Introducing the #ListifyLife Spring Challenge!

I love a list. There's something about that little itemized structure that does it for me. It's neat, efficient, and gets to the point. When I'm brainstorming a new book, all my thoughts are in bulleted list form. Maybe the hero has this in his background. Maybe the heroine met the hero when she was a kid. Maybe the hero has a dog. 

And when I plan, lists are my go to structure, too. That's why the Day Designer works well for me. Half the page is dedicated to a long To Do list. 

So, when I bought a beautiful new gold Leuchtturm journal, I had a plan to keep lists in there. BUT I am a notoriously failed journal keeper. And this felt a lot like keeping a journal. So that got me to thinking--what if there was some structure to the lists I keep in there? A challenge to keep me excited and focused. I started chatting about it with my friend and fellow writer Sierra Godfrey and the Listify Life Challenge was born.

What is it?

There are lots of lists type challenges out there, but maybe are daily and most seems to focus on heavier topics like goal-setting and deep thoughts about life or yourself. That's cool but not what I was going for. I wanted this to be fun, a little silly, something to look forward to. No therapy needed! ;) So this challenge is going to be a WEEKLY list challenge where there is one topic a week. You write down your list on any day that week and take a photo of it to share (or you can type it into a blog or FB or whatever works for you.) Use the hashtag #ListifyLife if your chosen social network uses hashtags and join up with others. :) This is meant to be a fun way to document your year and meet others without being too time-consuming.

When is it?

It starts next week. We're going to divide by seasons. So this first challenge is the Spring Listify Life Challenge and will run March 20 (first day of Spring) through June 19th (last day of Spring). If things go well, a summer challenge will start after that.

What are the topics?

Here's a beautiful graphic designed by Sierra Godfrey. Sierra has also made free printable cards with the individual list topics if you want to print and write your lists on those. (And feel free to post this graphic on your site or instagram to spread the word.)

Where to post your lists?

This is the flexible part. This isn't going to be tied to a certain social network. Blog your lists, Instagram them, tweet them, Facebook them. Post in one place or five. It's whatever works for you. I'll be posting the photos of my lists across my networks. And I will blog them as well with added commentary.

Who can join?

Anyone! This isn't just for writers or a particular group. Two of the topics lend themselves more to people who love to read, but other than that, the topics should work for anyone.

Why should you join?

Um, because lists are awesome. And you get an excuse to buy NEW OFFICE SUPPLIES. That should be reason enough. AND you get one free day a week where you don't have to think about--what should I blog about? Or post on Instagram or FB? You have a built in idea. And did I mention the office supplies? New pens, people. Pens.

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I'm really excited about this challenge and am looking forward to seeing everyone's answers for the different topics. I hope you'll join us and be a fellow list nerd with me. :) 

So, are you ready to play along?

Mechanical Keyboards and the Wonderful Sound of Clickety Keys

So on Monday I mentioned that I had driven myself slightly crazy researching mechanical keyboards online before I decided on one to buy. Well, today the one I chose came in and I think I'm in love.

It's deliciously clicky. Want to hear?

My husband and the neighbors will probably disown me, but I am writer, here me click! :) So, I thought I'd do a brief post on what a mechanical keyboard is in case I'm not the only nerd who gets way to excited by the sound of a keyboard.

First, why do people spend the money on a mechanical keyboard?

1. Did I mention it's clicky? (That seems to be a love or hate thing. There are models that are quieter if you're in the hate camp.)

2. It's supposed to be easier on your hands for fatigue and such because you can hear yourself hitting the key and that feedback gets to your brain quickly and makes you not have to hit so hard.

3. There's no "ghosting" so you can type more accurately and faster. - Modern keyboards can only handle one keystroke at a time, which means that if you're a fast typist, it can often skip letters even though you hit the key. Mechanical keyboards can handle more than one key at a time so it can keep up with you if you're a speed demon. 

4. They're supposed to be more durable. We'll see.

5. You sound like you're getting shit done on these things. That's way important. ;)

Okay, so how to choose?

There are a lot of technical aspects you can research (cherry blue switches/keys vs. brown vs. green vs. red vs. the apple alps style). And if you're using it for gaming vs. straight up typing, there are other things to consider. You can find some technical details in this post Dear Author did on mechanical keyboards a while back--which is what started me on this journey.

The big contender and the one I saw mentioned most is the DAS keyboard. This one comes with blue switches or brown switches. Blue are very clicky, brown are softer and more tactile. You can hear the difference here.

I was originally going to go for the DAS because I love the way it sounds and it has great reviews. But it only comes in black and is BIG. (There is a smaller tenkey-less version but not with Mac specific keys). I really, really didn't want black since I have a pretty new office and a sleek Mac computer. And I didn't really want a full keyboard with 10-key because I only need the 10 key like twice a year. I'd rather have the extra space on my desk and not have the mouse/trackpad too far away.

The DAS:

I also needed one that was compatible with a Mac. And though most are "compatible" (meaning they'll work if you remap some of the keys) not all have the Mac specific keys like Option, Command, Fn, etc. So I ended up choosing the Matias Tactile Pro Mini for a number of reasons. It's not that much bigger than my tiny Mac keyboard. Here's a size comparison:

View fullsize

Plus, it's white, which matches my decor better. And it's supposed to mimic the feel and sound of the old Apple Extended Keyboard. (The DAS, on the other hand, is going to sound like the IBM Model M keyboard. See how much I learned in all my research, lol.)

Obviously, I've just gotten it, so I haven't logged many miles yet. But I think I'm going to love it. I've typed this post using it. It's not too bulky on my desk. It's very loud and clicky (which is what I wanted), and it feels nice beneath my fingers. In addition, it was beyond easy to set up. Literally, plug it into the USB port and start typing. That's it.

It does have a wire (most of them do) which will take some getting used to since I've had wireless for so long, but it's not bad. And if you work in an office with someone else, this would be a no go. Office rage would ensue.

I'll report in after a few months to let you know how it goes. But for now, you can find me clicking away. :)

So how do you feel about the sound of old school keyboards? Comforting? Grates on your nerves? Did you ever have a favorite keyboard or am I the only nerd here? ;)

*Post does contain affiliate links to Amazon but no company has asked me to feature the product and I paid for it with my own money.

How I Drive Myself Crazy Deciding What To Buy & The Mental Benefit of "Good Enough"

I do a lot of my shopping online. A LOT. If I could get fresh groceries to my door, I'd order those online too. I like the convenience and the variety. However, this weekend while I was researching mechanical keyboards, I realized that online shopping and the new culture of reviewing can drive me to insanity sometimes.

Here's how it goes. Yesterday, I'm in Best Buy and I see this snazzy keyboard. I run my fingers over it and---ooh, it's soooo clicky. *gets hearts in eyes* But it's a gaming keyboard and doesn't have Mac keys and is kind of pricey, so I'm like--I'll go home and research.

See, a few months ago, I saw a post on Dear Author about mechanical keyboards. I love the idea of a clicky keyboard and I loved that these types of keyboards are supposed to help you type faster and reduce typing fatigue.

I'm on my computer all day and type thousands of words a day (well, that's the plan most days at least, lol) and that comes with its own aches and pains even if I'm diligent about posture and ergonomic stuff. But, at the time, I didn't click buy on a keyboard because I couldn't feel it in person.

Then, Best Buy happened and that was the tipping point on wanting one of these keyboards. So this should be easy, right? Go home, google mechanical keyboards for Macs and choose one. Yeah. I wish. No, instead, this is where the insanity begins.

I don't want a mechanical keyboard for Mac. I was THE BEST FOR ME keyboard. And I want to know everything about my choices. So this means hours of reading reviews online, watching YouTube videos of the choices, and putting out a call on social media to friends, asking if they have this type of keyboard and what are their thoughts. Many hours later, I end up ordering this one: Matias Tactile Pro Mini because a) it's white and matches my Mac better b) doesn't have the ten key pad so it won't take up too much room and C) has this delicious clicky sound (click play on video to hear). Ahh...

But the decision took FOREVER and sucked up all my evening. If I hadn't done research, I would've ended up with a different one, but that's not the point. The point is that buying one simple thing can be this maddening time suck because I'm what Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project would call a Maximizer. 

Here are her definitions of a Satisficer and a Maximizer

"Satisficers are those who make a decision or take action once their criteria are met. That doesn’t mean they’ll settle for mediocrity; their criteria can be very high; but as soon as they find the car, the hotel, or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied.

Maximizers want to make the optimal decision. So even if they see a bicycle or a photographer that would seem to meet their requirements, they can’t make a decision until after they’ve examined every option, so they know they’re making the best possible choice."

I'm am very much a maximizer. There are some exceptions. I'm a satisficer when it comes to cars, purses, shoes, beauty products, and clothes. Basically, things that aren't all that important to me. "Good enough" is good enough for me in those categories. But for most other things--office supplies, computers, grocery stores, planners, furniture, kitchen equipment, household things, I want the BEST choice.

And the bad thing about that is not just the time it takes to read all those reviews and watch videos and basically obsess over a decision, Rubin has found in her research that Satisficers or those who are cool with "good enough" are happier people. Because Maximizers get anxiety about making the wrong decision.

Now, this doesn't mean I can change myself, lol. But sometimes I wish I could dial it down a little. Like, this keyboard is on its way to me. But I'm not 100% committed yet. I'm going to try it and if it isn't exactly what I want, I'll send it back and try the other one I was tempted by. Sigh. The cycle continues. (This is also what gets me in trouble with my writing, too--perfectionism. Must find the perfect word.)

So how about you? Does anyone suffer from this same "must read every review" syndrome? Tell me I'm not the only one, lol. Or do you find doing this for certain things but not for others?

Quick Hanger Trick to Streamline Your Closet and Wardrobe

I've been knocked down with some medical stuff this week (and am a little foggy-brained from medicine), so I'm just stopping in for a quick tip today.

I know most of us probably go through our clothes on a semi-regular basis to make a donation pile of things we don't wear anymore, but sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between what we *think* we wear regularly and what we *actually* wear. I read somewhere that we wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. And I knew that was the case for me.

So one day I ran across a tip in an organizing book. I can't remember which one, unfortunately. It was probably one of these. But the tip was to turn all of your hangers around the wrong way. Then, when you wear something, turn the hanger back around. At the end of six months, reevaluate what hangers are still backward. Get rid of things at this point if you wish. I culled a few things at that time, but I gave it another six months after that to account for seasonal clothes. Then at a year, I could easily see what I hadn't worn. Some of it was surprising. Like I never would've guessed I hadn't worn certain things in at least a year if I hadn't been keeping track.

So once I saw what was still backward, if it wasn't some special occasion thing (like a cocktail dress or something), I ditched most of it. The few items I couldn't part with, I left the hangers backward and gave it another 6 month stay of execution. After that, it's gone. Because if I haven't worn it 18 months, I'm never going to wear it.

It's been really nice to whittle things down because it's made room in my closet and now I can easily see all the things I love to wear most.

So here's the quick and dirty:

1. Turn all your hangers backward.

2. Set a timer on your calendar to go off in 6 months.

3. When the timer goes off, reevaluate what is still backward. Ditch and donate some stuff if you want at that point.

4. Set another 6 month timer.

5. When it goes off, get rid of the clothes you haven't worn in a year. Someone else can put them to better use.

That's it! 

Do you have any quick trick for organizing?

Creating Mottos for Your Year and Your Sanity

I've mentioned here before that I am a pantser (write by the seat of my pants) not a plotter (plan the whole story ahead.) But that's not entirely the case. The vital thing I need to know before I start a story are my characters' inner workings. I need to KNOW them. All the good stuff. All the ugly stuff. Like a therapist doing a an in depth history. Otherwise, I inevitably hit writer's block early on. I'm character-driven and need to know how they'll react in a situation, what their motivations are, what happened in their past to create who they are today. And one way I get to know them is by figuring out their motto. I learned this trick from one of Michael Hauge's classes. His character stuff is the main structure I go to for developing my characters. I've used it for years.

So, for instance, in my current work in progress, my heroine's motto is "Get them before they get me." Now, that's not the healthiest outlook, and it's creating some problems for her. But it helps me to know how she's going to react when thrown into a scene. For her, that often means she's mean and defensive. That, of course, will have to change if she wants her happy ending. But now I know what her internal journey is going to involve. How can she get past that fear of being hurt again? What does she need to do to get there?

But as I've gotten into the habit of doing this exercise for my characters, I realized it can be a helpful exercise for real life, too. We all have mottos that probably guide us on a large, life level. Everything happens for a reason. Go into things with an open heart. Let go and let God. Live and let live. YOLO. Whatever it is, it's our outlook on life. That's not what I'm talking about today. Those are big and hard to change. But there are other layers of our life where mottos or mantras can come into play--smaller ones that maybe characterize what you want your year to look like, how you want to approach your business, how you want to parent.

As I've talked about recently, 2015 was a stressful year for me. So I've spent a lot of time trying to get 2016 off to a better, calmer, more organized start. And in doing that, I realized that I've picked some little mantras to keep me on track this year. These aren't ones I created myself but things I've read elsewhere and that resonated with me enough that I wrote it down and pinned it to my computer monitor.

My keep-me-sane Mottos for 2016

If the answer isn't "Hell yes!", it's no.

I can't find the original source for the quote, but it's everywhere. And this is in direct contrast to what I've been doing for the last few years to build my career. When you're starting out, you feel the need to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Do you want to guest blog? Do you want to speak at our meeting? Do you want to be in our anthology? Do you want to add short stories to your books? Do you want to try to write more books this year? Yes! Yes! Yes! However, as you get busier and busier over time, this ends up running you into the ground and burning you out. So, my goal this year is to only say yes to the things that really excite me and move the needle on my career. I don't want to get burnt out. And I don't want to end up filling time that could be used for things like writing more books with things that maybe are just time fillers.

Would I say yes if it were tomorrow?

Angela James brought this one up to me when I mentioned the first one. This is a good add on. When someone asks you to do something for a future date, ask yourself, would you want to do it tomorrow? This resonated with me because, like I said, I have a habit of wanting to say yes to everything. And it's especially easy to say yes to things for Future Roni. Present Roni doesn't have to worry about that right now. I can be a total a**hole to future Roni, loading up her schedule without thinking about how she might feel. Then when the day of whatever commitment finally gets there, I'm buried in deadlines or worn out or just wanting to have family time, and now there's this thing that I committed to doing and am now dreading. No more. If I think I'm going to dread something later on, if I wouldn't be excited about doing it tomorrow, I'm not going to add it to my schedule. (This of course only applies to optional things. Obviously, we all have things we dread doing that we MUST do despite the I-don't-wanna's.)

Frustration is a fundamental step in the creative process. 

No matter how many books I've written, I think the idealist in me still expects the next one to go smoothly. This time it's going to be different! The words are just going to fall on the page! Maybe it's like childbirth. You have to forget the pain from the previous one in order to go forward with another one without abject terror. But I have to accept that writing is always going to be hard. In fact, it gets harder every time because I learn more and raise the expectations on myself. Frustration is part of the deal. And Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic, goes even further to say "Frustration is the process." I need to remind myself of that when I inevitably start to struggle with a story.

So those are my three. Not life mottos per se but business, keep-me-sane mottos for this year. And I've already used them. And I can tell you, it's not easy. I still have the kneejerk reaction of wanting to say yes to everything. I'm a work in progress. :)

Do you have any quotes or mottos that keep you focused or that characterize your year?