winter update + spring goals (+ an announcement)

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

The weather where I live is once again unpredictable and slightly infuriating. It was beautiful, sunny, warm weather last week, and on the day I write this it is snowing.

Ah well, such is living in Michigan. If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it’ll change. I am glad for the chances of sunny skies, at least, because it means that we are slowly moving away from the gray days of winter and into the hope and promise of spring.

The winter was pretty uneventful, but here are some highlights:

• beginning work on a new novel inspired by my family and heritage
• reconnecting with some old friends
• a vacation with my sister by the ocean and meeting up with an online friend while there
• attending a five-day class to learn about the government in my state’s Capitol
• accompanying my sister in solo and ensemble
• voting for the first time

And with that quick little recap, let’s go over the goals I set for myself way back in December.

goals from winter

prioritize rest

I would give myself two stars on this one. While I’m learning that I need to step back and limit what I can do so I can give 100% to everything, I’m not doing a great job of putting that into practice.

Once again, I’ve overcommitted myself, and I’m finding it difficult to truly step back and take time for myself. Guilt plays a large role in this, along with several surprise life events and the general busyness of this time of year (especially as a church musician during Easter season). One of those things I can control, the others I cannot.

I am still learning and growing, and while I’ve done my best to find pockets of rest, this is looking like a season where God is teaching me to rely on Him to get through everything. Life is busy right now, but I trust that it’s for a reason and I will learn something through it.

lessen dependence on screens

I’ve actually done pretty well on this one! During the month of January, I reread Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism and tried a month-long digital declutter, removing unnecessary technologies from my life for thirty days and spending time disconnected, exploring other passions and spending time in my own head. I also committed to spending the entire year off of Instagram, which (I hope) will kick my social media use to the curb for good.

Admittedly, I haven’t been the best at always sticking to the principles I outlined for myself, but my screen usage has gone down drastically. I’ve picked up new healthy hobbies like working out and devouring books in 24 hours like I used to when I was little. I’ve already read 27 books this year. It’s amazing the time you can take back when you’re not constantly scrolling.

If you feel like you’re getting stuck in the endless scrolling and screen usage, I highly recommend Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism. It’s a compelling and effective argument for disconnecting in the digital age–which is not nearly as scary as it sounds.

finish the Iliad

Check! I finished reading Homer’s Iliad and wrote an essay about kleos, the Greek concept of lasting renown and glory through accomplishing great deeds. I began reading the Odyssey, but I haven’t quite finished it yet.

goals for spring

Before I outline some of my goals for the upcoming season, I have a pretty big announcement to make.

For the first time in my three-year blogging career, I am taking a blogging hiatus.

There has been a lot of thought and prayer that has gone into this decision. I’ve run Quote, Unquote extremely consistently since October of 2020, posting something every single Wednesday, even when I didn’t feel like it. This was, to my younger self, a test of my discipline and commitment.

Recently, I have been viewing writing blog posts as something that I have to do to keep my streak alive. I have let my three-year streak become almost an idol, posting consistently for the sake of being able to say that I’ve done it rather than actually serving others by sharing knowledge and encouragement. The focus has shifted, and writing blog posts has begun to feel like something I have to do or should do rather than something I want to do.

I don’t like that my heart attitude towards blogging has gone in this direction, and as life begins to get hectic, I have decided to take a few months off of blogging to reorient myself and rest a little bit. This post will be my last until my spring update in June. After that, I will return and inform you, my lovely readers, what my plans are regarding Quote, Unquote.

While I’m gone on my hiatus, here are some things I would like to accomplish:

graduate!

That’s right! I’m graduating high school in June, and I have lots of feelings regarding finally finishing my high school career. What those feelings are, I could not tell you, but they’re there. I want to take some time to sort through them and celebrate moving out of this really long season in my life as I figure out how to transition into the next one.

write my next novel

I am so close to being able to draft my second Author Conservatory novel, and I’m so excited about it. I haven’t shared much–if anything at all–about it on this blog, but that may change once it’s been written.

chip away at my tbr

I have talked about this a bit, but my current TBR pile is huge by my standards. I’d like to work on it and actually sit down and read some books when I have a little extra time. Hopefully, I’ll get that TBR down to a manageable number–well, I’m shooting for zero, but I’m not sure how feasible that is.

rest and recharge

Above all, I want to step back, take a second, and look at my blog with fresh eyes. I want to remember what my original vision was and decide where I’m going to go with this at this stage in my writing journey. I’m not sure yet what the fate of Quote, Unquote will be, so that’s one of the main things I want to think about during my hiatus.

I want to rest in other areas, too, so I think that not having to worry about blog posts is just another step towards taking things off my plate, at least for a little bit. With the Author Conservatory, senior year, and all my extracurriculars and activities, I’m finding it necessary to prune my tree a little bit, so to speak.

final thoughts

The decision to take a hiatus was not one that I made lightly. Know that I always aim to serve you, my readers, with information and recommendations you can actually use. My goal is never to do this for my gain, but to give of my time and talents for you. Right now, stepping back to help myself is the best way to help you.

I thank you for your readership, whether you’re a longtime fan or you just started reading my blog. Your support truly means the world to me–in fact, I literally could not do this without you. This isn’t goodbye, just a “see you later.”

I’d love to know your plans and goals for the upcoming spring season! What are you most excited about? I for one cannot wait to be done with snow.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you, well, in June!

autumn update + winter goals

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

While I don’t necessarily enjoy waking up before the sun, I do love watching the sun rise from the easterly window at the coffee shop where I work. The days are so short now, which means that I can watch the sun rise and set in the same day. I’ve begun taking a picture of each spectacular sunset and sunrise I see, and I have quite a nice collection to look back and marvel on.

This fall was simple–uneventful, yet full of delightful small joys. Mostly, it was figuring out how to navigate the many large blessings I had suddenly been handed over the late spring and summer without draining myself. It has been a season of balance and learning.

Some of my favorite things included:

• trips to the cider mill (although I got stung by a wasp once, which was not a favorite thing)
• watching my little sister go to homecoming for the first time
• getting my senior pictures taken
• launching my business, Seedlings Latin Academy
• an extremely intense game of Monopoly with my two best friends (I lost and I’m still bitter)
• staying up too late to listen to 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
• playing at an incredible Reformation service
• drafting my first Author Conservatory novel
• reading the Conservatory’s first student anthology!

Now that we’ve done a quick little three-month recap, let’s look over my goals from September, shall we?

goals from autumn

restart my email list

For the second time in a row, I have managed to completely let this goal slip by me–which is a sign that I just don’t have the mental energy for it right now.

Honestly, that’s fine by me. Right now, an email list is not a high priority. I will learn how to build and maintain one later with the Author Conservatory, so it’s not something I need to do right now. I’m choosing to let go of this goal for now and not put too much pressure on myself to do things faster than is good for me.

re-teach myself Latin

With the launching of my Latin tutoring business, I had to do a bit of a refresher on Latin basics. It was surprising how hard it was at first to pick it back up, but I got there in the end! I’m no expert by any means–I won’t be reading anything harder than accounts of the Gallic War anytime soon–but it’s more than enough to be able to pass on to students.

learn something new

When I made this goal, I had sewing specifically in mind. I wanted to learn how to make my own clothes. But as the season went on, it because apparent that sewing was not a very high priority at the moment. I was just too busy juggling everything else.

And I was fine with that. Sure, it’s something I want to do eventually–I just don’t have the time or energy to do it right now. For now, I will focus on improving and learning in the skills I already have before moving on to something new.

figure out budgeting and money management

With help from my mom, who is a personal finance pro, I have been able to visualize my expenses with YNAB and create a manageable budget that works for me. I highly recommend this tool for anyone looking to improve their personal finances! It helps you set goals and track your spending. Plus, they have so many helpful resources for managing your money. Definitely check it out if you need something to kickstart your personal finance game–especially heading into the new year.

make connections and engage

With advice from the co-founder of the Conservatory, I’ve been attending more calls and making more of an effort to be present in the program. It can be hard for me to make connections online, but I’m slowly starting to integrate myself into the community and become someone I would look up to. I have a feeling that this is not going to be a “one and done” goal–it’s something I’m going to be working on for a while.

goals for winter

prioritize rest

I have learned the hard way that rest is not something that can be put off. You need to rest before your body decides it needs to rest and shuts off entirely. It prevents burnout and allows you to work more effectively in the long run.

I love my work and am continually striving to be better, which is a perfect cocktail for “workaholic.” If I don’t take breaks and listen to what my mind, soul, and body need, then I’m not going to be able to work at all. Over the winter, I will be implementing strategies to prioritize rest such as not working at all on certain days and going at my own pace, not trying to “outdo myself.”

lessen dependence on screens

I’ve had “lower screentime” as a seasonal goal several times before, but I think that I’ve been going about it wrong. Instead of telling myself I need to use my screens less, I need to lessen my dependence so I don’t feel like I have to use my screens at all.

At the moment, I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to do that, but I know that a reread of Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism can help me figure that out. I hope to develop some strategies and report back in the spring with results!

finish the Iliad

I started reading the Iliad months ago, and it’s fallen to the wayside. This month I’d like to finish it and move into the Odyssey. It’s a fairly straightforward and low-pressure goal–which I need!

final thoughts

It’s been a small-joys kind of fall, and I hope those same small joys will continue through the winter. I’m working on finding beauty even in the hard times. The sunrises make it all worth it.

What goals have you set for yourself in the coming winter? Let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

summer update + autumn goals

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

I stepped outside this morning to pick some fresh raspberries for my pancakes (yes, raspberry pancakes–they were delicious) and there was a bite in the air. Even as I write now, the scent of cinnamon is drifting from the breakfast cookies baking in the oven and a cool breeze blows from the open window. I got to wear my favorite sweater the other day, and it made me think, Ah, yes. Fall is here.

And if fall is here, that means it’s time for another seasonal update! I love writing these posts, truly. It gives me time to reflect and think about what’s going on in my life and how I can grow throughout the coming season.

My summer was…nuts. It was just one big life event after the other. I got (and kept!) a job I love, started studying at the Author Conservatory, met one of my best online friends in person for the first time, went to the YDubs Conference, and fell back in love with writing, among other things.

There were a lot of things I planned or intended to do but never did, but there were lots of things that I did do that made my summer an overall success.

Some small joys included:

• reading Brandon Sanderson for the first time and surprising myself with how much I liked it
• really long bike rides with my sister
• a youth gathering on Mackinac Island and hiking ten miles a day
• buying new books, including two that have been on my wish list for ages
• a day trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan with my best friends (and some old friends surprising us there)
• a retreat at a local Lutheran college to learn about church work and hearing their organ
• lots of visits from the neighborhood cat
• buying my online friends pizza during the YDubs Conference
• a day trip to Cedar Point with my (extremely chaotic) youth group
• plenty of Taylor Swift (especially during August)

Now that we’ve overviewed my summer, let’s look at the goals I made back in June, shall we?

goals from summer

stay on top of schoolwork and balance time well

I’d give myself a seven out of ten on this one. While I’ve mostly been doing a good job of staying on top of my Author schoolwork, some things fell by the wayside during July and August. I’m catching up on them now, but I still can’t help but feel like I’ve put myself behind. Which, technically, I guess I have, but I know what I need to do to catch up, so it’s not a big deal!

As for managing time well…I could probably have spent a little less time scrolling through Pinterest and a little more time being productive this summer. A lot of times I would get home from work and utterly crash, needing to give my brain a break, which meant an excuse to scroll through my phone endlessly. In reality, that was probably making things worse.

But I can’t get that time back, so all I can do is scold myself and not do it again. I’ve learned my lesson!

restart my email list

This…did not happen. It’s kind of a big project, because it requires creating additional content on a somewhat regular basis, and I did not have the brainpower to do it over the summer with everything else going on.

I did ask some people if they would like to join for the relaunch, and I got a couple of new emails, but I never sent anything. I will be putting this on my list of autumn goals, though! It will happen. I hope.

read more good books

I hit a reading slump during the midsummer. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t force myself to read more. It was a weird feeling, and I didn’t like it.

However, I did manage to find two new favorite books: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Plus, I reread the Harry Potter series and some childhood favorites like Harriet the Spy and Little House in the Big Woods.

I recapped my summer reading journey in last week’s post–if you’d like to see some thoughts on those books, check it out!

goals for autumn

restart my email list

Oh look, it’s back.

For real this time! I plan to create content with lessons that I’m learning in life that don’t necessarily belong here, publicly, on my blog. Things that God has been teaching me, experiences I’m having, and, probably the most fun thing, updates on my actual writing projects. I’d like to do emails every other week or every month. If you’re interested in signing up, I’d love to have you!

sign up for my email list

re-teach myself Latin

Latin isn’t a part of my core curriculum anymore since I left Classical Conversations, but big things are coming (oooo…) that require it. I just can’t escape it, as much as I’d like to. So I will be going back to the basics and relearning everything that I thought I could forget for my senior year of high school.

Funny how that works. I thought I would never need it. Guess all those crazy homeschool moms were right. (Love you, Mom!)

learn something new

I have so. Many. Hobbies. Yet for some reason I am never satisfied and always want to do something else. This fall I’d like to pick one thing–yes, one–and stick to it. I want to practice it and get good at it.

I don’t know what that will be. It might be something I do but don’t do often enough, like archery, or it might be something totally new, like machine sewing. Whatever it is, I plan to create a schedule and teach myself as much as I can about it.

figure out budgeting and money management

This is one of those adult skills that I know I have to have but am too intimidated to actually start. Fortunately, my mom is a budgeting wizard and (hopefully) will be able to help me. Plus, I’m taking a personal finance course for my senior year, so I expect to get at least an overview then.

make connections and engage

I’m part of a community on the Author Conservatory now that’s relatively small and close-knit. I know some of the students, but I’d like to be more outgoing and make real, deep, personal connections with other young authors like me. It’s hard for me to make friends online, but that’s mostly due to the fact that I forget to respond to messages for days at a time, which means that that’s really on me.

final thoughts

This fall, I will not be going back to Classical Conversations like I have every single year since I was about six years old. Instead, I’ll be learning at home, working on my writing projects, working at my job, and juggling all the normal teenager things. It’s definitely something new that’s going to require adjusting, but I know that with discipline, I can accomplish all these goals and more.

Thank you so much for tuning in! Your support means more to me than you know. I’d love to hear about your goals for the fall–go ahead and drop them in the comments.

I’ll see you next Wednesday!

how to hit your word goal every single day

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

One of the most common (if not the most common) struggles writers have is consistency. Writing consistently requires building a habit, which requires discipline, and a lot of writers lack that. Don’t get me wrong–so do I; I’m not throwing stones when I am also standing in a glass house.

It’s often hard to carve time out of a busy schedule to write. And sometimes, maybe, your schedule isn’t so busy, but you sit down at your computer and open your document and you just feel like you’re staring down this giant hurdle that you know you could jump over, but it would take so much energy that you just don’t have, so you give up. I’ve been there, believe me. I’ve been there more times than you care to admit.

But today I want to share with you one simple, tried-and-true trick that has helped me whenever I’ve been struggling to write. This one little thing will drastically increase the amount that you write and completely change your attitude about sitting down to write.

Are you ready for it? Here it is:

Lower your word goal.

That’s right, you heard me. Lower your word goal.

If you’re in any sort of literary circle, you’ve probably heard of Terry Pratchett before. He was an enormous English fantasy author known for his Discworld series of 41 books. He was knighted in 2009 for his services to literature. Informally speaking, he was a big deal.

Do you want to know what his wordcount goal was every single day?

Only 400 words.

This man published over 50 books during his 66 years, books that were consistently of high quality, and every single calendar day he committed to sitting down and writing a minimum of 400 words per day. If it seemed easy to get the average out, he would push himself and write more.

I’ve heard of authors decreasing their wordcount goal from thousands of words per day to 300, 200, even just 150 words per day, and they all reported the same thing. They were more excited to write because they had more mental energy to devote to their story.

Some days you just have “one of those days,” and you sit down to write and realize that you have to write a thousand words to hit your goal. It feels insurmountable, doesn’t it? It feels like a giant wall that there’s absolutely no way you can jump over. You push the words out, but it feels like they’re limping out, sluggish and slow, and you get more and more frustrated before you eventually decide to just give up, and then you feel terrible because you didn’t hit your word goal for the day.

But even just 200 words per day is manageable. 200 words is ten to fifteen minutes on a good day, and maybe thirty on a bad one. And most days you’ll end up writing even more, because you just have to finish this scene or this piece of dialogue.

Goals have to be achievable. Setting a goal of running a marathon when you’ve never run a mile is just absurd. Start small and work your way up. Once 200 words feels easy, crank it up to 300. Then 400. Soon you’ll be accustomed to writing a thousand words per day, and it’ll feel like nothing.

Remember to go at your own pace, though. Give yourself time to ease into your new habit before you start raising your goal. It may seem easy at first, but it’s also easy to burn yourself out. It’s tempting to compare yourself to other writers who may be doing bigger and better, but you are you. You know your limits and your needs. Push yourself in order to grow, but don’t push yourself too hard that you trip and fall right onto the pavement.

Start small, my friends. Lower the wall so you can jump over it easily. Set achievable goals and raise them bit by bit. You’re doing amazing, and I’m so proud of you.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

spring update + summer goals

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

Today is officially the first day of summer, and I am so excited. Summer is always filled with the promise of sunshine, warm days, and possibility.

The first day of summer also means a new seasonal update, so let’s look back on my goals from springtime, shall we?

spring update

habits

get back into running

Total fail. Absolute and complete fail. I think I’ve just come to realize that running isn’t for me—I find it tedious and generally not stimulating enough. I’m coming to realize that a goal of running a half marathon is just not feasible for me. Maybe for future Liesl. In the meantime, I need to figure out a way to get moving that doesn’t feel like a chore.

research and implement time management strategies

I’ve actually been doing so much better at time management since school let out! I think that while I was so caught up in the stress of schoolwork, it was difficult for me to implement another new thing into my life, but now that that’s over I can focus more on personal betterment.

I’ve been using my Google Calendar much more efficiently lately and actually staying on top of my schedule, which is something I haven’t really ever been good with. Being able to have my calendar color-coded and easy to glance at on my phone has really helped. Another thing that has been useful for me is timeblocking, where you block off specific times for specific tasks and then only do that task during that time. I don’t use it all the time, but when I have an especially busy day or week and lots of things to do, it’s very helpful to visualize how I’m going to use my time.

stay on top of my Bible reading

I’m pleased to report that I’m actually ahead of my Bible reading plan! I read my Bible every night before I go to bed. Technically speaking, there was only one day this year where I missed it, but it was because I went to bed at five o’clock the next morning and I read it then. (And before you judge me for going to bed at five o’clock, it was a youth group event and I’ve never stayed up that late before in my life. It’s not a regular occurrence.)

goals

survive junior year

I made it! Picture me flopping back dramatically with my hand on my forehead, because that’s kind of what it feels like. Towards the end there, during the last few weeks, I didn’t think I was going to be able to get through all my schoolwork and still be of sound mind. But now I’m on the other side, and my sanity is still intact—well, as intact as it can be for me, at least.

It was tough for a few weeks there, but I can look back on my year fondly. I think it was probably the best year of high school I ever had. It was rough, sure, but I learned and grew so much and had so much fun with my class. Worth every little bit of stress.

outline and draft a new project

I didn’t get this one done, but it’s for a good reason. In late spring, an opportunity arose for me to join the Author Conservatory, my college alternative program, early. I was already accepted into the program and was due to start in September, but who was I to pass up a head start? So I’ve held off on starting anything new so I’m not too entrenched in anything during the concept-creating stages.

take up a new hobby

I’m going to twist my previous words a little bit and say that “hobby” in this case just means “something new to occupy my free time.” And I found something! I recently got a job at a little local coffee and ice cream shop nearby, and I really love working there. Now I’m obsessed with all things coffee.

summer goals

I’m actually going to forgo the habits this summer, simply because I couldn’t think of any to put in. I’m doing pretty well habits-wise, honestly, which is a first. So this summer I’m going to only focus on one-time goals that I’d like to accomplish before the fall.

stay on top of schoolwork and balance time well

I just got out of school…only to go right back into school. Since I joined the Author Conservatory, I’m a college student now! (This time, though, it’s school that I want to do, not school that I have to do.) And, as mentioned, I now have a job. Which is going to make things…interesting.

Between Author calls, schoolwork, working, and all my other regular obligations, I’m not going to have time to waste. I’m going to be using the time management skills I figured out in the springtime religiously during this new season. Plus, I’d like to have time to myself to do stuff that I want to do—like sleep. Sleep would be good.

restart my email list

I had an email list that I would send monthly updates on a while ago, but I fell out of the habit pretty quickly. I think that in my mind I thought that no one would really want to read about what was going on in my life, but recently I’ve been thinking and reading others’ newsletters and realizing that, hey, I like knowing what’s going on in other people’s lives, why wouldn’t people like to know about mine?

So starting in July I’m going to restart my email list and send either monthly or bimonthly updates about my life—things I’ve done, progress updates, generally things you won’t necessarily get to read about here. If you’re not subscribed and you’d like to be, you can sign up here. I look forward to sharing more of myself with you!

read more good books

I haven’t been doing a ton of reading lately, but what little I have been doing is, like, Harry Potter. I’d like to read some thought-provoking, good books—not necessarily nonfiction, although that’s definitely a goal as well.

final thoughts

I know that as far as goal-setting posts go, this is one of my shorter ones. I’m expecting my summer to be mostly repetitive—working, schoolwork, hanging out with friends—and increased workloads and trying to balance everything leaves me with not much time or mental energy to try new things. Although, maybe we’ll see! Who knows what God has in store for my summer?

That’s all for today, folks. What are some of your summer goals? What are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

winter update + spring goals

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

We are once again in that magical time of year where the misery of winter is slowly lifting and spring will soon be upon us. I say “will soon be” because I live in Michigan and it doesn’t really act like spring here until around mid-April. Although it is nice to just be able to say that it’s spring.

But you know the drill–it’s time for an update and some goal-setting for the new season!

winter update

I’m trying to remember what even happened this winter. It feels like it rushed by so quickly, what with school and church and school and writing and…school.

I got to see some long-distance friends for my birthday–I hadn’t seen them since they moved in August, and it was so fun to catch up with them.

And then a month later I got to see them again! Their school was going to the March for Life and the Lutherans for Life conference in Washington, D. C. in January, and they invited us to go with them. The March is an enormous peaceful protest against abortion–one of the largest and longest-running in the country–and this year’s was especially momentous, a celebration of the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Since the March, I’ve been doing research on the pro-life movement and getting more involved. It was one of the best times of my life, I think.

In February my sister and I flew down to Alabama by ourselves to visit our grandparents for a week. We stayed on the beach and swam in the pool every single day. It was nice to get away from the cold for a little bit, especially because while we were down there, some enormous ice storms hit. We lost so many tree branches. It was no joke, y’all.

I also built a huge floating island in Minecraft that I’m too proud of not to share. Hey, we all gotta be nerdy sometimes, right?

Those were the highlights of my winter! Now on to the real reason we’re here–my goals and habits.

habits

implement strategies to reduce screentime

I flopped on this one–big-time. Especially when we were on vacation. It felt like a break from normal responsibilities, so I justified my screen use as such, and it was atrocious. I think that my problem was the fact that I didn’t have any specific goals or strategies–I just told myself to cut back and called it a day. Obviously, that doesn’t work, so this goal is going back on the list.

read at least one book every week

I did not strictly adhere to the “one book a week” policy, but I did read a lot in the winter: 37 books total. January was about half of that with 19 books. It was slightly ridiculous. I’ve been rereading a lot of old cozy favorites that make me feel at home.

write blog posts ahead of time

The fact that I’m writing this sixteen hours before it has to go out should speak for itself.

make my pen pals a priority

I think I wrote approximately one letter since my last post, despite still having a stack of them. To my pen pals reading this post: I’m sorry. Don’t give up on me.

goals

begin drafting a “fun” project

I did not actually draft anything, but I have been working on some character development and outlining for a new project! The progress has been slow, but it’s still there. It’s hard to incorporate writing into my daily life. The actions involved are very similar to that of doing schoolwork, which already takes up most of my day, and by the time I’m done with my school there is nothing I want less than to be still typing away at my computer. I think that I just need to figure out a good strategy to differentiate it from school.

work on making money

I had a plan for this, but it fell through because I did not start it in motion when I should have. I have a big problem with actually starting projects, especially intimidating ones, and I let it get to me this time. Nobody’s fault but my own. I’m kind of disappointed in myself, but I know that I can’t stay disappointed in myself and that I just have to get back up on my feet and get working.

spend more quality time with my sister

Though my only sister is now at private school, we still spend a fair amount of time together (mostly crying over Taylor Swift). I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out with her being away all day, but our relationship seems to not be suffering from her leaving. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

knit a sweater

I never ended up buying yarn for this because I’m broke, but I am almost finished with a really nice scarf! Of course, this is right when it’s starting to get warm and it wouldn’t make sense for me to wear it. Oh well–maybe I can get some use out of it before Michigan decides to behave.

spring plans

habits

get back into running

If you recall, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to run a half-marathon. I still need to get on signing up for one, and I need to start training, especially since I haven’t run since the fall. All the half-marathon training programs I’ve found have you starting out running three miles, and since I can barely get through one without feeling like I’m going to die, I think I need to train. For the training.

…Anyway.

research and implement time management strategies

I’ve been slipping on my time management, and it’s getting to me. I while away hours without really meaning to. It’s been hitting me lately that I can’t get those hours back, and that is a tragedy, so I’m going to up my time management game through this last semester.

stay on top of my Bible reading

Another one of my resolutions was to read the whole Bible in a year. I started out strong, but now I’m finding myself two whole books behind. Oops. I need to weave it into my daily life somehow–maybe make it a part of my school day? We’ll see.

goals

survive junior year

I’m only partially joking on this one. Right now, school is repeatedly punching me in the face. There’s where time management comes in again–I procrastinate a lot and then end up doing all of my schoolwork the day before it’s due. I’ve only got six weeks of school left, but those six weeks are feeling like a lifetime. So my goal here is to just…hang on and not lose my mind. We’ll see how it goes.

outline and draft a new project

While I don’t associate myself with the NaNoWriMo organization anymore, I still want to do something similar to Camp NaNoWriMo and host myself a mini novel writing challenge. I’d like to have a larger goal and a longer time limit. I have an inkling of something to write, and I’m excited about it!

take up a new hobby

My “crafts” board on Pinterest has almost 1200 pins and 22 sections, mostly things that I haven’t done yet but would like to. I even have most of the tools for many of them, but I just haven’t been able to start them for one reason or another. Once school lets out, I intend to actually get started and do something new and creative.

final thoughts

I feel like this is a much longer post than I normally put out. I hope you don’t mind me talking about myself for 1300 words.

You know what–what am I saying? You could have not read this post. But you’re here at the end, and I appreciate you for that.

I’m hoping you all had a good winter and will have a good spring! What did you do this winter? What are some of your goals for spring?

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

my vision for 2023

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

I typed “2022” at first there, and then realized that while I may be writing this in 2022, it is not 2022 anymore. Kind of sad about that, honestly–23 isn’t nearly as nice a number as 22.

But it’s a new year, a new start. And I am excited to see what 2023 has in store for me.

In this post, I’ll be outlining some goals I have for the year of 2023. It’s going to be a big one for me, because at the end of 2023 I will become a legal adult. I expect much of this year is going to be spent preparing for that while I’m still a minor and living in my parents’ house.

Anyway, here are my big goals for the year.

read through the whole Bible

This has been a goal of mine for a while, and now that I’m trying to take charge of my faith more, I’ve decided that this is the year to do it. I’m using a Bible reading plan by the Bible Project on the YouVersion app, and so far I’m really liking it. I hope I’ll be able to be consistent with it!

make my own money

Self-sufficiency in adulthood starts with financial self-sufficiency. Obviously (and unfortunately), money is the driving force behind surviving in the “real world.”

I’m currently unemployed, but that’s what this is all about. Ideally, I’d like to be self-employed, but if that doesn’t work out, I’ll be working towards it while working under someone else. I’d love to have my own business, maybe a service or an Etsy shop.

I’m also including in this goal becoming financially literate, as well as saving money. l plan to do Dave Ramsey’s finance course after I finish my current matIh, which I expect will help also.

run a half marathon

This is a big goal for me. It feels kind of daunting even to be writing down, but hey, that’s why I’m doing this. I want to do something daunting with my physical health, and seeing as I’ve only ever struggled through 5ks before, half marathons are definitely the type of challenge I’m looking for.

I don’t have one picked out yet, but there’s time for that. I have to prep and train and do all that fun stuff first. (“Fun” maybe isn’t quite the right word, but it’ll do.)

try something new platform-wise

I know that I want to continue with my blog and email list—it’s working for me now and I enjoy blogging—but I’d also like to switch it up abit. I’m not entirely sure what that means right now, but possibly an author social media account, like Instagram. I’ll work out the details as they come. Keep your eyes peeled!

finish at least one draft of a novel

I’m keeping this goal realistic. Ideally, I would finish more than one, but I know that I have to do all the plotting and everything as well. I enjoyed the rush of finishing NaNoWriMo, and I hope I’ll be able to experience that or something like it at least once this year.

learn more life skills

This goal started out as “cook more meals,” but then I realized that I should probably change it to “learn more life skills” because I’m kind of lacking in that department. I’m growing up, and I need to know adult things, much as I don’t want to. My dad has already taught me how to change my car’s oil and replace its wiper blades, and I’d like to be able to do basically anything myself to save as much money as possible.

Unfortunately, that list also includes baking my own bread, because it’s super cheap. It’s just that me and bread making have a long-standing mutual dislike of each other. Hopefully I’ll learn!

be nice to myself

This is the biggie. I tend to “joke” about myself a lot in a negative light, and I think my friends are sick of it. I can’t say that I am, honestly, but I love my friends enough to knock it off for them. So my word of the year this year is kindness. I’m going to be kind to myself, even if it kills me.

final thoughts

I feel like I’ve got a lot to do this year. For the last few years, I’ve approached the new year with a sense of dread. But now, I think that I’m mature enough to face the new year with my arms wide open, saying, What new challenges will grow me this year?

I hope you all have had a blessed holiday season and will make the most of this fresh start.

autumn update + winter goals

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

Today is the first day of winter, which…I can’t say I’m happy about, honestly. I live in Michigan, so it gets gray and gross and dreary. Snow helps, but it’s still wet, and I much prefer to stay inside, thank you. But I did tell myself after visiting hot, humid Houston in July that I would never complain about the cold again, so I guess I have to stick to that promise.

Anyway, the winter solstice means a seasonal recap! Last time, I introduced a new system for making goals. I’m doing both goals and habits this time–habits are ongoing things, and goals are one-time things to accomplish. When I’m making new habits, they’re compounding on the old ones; I’m not getting rid of the old ones entirely, just not giving you a recap every time. Goals, however, are a one-time thing, so you won’t see those popping up again.

Without further ado, let’s hop right in!

autumn goals and habits

habits

cut back on screentime

I did pretty well on this one for a little bit…and then November hit, and for whatever reason, my screen usage started to slowly get worse and worse. I think the real problem here was that I didn’t have enough boundaries in place. Going forward, I plan to start putting actual roadblocks in place–things like installing the Freedom app so I don’t get distracted by YouTube and Pinterest while I’m doing schoolwork and setting up Apple’s family monitoring settings so I don’t spend as much time on my phone every day.

start “touching” my writing daily

All through October and November, this was pretty much a necessity because of NaNo. I did really well with this one! I am taking a break for December because the holiday season is busy and I’m burned out after NaNo, but I plan to get back into it in January with a new idea for a novella.

work out & spend more time in nature

I did really well with this one until it started to get cold. For a while, I had a good fitness accountability group going on YDubs, but then the workout program ended and I didn’t start a new one. I was pretty good with using our Wii Fit for a little while there, but after Thanksgiving it fizzled out. I have a plan for exercising in the new year, however, which I plan to implement once the holidays are over.

utilize the YDubs content library

I’m proud of myself for keeping up with this one! I’ve made a serious dent in the library, which I’m super proud of. I want to have the entire library finished by the time I leave YDubs, which is going to take some work, but I think it’ll be worth it.

goals

win NaNoWriMo

If you’ve been following my blog at all for the past few months, you know that I have accomplished this one! I’m so proud of myself for finishing. Third time’s the charm, I guess.

There’s not a lot I can say here that I haven’t already said, so I’m just going to move on.

come up with a new concept for “fun” writing

Check! I actually have a few ideas that I’d like to draft sometime during the new year.

read three or more new nonfiction books and apply them to my life

I fell just short of this one–I only read two books–but the books I read, Atomic Habits and The Slight Edge, did help a lot. You’ll likely see more about these books in the beginning of the new year. Get ready!

write three or more original poems

Well, it wouldn’t be a goals update if I didn’t not get one of my goals, would it? I did not write any poetry, although that will change as I continue to study it in schoolwork. I did consume lots of great poetry, though.

advance my knowledge of SEO and other blogging techniques

I’ll give myself partial credit on this one. I did do some research and have been working to make my headlines as SEO-optimized as possible, but I didn’t do as much as I would have liked.

winter goals and habits

habits

implement strategies to reduce screentime

This is the biggie. My phone and laptop tend to dominate my time recently. I love to play Minecraft and chat with my friends that live far away, but not at the expense of my other worthwhile, screen-less hobbies. Plus, the more time I spend on my screens, the worse my mental health gets. I can say I’m going to spend less time on my phone all I want, but until I actually put that into practice, it’s not going to do me any good.

read at least one book every week

I’ve been in a reading slump lately, and I really miss just reading for pleasure. I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to read “more intellectual” things–nonfiction, classic fiction, the like. And you know what? I miss reading for fun. So I want to just read and not worry about reading “good” things. That can come later.

write blog posts ahead of time

Heh…so…I’m writing this post the day before it has to go out. I actually really hate doing this–I hate procrastinating in general–but I just can’t seem to stop. So I need to figure out some ways to force myself to do the work ahead of time.

make my pen pals a priority

I have a stack of letters sitting right next to me that I haven’t even opened…postmarked from October. (If we’re pen pals and you’re reading this, I’m really sorry.) I want to make meaningful connections through thoughtful, handwritten letters, but I often find myself pushing off writing back in favor of other ways of spending my time.

goals

begin drafting a “fun” project

I just want to write. Without the pressure of NaNo, without stress or deadlines, just writing purely for fun. I also want to write something I can share with my friends, because they’re all clamoring to read my NaNo project, and I know that if I don’t give them something they’ll hack into my computer somehow and find my awful first draft. No thank you. Gotta give them shiny things to distract them.

work on making money

I am scarily close to being an actual adult with, like, actual responsibilities and bills and–ew–taxes, and it’s time that I start figuring out a way to financially support myself. I’m not going to go into details because I don’t exactly know what I’m doing yet, but I do know that it’s time that I figure out what I’m doing.

spend more quality time with my sister

My sister is going to private school next semester. For the first time in our lives, she and I won’t both be homeschooled. It’s going to be harder to see her because she’ll be at school all day and she’s already busy as heck, but I’d like to spend more time with her, going shopping or getting coffee or just doing fun stuff.

knit a sweater

No, I’m serious. Honestly, this goal goes hand-in-hand with the “spend less time on my screen” one. I like to knit and I need more things to make, plus I have an easy pattern for a sweater, so why not? I’ll do other things than watch YouTube all day, plus I’ll get a cool new sweater out of it in the process that I can point to and say “I made it myself.”

final thoughts

I haven’t made ambitious goals this season, because I know that second semester always sneaks up on you and nearly murders you. Mostly, I just want my goals to be attainable and fun to do. I want to better myself while also giving myself just a little bit of a break, and I think with the goals I have set, I’ll be able to accomplish that.

Thanks for listening to me ramble! Have you made any goals for the winter season? The new year is creeping up on us pretty fast. I feel like I need to get my life in order.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

my 10,000-word experiment + tips for trying this at home

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

Last Tuesday, on November 1, I did something crazy.

I wrote ten thousand words in one day.

I wanted to do this to get a head start on NaNo, so that when there were days when I just couldn’t write more than a few hundred words I would still be okay and be on target for finishing the full 50K. (And honestly, it’s just kind of fun to be able to tell people that you wrote ten thousand words in one day.)

I’m gonna be honest. It was exhausting. It took me five hours and twenty minutes total to finish the whole thing. I’ll walk you through my day and tell you how it went, and then give you some tips for attempting this on your own.

Ready?

my 10,000-word day

I woke up in the morning feeling pretty pumped. I ate breakfast, worked out, did all my usual morning stuff, and then sat down to write at 9:00. I decided to write in 50-minute sprints with 10-minute breaks in between, since that’s worked well for me in the past.

And it worked well this time! By the time I took a break for lunch, I had my first 4.5k in the bag. The words were flowing smoothly–I definitely work best in the mornings. I had planned to write as long as I needed to, but having a forecasted time of finishing was helpful. It turned out that I could write about 1.5k every fifty minutes as long as I stayed focused, so I planned to finish around 4:00.

I ate lunch and took a short walk to recharge my mental batteries and to get away from my screen for a little bit. (I also met a really cute tiny dog on my walk, which was the best thing ever. Shoutout to Stella for making my day better.)

After lunch, it was harder to focus. I kept writing until 2:50, at which point my friend texted and told me that she could play Minecraft with me, and since we hadn’t played Minecraft together for ages, I took a 40-minute break. It was kind of nice, because by that point my brain was just slipping. I was basically writing just for the sake of writing. Which is okay, because I’m writing for quantity during NaNo, not quality, but I needed a break so I didn’t burn out.

By the time I started up again, I had just over 2k to go, and I did a long sprint for this one. The last 70 minutes were a struggle, honestly. I was tired of sitting, so I made a makeshift stand-up desk on my bookshelves and wrote like that for a while. The words were just not flowing the way they had in the morning, but I pushed through it.

I finished at 4:40 in the afternoon with exactly 10,000 words. Without breaks, it took me five hours and twenty minutes. With breaks, it took me six hours and forty minutes.

And then I told everybody I knew and shut down my computer.

(Actually, that’s a lie. I played more Minecraft.)

please do try this at home, kids

If you’re aiming for a ridiculously high goal in a ridiculously short amount of time, like a day, here are some things I did to make it easier on myself.

1. tell people!

There are two reasons you need to tell people that you’re attempting to reach a high goal in a day.

Number one is motivation and accountability. Tell fellow writers or friends that support you about your goal and update them along the way. I have a few writer friends that I text on a near-daily basis, and I let them know that I was trying this so they could cheer me on. At the end of the day, after I finished, I told them that I had accomplished my goal and they all sent me lots of happy gifs and texts with exclamation points.

Number two is concentration. If you live with others, tell them that you’re going to be disappearing into your story for the day. If for whatever reason you’re unable to secure a quiet place at home where you can work uninterrupted, consider going to the library or even a friend’s house and set up shop there for the day. For me, I knew that if I was going to attempt this, I would need to not be interrupted constantly, because that would take me out of my “flow.” Fortunately, the only other person at home the day I did this was my mom, and since she had to do a bunch of her own desk work, I let her know that I would be disappearing and she agreed to stay out of my way.

2. set an attainable goal

Set a goal that you know you can reach. I knew that I could do a whole 10k in one day if I tried–I’d just never tried before. If I had set a goal of accomplishing, like, the entirety of NaNo in one day or even one week, I would have started out psyched but quickly lost steam as I realized how unattainable that was.

Figure out what your limits are and work around them. If you can only do 5k or 2k in one day, that’s perfectly fine. The goal here is to stretch you, not break your back or various other bones.

3. plan out a schedule, but keep it flexible

My schedule was 50-minute chunks with 10-minute breaks. I had a set time for when I was going to start and when I was going to eat lunch, and I worked around that. However, I didn’t hold myself rigidly to only 50-minute chunks with 10-minute breaks–I allowed myself time to play Minecraft with my friend.

Again, figure out what works for you personally here. If you work better in shorter spurts with longer breaks, you do you. If you’d rather go for three hours straight without stopping, I don’t recommend that, but you do you.

But listen to what your mind and body are telling you and be willing to change your schedule if you need to. Breaks are so important! Please don’t stare at your computer screen all day. Take a walk, stretch, touch grass, talk to an actual human being. If the schedule you’re using isn’t working for you, you can throw it out the window and start all over.

Also, if what works for you is not having a schedule, I wouldn’t recommend that either, but it’s your choice. Learn from your prior experiences, and if you don’t have any, well, you’re making one right now and you can look back on that later.

4. make it easy on yourself

One of the big things I did to prepare for this day was do all of my schoolwork for the day ahead of time. I had everything all prepared so I could just start writing instead of worrying about my outline or anything else. I knew what I was going to eat for lunch, and having a schedule prepared me, too.

Prep things ahead of time. Finish work due before the day you’re attempting to finish your goal. Make meals and stick them in the fridge or freezer so you can just reheat them when you’re hungry. Clear your schedule so you have the entire day ahead of you to do nothing but write. You will thank yourself.

5. take care of yourself!

In my health and nutrition course, we learned that everybody has a brain reserve that all mental activities stem from. The brain reserve is replenished by getting enough sleep, exercise, fresh air and sunlight, and healthy food.

Writing is a mental activity, and your brain reserve needs restocking! Please, please, please, please exercise and eat healthily during this day. Exercise helps you more than you think. Get a good nights’ sleep before your big goal day and prep healthy meals for yourself. Please don’t just sit around all day eating junk food.

6. make it fun

The biggest thing you can do for yourself here is make yourself want to reach a crazy high goal in a crazy short amount of time. Have a story that you love writing. Surround yourself with things that make you happy–I lit my favorite candle while I was writing. Have snacks that you love on hand. Enjoy it! And enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with it.

final words

Would I recommend that you do this?

Absolutely.

Having a head start on NaNo was the best thing that came of this for me. Also, being able to say that I wrote ten thousand words in a day is pretty fun.

It’s a great way to stretch yourself and your boundaries. If you’re planning on writing seriously when you’re older (or even right now!), this is a good way to kind of test your endurance for later.

If you do attempt or have attempted a big goal day, I’d love to hear about it!

I hope this has inspired and helped you.

Love always,

summer recap + autumn goals

And so my favorite season rolls around again…I love summer so much, but I’m ready for sweatshirt weather and colored leaves.

You know what else comes up in autumn?

NaNoWriMo. *shudders*

I’m (mostly) joking. I’ve attempted NaNo twice in the past and failed both times, but I’m getting ready early and figuring out what I’ve done wrong and what I need to do this time.

But I’m getting ahead of myself! I need to go over last season’s goals before I jump into this one’s.

goals from summer

1. write for fun

This happened! I fell back in love with writing this summer after the YDubs Conference (which was amazing, by the way. I learned so much). I met some really great friends that I hadn’t previously connected with, and they brought me back to the YWW Community, which, in turn, brought me back to writing.

It felt good to finally write again. I hadn’t realized just how wrong it had felt to not be writing. The only things I’d really been writing consistently all spring and summer were blog posts, and I missed fiction immensely.

2. write two short stories

Done and done! I submitted one to my library’s short story contest and got an honorable mention. The other one I wrote for my best friend Mia’s birthday based on a concept we tried to coauthor a few years ago that failed miserably. Maybe I’ll post the finished product sometime.

3. finish the next edit of Shadows of Dreams

This one did not get done. However! I have decided to put Shadows of Dreams on the backburner for now until after NaNo. I know I always say that and then end up not working on it, but it needs a serious overhaul and that’s just not something I can give my attention to right now. I’m planning on reverse-outlining it and making it a little longer, but you’ll see more on that in December.

goals for autumn

This season, I’m doing something a little different with my goals.

I was reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (an excellent book, by the way, if you’re looking to reform your relationship with technology), and one of the things he touched on briefly was the fact that a good seasonal goal should have both things you want to achieve and habits you want to form. So I’ll be including both of those things in my goals from here on out.

I define habits as “things you do consistently that produce ongoing results” and goals as “things you work towards that will produce a singular result.” There’s a small distinction, but it’s a distinction nonetheless.

I’m also going to start listing some goals that aren’t related to writing. I think that it will help me feel more connected to you, my dear readers, and also give me a little more accountability in my personal life.

So let’s jump into my goals for the fall!

habits to form

cut back on screentime

Digital Minimalism, the book I referenced above, showed me the dangers of spending too much time on my phone and computer. I’ve started to do a digital cleanout–I deactivated all of my social media, deleted the games off of my phone, and am working on a detailed action plan to lower my screentime. There may be a post on this in the future!

start “touching” my writing daily

I want to write every single day (except maybe Sundays), and to do this, I need to form a habit. I don’t really care what I write as long as I write something, but it would be nice to have a novel to work on. More on that later.

work out & spend more time in nature

I’m terribly out of shape. Horribly, awfully out of shape. I plan to use Chloe Ting’s free workouts to build this habit, and I’m putting together a group of girls on the YWWC that also want to do this so we can keep each other accountable.

As for the “spend more time in nature” thing, I’m realizing that being outside improves my mood by, like, a bajillion percent. I have got to get out more. I plan to take long walks, walk to the library instead of driving (thank goodness it’s so close to my house), and open my window whenever possible to let the fresh air in. I can’t believe I didn’t start taking walks earlier this summer, but at least the weather is perfect up here right now, even if we are in a bit of a drought.

utilize the YDubs content library

I’ve been on YWW for over two years, and until just recently, I hadn’t been using the amazing resources at all. I’m delving into it more now, and I can’t believe I didn’t do this earlier. I’m taking lots of notes, and they’re already helping so much. I hope to do at least one lesson every day and build a streak.

goals to achieve

win NaNoWriMo!

That’s right. Third time’s the charm, I say. This will be my third NaNo, and I’m actually kind of scared, considering my track record (in case you don’t know…it’s pretty bad). But I will push past that fear! I have an awesome project in the works, and I’m sure Christine Smith will be hosting another linkup, so you’ll hear more about it next month.

come up with a new concept for “fun” writing

As I mentioned above, I’d like to come up with a new story that I can work on whenever. I have no idea what it could be right now, but I’d like to have something in the works.

read three or more new nonfiction books and apply them to my life

Digital Minimalism is changing my life. I would like to read more nonfiction, self-help-type books and figure out strategies and plans to help me use them and not just consume them. The strategies will depend on the books, obviously.

write three or more original poems

I’m writing a lot of poetry right now. Mostly because we’re studying it in school and I have to, but also because I’m finding that it’s a great way to express myself. Sometimes prose just doesn’t capture what poetry can.

advance my knowledge of SEO and other blogging techniques

I haven’t been noticing a ton of growth on my blog lately, and I want to fix that. I want to draw readers in and help them! My blog is turning 2 in two weeks, and I might be putting out a reader survey then. Keep an eye out for that!

Whew…I haven’t made that many goals in a long time. I’m trying to reform my goal-setting as well as my digital use, and I’m discovering a lot of things that work well for me. Maybe I’ll have to write a post about that, too!

Well, until next Wednesday!