If I could give you all one piece of advice, this would be it: Do not have little sisters.
I was talking to mine about how badly I needed someone to read A Court of Splintered Harmony, and she says, “You know what book I want to read? The book you’re supposed to be writing.”
Rude as hell. I should have hung up the FaceTime.
But that’s not the first not-so-subtle sign I’ve gotten that it’s time to start writing again. I follow Aliyah S. King (an amazing writer, by the way), who recently mentioned that our brains don’t actually want us to finish a book. And she might be on to something because I have THREE great books that I can do just about everything with except finish.
Work on outlines? Yes. Start the book? Absolutely. Jot down random scenes? Of course. Work on character bibles? You bet!
But actually finish them? Whew. No.
My plan is to change all that! Hopefully.
I want to carve out two to three days a week where I can sit down for an hour or two and dedicate some time to writing. Nothing too crazy, just enough to make consistent progress and, eventually, FINISH SOMETHING.
And I actually have the energy to do that now because, as of last month… ✨I’m no longer employed!✨
I made the decision to leave my job in October after realizing just how much it was taking out of me. This year alone, I started taking two medications because of the stress I was under, and I finally decided enough was enough.
As someone who values certainty and usually likes to have a plan for everything, this was very out of character for me. But honestly? I’m happy I did it.
I knew I had made the right decision when, on my last day, my supervisor couldn’t even be bothered to say goodbye or wish me well. She was more concerned with squeezing that last little bit of work out of me.
But I digress.
I’m proud of myself for putting myself first and prioritizing my health. Leaving my job has also opened up time for things I genuinely enjoy, like volunteering at my kids’ school, working on my writing, and my absolute favorite pastime: READING!
Speaking of reading, I started a Bookstagram a couple of months ago called Shelf Therapy with Alexis, but I haven’t really done anything with it yet.
I got the idea for the page because I realized that I read a ridiculous number of books every year, and once I finish them, I have no one to obsess over them with.
For example, I just finished A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas, and I NEED to unpack this book with someone. I have thoughts. So many thoughts.
So far this month, I’ve also finished Demon’s Dream by Elle Kayson and Fire: Underground Kingdom Series by Arya Banks. I enjoyed both books, and maybe I’ll start doing book reviews or little book chat sessions on my page.
I’m just not entirely sure how I want to approach it. Part of me wants to make videos, but the other part of me is entirely too shy to put myself out there like that. I don’t know, guys. We’ll see!
In the meantime, drop your suggestions below. What kind of book content do you enjoy? Reviews? Reading updates? Recommendations?
I’m open to ideas!
Anyway, thanks for reading my little yap session.
Tell me, as we head into the last few weeks of the year, what’s something you’ve been putting off but are hoping to accomplish before the year is over?
Until next time,
Alexis
If this post resonated with you, you’re always welcome to subscribe. I write honestly about anxiety, growth, motherhood, and the in-between moments.
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