Accidental Summer Vacation

Unfortunately, this is another post to share my lack of progress.  I have zero motivation to work lately.  It's summer.  It's gorgeous out.  There's a pool in the backyard, strawberry infused green tea in the refrigerator and a comfortable lawn chair screaming my name.  I don't want to sit at the computer typing away while I watch my kids having a blast through the window.  And whenever I take a pad and pen outside to motivate me to work from the lawn chair, I can't seem to pull my eyes away from the nature that surrounds me (the vegetable garden, the trees, the birds and even the occasional rabbit or deer) long enough to write a couple of sentences.

Summer has been my biggest debt-fighting enemy yet.  I think it can be difficult to walk the fine line between looking toward the future and living in the now.  If I stay focused on the future, I am motivated to work, to sell, to save, but I am also missing out on what life with debt still offers.

I know there is a happy medium.  With a little more discipline, I'm sure I could pound out an article a day or a chapter a day for my next book.  Some days I feel motivated, but then one request from the kids to head to the beach and I cave.  It's not their fault, by any means.  I am a sucker for the beach.  It's my downfall.  But it takes me 15 minutes to write one article.  I seriously have no excuse. 

I keep looking at the residual income from my book and other writing.  I also just received another $30 check for simply clicking on some emails over at Inbox Dollars.  But I am no where near my goal of hours worked or income per week.  I've even slacked in my surefire areas that were set in place to help me focus.  There is no budget on the refrigerator anymore.  The debt snowball chart even managed to make it's way on top of the fridge instead of blatantly posted on the face.  I've gotten a little better at tracking my grocery spending, but not so much at saving on groceries. 

So I need some written goals to get me back on track.  Realistic written goals that do not distract from the present (and still include a ton of beach and strawberry tea-sipping time!).  Goals that are not designed to overwhelm me but just to refocus me.  This week, I'll strive to:

• Post all the reports back on the refrigerator (and even add some color to make them stand out to my brain instead of just existing as constant objects in my line of sight).
• Continue to track my grocery spending, even if I don't save (making me aware of it is a great step to keeping my focus).
• Write three articles a week, giving me plenty of time away from the computer while keeping an income stream.

Very simple and doable goals that should leave me with no excuses come the end of next week.  Sometimes I think it's just a matter of stepping back and looking at what keeps us on track.  It's often easier than we think once we break it down and analyze it.  And keeping the mentality that something is always better than nothing helps immensely too. 

Hopefully my next progress report will be a little more in line with my goals!