Spark People revisited

As you may have read here in the past, I joined an online community called SparkPeople for people who want to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Since joining I've lost a few pounds--very few compared to some--but more importantly, I'm thinking about what I put into my mouth, incorporating activity into my day, and feeling much better than I have in years.

There are tons of resources and articles on SparkPeople to encourage and teach you how to live a better life. But it isn't just about losing weight. I have found that much of the advice reflects what I read in the Bible.

It's not all about me.

Make yourself feel better by doing something nice for someone else.

Take your eyes off your own problems.

The list goes on and on.

Many of the tips and quotes I've found can also be related to the writing life. Most of us need more discipline in every area of our lives. Most of us are inspired when we read or hear about someone else reaching his or her goals. Most of us can learn from someone else's mistakes. Most of all, most of us need written goals in order to accomplish everything we want to do.

Now that my latest manuscript is ready to head out into the world, it's easy to take a break from writing. I can afford to take a few weeks, or even months, off to regroup. But I need to keep going. I'm sure there are plenty of writers out there who don't suffer from taking a long sabbotical after finishing a project. I, on the other hand, need the momentum of a finished book to spur me on to the next project. If I have too much down time, the next thing I know it's Christmas and I'm still outlining my next book.

Most of us thrive on; Momentum. Discipline. To-do lists. Encouragement and inspiration from those who have been there.

I'm already playing around with ideas for the next book in my Jenna's Creek Series and almost chomping at the bit to get started. Now if I can just keep that creative juice flowing long enough to put the pen to paper...