(day 12): all because of a nice breakup email I sent

I used to subscribe to the Every Intention newsletter by productivity consultant, Ashley Janssen, whose website is full of practical wisdom.

Earlier this year, in a frenzy of decluttering and simplifying, I unsubscribed from the newsletter, because I had come to see that in times of difficulty, I tend to run to books and blog posts on productivity – essentially, other people's words and opinions – instead of sitting with my own discomfort and figuring out what's impeding me in the moment.

A couple of days after I unsubscribed, I got a brief email from Ashley inquiring why I did so. I was so amazed that someone would take the effort to reach out especially after a subscription cancellation that I was determined to write to Ashley at length.

Only, it took me a month to do so!

Besides, I had derived a lot of practical value when I read through many of her posts, and I wanted to reach out to her and thank her too.

A few days later, Ashley mentioned that she was writing a post on reducing distractions inspired by my email, and I was all excited to see her unique take on it.

And voilà! Ashley's post is out on her blog today!

In a world full of distractions, how do you get your focus back?

Great question, indeed! And Ashley answers it with her usual practicality and wisdom.

If this is something up your alley – and who doesn't wish to know how to become more productive and efficient with the time we are blessed with – head over to Ashley's site and take a look at what she describes as the nicest breakup email she has ever received!

In other news, work continued on the manuscript today, but I've had some reckoning to do.

This challenge is bringing me up close and personal to questions I hadn't wanted to answer before, questions I wasn't even comfortable posing to myself before, terrified as I was as to what the answer would be.

And these are quintessential questions pertaining to the role writing fiction plays in my life.

My thoughts on this have been forming for a long time, but it's only more recently that I have become more comfortable admitting it to myself. I am not yet ready to talk about it here, but I'm certain I will write at length on this in the coming days.

Right now, I'm off for the day. It's been a summer-weather day here, and apparently tomorrow is slated to be even warmer. I love the sunshine but I don't much care for the heat, still I'm trying to make the most of this outdoorsy weather we're enjoying now.

There's certainly a spring in my step and joy in my heart. And at times like these, life feels just perfect!