Intention Intervention

I am two days away from my WRITERVERSARY!

Cue the fireworks!

When the smoke clears, the writing life continues with more reflection on the foundations put in place. Bring on The Three C’s!

What happened in the past three years of my writing journey?

I took the first step off the edge. I created and curated a daily writing routine. I rode dragons and beat drums. I pivoted when it didn't make sense. I challenged my social anxiety and broke out of my comfort zone with social media. I launched this newsletter. I discovered I have a thing for trees (and wrote about this three… wait, four times!). I rekindled old friendships while making new ones, and connected with fellow creatives to share our stories. I moved away from limiting beliefs and being perfect with writing. And I bid farewell to SNOOZE. 

MEH! Not much!

I enjoy aligning my writing intentions with my WRITERVERSARY instead of January 1st. I used to pressure myself to step “it” up a notch each year. I nearly began the fourth year of my journey by questioning every writing decision I made.

Unfortunately, my pivotal words were not enough to create writing intentions from scratch. The more I reflected on my journey, the more I kept asking myself: 

Should it be anything?

And did it have to be created from scratch?

This year’s intentions came to life last week as I searched for poems I wrote and compiled into one digital document. As I fell into the Google Docs rabbit hole, I found more than I bargained for:

• Three different files containing unique poems;

• 10 first drafts of non-fiction stories I never completed;

• 7 first drafts of essays I never completed;

• 5 dream recall notes (In some cases when my physical journal or notebook is not nearby when I wake up, I will type notes on my phone);

• Multiple drafts of unfinished newsletter themes.

These documents are not in folders. I relied on memory, my phone and other computers to write for years. When I switched to my own personal computer, I did not think about a more efficient organizational system for older files. I was busy pivoting around and … well, writing as much as I could each day. 

Also, this does not account for the 9 handwritten journals and other notebooks with story ideas, plotlines, and poems not in the documents above. 

I was overwhelmed at first. Then I realized the benefits - I am not starting from scratch anymore.

As I have mentioned before, it is never too late to start a new endeavour. For me, this meant beginning to create a better filing system.

I plan to focus a big part of this year's writing journey on “calming the chaos.” This includes organizing writing drafts and stock photos. I will create and maintain a log of unfinished drafts. Once the chaos settles down (since I don't believe it will ever fully calm), I will concentrate on one or two writing projects from my new log.

This event triggered a much-needed “intention intervention.” I spent 2024 trying my damndest to live in the present moment, yet intentions are technically a desired future state. And how does one set intentions without reflecting on successes and failures along the journey? 

If the final destination is unclear, it doesn't mean you have to continue the journey in a fog.

I reviewed old intentions of my writing past vs what was completed and how. I also explored past goals and intentions unfulfilled. I saw patterns in some cases and events that triggered unintended results for others. Combined with my pivotal words, this exercise helped me bucket a few Year Four intentions into what I call “The Three C’s:”

1. Calm the Chaos (systemize & prioritize)

2. Connect (more) with other creatives (network, join clubs, share ideas)

3. Choose your adventure, continue on the path (keep on writing, keep on learning, and continue work on Writing Manifesto)

I won't share the details of each intentional bucket as they are today, since they are for directional purposes only. My biggest lesson from 2024 is life can throw curveballs at any time. There may be times when I have to pivot in a different direction. Intentions are not meant to be linear.

Not all journeys require intentions to begin on the path. I encourage you to try out a creative endeavour NOW. Intentions will bloom from your starting point, whether you see it immediately or not.

For years I intended to write daily, and I still do. I continue to view each day as a gift. I also teased about writing a book. Will it be easier with The Three C’s guiding me along the path? I’ll keep you posted. 

I spent more time reflecting on my three-year writing journey to determine what makes sense for year 4. Yet it only took one day to set a spark on a directional path. The fog cleared in time to leap into February 1st, 2025. 

Bring it, Year 4!!!

I’m excited to continue this journey with you. All the best, fellow creatives.

Nadine