Self-care

Posts by author Lynette M. Burrows on things creatives can do to take care of themselves.

Build Your Motivation Toolbox

Lynette M Burrows

It’s Monday. You drag yourself out of bed and wish you didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything. And you beat yourself up for it You say, it’s only this part of my work that I hate. If I could afford to hire someone to do this part, I’d be golden. If it weren’t Monday, I’d be fine. I’m not motivated, so I must not have genuine talent. Well, if that were true, your problem isn’t Monday. Heck, it could be any day of the week. Where’s your motivation toolbox? Don’t have one? Start building your motivation toolbox today. Fill it with tools you can and will use may help you through so you can figure out what is holding you back. Creatives like you don’t have an HR department or a supervisor to guide you. Sometimes you don’t even have a paycheck to motivate you. You need to know how to motivate yourself. To know how to motivate yourself, you need to understand the psychology of motivation. Understanding the Types of Motivation The problem with understanding the types of motivation is that there are hundreds of types identified by various gurus on the internet. So let’s boil it down […]

Happiness is an Awesome Reading Vacation

Lynette M Burrows

Readers read. That’s what we do–in the in-between moments of our lives that include things like earning wages, partners, children (two-legged and four-legged), homes, vehicles, and so on. I don’t know about you, but I never have enough time to read what I want to read. So I’ve been daydreaming and I’ve decided that happiness is an awesome reading vacation.  What is an Awesome Reading Vacation? A reading vacation is a time (days, weeks) when you devour as many stories as you can. Make sure these are books and stories you want to read. Don’t bring the books you should or kind of want to read. You don’t have to go anywhere. A staycation can be wonderful. It might be fun to stay at a reader friend’s home. Go as rustic (tent) or as pampered (5-star hotel) as you wish and can afford. Take it one step further. Go to a reader’s paradise. A location that would thrill your reader’s heart. Would you walk the paths trod by a beloved author? Maybe you want to trace the steps of a favorite character? You can choose to read in beautiful libraries or impressive bookstores. There’s no wrong answer. Three on My […]

You Need a Well-Stocked I Can Do It Toolbox

Lynette M Burrows

Life can be difficult, fickle, and downright cruel. During those minutes, hours, days, and (heaven-forbid) months our self-confidence can take a beating. Learning how to bolster your self-confidence isn’t something you can do when you’re in a low spot. You need to be prepared. You need a well-stocked I Can Do It toolbox. So prepare now for those days that plague us all. Reframe Just like Thomas Edison, you didn’t fail—you learned a way that didn’t work. You LEARNED. A positive statement. A positive thing out of something that didn’t go as planned. List what you learned. Put it in that I can do it toolbox. And remember, every failure, every gosh-darn-that-didn’t-go-as-planned is one more step toward success. Kind of the turn that frown upside down idea. Look at what you’re feeling down about and deliberately find something good to say about it. Fake It The adage, fake it till you make it, can work. Put an optimistic spin on your day even if you have to pretend. Faking it tricks your brain into changing gears. Eventually your brain will catch on. That’s the power of positive thinking. Don’t Give Up Quitting can feel good. But it doesn’t keep on […]