Stephany Writes

Categories: Goals

Operation Write My Novel | March Recap

Happy Friday! It’s been quite the week – yesterday, I found out that my work is expanding our work-from-home program so I’m going to be able to work from home once a week! Hooray! This is going to do wonders for my mental health, I think. 🙂

Today, I have another writing update for you! It was a solid writing month for me, especially as I changed my weekly goal from writing a chapter a week to writing 3,000 words a week. That feels much more doable! Let’s get into it:

Week 9 (February 25 – March 3)

  • Words written: 3,100
  • Things researched: old phones, Jane Austen characters, four poster bed, room at a bed and breakfast, best Jane Austen characters, funny hotel signs

This was the week that I changed my weekly writing goal and, man, this was such a good decision. There was something about writing an entire chapter (which can sometimes be 5,000 words alone, if not more) that was overwhelming me, so I think that giving myself a goal of 3,000 words is much more attainable. (And saves my sanity.) This week, I wrote my 3,000 words and felt like it allowed me to take my time, rather than rushing to finish a chapter so I could be done.

I also completely forgot about my writing date this weekend. We usually meet on Sunday mornings, but every now and then, we have to switch it around due to our schedules. We decided to meet on Saturday morning this weekend, and I even put it in my calendar, but for some reason, I kept thinking we were meeting on Sunday. Saturday morning, I got a text at 10:15 from M., saying, “Did I get the date wrong? I’m never at Starbucks before you.” Whoops! I was able to hightail over to Starbucks and felt so bad about forgetting but she was very understanding. Sigh. It meant I didn’t do any editing this weekend but I was able to get all my writing done, so that was nice!

My biggest struggle this week was writing descriptions. I’m so bad at them! I was trying to write a description for the front of a bed and breakfast, and couldn’t think of the simplest phrases. I finally had to just write something lame and move on, because I was spending so much time just staring at my computer screen, not able to come up with any kind of phrase to describe something.

I’ve already plotted out my novel, but I realized the way I had ended the previous chapter (using my outline) wasn’t working for the story and I didn’t think it was the right thing to happen to my main character. So, I went back and changed the ending to that chapter and added in some new characters and a new plot point that I’m really excited about. It’s so funny how that happens, though. I was expecting the novel to go in this one direction and then it’s like my characters guide me to do something entirely different that is so much better than the original plot. Ah, writing. It’s such a joy sometimes!

Week 10 (March 4-10)

  • Words written: 3,025
  • Things researched: overstuffed chairs, bakeries, sample will, reading of a will

I hit my reading goal this week! Two weeks in a row! I’m unstoppable. 🙂 This was such an interesting writing week for me, though, because I nearly completely changed the backstory of my male lead. I’ve had the backstory all figured out for him and it’s what causes his major conflict in the novel, but as I started writing, something different emerged. I had to take a step back and really think about my character and his motivations and what made sense for him. I decided that I wanted him to have the original back story I had planned so I had to delete a few paragraphs and change an interaction this character had with a family member to make it happen. It’s always so interesting how you can plan and plan and plan for something and then once you begin writing, everything changes because the characters are dynamic.

During my writing date this week, I edited chapter six, which was a fairly long chapter (it took me nearly 25 minutes to read it aloud to my writing partner!) There was a lot happening in this chapter as it’s the first long interaction between my two characters so I wanted to make sure they had enough time to get to know one another and set up how their relationship will evolve over the coming chapters. I’m worried, though, that the chapter is super boring and there’s not enough chemistry between them. I have a feeling that’s a chapter that will get reworked again and again during the editing process. And that’s exciting! I’m trying to worry less about creating the MOST PERFECT MANUSCRIPT EVER and just focus on getting the words down on the page and then doing a surface-level edit to refine my writing and make sure everything makes sense. I know once this manuscript is finished, there will be many, many rounds of edits but that’s not something I need to worry about right now. I always struggle during this phase of the writing process because I just want my manuscript to be perfect from the get-go but that’s impossible and too high a standard to hold myself to.

Week 11( March 11-17)

  • No progress

I took this week off writing because it was a busy week and an even busier weekend, and I wanted to spend what little free time I had either reading or working on my Ireland itinerary. I may start giving myself one week “off” every month to kind of reset my brain and take it easy.

I also didn’t meet up for a writing date with my writing partner because she texted me early on Sunday morning saying she had food poisoning, poor thing! (And if you think I still went to Starbucks to edit my novel, you’d be mistaken. I used that time to take an extra-long nap, thankyouverymuch.)

Week 12 (March 18-24)

  • 3,077 words written
  • No research

I had a realization this week. I’ve been spending so much time internally moaning and groaning about having to spend my weekends holed up in my apartment writing. I just kept thinking about how nice it must be to have a weekend where you don’t have to worry about, well, working. Because that’s what this novel-writing process is, you know? It’s work. It’s work that doesn’t pay me and may not ever amount to anything, and it can feel a little defeating when I look at it that way. But then I realized I was playing the comparison game. Because, the truth is, I’m not the only one who spends so much of my free time working. There are people building up a freelance writing career or working on their Etsy shop in their off hours. Or maybe they’re like me, trying to get their first novel finished while working a full-time job. (And let’s be honest: I may still need to work a full-time job even if I finish this novel and get it published.) I recognize this little pity party I’ve been throwing for myself is a privileged one – a lot of people are working on the weekends because they have to, because they have bills to pay and their paycheck at their full-time job isn’t cutting it – but I still wanted to bring it up. The whole point of writing these updates is to completely honest about my experience as I work on my novel. So here it is.

On Friday night (this is before the above realization hit me, mind you), I sat down to write. I pulled up my work in progress, read over the last few paragraphs, and tried to continue the scene. Everything I wrote sounded terrible. I couldn’t get the dialogue right and every action my characters took felt stiff. I know a shitty first draft is par for the course, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. I was convinced that this dream of writing a novel was the stupidest idea I’d ever had and I needed to give it all up. (My brain is a great place to be sometimes.) I stopped writing and told myself I’d try again tomorrow. Hopefully, I’d be more inspired and less annoyed by my writing in the morning.

The good news is, I totally was! When I came back to my WIP on Saturday, the words came easily and felt good. I was working in 500-word increments and each time I passed that threshold, it felt like I had only been writing for a few minutes. It’s amazing how much things can change from day to day!

I had my weekly writing date with M. on Sunday morning, but I needed to do work for my full-time job so I didn’t get any editing done. All in due time! I’m not too far behind on my editing, so it’s all good.

Words written in March: 9,202
Total words written: 24,285

How do you typically spend your weekends?

Categories: Goals

March Goals

And just like that – we’re in March! I am excited about this month because it should be a fun one and it should be a frugal one, as I am taking on my first of four no-spend months (more on that below). However, in February, my goals did not go as planned. I definitely did not have a 100% success rate like I did in January. It happens! Here’s how I did:

1) Organize all my files.

Complete! I shredded some older documents, switched over my 2018 files into my bigger filing box, and made file folders for 2019 documents. It feels good to have this done!

2) Give up candy.

Complete! I successfully resisted it and I think I may keep going with this goal because it was pretty easy.

3) Track my food.

Nope. I did not even attempt to track my food this month, heh. I am trying to eat healthier, of course, but I just don’t like the way I feel when I track what I eat. It makes me feel a little crazy, honestly.

4) Spend 10 minutes stretching every morning.

Oof. I did this maybe a few times but definitely not consistently. It just never became a habit for me (I should have put a reminder in my phone) so I kept forgetting to do it in the morning. My back still doesn’t feel great, so I may try visiting a chiropractor again.

5) Start my nighttime routine by 8 p.m. on weeknights.

Lol, no. I usually get home around six and if I start my nighttime routine at eight, that gives me exactly two hours to myself at night and that’s just not enough time to make dinner, play with the cats, watch a show, clean up, etc. Maybe starting my nighttime routine by 9 p.m. is a more reasonable time.

6) Work out every day in February.

Nope. I was doing well until I had a six-day slump in which I didn’t work out once. I got back on track after that slump and was doing good. But then, everything got totally derailed when I got all bit up while at an outdoor bar at the end of the month (mosquito bites in February – what?!) I ended up with allergic reactions to three of the bites that were on my feet. It made my feet swell up and the skin get very hot and tight, which meant going on long walks and wearing sneakers was not an option. What a weird reason to not hit my goal, but alas! I am only three days behind, though, on my goal of working out 150 times this year so I’ll definitely be able to get back on track in March.

Okay, so two out of six goals complete isn’t my best but it’s better than zero, right?! And I am happy that I abstained from candy for all of February. Here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in March:

1) Accomplish my first no-spend month of the year.

One of my goals for 2019 is to do a no-spend month once a quarter, and March is the month I’ve decided to do it for Q1. A no-spend month means only spending money on essentials, so I won’t be eating out or doing any shopping or spending money on experiences this month. I do have a few things already planned: lunch with my work book club, an author event, dinner with a friend, a waxing appointment, and my local book club’s monthly outing, but that’s it. I won’t be making new plans or saying yes to spontaneous dinners out. It won’t be easy but will totally be worth it.

2) Reorganize and redecorate my bathroom.

This is another item on my 2019 goals list, so it will feel good to mark this complete! I have been slowly accumulating items to redecorate my bathroom (new towels, a new shower curtain, a new shower caddy, etc.) and I’ll finally be able to switch everything out this month. I’m also planning to reorganize the cabinet under my bathroom sink because it is a mess right now. After seeing this photo from The Home Edit on Instagram, I decided this was exactly what I needed – drawers! I purchased a set from Target and I’m excited to pull everything out and reorganize this cabinet so it works better for my needs.

3) Watch the first six episodes of Game of Thrones.

I have had so many people tell me I need to watch Game of Thrones, but I’ve never seen a single episode and I’m not sure if the show is right for me. As a highly sensitive person, I can’t watch a lot of scary or gory or intense TV shows or movies. I’ve never had the inclination to watch Game of Thrones but recently promised one of my coworkers that I would watch the first six episodes and give it a fair shot before writing off the show as something not for me. (Apparently, it took him six episodes to truly get hooked, which is why he wants me to watch six episodes.) I’m going to give it a fair shot, but if the first episode messes me up, I won’t be continuing.

4) Drink less soda.

I know, I know. Having goals that can’t be measured is a no-no! But I know what this means for me. It means not buying soda to keep at home (which I’ve already started doing and now keep Polar seltzer on hand for when I need the carbonation), opting for water when I’m at a restaurant, and not succumbing to the vending machine at work. It should be an attainable goal!

5) Hang my jewelry organizer.

I got a jewelry organizer for Christmas and I have yet to hang it because I need to borrow a drill to do so. I’m going to try to borrow a drill from my brother so I can finally get this done.

6) Make a writing portfolio.

I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while, and it’s finally time to make it happen. I have a portfolio page on this blog, but I want something a bit more professional, so I’m researching options and then hoping to spend a few hours building it out.

Categories: Goals

February Goals

Happy February, my friends! January always seems to feel like a long month, but I didn’t mind it being that way honestly. It was nice to have nearly five whole weeks to ease into the year. I am really happy with January – it was a productive month and a happy one. Can’t get better than that!

Here’s how I did with my goals for January:

1) Get blood work done.

Complete! I took care of this on the first Saturday in January, and I’m actually meeting with my doctor this afternoon to discuss the results. I was able to look at my results already, and some of my numbers were a little concerning. She’s a proactive doctor but not an alarmist, so I’m interested in how she interprets my results.

2) Set Eloise up with a new vet and sign up for pet insurance.

Complete! I took Eloise to the vet in early January and she had some tests done to make sure she was fully healthy, and everything came back normal. She’s also at a healthy weight, which meant I was able to ditch the wet cat food and put her on a dry food only diet. Woo! I also set her up with Banfield’s wellness plan but after much discussion with other pet owners on Instagram, I think I’m going to end up canceling the plan and start a savings account for her pet expenses instead of forking over $40-$50 a month for pet insurance.

3) Get new tires and a wheel alignment.

Complete! This whole process wound up costing much less than I expected ($166 for two tires and an alignment!) I am so glad I found this mechanic. His prices are so reasonable and he can usually get me in for an appointment quickly. His shop is also within walking distance of my apartment, which meant I dropped my car off in the morning on a day I worked from home and picked her up in the afternoon – easy as that!

4) Try out a meal delivery system.

Complete! For three weeks, I subscribed to Catered Fit’s meal delivery service where they delivered two pre-made meals right to my door. All I had to do was heat them up and enjoy! However, I canceled the service this week because the expense was a little too much to justify. Back to cooking I go!

5) Schedule a dermatology appointment.

Complete! Fun fact: my appointment was already scheduled and I had it in my calendar. I completely forgot that I had booked this appointment last year! I honestly couldn’t remember if I had gone for my annual skin check in 2018 but apparently not only did I go to this appointment – I also scheduled a new appointment. Oy.

6) Sign up for Mint and organize my budget.

Complete! This one almost didn’t get done because I was having the hardest time connecting my bank with Mint. Originally, I wasn’t using the correct login info so I kept changing my bank password and Mint still wasn’t accepting it. I finally gave up after a few tries, nervous about my bank locking me out of my account. Finally, I went back to Mint this week and was able to get my bank connected and spent some time organizing my budget categories. I’m still not exactly sure how I want to use Mint but I think I just need to spend more time on the app to figure it out.

How’s that for productive? Six out of six goals complete! WOO! I can’t remember the last time I went 100% on my goals, so I’m really happy with that.

Here’s what I want to accomplish in February:

1) Organize all my files.

I keep a lot of files. I keep files I probably don’t even need to keep (like all of my pay stubs, which can be accessed online). And I have two filing systems: one for files for the current year and one for files for past years/important documents. At the beginning of every year, I like to spend a little time reorganizing my files. I take the files in my “current year” filing system and move them into my “past year” filing system. And then I also look at all of my other files and see if there is anything I can shred (especially anything that is more than seven years old). It’s a nerdy little exercise and I’m excited to tackle it in February!

2) Give up candy.

You guys. I feel like a child making this a goal for February but it needs to be done. I have fallen into a habit of picking up a bag of candy during my normal grocery shopping routine and eating a few pieces every day. And no, that’s not a problem in and of itself but I feel slightly out of control around candy, and those few pieces are usually combined with an ice cream bar or cookies after dinner or snacks from the work break room during that inevitable 3pm slump. So, I’m cutting candy out of my life for the next 28 days. It must be done.

3) Track my food.

This is one of those goals I seem to always come back to, even though I realllllly hate tracking my food. But I’m doing it as an experiment and I’m going to track it in a journal, not on My Fitness Pal, to get in the habit of writing down what I’m eating and how it makes me feel. I just want to spend the month analyzing what I’m eating, how hungry I get between meals, how I feel after I eat certain foods, and how I can build myself a diet that makes me feel good and also helps me to lose weight.

4) Spend 10 minutes stretching every morning.

I wake up every morning with lower back pain and I’m really just tired of it. I may end up going back to a chiropractor about it, but first I’m going to experiment with stretching. I want to spend the first 10 minutes of every morning doing a few lower back and morning stretches to loosen my muscles and see if it makes me feel better.

5) Start my nighttime routine by 8 p.m. on weeknights.

This is another goal I seem to consistently put on my goals list. I used to be so good about getting to bed by 9 p.m., but lately, I find myself either trying to finish up a blog post or scrolling through Instagram late in the evening so that I’m not getting to bed until 10 or 11 p.m. As mentioned during my posts about sleep, I require a lot of sleep (more than the average person) and I need to make sure I’m getting that. This goal is as much about self-care as my nightly bubble bath ritual, and I need to treat it as such.

6) Work out every day in February.

I only worked out seven times in January, which puts me behind in my goal of working out 150 times this year. I’m just not in the habit of working out regularly right now but I think that challenging myself to get in a workout every day in February (even if it’s just a walk!) will help me gain some traction on my workout goal and get me back in that workout routine.

What’s something you want to do or accomplish in February?

Categories: Goals

January Goals

Ah, it’s time to get back to my monthly goals! I took the latter part of the year off because, well, goal setting wasn’t top of my priority list while grieving the loss of my beloved grandpa. But it’s a new year and hopefully a new me, and I’ve got some great goals to start off the year with:

1) Get blood work done.

It’s been years since I’ve had my blood work done. I need to go to an actual diagnostic center for blood work because my veins are notoriously hard to get a needle into, but I have the paperwork and this is an easy task I can cross off in January. I may even just go to my local Quest location first thing tomorrow to get it done!

2) Set up Eloise with a new vet and sign up for pet insurance.

I’m sort of cheating with this goal because Eloise has an appointment today with the vet. 🙂 But it has been my goal for January since I adopted her, so I’m still counting it! I just want to get her in their system and also check in on some issues she had prior to me getting her and make sure she’s healthy. I’m also going to talk to them about her feeding schedule because she’s been on a “put on all the weight” diet since she was rescued and was skin and bones. I leave out dry food for her at all times and also give her a can of wet food twice a day. I’m hoping I can stop with the wet food soon because that ish is expensive. And, I also need to sign up for pet insurance! Whew. A big month for little Ellie.

3) Get new tires for my car and a wheel alignment.

I’ve been putting this off for far longer than I should, and the anxiety I experience every time I drive my car on the highway means I need to get this taken care of ASAP, if only for my mental health. I replaced two of my tires last year (thanks to two tire blowouts on the highway, hence the anxiety), so I only need to replace the other two and I also need a wheel alignment, which is always a costly maintenance fix. I’ve gotten estimates from a few companies, so now I just need to get a few more estimates and then schedule the appointment.

4) Try out a meal delivery system.

So, I hate to cook. I do not find cutting vegetables relaxing and nothing I make ever seems worth the amount of work it takes. Plus, as a single gal, a lot of my meals end up providing way too many leftovers than are good. But I can’t keep eating out – I want to lose 40 lbs this year! So, I’ve decided to test out a meal delivery service. It’s expensive, but I already spend an astronomical money on food when I account for eating out, Starbucks, and grocery store runs. I’ll probably end up spending the same amount of money, honestly! I’m a little apprehensive, though, because I am a very picky eater but I’m willing to give it a try.

5) Schedule a dermatology appointment.

I usually go for my annual skin check in January or February, and this time, I’m going to talk to my derm about getting all my skin tags removed and what that process entails. Gosh, it will feel so good to have them removed! They annoy me so much and some of them can even be painful.

6) Sign up for Mint and organize my budget.

I am so intimidated by the process of getting my budget organized on Mint, but it needs to be done. Maybe I’ll make this special and take myself to Starbucks while I do it! (Does that defeat the purpose of using a budgeting system to be better at money? Hmm.)

What’s something you want to accomplish in January?

Categories: Goals

My 2019 Goals

Happy 2019, my friends! I can hardly believe it’s finally here, and we’re at the start of a brand-new year. I rang in the year at a low-key house party with some friends, and it was honestly the perfect way to begin 2019. I am looking forward to what this year has in store for me.

Every year, I like to set some goals for the upcoming year. I made 30 this year, some of which are one-off tasks I need to complete and some of which are more resolution-y intentions, but I’m excited to check these off over the coming year!

1) Read 100 books. I thought about bumping this goal from 100 to 125 but decided to keep it at a manageable (to me) 100.

2) Read four classic novels. This will be my third year tackling this goal! This year, I’m planning on reading The Grapes of Wrath, The Color Purple, Rebecca, and Invisible Man.

3) Reread the Anne of Green Gables series. I read this series in high school and absolutely loved it, and I think it’s definitely time to revisit the series now that I’m in my thirties.

4) Dye my hair purple. Because why not? I think this would be a fun little change!

5) Save $1,000 in an emergency fund. There is no excuse for this not happening this year. It must.

6) Get something up on the walls of my living room. I’ve lived here for 2.5 years and I still barely have anything up on the walls. I’d love to find some great art for the space above my TV and my couch.

7) Take control over my dermotophagia. I’ve struggled with dermotophagia for years, and it’s only been in the last year that I finally saw it for what it is: a disorder. I will pick at the skin around my fingernails until they bleed or the skin feels raw. It’s something I do without thinking about it, just this compulsion, but I really want to work to get it under control.

8) Redo my bathroom. My bathroom could use a bit of a revamp – just a new shower curtain, new rugs, new towels, etc. Nothing major! A fun goal for 2019.

9) Visit the Grand Canyon. I’m planning a trip with my mom to visit the Grand Canyon in either April or May. I’m having such a fun time planning it! I’m just trying to decide if we want to fly into Vegas and drive to the canyon after a few days there, or fly into Phoenix and spend a couple days in Sedona before going to the canyon.

10) Visit Washington DC. Honestly, a flight to DC from Tampa is so cheap that there’s no reason why I can’t make a trip to DC work in 2019.

11) Build a necklace collection. Currently, I have three necklaces and all were acquired in the last two months. I really love the way a necklace can tie a whole look together, and want to build a collection of 10ish necklaces.

12) Pay an extra $500 towards my student loans. Now that I no longer have a car payment, I really should be throwing a little bit more money towards my student loans. I’d feel really good if I could knock out an extra $500 this year!

13) Go to a movie alone. I’ve never done it and I think making it a goal for 2019 is a good way to make it happen!

14) Work out 150 times. My friend Katie turned me on to this idea. Instead of giving myself a goal of working out X times a week, I’m giving myself a goal of working out X times the entire year. 150 times equals to 3 times a week, giving myself a two-week cushion. Once my gym is up and running, I could see myself going 4-5 times a week but I can also see myself falling off the wagon completely here and there. This way, I don’t have to beat myself up if I have a week here or there where I can’t find the motivation to work out – I know I can make it up another week.

15) Lose 40 lbs. I put on a lot of weight this year, which is a problem when I was already overweight to begin with. It’s time to get my weight at a manageable number. 2019 is my year to do that.

16) Give Eloise a sibling. I want to give Eloise a little more time to settle into her new home before adopting another cat, but I definitely plan on expanding our little family in 2019.

17) Start saving for a new apartment. I am outgrowing my current apartment, which is tiny at just 575 square feet. There’s just not enough space for me, even though I’m as minimalist as they come. I’m not sure if I’ll be moving in 2019 (depends on if they hike up my rent, but they’ve never done that here), but I definitely want to consider it for 2020 and that means forking over a lot of money in moving costs. Le sigh. If I could have maybe $250 set aside, that would make me feel really good about making a move happen in 2020.

18) Do a spending freeze once a quarter. As you may have noticed, I have quite a few money goals for 2019 (paying extra toward my student loans, saving $1,000, saving for a move, etc.) along with plans for traveling and buying some new items, which means I must do a spending freeze as often as possible. Once a quarter seems doable!

19) Develop a daily water drinking habit. Y’all. I am in my thirties and still haven’t gotten my shit together about drinking water every day. Yikes. I’m not asking myself to drink 100 ounces a day… even just one full water bottle every day is all I’m asking of myself.

20) Buy two bigger bookshelves. My tiny three-shelf bookshelves suited my needs just fine, but I’m quickly outgrowing them. I’ve always wanted bookshelves filled with books in my home because I love that aesthetic so much, and I’m eyeing these white Hemnes bookshelves from IKEA.

21) Complete Project 365. Yep! I’m doing this photo challenge again. Long-time readers will remember I took on this challenge in 2014, and I think I’m ready to do it once again.

22) Develop a skincare routine. I have all of the supplies I need to have a skincare routine… just not the motivation to do it, ha. A goal for 2019!

23) Start a vitamin regimen. I take zero vitamins, even when I know I need a daily iron supplement and a multivitamin. I think 31 is a good age to start taking daily vitamins.

24) Replace all of my underwear. It needs to happen. I’ve had some of my underwear for so many years, I’m embarrassed to say.

25) Write my novel. While this goal seems to have just slipped into this list half-heartedly, make no mistake. This is my #1 goal for 2019. I want to have a finished manuscript by the end of the year.

26) Try 10 new foods. I’m probably one of the pickiest eaters you’ll ever meet, and there are so many foods I haven’t tried because I’m convinced I won’t like them. Case in point: I finally tried black olives this year and discovered I love them! What other foods am I missing out on? I aim to find out this year!

27) Track my money on Mint. I’m finally going to do it. I’m finally going to sign up for Mint.com so that I can accurately track where my money is going and set budgets. I also want to have a monthly check-in with myself to look at where my money went over the month and set money goals for the upcoming month. 2019 is the year I get serious about my finances.

28) Get all of my skin tags removed. I would estimate I have around 10 skin tags that drive me crazy. I have tried natural methods for removing them, but they haven’t worked for me, so I’m thinking of going to the dermatologist to get them removed.

29) Sign up for a paid dating service, and commit fully to the dating process for six months. I think I’m finally going to take the plunge this year and sign up for a paid dating service. Match.com seems to be my best bet because the six-month subscription is a little cheaper than eHarmony (but please, if anyone feels strongly that eHarmony is the much better option over Match, let me know!) I’m excited about this goal, though!

30) Find a new therapist. I really like my therapist and she’s helped me get a lot more comfortable with therapy as a whole, but she’s not “the one” for me. She’s a great therapist, but I don’t feel like I’ve made any progress in the four months I’ve been seeing her and I think it’s time to move on and try someone else.

What’s one goal you have for 2019?