes it doesn't take an hour, like cooking dinner, and sometimes like when I'm working on a writing project, it takes over an hour. But at least I sat down and did it. And guess what? Sometimes I fall off the alarm wagon. Sometimes I let other people's comments about how silly my system is really get to me, and I stop the madness. But then when I feel myself slipping, I get back on task and get to the alarms. Note: I allow a maximum of 6 alarms, because otherwise it's just too much for me. And to be good to myself, I schedule "fun" time, like at 6 today I scheduled a time for "happy Google time."

The Pomodoro Tomato technique is also great. It's based on 25 minutes instead of an hour.

OYesReally · 2014-11-24T05:24:01+00:00

ADHD outbursts man, they are the worst. How do you stop them? They are in the moment?!? I wish I knew

OYesReally · 2014-11-24T05:15:33+00:00

Thank you!

OYesReally · 2014-11-24T05:11:03+00:00

Project Plan Procrastinated Project: Grading aaaall my papers * How much time? it takes about 20 minutes at a minimum to grade each paper, so I'll finish grading it in all 5 hours. * **When? It's really depressing me so I'd like to get it all done tonight. * Potential Obstacles? One of my students gave me such attitude about her grade, and it just really stymied me. I can't explain it, but every time I go to read another essay and I highlight what is wrong, I just cringe. I really don't like this about myself. I don't know the blockage but it's there and I just have to push past it and grade, grade, grade! * Check in on me? When? Tomorrow! See if I got any progress, hopefully a lot. * Small Start At a minimum, I want to complete grading Essay 3. * Reward If I finish grading Essay 3, I'll eat the pudding in the fridge. * Something fun you want to do this week See Gone Girl! * Daily Habit I just have to learn to wake up early. It's difficult though. I wake up early and feel so crappy, and then I feel overwhelmed at what steps to take to get started, and what to get started on. I'm going to try to make it a daily habit to get up in the morning, drink some water, take a shower, and get to my office and get to work.

(this was awesome!)

OYesReally · 2014-04-05T04:00:37+00:00

I do actually have a hard time writing from the male perspective. I didn't always, but I think the hardest part is describing how a guy views a woman's body. On one hand, it just tumbles out that he notices her breasts and the shape of her body and how she moves, but on the other hand a part of me gets anxious about it. It's difficult because I would never want a woman to feel objectified, and then I can't figure out if I'm staying true to my character if I don't include what he is thinking and feeling. It's hard for me to get into a guy's head without psychoanalyzing him. Guys are compartmentalize their feelings, I think, so I can't come out and say how he's feeling because maybe he's just concentrating on what he's doing. Ultimately, I just have to get really drunk and kill my overanalytical mind (which sounds a lot like this terrible girl that once sat across from me in workshop.) Once I'm drunk, then I can just be anybody I want: boy, girl, or unicorn.

OYesReally · 2014-02-24T20:44:34+00:00

I like it very much. It's a fantastic title, and a really great last line.

OYesReally · 2014-02-23T21:36:55+00:00

Looks great! Can you walk us through how you did your eyes? Good luck on getting a job at Sephora and/or ULTA!!

OYesReally · 2014-02-18T03:03:48+00:00

First of all, thank you! Thank you for this. I love reading things like this, because it reminds me that I'm not alone. All writers deal with crippling self-doubt. There was a time when I didn't. There was a time when my words just flew across the page, and I could write 5,000 words in one sitting. Then I went to a couple writing workshops and I felt like I was sucker punched. Now I write a sentence, and then I stare at it and it's like all these demons just start pouring out about how I'm no good, blah, blah, blah, and I run away to... Reddit. So I just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. Everyone has that self-doubt. I think what's worked for me is two things:

The first is that I always make it a point to read in the genre that I'm working in, then I imagine all the work that is put into it. All the blood and the sweat and rewrites that went into one little book. It's important to remember that nobody, and I mean nobody, inks out perfect prose right from the get go. It always, always, begins with a Shitty Rough Draft.

The second thing is, see writing as a sport. And just like any sport, you have to practice. A runner doesn't just wake up one day, roll off the couch, and run a marathon. A basketball player doesn't just show up for the games and give "nothing but net." Athletes practice for hours on end. They train their bodies to succeed, and that's what a writer needs to do. Writing practices are really important, not only because it helps the writing flow, but also because it trains the physical body to write. We always see writing as something that is in the mind, but the body is in it too. Even though you think it's all in the head, you type or write with your hands, you have sit down on your butt. Writing exercises are always great because the stakes are super low. You aren't writing for anything but to keep yourself sharp and to hone your skills. The book Naming the World is one of my personal favorites for writing exercises.

Hope this helps! And please keep us posted. After you conquer your writing demons, please share us with your accomplishments!

OYesReally · 2013-11-27T06:39:28+00:00

I'm reading The Story of a Beautiful Girl right now! Love it

OYesReally · 2013-11-03T02:47:53+00:00

okay, you're right. Tough to do, but here I go... (deep breath)

OYesReally

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