Sunday, December 15, 2019

My One Word


by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

When I go to bed I’m exhausted until my head hits the pillow. Then my eyes pop open as I think of a new scene or two for my fiction project. I grab my cell phone, turn down the brightness so I don’t wake up my husband and begin to one-finger type away the scenes.

Another scene idea pops up. No, this is familiar. I realize that’s not a scene after all, but a memory from long ago and I should write it down in my notes so I don’t forget to add it to my nonfiction book I’m also writing. 

Speaking of books, I need to remember to finish reading the Launch Team books I’m committed to so I can finish the Team projects. Did I write them on my list so I don’t forget to do them?

Thinking about projects, I have some unfinished sewing and quilting projects I’d like to finish to clean out the to-do bin. And that ever-growing mending pile is growing out of the basket and up the wall like a vine, and not one with good fruit. I need to get to that basket and clear it out. 

While on the topic of areas that need to be cleared out, my office looks like a grenade went off in there. I realize I’ve been in there everyday in November doing NaNoWriMo, but it looks like a scene from the show Hoarders. Not just the room itself, but the desk in particular. How can one person collect so many pieces of paper in just one month?
Now that I’m fully awake, it occurs to me I may have found my My One Word for 2020. (For more info on this, check out: http://myoneword.org) If you’re not familiar with this concept, basically each January you choose a word that you would like to concentrate on or to improve in your life. Some I’ve had were trust, believe, content and complete. It is suggested to think about a word in November/December until the word to focus on, well comes into focus.

God may be nudging me this year with the word that is in front of my face as in piles in several rooms of my house and also squashing the focus in my brain. That word is Declutter.  Throughout 2019, the word came to me, but it came full-force during the NaNo November of writing everyday for thirty days. Each day striving to hit the word count of 1667, clutter was growing like mold on that orange in the back of the veggie drawer. The clutter spread into my mind. Often this kept me from the ability to focus on my writing. I would try to write and the stack of stuff needing my attention continued to grow like the words in my Scrivener project. But often, those piles grew faster because they muddled my story with their nag to come pay attention to them.

Alas my nightly ritual of losing sleep over the things not put away or given attention to needs to end. When I go to bed, it’s as if I a have a Pavlov’s bell that rings just as my head hits the pillow. My brain kicks into hyper-drive and reminds me of what I didn’t get done today—the guilt for that. And that is mind clutter. Having a home and mind that are uncluttered will give me, as a writer, the clarity to have laser focus on my writing projects.

This year it’s time to change that. I will use the word Declutter as My One Word. I have my planner out and have already added projects to specific days to attack the clutter keeping me from my best productive writing time. I keep it near my desk when I’m writing. If something comes to mind I need to do, I pause and write it in the planner to be assigned when to take care of it. My planner helps keep me focused and my mind less cluttered to stay in the writing mode. 

I am already putting this to the test in December. Last month was the crazy writing schedule for the NaNo project, but December has brought it’s own kind of rush. Looks like it might be a monthly thing, this busyness. What better way to learn a new way to stay on track of my writing schedule than to keep myself uncluttered both in my mind and my home?

For 2020, My One Word is Declutter.

What about you, do you choose a My One Word each year? If so, what is your word for 2020?

TWEETABLE

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s been married to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 37 years, a mom to their grown daughter, Kristen, and wrapped around the paw of a little dog named Hattie. Born and raised in Ohio, her family now resides in South Carolina. She is the President of Word Weavers Upstate SC, member of ACFW and My Book Therapy/Novel Academy. She’s the Blog Editor for Word Weavers International. A Conference Assistant for Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference. A monthly contributor for The Write Conversation. A contributor in the 2018 Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. Also a regular contributor to several other blogs. 

Connect with Tammy: Blog: http://www.tammykarasek.com  Email: tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

16 comments:

  1. I had a word in mind ... but I forgot it. Now I've got to start all over again. Obviously, it wasn't the one God wants me to work on. lol

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    1. Haha! Must not have been! May you find that word, Ane!

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  2. My word is renewal. After six years of dealing with tragedy and disappointment, 2020 will be a year of renewal and re-appointment 🙂

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  3. Clutter is an ever-present shadow, isn’t it? Don’t try to tackle it alone! Lol
    Flylady.net - she’s the best at cheerfully bringing me out of the clutter, :15 minutes at a time. :)

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    1. Ooooh, I remember the Flylady! I used some of her techniques years ago. Looks like it might be time to check back into that.

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  4. Loved this. So relatable! Thanks. What is Word Weavers International?

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    1. Sue, Word Weavers International is a local and online Christian writers group. You can get more information over here - www.word-weavers.com

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  5. The word "finish" has been coming to mind a great deal lately. I have several projects that I need to finish. Its a lot easier and way more fun to start them then to slog through the dry patches and complete them. I was also struck recently by the life a dear aunt lived who passed away last week at how beautifully she lived her life and no doubt was rewarded in heaven with a "you finished well." So I think I may have found my one word for 2020 as well.

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  6. I'm not quite sure it's the right one for me yet; as I need His guidance and not my own desire. For now, my one word is "Finish." Am feeling it's time for me to complete the journey as a Christian writer. I'm not sure I know what that means yet, be that a phase or step in the process, or what. Still working through the confirmation part. Praying for lots of decluttering success for you ma'am. God's blessings.

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    1. Thanks, J.D. I will pray you're directed to the proper word.

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  7. That's a great word, Tammy! I struggle with clutter too. I do okay for awhile, and then I get busy and the stuff piles up . . . in my home and in my brain. May God really help you get a handle on all of the clutter in your life in this coming year. :)

    I do focus on one word each year too. It's been amazing for me to do this. :) I believe my word for 2020 will be PRESENT. I'm looking forward to digging in and seeing what God will show me about this word in the coming year.

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    1. Oooo, I like that word, Jeanne. (Side note, I always smile when I see your posts on Social Media. Jeanne was my mom's name, well is her name, but I lost her in 2016. So seeing your name (and hers) pop up makes me tear up but smile, too.

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  8. My word for 2020 is PRAISE. It seems that I need to praise God more than I do. Husband was in the hospital two weeks ago and we have to watch his sugar levels and his blood pressure. We also have to monitor his sodium intake. All these things take time but I can PRAISE God that the doctor's caught the problem in time.

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    1. Praise is a word we could probably do more of. Thank you for sharing it with us. Grateful the doctors found the problems - may he have improved health every day.

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