It took every ounce of willpower in me, but I worked out this morning. I wanted more than anything to just stumble over to my French press and make my morning cup of coffee, but I’ve been crabby lately, and between the rum balls, pralines, snowball cookies, and hot toddies (not to mention the cut-out cookies I’m making today), I knew exercise was the only thing that would help my mood without my crashing an hour later.
And now, my coffee brews as a reward.
I had great momentum going this summer and fall, both with exercise and with writing. I was the fittest I’ve probably ever been, and I was writing more public content than I’ve ever written. I even had a piece accepted into the upcoming issue of the Southern Women’s Review. My first publication. I got the acceptance email the day before we packed the U-Haul, and I haven’t even really processed the awesomeness of it.
Because our lives became consumed by the move. By cleaning up our former residence. Unpacking boxes. Disposing of waste. Removing 1974 curtains, replacing them, struggling to accept the 1974 countertops. Examining paint chips, trying to figure out where to keep the China.
Meanwhile, I lost momentum, for both exercise and writing. There are cookies to be made and eaten. Christmas presents to wrap. Carpets to be vacuumed. And moods to plummet.
So I’m taking baby steps. Whereas I used to power through hour-long Jillian Michaels workouts, I’m limping through 20 minutes. And while I felt like I was cranking out some good stuff when I was writing regularly, now I feel like I’m just writing to overcome the inertia of not-writing. To get the words flowing again, if not the ideas. Those will come with momentum. Won’t they?
Butterfly Mind 
It will come. I usually come back to “an object in motion statys in motion”. It doesn’t matter how little motion, just a tiny bit at a time can get you rolling again.
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Thanks Meridith. That’s what I’m banking on. Trying to get to the keyboard when any words want to come, and let them out. I’ll start taming them when there are enough to tame.
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Love love love… Write write write…. And try 750words.com. It has been helpful for me, and I write WAY less than you. xox
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Daisy, that’s so cool – thanks for the tip. I am trying to get back in the habit of writing every day. I like that site. I think it will help. Muah!
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Everyone goes through this, I think, with life events taking over what used to be your routine. I’m going through it right now, as well, but I’m going to be pushing myself (starting the day after Christmas) to get going as well. Good luck to you!
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You are so right, Brittany, and especially this time of year I think everyone’s life spirals out of control when it comes to breaking routines. I’m with you for the real push, only mine will be New Years instead of the day after Christmas. Good luck to you as well!
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And here I’ve been loving everything you have been writing of late! I’m even tempted to tackle pralines, and homemade hot cocoa is on my list today (thinking of trying to use my vitamix to both stir and heat the milk, perhaps even make whipped cream?…we shall see!). Keep at it, knowing that at a minimum I’m reading and enjoying every blogpost! And congratulations on getting published…external validation is a really nice thing sometimes!
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You’re the best, Ellen 🙂 And I love me some external validation.
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I also was on fire during the Summer and fall for exercising. I took my big test in October and around that time I just stopped having that momentum. And it got all cold and icky out! Doesn’t really encourage me to go for a jog. Need to figure out some better winter, indoor exercising. Hope you find your momentum. 🙂
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I love everything you write! ….Hang in there Andrea. This will pass and will all eventually be in your “rear-view mirror”….A big move is a huge deal. It throws everyone off, messes up your whole routine. Then to have to work in all the holidays with unpacking and re-creating your nest! It’s hard to balance it all out. Also, I think as Mothers, we stress a bit more about it…trying to do everything we feel we should be doing for our family AND take care of all the things we NEED to do plus the things we WANT to do…I’ve had an “upside down” season myself…alot of unexpected challenges and things that have thrown me off this year and made me fe a little Grinchy. I finally had to make peace with the fact that I am just not going to get EVERYTHING done the way I want to this year and it’s OKAY. I’ve had to put SO MANY things on the back burner but Christmas didnt get cancelled because I didnt manage to get as much baking done as I’d planned and thanks to all our awesome neighbors, we STILL ended up with more cookies than we could ever eat! My plan to make some new Christmas pillow slipcovers didnt pan out either…owell, the fabric is in my closet anyways and when I find the time and inspiration, I will get them made EVENTUALLY….I think when we lose momentum, motivation or inspiration, it is a tap on the shoulder telling us we need to take a little break. Step back, sit and think…whatever…It will all come back to you.
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