I’m Buried Under a Pile of “This” They’re all good things. So why am I so tired?

Hi Beautiful Readers,

I’m spending September feeling a little all over the place. Come along with me while I talk in circles for a minute…

When I think of September, the first word that comes to mind is busy. The lazy mornings of summer, lounging in the sun throughout the day are gone.

If you’re a parent, it’s back-to-school time—getting kids out the door with everything they need, adjusting to new schedules, new routines, and all the stuff that comes with a new school year.

As a former teacher, September meant getting my classroom ready for a new group of students, getting my own kids ready for school, and helping everyone adjust to it all.

Even though I’m no longer in the classroom and my kids have flown the nest, apparently September didn’t get the memo. That feeling of busy hasn’t left me.

September is a time of transition.

Summer to fall.

Lazy days to schedules.

Relaxed mornings to to-do lists.

And for me, this September has been especially full.

I’ve been busy helping family with a variety of things, adjusting to having both of my children out of the house, and feeling the sudden urge to shed the excess in my home. I want to organize closets and deep-clean everything—including washing the walls. What can I say, I'm an empty nester nesting!

I’ve also been attending lots of author events, connecting with readers, making new friends, and talking all things books, including my own.

And while I absolutely LOVE doing it, I’m finding that my energy has been stretched pretty thin. And apparently, my creativity has gone right along with it.

I feel like I’m buried underneath a giant pile of THIS.

I’ll work on my character maps after this.

I’ll finish my short story after this.

I’ll write that article that’s already a month overdue after this.

I’ll get back to the next book after this.

The problem? There is always another this waiting.

And the funny thing is they’re all good things. Things I’m excited about. Things I’m grateful for. Things I want to do.

But good things can still leave us tired.

And somewhere underneath all those “this’s,” my creativity has gotten a little lost.

Do you ever feel that way?

Like you can’t quite settle into your creative space—or even your own head—until you’ve checked a few more things off the to-do list? I want to be creative. I want to write.

And I’m realizing that I’m not quite ready yet. I need to get through a few more of these “this’s” first.

So I’m changing my mindset from “I should be working on my creative stuff” to “it will come.”

Maybe that’s what this season is asking me to do.

To recognize that sometimes we’re simply in a transition. And honestly, fall seems like the perfect season for that.

The trees are quietly shedding—changing colors and letting go of their leaves.

The earth is beginning to settle.

The frantic heat of summer is giving way to cooler days.

Maybe we can do a little letting go, too.

Maybe everything doesn’t have to happen right now.

So, I’m working my way through the “this’s” one at a time.

And when I finally make it to the other side, I know my mind will clear and make room for the creativity. The writing will come again.

Because even when I’m not sitting at my computer, the ideas are still floating around in my head.

And I want to make time for that other thing I love, too—sinking into the couch with a hot cup of tea or cider and a good book and simply enjoying the change of the season.

Fall has all my favorite colors, my favorite scents, and all the coziness that comes with this time of year. As we transition into a season of turning inward, I keep coming back to one thought:

I just want simple.

After I get through the “this’s,” of course.

Anyone else feel this way? Leave me a comment and let me know. I'd love to hear what your after this are and what you're going to do when you are on the other side of them. What creative project are you looking forward to getting to?

In the meantime...let’s hold hands, take a deep breath, and ease into fall together.

❤️With Love and Light,

Wendy