How to THRIVE not Just Survive!

Kat's 5 Step Plan to THRIVE - Not Just Survive SurvivingDid you notice that this year we didn't hear much talk about New Year’s resolutions? Could it be that people are already maxed out, carrying enough burdens? It seems to me, a lot of us are barely coping with life as it is. For many people the goal for next year is simply survival.


Surviving is something I’m very familiar with.
I spent much of my life in survival mode; surviving a lifelong battle with my weak immune system, the death of my mother when I was not yet fourteen, a difficult home life after that. After I got married I had multiple miscarriages, and we have a son with severe illness. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I know how to survive.
As writers many of us face nearly impossible deadlines and a rigorous appearance and social media schedule. It’s easy to lose our balance and slip into survival mode. But I want to do more than just survive – I want to THRIVE.
THRIVEBut how do we switch from survival mode to THRIVE-AL mode (new word)? How can we thrive amidst all the stress and busyness of our high-octane lifestyle? I’ll share my thoughts with you, but I’d love your input as well. What do you do to THRIVE?
Here is my 5 step plan to THRIVE:
Spend at least part of the day disconnected. I plan to silence my smart phone, step away from the computer, turn off the TV, and focus on something human and physical for a couple hours. Perhaps it will be yoga, or working in the garden, or cleaning my kitchen. These disconnected moments are far more important than I had realized. They bring a sweetness and contentment to our lives, even if it means doing something as mundane as gardening or cleaning the kitchen. It offers us time to reflect.

Spend time communing with God and nature. I’m sure most of you realize how important this is, but too often I let my day slide by without experiencing these all-important moments. This is a case of sacrificing what is most important for something less important. I vow to correct that, so that I can THRIVE.

Stop multitasking quite so much. I admit I’m a workaholic. It’s not uncommon for me to have several projects running on my computer at the same time. Our culture puts a premium on multitasking. People who can multitask are perceived as more productive. In truth, studies have shown that people who multitask are generally less productive than people who focus on one task and complete it. I have interviewed a number of successful authors and discovered that those who have life in balance do not multitask. So, I plan to let go of some of my multitasking and try to do only one thing at a time.

In as much as possible, I plan to eliminate elements in my life that don’t bring joy. There is a wonderful book that explains how to organize and simplify by evaluating what brings us joy. When I use the word joy I don’t mean: happy, bouncy, perky, party.  I mean; joy, contentment, peace, balance. These emotions are the rain and sunlight that help us thrive.  

Here’s a link to that book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo Link: http://amzn.com/B00KK0PICK

Lastly, I have decided my health comes before my success as a writer. It comes before all the other things I have stacked in front of it for the last twenty years. Naturally, this entails some dietary and exercise changes. The key here is deciding to make it a priority.There you have it - this is my 5 steps plan to THRIVE. Share your thrive-al plans with us. What do you do to thrive? 
Kathleen Baldwin is the author of several Amazon bestselling Traditional Regency Romances. Her upcoming series for Tor Teen - A School for Unusual Girls has already won awards. Kirkus declares, "romance readers who prize both brains and valor in a heroine will be pleased to make Georgie's acquaintance."