Y1M4: Still in the Game

Sometimes you start with the perfect game plan. The ball is yours, the try line (or goal line for NFL fans) is close, and then, without warning, life tackles you. You get back on your feet only to be tackled again. And again.

This pretty much sums up the past year for me.

With the responsibilities of my mother’s pre- and post-operative care, overseeing the construction of her granny annex, battling my own health issues and homeschooling two teenagers who think they know it all, I sat down to read Write Your First Novel. When I finished the book, I realized I’d retained almost nothing. I knew it wasn’t the book; it was the season I was in.

Earlier this year, I decided to give it another shot. This time, I heeded Jim Rubart’s advice and took notes. Yet even then, very little stuck. Instead of moving on, I condensed my notes into a mind map. The mind map gave my brain something visual to connect with, and the information finally settled. What’s great is that the more I revisit it, the more I remember.

I’ve realized that sometimes the key isn’t to push harder. Sometimes I just need to pause, recalibrate, and begin again.

I’m not where I’d hoped to be. In fact, I should be much further along in the 5YP. But I’m still in the game.

And that’s what counts.

Month 4 is done. Now... on to Month 5.