Everybody Has a But by Sally Shupe

This past week I worked on transitioning to working from home, BUT it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. (I am so thankful I still have my job, but I miss my office-a whole lot more than I thought I would!) No more quiet office space. No more office. No more space. My office is now the side of the dining room table.

Have you come across any BUTS? I’d be rich, BUT. I’d run a marathon, BUT. I’d be a writer, BUT. What do those BUTS do to us? They discourage us; they hinder us; if we let them, they’ll determine our future before we even get started!

What BUT is holding you back? Can’t get that first paragraph going? Can’t finish the first draft? Why not? I’d start working on that paragraph, BUT? I’d finish the story I’m writing, BUT? But what? I’d clean my refrigerator, BUT? The first thing that pops in my mind is: I don’t know where to start. Let me help with that.

Pick up your sponge and cleaner. Pick up a pen and paper. Or log onto your computer, open a blank document, and put your fingers on the keyboard. Ready? Now go! Give yourself 5 minutes. 30 minutes. Whatever you want to start with. Just start. That’s all it takes. You’ll be amazed at the progress you make. You can have a clean refrigerator. You can have all the laundry washed and dried. Maybe not put away, but it can be clean lol. Until the next pile starts. But that’s okay. If just one load gets done, that’s one more than you had done. If you only get one paragraph written, that’s okay. You’re one paragraph closer to finishing your book. Just get started. If you run for 20 minutes, you’re on your way to running a marathon. Look at you go. Nothing can stop you now!

Everybody’s timeline is different. Don’t compare yourself to others. If it takes all day to get one thing done, that’s fine. You did it. Or got started. Because we all know as soon as you sit down to do something, something else will happen. Be kind to yourself. Decide what you want to accomplish, and go for it.

This week, let’s kick those BUTS to the curb. Let’s do this thing, whether it’s cleaning house, that one thing you don’t want to start, getting that first draft finished, entering that contest. We can do this. There are no more BUTS!

Share what your one thing is and let’s support each other in getting that one thing done! My one thing: Finishing this story I started. It’s about halfway done. Let’s get started!

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids-a daughter still at home and a son nearby, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and three more in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia.

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze; a content editor for Prism (became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and a PRO member of RWA; loves genealogy, running, and crocheting.

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.

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Celebrate! by Sally Shupe

Happy December! The month of celebration. I thought about what I’d set out to accomplish over the year. In some areas, I accomplished everything I set out to do. In other areas, I fell short. But you know what? Overall, I am happy with how this year turned out. My writing has grown, I’ve made new friends, I’ve got some great new ideas for more stories for next year. I’m excited!

Don’t focus on what didn’t get accomplished this year, and why you couldn’t get those items marked off your list. Didn’t get that remodel done? Didn’t find that great new job? Didn’t get that one last box emptied? Or maybe you didn’t get that book written, or finish the outline for your next book. Instead, focus on what you did accomplish. Look at your completed tasks. Did you get an outline typed up, flesh out characters for a book, enter a contest, get feedback? Did you find a critique partner? Celebrate the little things you did get done! Reward yourself for continually working toward your goal.

So. What are you celebrating? Every step forward is a step to be celebrated. Didn’t completely follow that diet plan? Celebrate that you’re more active now than you used to be, or that you’re eating more vegetables than you used to. Don’t focus on the negative, on the things you didn’t get done, the obstacles that you couldn’t control. Did life get in the way of you accomplishing your goals? Look at what you did get done during that time. Sometimes just showing up takes everything you’ve got. Celebrate that! Celebrate all the little things that make life special to you. A sweet smile, an unexpected visitor or card, writing an extra 500 words, a new idea for your next book. A snowstorm-or maybe that’s just me lol.

While you’re celebrating the season, and the reason for the season, pull out all the little and big things you’ve accomplished this year, and celebrate those things. Merry Christmas!

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and others in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia.

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze (now closed); a content editor for Prism (became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and ACFW Virginia; and loves genealogy, running, and crocheting.

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.