Life, Motivation, Writing, Your Best Life

Time For Change

It’s a new month. Are you making important changes to your life yet in this new decade?

Or are you complacent? Content with your lot in life. I hope not.

Change can be scary. People like their routines. They are familiar. And comfortable. But we need to constantly push ourselves in new directions to be our best selves and to live fully.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

This year I’m resurrecting my writing career. I put it on hold seven years ago when I lost my husband after a very brief illness. Life descended on me. Suddenly I was in charge of keeping everything going. Talk about pushing me out of my comfort zone. But I did what I needed to do, and I learned a lot. However, there was no time to write. Only to do. To stay afloat.

But now I’m ready to stretch myself again with my writing. Yes, it’s scary. I’m rusty. Really rusty. Technology has moved forward in those seven years and things which were once fairly familiar to me have changed drastically. It’s a learning curve to get back up to speed. New writing packages. New ways of reaching readers. New resources which weren’t available years ago. It can seem daunting at times. But it’s also exciting.

Don’t let your fears sideline you. You are capable of achieving your dreams and desires. But you have to be willing to try.

If these last seven years have taught me one thing it is the fact that none of us are guaranteed the next moment. Life changes in the blink of an eye, the sigh of a breath. Why live a life of less than you deserve or want? Decide what will push you out of the familiar and into uncharted waters. Take that first step. Then push yourself further. It all starts with a dream. And idea. A goal. You can do it.

I challenge you today to make a commitment to yourself to try something new or to pick up something you put aside and give it another go. Don’t be satisfied with where you are in life. Reach for your dreams.

Life, Motivation, Your Best Life

Resilience from a Survivor

I’m a survivor. Over my life I’ve faced a lot of challenges. Loss of loved ones. Divorce. Disappointments. Serious illnesses, including both endometrial and breast cancer. I’m not saying any of this to garner sympathy. It simply is what it is. At any point it would have been very easy for me to give up. But I didn’t. I’m still standing. And I’m happy to say I’m resilient. And I want you to be too.

So what is the meaning of resilience? The dictionary defines resilience as someone who is able to recover or adjust to misfortune or change.

Life is full of challenges. Choosing a career. Meeting a life partner. Having a family. Children. Taking care of aging relatives. Relocations. Downsizing. Losing a job. Changing careers. Losing someone you love. The list is endless. So how do we weather the storms?

One way is self-care. We should all be practicing self-care. Healthy food. Proper exercise. Restorative sleep. Good hygiene. These are the cornerstones of good self-care. But what about in times of extreme challenge? That’s when you need to up your self-care game. Add in things to compensate for the stress your body is undergoing by whatever challenge or challenges you are currently facing.

Meditation. Massage. A manicure. A new hairstyle. Maybe some retail therapy. A good book and time set aside in your busy schedule to read and relax.

These are but a few extreme self care measures. I’ve used all of them and more. We need to give our bodies a break from the stress.

If money is a problem, what about a long walk in a beautiful setting? Or simply sitting outside and enjoying either a sunrise or a sunset.

Take up a new hobby. Something you’ve always wanted to try, but didn’t have the time to devote to it. Now is the time to make time.

Stress is a contributor to so many diseases – cancer, heart disease, diabetes. It can bring about insomnia, depression, anxiety, panic, or other nervous disorders. The list goes on and on. The Harvard Business Review states that 60-90% of all doctor visits are related in some way to stress. Without a break from the stress, your body can’t withstand the constant attacks. Something will give. You need to find ways of coping. And that’s where extreme self-care comes into play.

I urge you to have great self care now. And to figure out what measures you will take for your extreme self-care – before you find yourself in a situation where you need to put them into play. It’s always better to be be prepared.

I want you to be resilient.

Life, Motivation, Your Best Life

Dream Big

I’m a huge proponent of Dreaming Big. Set your goals out there beyond your current reach. Stretch yourself. Challenge your abilities. Refuse to limit yourself. Don’t settle for average or less than your very best. You have it in you to go far. To reach what you may have once thought was unattainable.

Write down your five Big Dream goals for 2020. Post them somewhere prominent where you will see them frequently. Imagine how you will feel when you reach your goals. See yourself achieving your desires.

Now decide what small steps you need to take for each of your big goals. Steps which will move you once step closer on your journey to success.

Maybe that means taking a class. Or doing research. Or honing a particular skill. Whatever you decide to do produces forward momentum. Each tiny goal achieved results in a step closer to your big goal. Your Big Dream.

What are you waiting for? Seize the opportunity. Our days are finite. Our dreams are limitless. Why wait another moment? Take that first step today. I guarantee each succeeding step will be easier.

Dream Big. Take the challenge. You won’t regret it. And that’s how we should all live – without regrets.

Life, Motivation

If Not Now When?

We are all busy people, That’s a given. I’m constantly trying to wring more time out of every 24 hour day. So far I haven’t succeeded.

Each of us has the same 24 hours every day to live our best life. What are you doing today to be your best?

Or are you sitting back waiting for tomorrow? You’ll try something new then. You’re far too busy to attempt a change today. I have a newsflash for you. Tomorrow never comes. Today is all we have. It is the present. When another day rolls around, it will be today. That elusive tomorrow will always stay one step ahead of us.

Stop waiting for tomorrow. Decide to take action today. Because if not now, when? Do you want to live your life on regrets and might have beens? I sure don’t.

undefined

Formulate a plan. Then take the first step. It’s always the hardest. Then each new day, take another step and another. Before you know it, you will have made a new habit and you will start to see positive changes in your life.

Don’t be content with yesterday. Or hope for a different tomorrow. Act today. It’s all we have. Your best life is waiting for you.

If not now, when?

Life, Writing

New Year, New You . . . and Me.

I love a new year. Yes, I know January 1st is just the day after December 31st and people can argue that it is just another day. But for me, and I think a lot of people, it signifies a fresh start. New hope and new possibilities. Time to reassess our lives and figure out what we want in the new year.

Have you given thought to what you want to accomplish in 2020? If not, the year is still young. List those things that would bring joy into your life. Perhaps a new hobby or a new job. Maybe travel. Or taking better care of yourself. We’ve got a whole new decade ahead of us. But our time is finite. Why put off those things you really want to add, delete or change with your life? Start an action plan today. Making a list is a good start. Then rank which things are most important to you. I suggest starting with your top three to five things. Then do a separate list for each one. Decide the small steps you will need to take to implement your changes. Every change starts with those first steps.

As for me, I’m getting back into writing. I’ve already got the second book in my River City Mystery series ready to edit and revise. I’ve started work on an exciting new non-fiction project. Plotting on book three in the mystery series is happening. And I’m back to blogging here on the website.

Additionally, I’m revamping this website. It’s got a new look and is very much a work in progress.

So lots of exciting things happening in my corner of the world. Look for updates here as things progress along. It’s a NEW YEAR.

Life

I’m Back

It’s been a long, long time between posts. But the good news is I’m still here. And my love of writing is coming back after a very long hiatus

Lots going on with my writing and life in general.

Sam is almost six and we are getting ready to welcome his little brother Milo on Saturday.  Milo is an almost eight week old tuxedo kitten I’m getting from a dear friend.  Here’s Sam checking out Milo’s bed and a fun new toy.

Interesting and fun times ahead in the Jorgensen household

 

C8FA613E-9EE0-4907-8185-FBE3BE1AB304.png

 

 

 

Life

Sam

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any pictures of my sweet cat Sam.  He’s now 8 months old.  And quite the handsome guy.

IMG_1705

Here he is today out on the sunporch where he spends most of his time.  He doesn’t seem to mind the heat like I do.

 

IMG_1709

He quickly became bored with me snapping his picture.  I could hear the “Someone, anyone, please take that camera away from her” unspoken by him.  He has a very expressive face and I tend to read his thoughts by his expressions.

IMG_1728

Told you he got bored.  Here he is pretending if he shuts his eyes, I’ll go away.  Check out his gorgeous tail.  He’s classified as a medium haired cat, but that tail of his is definitely long-haired.  You should see it when he gets frightened.  It gets about as big around as his body.

I ended the torture of taking his picture when he rolled over and begged me to rub his tummy.  He knows how to work me.

IMG_1707

Life

Now I Can Play

The taxes are in the mail!!!  I know I shouldn’t be this happy about it, but I am!  It feels like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.  Now I can play.

IMG_0904

I think we should all be able to play.  Play keeps us young.  I find too many adults do not know  to play.  Thankfully, they are not knitters or writers.  Creative types seem to have that built-in sense of what it means to let go and play.

I’m trying to encourage Sam the cat to retain as much of his “kitty-ness” as he can.  We have regular play times together.  And we both enjoy it.

Yes, as adults, we all have responsibilities and I’m not suggesting you ignore those.  But I do hope you will approach your life and each day with a playful attitude.

This week, I’m had a bad case of casting on new projects.  We wont’ discuss just how many things I’ve got in the works.  But it’s a lot.

IMG_0658

Maybe I’ll use some of my Rhinebeck haul.  Or maybe something totally new.  It’s fun to think of what’s next in the line up.  It’s fun just to look at the yarns.  Sam may play a little too much if I don’t put the yarns away.  He’s pretty good about it though for a kitten.

I’m also thinking of a few garden projects if we ever get consistently warm weather.  Might have to call in Michael to help me with that.  What he planted last year is for the most part thriving.

So what plans do you have for spring and what are you doing to play?

Whatever you do I hope you have FUN.

Kat

Life

New Ideas

This week I worked on taxes.  Now that’s a left brain task.  We all know I’m strongly right-brained.  It was NOT fun.  However, thanks to my dad, I do have some mathematical skills.  Not mad math skills like he has, but I do have enough to get me through business math without a problem.  It’s just not FUN.

When I was 5, I got my first book of chess.  To this day I can play a very decent game of chess, but I don’t enjoy it.  My first book on math came that same year.  I think it was called “I Love Numbers” or some similar title.  I did not love numbers.  Instead of reading that book, I’d curl up on my grandfather’s lap and listen to his stories.  He was always good for a few good stories.  And I think that’s when my love of story-telling came into being.

So it didn’t surprise me too much as I plowed through my taxes this week that my mind drifted to story ideas.  And boy did I come up with a fun new series idea.  I’ve had tons of fun this week working on characters and plotting.  I’m hoping I can do a rough draft on this one fairly quickly.

Now this doesn’t mean that Becca and the River City Mystery series will be put on the shelf.  Not at all.  I’m still working on Becca and the gang.  But I have new excitement and energy around this latest series idea and I’m going to run with it.

It’s sort of like casting on for knitting.  I love bright, shiny new objects – whether it’s a knitting project or writing project.

Do you have a bright, shiny new object in your life this week?  I hope so.  We need new things in order to keep us interested and to help us grow.

Kat

Life

Legend Status

For years I’ve wanted to have a yarn named after me.  I know, it’s a crazy idea.  But it’s what I wanted.

Back in 2008 when I got back into knitting seriously, I used to joke with Jorgie about this dream of mine.  Jorgie was never one to step on a dream, and he told me I should go for it.  Only I didn’t know how to go about it.  So I continued to buy my luxury yarns and enjoy knitting.

Last year my favorite online yarn shop, The Loopy Ewe, announced they would do color ways for some of their best clients.  I never thought I’d make it, but I did.  The owner of TLE, Sheri Berger, notified me late last year that I was getting a color way named after me and I’d be a Loopy Legend.

Now Jorgie would have gotten a real kick out of that, because he used to tease me that I was a legend in my own mind.  Funny boy.  He loved word plays.  And he’d make me laugh every time with this one.

Sheri asked me to send her a picture of something that meant something to me for the dyer’s inspiration.  I selected a shot of the Outer Banks of North Carolina because it’s where Jorgie and I had our happiest vacation times with family.  We loved going down there and soaking up the sun, enjoying the waves and just being with the ones we love.

Thursday I got the first glimpse of my yarn.  It’s gorgeous!!!  More than I could have hoped for.

And sweet Sheri named it after both Jorgie and me.  That meant so very much to me.  So here it is.  Kat and Jorgie’s Outer Banks.  Photo courtesy of The Loopy Ewe.  I know my darling Jorgie is smiling down on me and enjoying this with me.  I may have ordered a few skeins.  How could I not?

Image