The Journal Keeper

Weekly Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:30:00 +0000

I read a lot of blogs, ya'll. I mean, a lot. And the thing is, they are all quality blogs. They all give me something that makes me laugh, makes me learn, or makes me mad (Yes, I like those too. I'm open-minded!).

So I thought I would start something new here at The Journal Keeper. I'll share a little bit about what I've read over the past week. I know a lot of my blog friends are doing it, and I like that it's a great way to share blogs.

Anywho, I'm choosing Monday to be my "blog sharing day" because, well, I don't know why, really. Just go with it, ok? I haven't yet come up with a cool name for my Monday Blog Sharing posts, so if you have any suggestions, please put them down there in the comments!

The Blog Doctor: The Non-Niche Blog @ yes and yes

I have struggled for so long with not really having a niche that I felt comfortable claiming. But I do love the idea of sharing my thoughts and my day to day journey. I was so happy to come across this blog post by yes and yes. She nailed it for me, and now I just have to start adhering to some of the points she mentioned. Be patient, I'm working on it.

How to Manicure at Home @ Petit Elefant (by way of Just A Titch)

Oh. My. Gosh. I loved this post for so many reasons. First, I came across it at Just A Titch, which is one of my favorite blogs to read. Second, I love lists, and this post lists out the step-by-step process for giving yourself an at-home manicure. Win! Third, I am a bad nail-biter, and have been relying on getting the "gel nails" now for a while. But I'll be honest -- I'm not comfortable with the artificial nails for many reasons, and this gives me a great way to meticulously take care of my nails. Now, if I could just get myself to sit still long enough to give myself a home manicure, life would be great. But that's another issue.

Why Copying Inspires Creativity @ Write To Done

When I was a pre-teen, I was reading a book about teen life. I don't remember the name of it or who wrote it. But I do remember that the story drew me in and it was how I wanted my teen life to really be. And for some reason that escapes my memory, I started to copy the story onto sheets of notebook paper, except I changed it a little bit to include the people in my life. That was my first real experience of writing. Ridiculous, I know, but I learned something during that first "copying" experience. We all copy others in one form or another, except we learn a little something as we go. I think that moment of copying was what spawned my desire and my need to create and to write. This blog post brought back that memory, and made me realize that, although I am hard on myself about how far I've come in my writing, I'm still quite a ways from where I was in those pre-teen years.

How Irish Dancing Got Started @ Videos2View (by way of an email from my Mom)

Ok, this is just silly, but it made me laugh when I really needed it. (Thanks, Mom!) I didn't get it at first, but I finally realized what made it so funny. If you get it at the beginning, don't tell me. I don't want to feel like a doofus.

Writing to Write @ Kristie Was Here

This was another "Oh. My. Gosh" post that came at just the right time. I've been suffering from the "I can't write anything because I'm stupid and should have never tried to be a writer in the first place" plague for a while now. Say, almost TWO YEARS. I quit a really good job in 2008 to "finish writing my novel and get it published and make millions of dollars." You don't have to tell me how stupid I was. I already know. Anyway, this post made me realize that since that very moment when I was trying to be a full-time writer, I have been trying to write for other people. I have been trying to write what I thought other people wanted to read. I lost my voice. I lost my drive. I had forgotten the reason that I started writing in the first place: because it was what I was meant to do. And so because of that I have been reborn, in a sense, and I'm trying to find my own voice again. This blog is helping. So, thanks for that, Kristie. :)

Alright, that's enough for me. What other goodies do you all have to share with me? C'mon, I'm always looking for something good to read! Please share in the comments below!

Weekly Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Hi there! Happy Sunday! I hope you've had a great week.

My week was somewhat eventful, though mostly filled by undesirable things. I'm not complaining, though. Everything worked out in the end.

The first part of the week we were reminded that things happen for a reason, and when you work hard to help yourself, God finds ways to give you a little boost. Things didn't turn out the way we had hoped, but they turned out much better than they could have. For that, we are thankful!

On Wednesday I stayed home from work with some sort of stomach bug. I hate staying home from work. I always feel so guilty. But I also think it's rude to go to work when you are sick and risk spreading germs to your workmates. By Thursday I was mostly feeling better and went back to work, and by Friday I was good as new again.

Thursday was the First Day of School for the girls! They were both sorry to see their Summer come to an end, but excited to get back to the classroom and to be with their friends again. We have one on her last year in elementary school, and one on her last year in middle school. Big year for them both!

Friday was spent waiting and preparing for Hurricane Irene's arrival, and Saturday was spent watching her. We are in Central North Carolina, so fortunately for us we only had to endure her outer bands. We did have a little bit of rain and quite a bit of wind. Our only damage was to a beautiful tree in the circle of our cul-de-sac.

I hope you've had a good week. Did you do anything exciting?

Weekly Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:25:00 +0000

Hey there! Happy Sunday (well, what's left of it, anyway)! How did this weekend go by so quickly? It's just not fair, I tell you!

The past week was somewhat eventful. Let's see, there was...

~ Dinner out with a few girlfriends to celebrate a birthday

~ A surprise party for a friend to celebrate her awesomeness

~ A night of karaoke to celebrate our second anniversary

Wow, that's a lot of celebrating! It was a fun week, and I was happy to spend it with so many friends.

The weekend has been pretty quiet. Yesterday was day four of a headache that would just not quit, so I took some of the hub's left-over Tylenol with codeine. The good news is it got rid of my headache in about ten minutes. The bad news is I was pretty much a zombie for the entire day. I took a four hour nap!

Today has been spent catching up on laundry (I used to love doing laundry...) and working on a new project. Yes, I know I don't need another project. I have several other projects that have not gotten the attention they deserve. Well, I'm hoping this new project will help me with the old project. I'll tell you more about that later.

Right now my comfy cloud bed with it's fluffy European goose down comforter is calling me. I hope to get some reading in before I doze off.

I hope you had a great weekend. Did you do anything exciting?

How To Not Be a Coward

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:03:00 +0000

I need your help.

I'm failing miserably at this blogging thing, and I know why, but I don't know how to get past it.

I have no problem writing for myself. I have journals filled with my ramblings. My journals are my best friends. But I want to branch out. I want to write for other people. I want to share things with you, and make friends, and build relationships. But here's the problem. The little voice inside my head (he's this nerdy little dude who really gets on my nerves, but he won't go away) keeps telling me my posts are stupid, and that no one wants to read them, and why in the world would I want to put myself out into the internet void where they will just drift aimlessly forever.

I know I should not care about what other people think, but the point of my blogging is to put myself out there for others to read. If no one reads me, then no one likes me. And I can't tell you all the issues THAT brings up.

So, how do you get past that? How do you quiet that mean old internal voice and just do it anyway?

A List: Things I'm Good At

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:37:00 +0000

This is part of a series of posts for the "30 Days of Lists" project. To read more of my posts related to this project, go to my "30 Days of Lists" page, or click on the "lists" tag.

To learn more about the project, visit the ladies at 30 Days of Lists! They're awesome!

Singing
Writing
Procrastinating
Relaxing
Driving
Organizing
Taking Charge
Notebook collecting
Planning
Worrying

The Tool That Helps Me Remember The Milk

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:52:00 +0000

Today's installment of My Favorite Things focuses on the one electronic tool that helped me break my 20-plus-year paper planner habit.

Remember The Milk is perfect for those who love to make lists and keep up with to-dos. It's an application that comes as a downloadable client, a web-based application, and an iPhone app. All of the tools sync together (once every 24 hours with the free version, and unlimited with the paid version), so you can access your lists whether you're at your desk, at a friend's house, or at the grocery store!

When I used a paper planner, I religiously wrote down all of my tasks and lists. Oh, the lists -- I had a slew of them! I was constantly rewriting the tasks I didn't complete on a certain day, or the tasks that recur on a regular basis. Worse than that, though, was that my planner grew to be so large, I rarely took it with me when I left the house. That meant that I frequently forgot those items in my lists. I wasted a lot of time.

I love Remember The Milk because it helps me keep track of all of the tasks and lists I used to keep in my paper planner. I don't have to rewrite a task if I don't get to it today -- it will faithfully show up to remind me tomorrow. I don't have to waste time and gas running errands that I forgot to do while I was already out, and I don't have to go back to the grocery store when I've forgotten an item. Remember the Milk literally helps me to remember the milk!

I can also stay focused by creating several different lists. I have a list for chores, books I want to read, my goals, shopping... all kinds of subjects to keep my life organized.

I use Remember the Milk on the web so I can use it while I'm at my computer, and I also have it on my iPhone to review and update when I'm out and about. I haven't used the download client yet, because I really haven't needed it.

Remember The Milk has truly, truly transformed my life. I'm not getting paid to say that -- I really mean it! If you're looking for an app to help you stay organized and on task, give it a look see!

Weekly Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:39:00 +0000

Hamed Saber

Hi there! Happy Sunday! I hope you've been enjoying your weekend. In my part of the world we've had a cool(er) few days, but this week the heat and humidity are supposed to fire up again. Booo.

My week has been fairly uneventful, mostly because I've had a Horrible Summer Cold that forced me to stay home from work for two and a half days. I'm feeling much closer to normal now, thank goodness, and should resume my regularly scheduled life tomorrow.

One thing I did get to do (when I wasn't in a self-induced Nyquil coma) was a lot of thinking. I've passed the half-year mark, when I typically take stock in where I am goal-wise for the year, and whether I need to re-adjust my coordinates for the remainder. I was not surprised to realize that I've fallen short on making any progress at all. And that's simply because I get too distracted. There are too many times my attention and my time are spent on things that steer me away from my goals. Sometimes I don't even realize it has happened, but then other times I choose to let it happen (but always regret it).

So for the past few days I have reviewed and revised my goals and am going to try to get back on track. The first half of the year may have been a wash, but I'm going to try hard to make the second half ubber productive.

Oh, one other thing we did this weekend is see the last of the Harry Potter movies. I think it was very well done, as was the entire series. It's a little sad to see the end of Harry and the gang.

What did you do this weekend?

A List: A Few Things About Me

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:03:00 +0000

I love snow.
I hate being cold
I am working on my first novel.
I love cereal.
I hate beets.
My middle name is Lynn.
I rock the karaoke stage.
I will faint at the sight of blood.
I am grouchy without my coffee.
I am learning to meditate.

My Favorite Things

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:23:00 +0000

I'm starting to use this blog more as a place to keep track of things that are interesting to me, what I'm doing, where I'm going, and such. So far I have shared my bucket list, my favorite blogs, my journey to build a better blog, and my goals for the year.

Today I started a page for my favorite things. My tastes change frequently, but I thought it would be fun to make a list of those things that bring me joy, feed my soul, help me to be a better person, and just make my days more enjoyable.

You can find this pages and the others I have created over there on the right under "Other Stuff."

Do you have a favorite item that I should try? Post your suggestions in the comments below!

Hit Like a Ton of Bricks

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:08:00 +0000

Ugh. Yesterday I went back to work after a 10-day vacation, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't mean to sound like a baby, but Waaaah!

I had gotten used to sleeping until 8:00 AM, sipping my coffee until late morning, and having life run on a very relaxed schedule. I stayed busy, mind you, but it was a busy that I wanted to do. It was fun!

Now Mr. Babycakes has started his 4:00 AM work schedule for the month, I've gone back to work, and reality has set in. Booo.

One of the things I did during my vacation was to set my goals for the coming year. Let me tell you, that is really easy to do when you are, well, on vacation. Anything seems possible. Now that I'm back to my normal schedule and routine, my plans for reaching my goals are HARD.

That's okay. My bad. I just have to regroup. Replan. And take one day at a time. This was, after all, just my first day back. Things will get better once I get back into my routine.

Right?

My List of Google Reader Items

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:33:00 +0000

I love Google Reader. I started using it several years ago when my blog-reading started to blossom and I needed an easy way to keep track of all of the new posts. Since then, I visit Google Reader almost every day.

I thought it would be fun to share the list of my favorite blogs. Please keep in mind that this list changes semi-frequently as I find new blogs to read or discover that a blog I've been reading no longer holds my interest.

So here they are, in alphabetical order. Please check them out. They'll be worth your time. I don't read junk. :)

Do you use Google Reader or some other type of RSS reader? Do you use it for another purpose, other than blogs?

My Week In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 05:30:00 +0000

Something I have done for years is to review the past week. I go through my planner for the past week to see what I've done, what I've accomplished, and where I still need work. I also go through my journal and read the entries from the past week to see what I was feeling and doing. What insights or discoveries did I make?

This exercise helps to keep me on track with my goals. I am able to see at a glance where I am exceling and where I am falling behind. It's an empowering exercise for me.

This Week's Review:

I've been on vacation from work this week, so I've had LOTS of time to relax, reflect and rejuvenate. I used the time to catch up on household chores, personal matters that needed attention, and of course my planning for 2011. I had a follow-up doc appointment (My blood pressure has been too high for three visits in a row. Not good.), and a much-anticipated phone call (more on that later). My brand new nephew, Alex, arrived right on time (congrats and much love to Melissa and Gregg!) and I've really enjoyed our time with the girls. What I am most excited about, though, is my renewed productivity. I have gotten so much done over the past few days -- all things that are very important to me and will propel me towards reaching my goals. And I've made some concrete plans for the year to come to make sure that productive trend continues!

I typically get sad about the end of the holidays. The week between Christmas and the New Year tend to be a bit gloomy. I LOVE the holidays and hate to see them end. But this year is different. Sure, I feel a bit melancholy about another holiday that has come and gone, but this time my spirit has been renewed and I have a new vigor. I have so much to look forward to! I'm anxious for the days and weeks and months to come.

Here's what you may have missed:

Thursday: How Do I Make The Most of This Vacation Day?

Friday: Six-Month Review and End-of-Year Wrap-Up

Saturday: Happy New Year!

Plans for the Coming Week:

This coming week may be a bit tough. I have to tend to some things that will be difficult for me, and I'll be working to add some positive habits and get rid of some negative ones. I also am going to get back to my novel. That's something I want to do very much, but I've got to get past the wall that's been holding me back for several months. There's much determination behind me, though, so I'm confident I'll be successful!

Do you have a regular ritual to help keep you on track with your goals and/or responsibilities? I'd love to hear from you!

I hope you have a great first week of 2011!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 05:30:00 +0000

Sally M*

Can you believe it's 2011? Doesn't it seem like we just celebrated the first day of 2010?

I don't know about you, but 2010 was a whirlwind for me. There were tears and laughter, struggles and wins, failures and successes. There were times when I felt so beat down I couldn't imagine getting back up.

But most times I was lifted up by the loving, caring support of those around me. And it's to those wonderful people that I'd like to send this message:

Thank You.

Thank you for being there for me, for listening to my whines and cries, for making me laugh, and for helping me to remember that life is a dance that should be enjoyed and treasured.

I also want to wave to my new friends out there. *waves frantically* I'm so glad to have you in my life. Your friendship and encouragement means more to me than you know.

I wish you all the most successful and joyful year to come. 2011 is going to be a year to remember!

xoxoxo

Six-Month Review and End-of-Year Wrap-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 05:30:00 +0000

I received an email from Neale Donald Walsch last year. That email came at a good time back then, and has been a helpful reminder to me several times since. I now use it when when I am reviewing my goals and planning for the future.

"On this day in your life I believe God wants you to know...

...that this is not the end but the beginning. All endings start something better. It is inevitable.

Here is God's promise: Life proceeds, it never recedes. Life progresses, it never regresses. Not even death ends anything. So how much can this particular event matter?

It is true. When one door closes, another door opens. The movement of life is ever upward. Six months from today you will know this. For now, trust it."

I find myself at the end of a year, and near the end of a chapter in my life. As I review the past six months, I find that there is much to be grateful for, but not much progress. I can blame the lack of progress on myself only. I've been my biggest roadblock. I've allowed myself to procrastinate, and I've allowed life to happen to me. That's not the way I want to be. I want so much out of life, yet I did nothing to make my goals happen. I did nothing to make my dreams come true.

Well, I'm here to announce to the world that there's a new Journal Keeper in town. She's ready for things to happen, and ready to make them happen, come hell or high water. I don't want to get to the end of 2011 and be disappointed with where I am and what I have done (or haven't done) with my life.

Here are my Goals for 2011...

1. Get down to 165 lbs. (lose 75 lbs.).
2. Finish writing my first novel.
3. Publish a post at The Journal Keeper every day.
4. Publish an article at Associated Content every week.
5. Declutter our home.
6. Meditate regularly.

Here are the positive habits I want to adopt...

1. Drink more water.
2. Give thanks every day.
3. Read for 30 minutes each day.
4. Brush teeth and wash face before bed.
5. Write every day.

Here are the negative habits I want to eliminate...

1. Biting nails and picking fingers
2. Eating poorly
3. Wasting time on tasks not related to my goals
4. Procrastinating
5. Negative self-talk

I'll elaborate on these items in future blog posts, because I think my reasons for each of them are important. It's good to know where I've been so I can learn the lessons and not make the same mistakes. I'll also post updates on my progress. Although I am eager to reach each of my goals, I am also aware that the journey is just as important.

I'm looking forward to being a leaner, healthier, smarter, calmer, more successful Journal Keeper in 2011. It's going to be an awesome journey!

Related Info

To receive daily inspirational emails from Neale Donald Walsch, sign up here. I don't get paid if you do -- I just think you might like them!

How Do I Make the Most of This Vacation Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:23:00 +0000

My vacation week is dwindling away more quickly than I would like. The days have been filled with chores and games and naps and too much coffee. I've enjoyed every minute.

But today is the day I have been looking forward to the most. Today I have some time to myself. The girls have gone to their mom's and Mr. Babycakes is off to help a friend with computer issues . I've been trying to decide what to do with this coveted time. Do I finish up my planning for the coming year? Do I try to get back to work on The Novel? Do I get back to writing articles?

One thing I would like to do is get going with The Journal Keeper blogging again. I've made a few attempts lately, but life just keeps getting in the way! So maybe today I will focus on getting a bushel of posts written and scheduled. And make a plan for carving time out of each day to spend here. One thing I must remember is that blogging should be fun. As soon as I make it into work, I won't do it.

Oh! I got some super awesome news yesterday, but I can't share it yet. (Don't you hate when people do that?!) I need a few more days to get things in place, but then I'll give it up. Just know that it is something that I have been working hard for, and I am very happy about it!

Enjoy your day today. Make the most of it!

reverb10: Wonder

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Great Beyond

This is part of a series of posts for Reverb10 -- an online event to promote reflecting and manifesting. To read all of the posts in this series, just click on the "reverb10" tag over there on the right.

Wonder

One of the ways I cultivated wonder in my life this past year came to be during a moment of desperation. I had been unemployed for several months, I was not getting any response to the dozens of resumes I sent out daily, and money was very tight for our family. It was during these dark days that I decided to try launching my own Virtual Assistant business.

I became very focused at developing a business plan, and preparing list of clients to target. I joined networking groups, and read and read and read. A short month later I had my first clients and was getting paid.

The "wonder" comes in when I realized that I was doing all this almost on auto-pilot. I mean, I was giving extensive thought to my decisions, but the fact that I was thinking about it at all was amazing. I was simply doing what I needed to do to help support my family. I was taking initiative and responsibility, and I was doing it all without whining or moaning.

It turned out that my efforts weren't enough to cover a salary for me, but it was enough to get us by until I found a more steady job. I am very thankful for the learning experience and test in discipline I got from my short time as an entrepreneur, and I know those lessons will carry me through the next stages of my career.

I Always Knew There'd Be Days Like This

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:50:00 +0000

tamaki

This has been the most awesome day E.V.E.R.

The girls were here this weekend, and we made plans to decorate for Christmas. First, let me say that I LOVE this time of year. Christmas is my favorite holiday (with Thanksgiving coming in a very close second) and I turn into an eight-year-old just after Halloween. I start playing Christmas tunes way too early, and am always disappointed that I am the only one in my circle of friends and family who wants to celebrate Christmas in July.

Much to my delight, the weather forecast had been calling for a dusting of snow today. You would think that in my twenty-five-plus years of living in the Southeast I would learn to take those forecasts with a grain of salt and not get my hopes up. But every single time I get my hopes up.

Well, this forecast did not disappoint! (Kudos to Greg Fishel! You are my hero!) The snow started falling late morning and did not stop until early evening. I knew that the ground was too warm for the flakes to stick to the pavement, but the roofs and cars and trees and grass were soon covered in white. It was beautiful! When all was said and done, we got about an inch of it. (Stop laughing, you Northerners and Mid-Westerners... I'll take what I can get!)

We got the tree and house decked to Christmas tunes, cookies baking, and a snowy background. I don't think I could have asked for a more perfect day!

reverb10: Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 02:25:00 +0000

Kara Allyson

This is part of a series of posts for Reverb10 -- an online event to promote reflecting and manifesting. To read all of the posts in this series, just click on the "reverb10" tag over there on the right.

Moment

It's been hard for me to come up with the one moment this past year when I felt most alive. For the most part, I have been in survival mode, just doing what needs to be done to get the bills paid and get out of bed every morning. That makes me sad, and more determined that I will not go through another year like that again.

I can say easily, though, that I feel most alive when I am writing, even if I am just venting and cursing in my journal. Something happens when I put a pen to paper, and even most times when I am working at a keyboard. I lose myself in what I am writing. Everything around me gets quiet and I become laser-focused on my words. I get absorbed and time goes by in a flash without my knowing it. It doesn't really matter what I am writing -- a journal entry, an article, or a novel scene.

That's why I know that my purpose here is to write. I have loved to write for as long as I remember, and love it to this day. I not only love it, I need it. I need to write, and if I go for periods without it I am left with an empty and unsatisfied feeling.

So here's to thousands of more words that take me to new and exciting places!

reverb10: Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:12:00 +0000

tomswift46

This is part of a series of posts for Reverb10 -- an online event to promote reflecting and manifesting. To read all of the posts in this series, just click on the "reverb10" tag over there on the right.

Writing

What do I do each day that doesn't contribute to my writing? That's easy.

I waste time.

I am a professional procrastinator. It's a shame I don't get paid for it, because if I did I'd be rolling in the dough. Procrastination for me is a safety mechanism, I think. I'm afraid of failure, but I'm afraid of success even more. That subject, however, is for another blog post (or three).

How do I waste my time? I spend way too much of my time checking email and Facebook and Twitter and FoxNews and Google Reader. And when I've exhausted those avenues, I take a nap. Or I read. Or I organize. Anything goes when it comes to finding something to do other than write.

Can I eliminate those time wasters? Sure I can! But the question here for me is will I.

One of my goals for 2011 is to make more time for my writing. Blogging here is a good start for me. If I can make it through the month of December -- and I'm going to try really hard! -- that will be a great sign. Then I can get back to work on editing my novel and getting started on the next one I have outlined.

So, here's to eliminating those time wasters that are holding me back, and not making any contributions to my goals. Let's be clear -- I'm not going to eliminate them altogether. But the time I spend on them will be cut drastically! :)

reverb10: One Word

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:42:00 +0000

anguila40

This is part of a series of posts for Reverb10 -- an online event to promote personal reflecting and manifesting. To read all of the posts in this series, just click on the "reverb10" tag over there on the right.

One Word

If I had to encapsulate the year 2010 for me with one word, that word would be

s t r u g g l e.

The past year has been a tumultuous one. With being unemployed for the first four months, losing an aunt, losing an uncle, and financial difficulties, I had a hard time finding my way through the fog. I found it hard to be grateful, found it hard to have faith, and found it hard to believe in myself. My writing suffered, my health suffered, and my relationships suffered. There were times when I found it nearly impossible to drag myself out of bed to face another day, and struggled with my reason for being here at all.

Thankfully I have a wonderful husband and family who supported me. They let me cry when I needed to, vent when the anger overwhelmed me, and they made me laugh during times when I could not find happiness. Most of all, though, they encouraged me to keep going -- to push my way through the obstacles and disappointments, and to believe in myself. I was reminded that I am a powerful woman, and with focus and determination, I can accomplish anything.

This time next year my One Word will be different. This time next year I will have accomplished great things. I will have proved to myself that yes, I CAN do anything. This time next year my word will be

S U C C E S S !

Be sure to watch this space. Great things are to come!

Reverb10: An Exercise in Reflecting and Manifesting

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:04:00 +0000

I think I may have found the perfect exercise to help me finally get this blog up and going the way I would like:

Reverb10

Reverb10 is an annual online event that occurs from December 1 until December 31. There is a prompt for each of those days for which you can make something, write a blog post, or write a journal entry. The idea behind the prompts is to help you reflect over the past year, and to plan (manifest) what you want to happen to you in the coming year.

I typically take the last few weeks of December to reflect and to plan for what I want to accomplish in the next year. I've never used writing prompts, though, and since I am a Journal Keeper by nature, they would be a natural and fun way for me to take my reflecting and planning to the next level.

I believe strongly in goal-setting, and that you get what you ask for. So I'm excited about this exercise, and I am excited that it is giving me a jumping off point for my blog again. After all, one of my goals for 2011 is to put The Journal Keeper in high gear and be more disciplined about posting regularly.

So here's to looking back so I can move forward!

Quieting the Mind, Settling the Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:49:00 +0000

Lel4nd

I am enjoying a mental health morning. My husband, John, left earlier to play golf with friends (he's not a golfer by any means, so I can't wait to hear how things went!) and the girls are with their mother this weekend, so I have the apartment all to myself. My Bayberry Spice candle is burning and filling the air with the wintry scent that soothes my soul, I'm sipping on Dunkin Donuts Mocha Mint coffee (my third cup -- I'll surely end up with a bellyache!), and I'm listening to my Spa Radio station on Pandora. I'm still in my robe and slippers, people! I can't think of a better way to take care of Me.

My mind has been whirling lately with worries, stresses, lists of things I want to do, lists of things I'm not doing -- you know the drill. I've usually been able to calm myself by meditating with Holosync taking a short nap, or journaling, but lately that hasn't been working. I think my mind has gone into Shut Down Mode. She is overwhelmed and stretched to the limit, and has decided she's just not going to do it anymore.

The biggest thing bothering me right now is my attempt at NaNoWriMo. I haven't had the time (or, let's be honest, the desire) to write the required 1667 words each day. And now I'm so far behind I'll never catch up by November 30. So I'm giving it up. This will be my fourth try -- and my fourth failure. And that makes me disappointed in myself. I'm disappointed because that's just one more thing to add to the list of thousands that I have started but not completed.

But, I wonder if my inability to finish things is not so much laziness on my part, but maybe more of over-scheduling on my part. I want to do too many things, and I try to do them all at one time. I try to stay busy all of the time. Oh my gosh, you should see my planner! I have all of these great plans and things to do for each day, but most of them don't get done. And when I do try to quiet myself and relax, I feel guilty because of the unfinished items still left on those pages.

Perhaps today I will take some time to revisit my goals and items on my to-do lists. Maybe I can try to weed some things out; try to focus more on what's important for me.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to do that today. But right now, I'm having another cup of this awesome Mocha Mint coffee!

Day 2 BBBC - Write a List Post

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Follow along as I take ProBlogger's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge!

The exercise for Day 2 of the Build a Better Blog challenge was to write a list post. You can find my list post here. This was a simple exercise for me, because I love making lists! And the list I made was of famous journals -- one of my favorite topics!

I can definitely see the advantage to list posts. Being a heavy blog reader myself, I find that lists posts are very easy to read. They are neat, and they are very easy to scan to get the information that is most meaningful to me.

I am sure that there will be other list posts published at The Journal Keeper.

Why Blogging Hasn't Worked For Me In The Past

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:37:00 +0000

Martin Neuhof

First, I'd like to send a shout-out (HI!) and a big thank you (THANK YOU!) to the recent subscribers to The Journal Keeper. I appreciate you!

Now, in light of the fact that it's been six days since my last blog post (Bless me, Father, for I have sinned...), I think now would be a good time to write about why blogging hasn't worked for me in the past, and why I still struggle with it today.

As I've mentioned before, I've made several attempts at blogging. And shortly after starting, I lose my motivation. And I think that is largely because...

I crave instant gratification. And when I don't get it, I take my ball and bat and go home. It's as simple as that, yet I also recognize that it's unreasonable. What I really want is to have perfectly written and very witty posts flow magically from my fingers. I want readers who are sitting at their computers dutifully waiting for my next brilliant words. And I want comments from my adoring fans to overflow my inbox.

Ok, you can stop laughing now. That's just mean.

I get hung up on how my blog looks. I focus first on the theme and the colors and the cool widgets before I have even published the first posts. I've even jumped from platform to platform, changing the address of my blogs over and over so that even if I did have any readers they wouldn't be able to find me!

I didn't want to start a blog until I could start it "perfectly." I am a perfectionist by nature. The bad kind. I get so hung up on every aspect of what I do being absolutely, positively perfect that it becomes debilitating. I either get frustrated, or discouraged, or burned out. In the end, the task I was trying so hard to get right doesn't get done at all. This goes for many aspects of my life, and not just blogging.

What I've come to realize is that while there is nothing wrong with trying to do perfect work, in a lot of cases it's more important to just get the work done. And in many cases, there's no such thing as perfect.

Lately I've been educating myself on the blogging culture. There are some really awesome resources out there. And I've come to realize that I need to build up my blog. Give it some time. Darren Rowse at ProBlogger reminds me that even the big names in the blogosphere started out small -- most with zero readers for a while. They key is to keep at it. Keep writing quality content. Focus on quality and not quantity, but try to keep posting on a regular schedule.

So I am going to focus on creating content and getting the word out. I'm not going to worry about having an eye-pleasing design. Yet. I'm also going to try to stick to a more regular posting schedule. This is all a learning process, and an exercise in self-discipline. I hope you'll stick with me on the journey!

Day 1 BBBC - Write An Elevator Pitch

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon Korkes) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:30:00 +0000

h.koppdelaney

Follow along as I take ProBlogger's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge!

The exercise for Day 1 of the Build a Better Blog challenge was to write an elevator pitch. This was a good exercise for me, because it helped me to sit down and really decide what I wanted for this blog.

An elevator pitch is an overview or summary of a product or service or person that can be given in about 30 seconds -- the time it takes to ride an elevator. The idea is that if someone asks you to tell them about yourself (or your blog,or what you do, or what you're selling, etc.), you'll be ready with a short pitch instead of "Uhhh, well, umm..."

To write my elevator pitch, I asked myself a few questions: What is my blog about? What information do I want to share? Who will be reading my blog?

This is what I came up with:

"The Journal Keeper is a place for me to share my personal thoughts on things as I see them."

It's as simple as that. Nothing fancy or flashy. You can read the extended version on my About page.

Now, on to Day 2!