Winter projects: writing, therapy dogs & the ideal routine

I’m singing the winter blues while I look forward to the comfort and warmth of mild spring weather. The idea of spring seems far-reaching when temps in the PNW continue to hold fast to flat-out bone-chilling cold and we are teased with a few days of sunshine only to get blasted with a blanket of snow again. 

Getting out for walks with Jozee is a highlight for me, and we were treated to a few days of beautiful weather last month and the end of January when we were able to enjoy parks and lake and river walks, even if it was a little cold. The sun on your face helps you ignore the cooler temps. 

But I’m seriously ready for spring and warmer weather, even if it means rain.

In the meantime, while I dream of hikes on sunny days, I’m working on my book projects…

My young adult is coming along while I continue to write and also while I work through notes and pages first typed years ago – it’s interesting when I can see the difference in my writing (then versus now) and can make changes based on what I’ve learned since I first began writing the book.

My new series has also received my attention and I have a list of projects to complete now that I’ve mapped out what I want to do with the series. I’m excited to start checking those items off of my task list.

In addition to my writing projects, I’ve also focused on a couple of other projects…

Jozee and I have begun some new training. I’m currently taking classes to become certified as a therapy dog handler and she’s taking classes to prepare her for testing to become a therapy dog. My classes will be complete later this month and her classes go into next month, after which we’ll complete a test together as a team. If we pass, we’ll begin visiting at a nearby hospital a couple of times a month. If we aren’t able to pass the initial test, it’ll mean some additional training and another test in six months. It’s not all bad, as that would mean Jozee would be older (closer to 2 years) and I’ll have shadowed other handlers to learn better skills. Either way, we’ll get there and eventually take part in the rewarding experience of visiting hospital patients.

This time of year is when resolutions from the New Year begin to fizzle and I’ve noticed a swarm of posts and worksheets or e-course offers from bloggers and writers about how to avoid procrastination, increase productivity, find an ideal routine and prioritize priorities in order to stay on task. Since I’m a writer and not immune to procrastination or self-sabotage, I read some posts and took advantage of some of the worksheets and a few e-courses. While I have my 90-day plan for my writing projects, which helps me review my goals in an attempt to stay on task, I never thought about a 90-day plan for my personal life. In my review, I realized I haven’t been solidly on task and that my work/life balance isn’t really balanced, possibly because I’m working from home and sometimes those lines are just too easily blurred.

The month of March is going to be a month of learning, where I’ll learn more about therapy dog training, more about myself as I work on the “ideal” routine and more about my writing while I review and revise a project from the past and get to know new characters as I piece together a completely new series.

These projects will keep me busy enough while I wait for the break of winter when it finally gives the stage to spring.

What about you? What projects keep you busy during the cold winter months?

Whatever the project may be, stay warm out there.

Until next time…