Seekerville: The Journey Continues

by Audra Harders

Hello Friends, and Happy New Year!

Many writers have joined the trend to choose a One Word for the year. The One Word represents something they wish to change, accomplish or a multitude of other reasons particular to that person, for the year. 

Instead of talking about my One Word choice for this year, I’d like to share with you my word for last year and how my life surprisingly revolved around it. My One Word for 2022 was:

When I chose the word, I knew I was at a crossroads for many things - family, faith, future. Nothing was meshing together for me any longer so I needed to “defrag” (a button I push on my computer frequently to clean up my harddrive) my brain and my life. I chose this word at the beginning of December 2021 when my local writing friends and I got together to reflect on the year and plan the next.

GENESIS did not wait to step into action!

Over the New Year weekend 21-22, Boulder County experienced a massive wildfire that wiped out two towns almost to entirety. In my office - due to a mass EXODUS of co-workers during 2021 - I was the only person able to update our Extension website for our office with resources to help the multitude of people affected by this disaster. My reasons are many, but this event triggered my decision to retire from the day job a year earlier than planned. I was mentally tired and the thought of doing the job of 2 or 3 people until vacancies could be filled was the impetus for telling my director on January 3, I planned to retire at the end of March.

Without financial income. Without a plan for my future. Without a net.

But I did have the blessing of my husband and kids. And the quiet blessing of my Lord who removed all anxiety over the decision.

My year of GENESIS had begun.

I will not bore you will all the personal blessings I discovered throughout the year - oh my, I think you’d click off this post and go “phew, enough of that!” LOL!! But I would like to describe my writing GENESIS.

As I said, I didn’t have game plan other than enjoying freedom, spending time with my loving aunt (the last of the older generation on both sides of my family), and regrouping to kickstart my writing career.

Well…the first two were accomplished easily enough. The writing? The more I tried, the more confused and frustrated I became.

I wanted GENESIS to cover my writing - a career I’d put on hold for so many reasons.

But, the words and inspiration would not come.

I didn’t fight it, though I was deeply disappointed. Instead, I turned to books written by authors I loved and respected, and discovered works by new authors fed to me through BookBub.

Over the past couple of years, I had created a fictional town in the mountains of Colorado. I had planned to work on that series. Contemporary inspirational romance.

But my tastes in reading had honed in on historical romance - mainly the Victorian era. I gobbled up story after delightful story and discovered a nugget of desire to research the time period.

By the end of summer, I had gathered together the research and works of a series I had created at the start of my writing journey oh so many years ago. Originally, the series was set in the Regency era, but I had a strong desire to set the books in Victorian times. 

Frankly, nothing was making sense about this entire change of heart. Though two of my original books had won numerous unpubbed contests - including the GENESIS (ACFW contest for Unpublished writers) - I couldn’t really figure out what to do with the stories to fit into my new inspiration.

And then I attended the ACFW conference with one of my local writing buddies in St. Louis, MO. That’s where it all changed. I found my direction. 

I had one of the most incredible GENESIS moments of all.

At that conference, we prayed together in the hotel room for wisdom and guidance in writing and all aspects of life. 

The ideas started flowing.

I filled pages of my notebook with handwritten plots and characters.

I mapped how the series would flow together.

I came home with 7 plotted novellas that stemmed from the over-arcing novel that would pull the entire adventure together.

This entire post took you through my year with a One Word I’d hoped to use to renew my spirit. It did that and so much more. 

If you ascribe to the One Word beacon of fulfillment for the year, I recommend you pray over it and choose wisely. Always remember, the Lord has plans for you. Do not disregard His path when you grow weary along the way. He’s chosen you for special things. Accomplishments in His Name so special we’ll be humbled by His faith in us.

He will rejuvenate your spirit as He did mine.

He will lead you.

He will never leave you.

Oh, and by the way, my One Word for 2023 is DISCERNMENT. I’ll let you know how that goes next January!

Do you have a One Word? Share and let’s talk about how it might shape your year! 

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 RSV

Website: www.audraharders.com

Merry Christmas, all. Audra Harders here!

First of all, I have to ask, where did the year go? Last time I looked, I was complaining about the hot summer, and then loving our long, beautiful fall...

We celebrated Thanksgiving on so many levels. My daughter had moved to South Dakota in April for a job. We were delighted she made it back for Thanksgiving after a bout with COVID had put that plan in jeopardy. My sweet aunt celebrated her 90th birthday while we were all gathered for Thanksgiving dinner, complete with a golden tiara and sash. I only had to re-bake the cheesecake I was bringing to the dinner once. It was all so good!!

And now, we're at the beginning of the most celebrated season by all. 

I love the Christmas season with all its shiny ornaments, holiday giving, beautiful caroling. I love that the radio stations I listen to in the car are playing Christmas music. I love saying "Merry Christmas" to all I meet, whether they respond in kind or not. 

With my whole heart, I love celebrating the birth of our dear Saviour. In addition to reading full books and studies, I tend to play a lot of Bible and devotional bingo. In my mind, when I ask the Lord to lead me in my studies, I don't want to follow my own preconceived path. So I pull out books and let them fall open on my lap. There are times I almost cry when I read the message for the day and realize how opportune it is for my life at that very moment.

Lately, my readings have centered around God's great mercy and grace for us. How much He loves us. How relevant His Word is for us today as it was 2000 years ago. 

This season, I'm dusting off some of my very rusty talents in baking and will be assembling goody trays for neighbors and friends - That I Have Baked Myself! Goodness, I hope we still remain friends after they've tasted my efforts!! LOL!

I ventured online for some ideas and I really want to share this quick bread with you. I found it on the Martha Stewart site, but the recipe was submitted by Jane Kraemer. Jane, I can't tell you enough how this bread came off delicious for me on my very first try! I say that because living at 5600 ft, baking gets a little wonky until you adjust the flour and timing to suit.

Anyway, I offer you my - by way of Jane - new favorite quick bread!

Cranberry-Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan (I spray the loaf pans)

2 cuts all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 large egg (room temp)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour and 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 inch loaf pan*; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until combined. Add egg and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until combined (dough will appear very dry). Reduce speed to low; beat in orange zest and juice. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

Spread batter in prepared pan(s), smoothing top. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour (tent with foil if top is browning too quickly). Cool in pan 10 minutes; run a knife around edges of loaf, and invert onto a wire rack. Turn top side up; cool completely before slicing.

*I use 3-4 mini loaf pans so I can slice and create trays. Watch the time as they bake a tad faster.

This recipe also doubles very well. I've baked many of these mini loaves over the past week - letting them cool, wrapping them in plastic wrap and then sealing them in freezer bags. I've stacked them in my freezer along side spice loaves and banana bread loaves. If the price of meat gets too high, well, we won't go hungry!!

My favorite movie? A Charlie Brown Christmas is at the top of the list. That's the one we watch as a family every year since my kids first watched it. As for my personal happies, I like to snuggle down in a chair flanked by our Corgies, a mug of decaf peppermint mocha coffee in my hands and the channel tuned to Great American Family. Here's a link to their Christmas movies:  https://www.countdownuntilchristmas.com/gac-family/

God bless you all through this beautiful season!!

Hi Everyone, Audra here.

I heard an interesting analogy on the radio as I was driving to my monthly writers' meeting. The piece started with, “Would you serve prime rib to an infant?” it continued with “if you’re learning to swim, would you compare yourself to Michael Phelps?” There were other comparisons along the way, but you get the picture. Most logical people would smile and shake their heads with an enthusiastic, "Of Course Not!"

Children must grow and nourish their bodies through development phases until the brain and taste buds can appreciate the food placed before them. The novice swimmer must “pay their dues” in the water swimming laps, developing muscle control, perfecting strokes, and a multitude of other fitness exercises.  

Photo by Benjamin Wong on Unsplash

As writers, we’re intelligent people, right? So why do we compare our accomplishments as writers to others? Is it because we all know how to speak English? Is it because we've taken composition all through school? Is it because of our love of creative writing? Because we're avid readers?

We, authors, are very delicate creations. Our psyches are fragile, all in tune with the passionate stories that play in the fertile fields of our minds. When I say passionate, I’m not talking romantic, even though romantic fiction is my thing. I’m alluding to the creative gift God has placed in our hearts. Those stories that are so real to us that we have to write them.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

I could go down the path of emotional attachment to our storylines, characters and words, but that’s not what this post is about. 

I want to focus on the muscle development of our brains. The skills honed through repeated practice and revision. The unfolding of our talents as we work hard at our craft. 

As the only child of immigrant parents, I was often left to my own devices as my parents worked long days to get ahead in their new country. My dad read Bible stories to me every Sunday afternoon and my love of reading was born. Stories equaled adventure! All through school I gravitated toward creative writing, pouring my emotions onto the page and into my characters’ lives.

My high school creative writing teacher labeled me "sappy." Though probably meant as an insult, I embraced it. I loved romance even back then! 

Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

After I married and our children arrived, I became a stay-at-home mom. I tried my hand at writing a romance novel. 

18 years later, my first novel was published.

Before a second book could be published, I returned to the world of day job.

16 years later, I’m returning to my first love - writing.

That’s 34 years of story scribbles, yucky writing, writing workshops, writing organizations, multiple typewriters and computers, rejections, rewrites …

All that angst spent becoming an author remained in brain, but with disuse, the term sagging middle applied to everything about me, including the body of my stories! I’m rebuilding my writing muscles by writing something everyday.

My lyrical story-telling skills are slowly returning after years of writing administrative narrative.

My confidence in writing active scenes is building with every to-be verb I identify and replace.

Writing fiction is hard work. It requires mental stamina and digging deep into your well for that personal/emotional touch only you can give your story. 

DEDICATION TO MY DREAM

As an author, you never stop learning about your craft. At the ACFW conference this year, I continued to gain insight into what makes an author.

The authors I talked to all said they have a set a schedule for writing. They treat it as a business. There is a goal they reach every day ranging from 500-1000 new words a day, or completing a scene, or revisions, etc. At least 5 days a week. Every week.

That dedication builds those creative muscles, lubricates the skill joints, keeps the inspiration and creative juices flowing.

Adobe stock licensed

Hmmm, seems we've circled back to Prime Rib, LOL!

We’ve got to work for our success. We’ve got to be dedicated writing-gym members who set aside time to keep our writing brains alert and in shape just as much as our bodies.

I’ve always been opposed to the theory of “butt-in-chair-every-day” even if you don’t feel the love. I’ve discovered, it’s not so much about the feeling the love in the story I’m working on, but rather, keeping the rhythm and practice in place each day.

In my writing group this month, we talked about morning pages. You’ve heard of them, right? Sit down every day and scribble away in a notebook for however many minutes or pages you subscribe to. The thought of writing for just dumping words out of your brain never appealed to me. I avoided it like the plague.

BUT, as one clever friend in our group offered, how about revamping the morning pages routine to help you with an area of your book where you are stuck? 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

That next day, I opened a notebook and wrote down a problem area which happened to be historical nouns describing a character with a love of plants. My goal was to fill up a page with descriptive words and actions and phrases that I could turn to when I might be stuck in a scene with this character.

“Morning pages” suddenly took on a whole new meaning and offered a challenge with a tangible reward.

This is all part of your work out. Your muscle building. Your skill-building, talent-digging, prose-loving conditioning you need to succeed.

And when you’ve completed your task, reward yourself with prime rib...or a swim.

How about you? What keeps your internal writing machine honed? Leave a comment for a random drawing of a sweet little Thanksgiving gift.

Hi Everyone! Audra here.

Thanks for following along on my journey into retirement from the day job. Retiring due to age gifting you the right isn’t as easy as people believe. There are pitfalls that occur as we change our years’ honed routines into a world of self-made decisions:

Time Management

Focus

Budget

Health and Exercise

Still, for those who looked forward to the time when you can make your own schedule and pursue long-awaited hobbies, volunteering activities, devoting more time to family and friends, or (fill in the blank), these bumps in the road aren’t anything for alarm. With a bit of concentration and effort, you too will be ready to live the dream.

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Speaking of living the dream, my life now dreams of picking up where I left off in my writing career and has captured a spot on my Prayer Hit Parade. Funny thing, prayers – God has a way of answering them, even though the particular scenario He chooses isn’t exactly how you’d envisioned the answer when you submitted the prayer.

You see, I started writing for publication a looooooongtime ago. I prayed the good Lord saw favor with my work. He did. I began to win contests. I prayed He’d steer me to the right editor and publisher. He did. I was honored to join with other contest-winning, contract-driven, God-loving writers who became known as the Seekers, uniting together to pray each other into publication.

God smiled and blessed us with contracts at various publishing houses.

I enjoyed the honor of becoming an author writing for Love Inspired. I envisioned contracts ahead and ideas for future books peppered my brain as I’d never experienced before. My dream had come true.

My Love Inspired book!!

I enjoyed a year of living the dream until a series of events – some book related, some not – caused me to choose between the hit-and-miss, contract-to-contract life doing the work I loved (novel writing) and my stable, but increasingly demanding work I liked very much (admin position). It became increasingly obvious I couldn’t do both and the admin position offered more for my future and for my family.

Fast forward now to my saying good-bye to the 40–70-hour work weeks for an employer who was demanding, but awesomely great to work for. After leaving, I took my time to unwind and enjoy freedom. Then I sat down to write a book.

Photo by Max Saeling on Unsplash

I had a great idea for a series, but every time I sat down to write, the ideas all jumbled together. The idea revolved around a series of books set in a small mountain town in Colorado. I wrote pages, but the story didn’t come alive, it seemed the characters could care less if they saw the light of a printed page.

So, I went back to cleaning out closets and folding laundry (see prior posts about retiring). I’d get an idea and start to run with it but hit a wall. I couldn’t believe God kept the desire to write burning with in me only to stymie my efforts to re-engage with words-on-page.

Friends, it all comes down to timing. God’s timing.

Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash

With most of the COVID-19 restrictions lifted for travel, I decided to go to the ACFW conference hosted in St Louis and get some hugs and loves from fellow Seekers and author friends I hadn’t seen in forever. That event was so good for the soul!

I traveled and roomed with a fellow author from Colorado and between reuniting with friends and making new memories, we also spent time brainstorming book ideas. From that very first night, ideas sparked and plots ignited. By the time we left the conference, she had 3 books ready to write and I came away with detailed concepts for 6 (count’em 6) novellas that would coincide with an historical romance series I had tried to complete for decades.

Photo by Marcin Nowak on Unsplash

God has taken a book of my heart that He wouldn’t let me complete for years and He whispered, “now is the time.”

So there, my friends, is the conclusion of my retirement saga. I hope you find the first 4 parts helpful as you transition away from the work force someday, and that you find hope in resurrecting your dreams that might have been put on hold for the greater good.

Like I said earlier, prayers are a funny thing. Yep, the good Lord answers them, you just have to be open-minded to His plans because they are so much better!!

Your turn! Have you retired from your day job? Are your dreaming about? Please share, I'd love to hear your thoughts and plans!!

And, for sticking with me while I muddled through these past few months, if you leave a comment, you'll put in a drawing for a mystery gift from my recent trip to South Dakota! Check the WE on Saturday for the winner!!

Audra Harders writes "rugged stories with heart" featuring fearless men who haven't a clue about relationships, rescued by ladies who think they have all the answers. In real life, she's married to her own patient hero, has two adult children, and a very strong-willed Corgi. She began writing right after her second kidlet was born and sold her first book to Love Inspired mere months before that same young adult graduated from high school. Surviving those years in between reminds her God does have a plan for her life...and that He has a tremendous sense of humor. You can visit Audra at:

Website: www.audraharders.com

Facebook: Audra Harders, Author

Twitter: @audraharders

Hello everyone, Audra here. Thanks for riding along with me on my journey of retirement discoveries. Being newly minted to the role of retiree, I’m finding there are stumbling blocks in my “life of freedom” that I took for granted as I woke each morning to a work-a-day routine. Today’s topic? 

I don’t know about you, but from a very young age, I knew the good Lord had created me to be a couch potato. Yep, when left to my own devices, you’d find me either engrossed in my box of 64 Crayola crayons and a coloring book (this went on through college - don’t laugh!), reading a book (early habit - timeless in entertainment), selecting one of my 12 all-time favorite movies to watch for the 100th time.

Pure Julia at Unsplashed

You’d think after inhabiting this planet for many, many, many years, I’d know what was good for me and make those choices automatic. 

Ha! Let me repeat that…HA! Everything is up for grabs in retirement!

Here are a few things to consider in order to help your brain and body be the best they can be:

Eat Healthier

By saying “healthier” I mean think about about what goes into your mouth. I’m a grazer by nature, so the 3 squares are nothing to me but the next time it’s socially acceptable to eat. Since I snack pretty much all day, I’m not a big portion eater at meals. That’s a saving grace! So when I think healthier, I try to grab good choices as I make my way through the kitchen. Grapes, rice crackers, popcorn - anything in bite-sized pieces. If packaged, I try to break up the package before I feel the need to eat it, so I can just taste, rather than consume.

Christian Wiediger Unsplashed

Drink Water

Living in Colorado, “drink more water” is a lifestyle motto. We’re very arid along the Front Range and it’s so easy to mistake hunger for thirst. When I’m out and about, I make sure I have my water bottle with me. At home, I take a quart jar and fill it half way with sparkling water (sweetened) and the rest of the the way with water and ice. It sits beside me at the computer, a constant reminder for me to take a sip. If my pantry is stocked with Wild Cherry, Fuji Apple or Mandarin Orange (those are the Walmart brand flavors), I might refill my jar 3 to 4 times a day! 

Laura Chouette Unsplashed

Exercise

It’s embarrassing to admit, but since leaving my office, I’ve lost muscle tone and fluffed up. The County (my employer) was adamant about healthy living and promoted healthy lifestyle choices in the form of workshops and challenges. Get Up And Move email reminders came from our Health representative all the time. You’d think 15 years of encouragement would create a concrete habit!

It did, sort of. My mind knows what I should do, but the desire is weak, LOL! 10K steps a day was easy when I had to run all over the fairgrounds. At home, I depend on my trusty pups to keep me walking. 10K steps a day is easy with them wanting to go on walks all the time.

Shhhh, don't wake them up! I'm not ready for another walk!!

This summer, I participated a bit more with the yard work. My husband was more than happy to put a weed-whacker in my hands, safety glasses on my face and turn me loose in the back yard. There’s an odd sense of accomplishment to look around the yard and realize I’ve just cleared the area of 18”- 24” high kochia weed and can once again find the Corgis when they roam through it. It’s a rewarding feeling to have muscles, other than hand and fingers, hurt.

I started stretching exercises out of necessity. Since I don’t have many interruptions any more, I noticed my muscles getting stiff when I moved away from the computer after sitting there for a couple of hours. Oh, how embarrassing!! Toe-touches and door jamb stretches have become staples throughout the day. There’s also a series of stretches my 89 year old aunt taught me in order to stay limber. 

Timo Volz Unsplashed

Did you catch that? My-89-year-old-aunt-is-giving-me-exercise-advice. Well, she is my favorite, so I listen and obey, LOL.

I know the tips and tricks I just rattled off are probably common place daily routines for most of you. They were in my structured, working world, too. But on my own, I now must take the advice I used to tell my kids: Make good choices.

Stay active. Eat well. Drink often (water)

Retirement does not mean you get to sit back and rust. Being an author does not have to contribute to “secretarial spread.” What works for you? I’d love to hear ideas to break the monotony of my limited routine!!

Now, I’m off to herd the pups around the back field for the third time today. 

Hi Everyone! Audra here. Thanks for joining me on my journey as I transition from Day Job to Retirement. Today, I thought I’d tackle BUDGET.

I was in Sam’s Club the other day. I love to stop by the warehouse store when I have time and browse through their, at times, surprising inventory. Who would have thought I could plan and purchase a vacation through Sam’s? The thought had never occurred, LOL. But, that’s besides the point.

Today on my wandering, after grabbing the necessary fruits, vegetables and paper towels, I spied a display of tired looking plants over by the freezer section. Hmmm, could be a deal here. When I arrived, I checked out the bedraggled species of plant on sale. 

Pachira aquatica —> Guiana  Chestnut —> affectionately known as the Money Tree

Image by Tumisu at Pixabay

Huh. Money growing on trees. Is that a fact. 

Well, the leaves on these wealth buckets looked a bit short on cash. And no wonder. They thrive in the swampland of South America. These poor plants looked frayed and curled. They'd been innocently enjoying spa weather in the deeeeeeep south before being uprooted, flown through countless climates, and deposited in a cement floored, air-conditioned warehouse at an altitude of 5300 ft. 

Image by Frank Wittkowski at Pixabay

Needless to say, they didn’t really inspire confidence in endless bounty, but the reality would have come in handy at this point in time!!

We were a two income family for 16 years. When my husband retired last year, we didn’t really feel the pinch of a reduced income having prepared in advance by reducing our spending. That’s all well and good when you think of the expenses for the household.

But my writing budget was about to take a substantive hit.

Image by Kevin Phillips on Pixabay

The dream of writing full-time is somewhere in every author’s mind. I had started putting a portion of my paycheck into my “Writing” account when I first began planning for retirement. It wasn’t much, but over the months, my writing nest egg grew to a point where I knew my day-to-day expenses could be covered without dipping into our household fund.

Unfortunately, this was the only proactive positioning of finances I had in place, which means counting pennies and weighing options for any workshop, conference, educational tool, etc. has taken on a whole new meaning for my author journey.

Image by Deidre Weedon on Pixabay

In my defense, I did retire a year earlier than planned, something else to always keep in the back of your mind. 

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. 

Proverbs 16:9

Do I regret retiring a year early even though I might have been a bit more financially stable if I had waited? Absolutely not! God gave me the opportunity to write full-time (which I’m slowly forming the habit) and lack of apparent finances does not dampen my spirits one bit. I retired to write, write, write - not buy, buy, buy. 

Image by Gerd Altman from Pixabay

If you’re thinking of retiring from your day job in the next few years, talk to a financial planner in regards to your years ahead, in general. As far as your writing career in concerned, I recommend you keep these costs in mind:

• Writing supply costs
• Replacing equipment
• Educational opportunities
• Conferences, chapter dues, subscriptions, etc
• Possible editing, cover art, audio narration, etc
• Donations

And the list goes on. Start thinking about your expenses now. Look through your check, credit card, Paypal purchases. What writing books and materials have you purchased on Amazon or other online venues? Make that list! Expenses you feel might be nickel and dime right now, might become bones of contention when on a fixed income. 

You’ve waited years to sit down at your writing desk at 8:00 am (or whenever) instead of your day job desk. The dream is about to come true. Plan for it financially now so you can attack your writing projects with a smile on your face.

Until next time, blessings to you!!

Last month I announced to the world that I had retired from my day job. I shared the delightful freedoms and pitfalls I’d discovered which had to do with Time Management. I’d like to share the issue of FOCUS with you this month.

FOCUS is a skill that requires constant care, feeding, and tweaking as you make your way through your journey of life. No matter if you’re answering to an 8 to 5 job, wrangling kids, tending to an aging faction of your life who need you to help them, -- or even on vacation--, you need to have a game plan for your day and stick to it or you’ll find any number of distractions will hijack your good intentions.

Trust me, you are looking at the queen of distraction!

Well-meaning friends and relatives are convinced I have so much time on my hands now that I'm not working, why not go shopping or try the new place in town for lunch? I get invited to help plan wedding/baby showers. I’m at the top of volunteer lists.

Just one simple lunch date with friends tends to evolve into unplanned grocery shopping, car washes, my car parking itself in the Hobby Lobby lot, etc. You get the picture. By the time I get home, it’s not 1:30 as planned, but 3:30 and now I have to think about planning dinner.

Multiply that “fun” by 5 days a week and all of a sudden I sit down Friday night and look at my to-do list and realize only 2 items out of 14 have been crossed off.

And words added to my Scrivener file are woefully missing.

Self-help blogs, books and advice for productivity are out there by the thousands. I listened to and researched many of them, but soon found only a handful fit my lifestyle and routine. Even fewer came with implementation without breaking my budget.

Last month I mentioned I’m going through our house and sorting, donating, or throwing away clutter. That’s just a side job of what I want to accomplish in this phase of my life. Though lunch with friends and a well stocked kitchen are nice, my GOAL is to return to a routine that carves word count back into my day in order to write and finish books.

#1 - I had to clean up my workspace. I’m fortunate to have a room in our house dedicated as my “office.” Along with the worksurface, books, research materials, etc, my office has also transformed into the catch all of random stuff looking for a home. My goal is for all of it to leave my work area. My focus is on entering an environment that confirms that I’m coming to work each day to write. 

#2 - I had to make a schedule. Ha! Making the schedule is easy, it’s staying on task that’s difficult. Silly me, I thought coming off of an 8 hour workday, I’d be able to replace day job work duties with writing time and all the admin things that come with it. After a couple of frustrating weeks of failure, I finally blocked out a couple hours each day and play it all by ear. My focus is treating writing as a priority. Time and persistence pays off. Frustration is lessening and new habits are forming. This is not an overnight solution, but more a long-term lifestyle.

#3 - I had to develop a mobility routine - translated, it means I have to get up and move. To me, any type of planned movement is exercise: walking the dogs and working around the house are my two standards. But, I found that if I didn’t get up and physically move away from whatever I was doing each hour, my mind wandered and my focus bounced to things that derailed me for much longer than simply getting up, walking around the house or outside for 5 minutes, refilling my water and then back to the task at hand. Get up! Clear your head! Change your scenery for a few minutes. Hyperfocus is not always your friend. Focus on a healthy routine leading to a healthy life.

Those are the big three suggestions that help keep my mind of track and things are actually getting done. Cutesy slogans and inspirational goal setting memes do nothing for this brain. Persistence to routine and prayer for focus keep me looking at my planner for direction. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 -- those are the words that assure me I'm on the track and I have a job to do.

What works for you? I love success in action. Bring them on and let’s chat!

I am retired from my day job.

There, I said it. Actually, I’ve been saying that to everyone who will listen, including the dog, my spring planted deck flowers and, most of all, myself. I no longer need to protect my weekends, count down the days to vacation or scramble to clean the house - among so many other things that competed with my 8:00 - 4:30, M-F, for my time and head space.

When I realized I now had time to blog in Seekerville - rather than just handling a few administrative duties - my stomach dropped as I searched for topics. Composing a post on writing didn’t seem wise when, like the Tin Man of Wizard of Oz, my writing joints and muscles are rusty and in need of a bit of exercise and oiling. Trying to bluff my way through marketing and trends was a foolish idea, as I need to learn them myself before I can pass along secrets. Personal growth and insight? Well, I have a lot, but it centers around the realm of 4-H and everything Extension Office (my life the last 25 years) with very little left over for discovering the aha moments of characterization, theme, or story truth.

So, where does that leave me? 

Square One on the checker board of the next phase of my life. 

Retirement. It’s a concept we work toward our entire career. Think about the stereotypes of playing golf all day, letting that inner social butterfly free to meet friends over coffee or lunch and squeeze into the latest Bunko evenings, or even sitting back with popcorn in a bowl and catching up on all those shows you’ve recorded over the years. 

Me? I’ve been working on cleaning up the clutter of 32 years of family life in our house. Throwing away precious mementos, I can’t even remember why I saved in the first place; dumping out closets and realizing the fashions I’d saved look a bit dated and really, will I ever fit in that again?; digging out my home office, throwing away old how-to-write books and awful manuscript fragments, and creating a room that invites me to write once again. It felt good to de-clutter, but my life remained off-kilter. 

Hmmm, why is that?

Over the next few months, join me on my journey as I discover what to do with that brass ring called retirement and how I return to the author life I had to set aside just as the carpet of success was being rolled out before me.

Whitney Nichols @therandomvibez

I will not get into all that right now. Let’s just say, God’s timing is so perfect all I had to do was obey and His plans for me would all come together and it would be better than I ever imagined.

So, back on track. To truly enjoy retirement, one must realize there are some rules I recommend following. This month, let’s talk about TIME MANAGEMENT. 

• My first month seemed like a long vacation and I enjoyed it.

I retired from the Extension Office on March 31 and the entire month of April felt like one big vacation. By the end of 4 weeks, the stress had left, and I could tackle the world again. The problem was, my vacation mindset had also suspended little pesky tasks like paying bills, setting appointments, remembering events, etc. I scrambled to catch up on all the things I had overlooked because my routine of checking my calendar at work first thing in the morning on my computer was no longer in place. 

TAKEAWAY: Find a method of accountability that will work for you and keep you on task. Since snipping the strings tethering me to the computer, I wasn’t in a hurry to recreate the Outlook calendar system at home. Instead, I opted for a simple little planner by Moleskin that lets me look at a week at a glance on one page and the opposite page allows me to list my to-dos so they don’t stray far for me to get them to-done.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

• My days grew together.

From the time our children were born until my eldest got her driver’s license and I went back to work, I kept a central scheduling system in the kitchen - a calendar chosen at Christmas with large daily squares displayed next to the refrigerator. If an appointment or task wasn’t on that calendar, it would not get done. That habit of looking at the calendar on the wall may have gone dormant once the kids no longer needed parental assistance, but within a day, my brain recaptured the habit of glancing at the calendar to see what was on tap for my day.

TAKEAWAY: Though the refrigerator has changed (twice!) and the wallpaper upgraded with the times, I need a focal point to ground my day. I’m making do with my Weeds of the West freebie calendar, but next year, those daily boxes are going to come in size XL!

• Sleeping in is great, but…

You’ve heard the term, “when you rest, you rust,” right? Just because no one is essentially calling the shots for you anymore, doesn’t mean you can kick back and ride that banana boat through the canals of life for the next however many years. You need a plan; you need purpose; you need to claim your own sense of accomplishment!! There were 4 of us long-time employees who retired from the Extension office within 10 months. Of the 4, 3 of us had a definite goal in mind as we filled out the paperwork and began looking forward to “punching out” for the last time. My goal was to return to writing while the other two looked forward to “grandmother” duties and unlimited volunteer work. Our 4th compadre, retired without a plan in mind. She has not gotten involved in the community, she hasn’t discovered new (or long buried) hobby talents, she hasn’t explored the possibilities of her new phase in life. She was the first to leave 10 months ago and her outlook on retirement now is so much a burden rather than a joy. 

TAKEAWAY: Don’t let this happen to you! What’s your dream? What’s your heart’s desire? What’s your REWARD for all the hard work you’ve put in over the years? Embrace it now! Mold it, shape it, envision the joy it will give you. Have a plan! Remember how I mentioned the carpet of my dreams snatched away from under my feet just as I experienced the first euphoria of success? Oh, how that hurt! I just knew I was a one-and-done author. Well, God didn’t see it that way. He kept the fire burning in me to write. You see, I didn’t retire to fill my days with house cleaning or volunteering (though both are very honorable endeavors), I retired because stories in me are clamoring to be told. I’ve met untold sources along the way to feed reality into my novels. I’ve made dear friends and visited places that kept the creative flame alive in me. I HAD FUN!

What are your plans? Have you looked ahead to prepare for those dreams tucked within and waiting for the call action that is coming? Please share and let’s make some plans!

• Butt In Chair
• Mix It Up
• Word Count
• How Bad Do You Want It?

Audra Harders writes "rugged stories with heart" featuring fearless men who haven't a clue about relationships, rescued by ladies who think they have all the answers. In real life, she's married to her own patient hero, has two adult children, and is surrounded by everything conducive to writing about farming, ranching, and cowboys at her day job in the county Extension office in Boulder County, Colorado. She began writing right after her son was born and sold her first book to Love Inspired mere months before that same son graduated from high school. Surviving those years in between reminds her God does have her plan for her life...and that He has a tremendous sense of humor. You can visit Audra at