Writer Compass Life Hacks
Meet the Reines
♠️ Balance and Stretch
I loathe mornings. Despise them, really. But I get up at 5 am to start my day so that I can be awake enough to write by 6 am with a group of passionate authors. In order to be coherent, I do a five to seven-minute “workout”, usually focused on balance, stretching, or mobility. I’ve found a treasure trove of videos on YouTube. Five minutes is almost nothing so it’s easy to talk myself into just doing it. The brain fog lifts, and my writing time is much more productive. I’m also less likely to break a hip later in the day. Or so they tell me.
❤️ Hydrating
I live in the mountain high desert, at around 7,500 ft above sea level. Between the sun, the UV exposure, the dryness, and well, now it’s summer...I never drink enough fluids. Enter, my life hack: get yourself your favorite brand of water bottle. And personalize it with etching or stickers you love.
I like a YETI as it keeps my ice water nice and icy. (It’s the only way I’ll drink it, btw) I was gifted a lovely amethyst colored tumbler with Mama and my first name etched on it. (Makes me smile every time I see it.)
I fill it right when I wake up, and then keep it by my desk as I tackle things on my to-do list. Very easy to take along with me everywhere, too. Best part, that mid-afternoon slump doesn’t hit so hard when I have a jolt of ice water to sip!
♦️ Robots
Okay, not actual robots, but it sounds cooler than what I mean--take advantage of tools you have in order to brain dump.
Set up subscriptions for items you need but often forget to buy (in my case: hand soap, small bathroom cups, HVAC air filters, a body wash my husband loves, etc.). It’s off my mind and not taking up room.
Use the “delay” function on your washing machine to put a load in the night before, set it to run just before you get up, then, when you’re finally caffeinated, all you have to do is put it in the dryer. (Also applies to anything with a timing function or delay--coffee makers, dishwashers, etc.)
Make Siri or Alexa remind you! Got something you need to do in a couple of hours but know you won’t remember (hey, you’re busy!)? Make those gals earn their keep by reminding you of all the minutiae you want.
♣️ Go With The Flow
Very Hippie, which I am not. In fact, I tend to be more OCD than I want to admit, so the way I swan through life (haha) is to take deep breaths and don’t sweat the small- or even large- stuff. I’m getting to the contemplative age where I don’t want to be remembered for anything on my tombstone other than “she really loved and supported her family and friends.”
Forget that fifteen minutes of fame that drove me when I was younger. I only ended up disappointing myself sometimes - actually, most of the time. Now, I find true joy in my children’s accomplishments, quiet time with my husband, welcoming a new grandchild (see? Getting older than I ever thought I would be), and finding the first-ever fig on my dwarf fig tree. My family tended to be worry-warts, and I hated that growing up, so I purposefully try to change my stars. Yes, this attitude takes LOTS of practice, but it allows me to stay sane.