Sustainable Living Book Project: Schedule Made!

Starting a bit earlier than last time around, I’ve already created a writing schedule for the 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living book project. With nearly twice as many “things” to write about (compared to 27 Things to Know About Yoga) I knew I’d need to get started sooner to use my 10 weeks wisely.

Add in the fact that I’ll be writing this book during summer (the season of major fun distractions!) & I knew a schedule was sorely needed:

Mon 5/3: WRITE INTRODUCTION
Tues 5/4: WRITE #1
Wed 5/5: WRITE #2 (Spanish final due)
Thurs 5/6: WRITE #3
Fri 5/7: SAMPLE DUE! (update blog; hubby’s dentist appt.)
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax! (Math exam)

Mon 5/10: WRITE #4
Tues 5/11: WRITE #5 (Nutrition exam; done with college semester!)
Wed 5/12: 1-YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! (update blog)
Thurs 5/13: WRITE #6 & 7
Fri 5/14: WRITE #8 & 9
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax!

(Friend visiting all week)
Mon 5/17: WRITE #10
Tues 5/18: WRITE #11
Wed 5/19: WRITE #12
Thurs 5/20: WRITE #13
Fri 5/21: WRITE #14
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax!

(Moving week)
Mon 5/24: WRITE #15
Tues 5/25: WRITE #16
Wed 5/26: WRITE #17
Thurs 5/27: WRITE #18
Fri 5/28: WRITE #19
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax!

Mon 5/31: WRITE #20
Tues 6/1: WRITE #21 & 22
Wed 6/2: WRITE #23 & 24
Thurs 6/3: WRITE #25 & 26
Fri 6/4: WRITE #27 & 28 (update blog: 1 month left!)
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax!

Mon 6/7: WRITE #29
Tues 6/8: WRITE #30 & 31
Wed 6/9: WRITE #32 & 33
Thurs 6/10: WRITE #34 & 35
Fri 6/11: MY 26^th BIRTHDAY! (update blog)
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax!

Mon 6/14: WRITE #36
Tues 6/15: WRITE #37 & 38
Wed 6/16: WRITE #39 & 40
Thurs 6/17: WRITE #41 & 42
Fri 6/18: WRITE #43 & 44
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax!

Mon 6/21: WRITE #45
Tues 6/22: WRITE #46
Wed 6/23: WRITE #47
Thurs 6/24: WRITE #48
Fri 6/25: Catch up or relax!
Sat/Sun: Catch up or relax!

Mon 6/28:  EDIT!
Tues 6/29: EDIT!
Wed 6/30: WRITE author bio & acknowledgments
Thurs 7/1: EDIT!
Fri 7/2: FULL MANUSCRIPT DUE! (update blog)

While following this schedule, I will also be blogging 1-2x/week here @ VictoriaKlein.net, 2-3x/week for Ode Magazine, and 1-3x/week for another blog (to be announced soon!). I’m also be pitching & writing for magazines, as is customary. I shall also try to maintain a healthy eating & exercise plan (usually the 1st thing I sacrifice – not good!).

There is a light at the end of the tunnel: my husband is taking off the entire month of August (before he goes to Marines boot camp on September 13th) & we will be spending 1-2 weeks in San Francisco! We’ve already started making a list of all our favorite places to visit & people to see. More details in the coming months, but I can give you one hint: some of my time in SF will be spent promoting 27 Things to Know About Yoga.

Random Thoughts: The End of Rationalizing

Have you ever been told you think too much? You’re a “thinker”, not a “doer”? Join the club. I openly admit to using my mind far too much – not always to my benefit, mind you. (bad pun)

Look up the word rationalize in the dictionary & you may be surprised by its meaning:

to ascribe (one’s acts, opinions, etc.) to causes that superficially seem reasonable and valid but that actually are unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less creditable or agreeable causes; to invent plausible explanations for acts, opinions, etc., that are actually based on other causes.

When we rationalize/over-think people, places, things, or events, we are just trying to make ourselves feel better. That’s it. There’s no silver lining – it’s a completely selfish act to try to save our own sanity & emotions. Like most human ability, rationalizing has a time & a place, but knowing exactly when & where that is can be tougher than you think.

An issue of Body+Soul Magazine (soon-to-be Whole Living Magazine) featured a great article on this subject, titled Get Out of Your Head by Terri Trespicio. Unfortunately, I can’t find a version of it online, but here are some great quotes:

If overthinking can actually change our preference for jam, could it also change our preferences for clothing, or housing, or even a life partner? Can rationalizing keep up from a life we’d rather have?

We’ve all talked ourselves into doing something (buying, eating, traveling, moving, taking a new job, dating someone) that, in the end, didn’t turn out to be so great anyway. No one is saying that we shouldn’t think at all, but with the overwhelming number of choices we have in just our daily lives (not including big, lifelong decisions!), it’s easy to see why our brain would be used to “powering on” all the time – even when we don’t really need it.

While reason calls on a combination of hard facts and common sense, rationalization is more like padding we use to cover the sharper, sometimes uncomfortable edges to make them more tolerable.

It is a fine line that we dance, choosing between the real world & the reality of our own perceptions. Reason is the real world, where our personal, professional, and financial obligations lie in black & white. Rationalization, on the other hand, is all in our minds, assigning emotions and excuses to adjust our comfort levels on subject that deserve honest attention.

I’m glad I didn’t get promoted; it would have been more work. (Rationalizing)

My credit card bill is due next week so I need to stay in Saturday night. (Reasoning)

Unfortunately, while their definitions are clearly different, reasoning & rationalizing coexist in our minds at all times.

How do we break out of the rationalization habit? Tap into the very emotions we think should be kept under wraps.  … It can be scary to open that proverbial can of worms, to acknowledge what’s nagging and pulling at you. But when you can, let your instincts do the very thing they’ve evolved to do: guide you in making wise decisions.

Emotions = bad, at least that is what most of our modern society has been teaching us. I personally ascribe to the “everything happens for a reason” mindset. If you feel something, that emotion deserves to be acknowledged, not overshadowed by rationalization. We may not always be able to completely turn a situation around in our favor, but we should consciously accept our instinctual reasoning & make an effort to steer ourselves in a healthier direction.

Emotions make us human. Denying them makes us beasts.

Don’t mask your true feelings with a veil of convenience.

Working with A Personal Favorite!: Ode Magazine

Do you know what its like to admire someone (or something), only to find yourself actually working with them?

That has been my reality since I signed the contract to write for Ode Magazine & their fantastic website!

Due to the miscarriage, my schedule has been thrown off a bit. Thankfully, my editor, Katie, has been more than understanding of my delay.

Today, my first post for Ode went live: 10 ways to make every day an Earth Day (please visit, comment, & share!)

In the near future, I’ll be posting 2-3 pieces a week, featuring all aspects of sustainable living, including people, products, tips, opinions, and interviews. Keep an eye out for my posts! If you haven’t heard of Ode Magazine, now’s the time to discover all the great things about this publication for “intelligent optimists.”

Sustainable Living Book Project: Outline Approved!

Book #2 has reached its 1st milestone – the outline has official been approved by the publisher!

Here is what will be 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living:

Acknowledgments

Introduction – The End of the Eco-Myth

1.    What Do We Need?
2.    All the Eco-Benefits
3.    The 3 Rs
4.    An Easy, Green Life
5.    Chow Down
6.    Drink Up
7.    Wear it Well
8.    Stand Tall
9.    Look Your Best
10.    Seal it Up
11.    Bring on the Bulbs
12.    Looks Like Home
13.    Efficient Appliances
14.    Stay Cool
15.    Keep Warm
16.    Grime Be Gone
17.    Hung Out to Dry
18.    Grow Your Own
19.    A Truly Green Lawn
20.    Our Furry, Feathered, and Scaly Friends
21.    Feel the (Natural) Power
22.    Gadgets & Gizmos
23.    Keep on Truckin’
24.    Public Transport
25.    People-Powered
26.    Green Business
27.    Home Sweet Home Office
28.    Healthier Hanky Panky
29.    Growing Up Green
30.    Educating the Future
31.    Working for Mother Earth
32.    Give of Yourself
33.    Local Change
34.    Taking to the Air
35.    Stay Home & Get Away
36.    A Time to Celebrate
37.    Here Comes the Bride
38.    Build it Fresh
39.    Make it New Again
40.    Every Penny Counts
41.    Bury the Carbon
42.    Vintage Advantage
43.    Love Your Library
44.    DI-Why
45.    Get Outside!
46.    Read into It
47.    The Eco-WWW
48.    Share Your Support

Author Bio (back cover)

Over twice as many tips as the yoga book, but each tip will be a bit shorter.

Next week is devoted to research for the book, then I’ll be writing 2 tips a week each weekday.

Next due date: Friday, May 7th for the Sample (Introduction & 1 of the “tips”)

Baby Update: R.I.P.

Just like my baby announcement post, this update will be very simple as well.

As you probably deduced from this post’s title, I have had a miscarriage.

My husband & I are experiencing a wide range of emotions, but are confident we will try again in a few years when his military career is more stable & we can both spend more time with the baby.

Heartfelt thank yous go out to everyone in my personal life who has already heard the news & offers up their condolences.

Understandably, this blog may continue to be quiet for another week or so, but soon I will be back to taking photos, posting my opinions, and giving you updates about my book projects.

Sustainable Living Book Project: Outline Due Yesterday!

Not a good way to start a new project, eh? I turned in my outline for the 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living book a day late. Recent complications with my pregnancy have thrown off both my personal, professional, and educational life. That being said, I still have a job to do & I’m dedicated to make this book as swank as 27 Things to Know About Yoga (official release date coming VERY soon)!

Sustainable living is such a larger subject than yoga that choosing what topics to include became an even tougher challenge. The goal for the book is for it to be an introductory guide, so I tried not to bog it down with lots of technical elements & complicated processes. “Going green” is easy & affordable; every change helps; and we shouldn’t be so selfish to think these issues don’t impact us daily.

Next due date: Friday, May 7th for the book sample (introduction & 1 of the “tips”)