When I was younger, I used to bite my nails because of fear or anxiety. They’d bleed, become infected and generally look terrible. My grandma, a farmer’s wife, used to put black salve on them to help with the infection. As I grew older, I learned better coping mechanisms for dealing with fear and anxiety such as prayer, talking with others, and refocusing my perspective. And my nails grew. Because of my profession, I need to keep my nails short, but they’re still trimmed, neat, and polished when the mood strikes. However, yesterday, I found myself picking at a nail fragment on my ring finger. I kept tugging on it until it pulled free. This morning, I have an “owie” (I work with small children, so that’s a normal part […]
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About Lisa Jordan
Married twenty-five years to her own real-life hero, award-winning author Lisa Jordan knows a thing or two about romance. She and her husband have two college-aged sons. By day, Lisa is an early childhood educator. By night she writes contemporary Christian romances for Love Inspired. In her spare time, she loves good books, romantic comedies, crafting with friends and feeding her NCIS addiction. She is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such. Visit Lisa at www.lisajordanbooks.com.Author Archive | Lisa Jordan
Finding Balance in Writing & Life: Between Deadlines
Once I turned in my latest manuscript, I realized something—I was between deadlines, meaning I don’t have any contracted novels to jump right into. While that’s good to allow myself time to relax after back-to-back deadlines, it doesn’t help the bank account. However, I needed the downtime. I needed to refresh my spirit and refuel my writing energies. Here are five suggestions for others who may find themselves between deadlines or without contracts yet: Breathe. Maybe you’ve put in long hours finishing up your manuscript before your deadline. Or perhaps, you’re still waiting for that offer to come through. Either way, take time to simply breathe…relax. I submitted my last manuscript during a family crisis, which tripled the stress level. But, once I turned it in, I was able to […]
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Finding Balance in Writing & Life: When Your Cup is Empty
I knocked over my cup. Tea flowed out of the mug, onto the floor, and raced toward any crack or crevice it could find. I picked up the cup to find it empty, and my shoulders sagged.
I felt like that cup.
Empty. With nothing left to offer.
You see, I spent a week in June at my youngest son’s hospital bedside praying fervently for God to spare his life. A seemingly simple diagnosis of bronchitis led into pneumonia only to have his body attacked by an unknown virus that wrecked havoc on his organs, spiraling him near death.
Oh, and by the way, I had a book deadline that week.
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Finding Balance with Writing & Life: Regaining Balance After a Deadline
I rang in the New Year with three major deadlines on my plate–one contracted book deadline, one day job deadline, and taxes for two businesses.
After many late nights and early mornings, two out of three of my deadlines have been met.
I’m so thankful for these deadlines because they represent pieces of a dream—business owner and published author.
Regaining balance after a deadline is essential for stability in the other areas of my life. For the past 12 weeks, I’ve been running on adrenaline, doing what was necessary to get by. Now that I’ve submitted my novel, I have a bit more breathing room. I have time to do those things I’ve been putting off like cleaning my bedroom, refinishing a dresser, painting my dining room.
Whether you’re completing a writing deadline or another type, here are three tips to help you regain balance:
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