I learned something the other day from my friend, who also happens to be a journalist, Jade Walker. I was telling her how out of sorts and disorganized I feel, especially when it comes to posting on my SAHW Experiment blog.

Ideas are never a problem. I have no shortage of ideas for either Haunt Jaunts or my newer marriage blog. In fact, I often have way more than my fingers can keep up with.

If I didn’t reread everything over and over maybe I’d go faster. But I inevitably notice mistakes or see tweaks I’d like to make, which makes me think I might be missing something so I read it again.

Jade asked if I had ever considered using an editorial calendar. I use calendars all the time. Not just to schedule what I write, but to look ahead and see if there are any key dates coming up that I could feature something for.

That’s not what she meant. She was talking about what I call theme days. Dedicating one day each week to  a particular topic. I sort of do that on HJ.

• I don’t do it every Monday, but when I do I do Movie Mondays.
• Tuesdays I generally try to stick to something travel as part of #traveltuesday on Twitter.
• Wednesdays are Semi-Wordless Wednesdays where I feature photos.
• Fridays are Friday Fun.

I’d also like to do some kind of technology Thursday and focus on different equipment out there, from ghost hunting to photography to neat travel-related gadgets.

I’d also like to do a Feature Friday where I feature various products from Haunt Jaunts Emporium. I haven’t quite gotten my act together to get all that flowing yet though.

Jade suggested it might help me stay on the submitting track for SAHW Experiment if I instituted a routine where I posted certain topics on certain days. It was a good suggestion.

Mostly I just need to get my butt in gear and start posting all the ideas I have. Some are even half written and being held as a draft in my blog’s system. I just need to get ‘em done.

If I only had more time…which if I wasn’t doing all the other stuff I’m doing, if I was only focused on HJ and SAHW, I’d have it. But I’m working on books, doing freelance articles, playing tennis and volleyball several times a week…un, yeah, a schedule might help, but first I’ve got to make time to schedule in making a schedule!

At any rate, it was neat to learn what an editorial calendar is. That Jade is always teaching me new things!

Tuesday I watched one of Joel Osteen’s sermons I had recorded. I think it was a rerun. The story he shared about Frank Lloyd Wright sounded familiar. (He shared how one day FLW was out walking in the field with his uncle. FLW veered all over. To see the barn, to look at the field, etc. When he met back up with his uncle his uncle said, “Frank, look at our footsteps. Yours zigzagged all over and you took forever to meet me here, whereas I got here fast and didn’t waste any time.”

FLW related how his uncle’s message backfired. FLW had enjoyed the sights along the journey. He’d taken time to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

Osteen’s message was all about that. Finding balance and enjoying the journey. Not getting so caught up in accomplishing our goals, but to appreciate all we experience along the way.

I had been trying to live that principal prior to 2008. It sort of got lost in the Black Cloud that engulfed me that year.

HAUNT JAUNTS AND BOOK WRITING

Last year I was so focused on Haunt Jaunts. I don’t know why. It’s just a blog. And I don’t really know what I’m accomplishing writing it every day anyway. Sure, I’ve met a lot of neat people, but in the end what’s it all for?

This year I want to bring some magic back in my life. I want to find the balance. I want to remember to allot X amount of time to HJ and not obsess about writing one more blog, or researching one more place, or posting one more Tweet or FB post.

I want to write again. I want to get back to my books and short stories. I have umpteen in-progress books started. This year I’m finishing one!

I even want to finally write my first non-fiction book. Granted, it’ll be my Haunt Jaunts: A Travel Guide for Restless Spirits that I’d envisioned in the first place and which the blog was born out of. But I have an idea for how to turn it into a series and make it different from the other haunted places books already out there. I’m curious to see if I can sell it.

THE STAY-AT-HOME WIFE EXPERIMENT

But I also want to start a new blog. I already have the groundwork sort of laid out. It’s also going to hopefully evolve into a non-fiction book: The Stay-at-Home Wife Experiment. I think the tag line will be something to the effect “Can a modern woman live a life fulfilled as a devoted wife and kept woman?” And then I’ll share the lessons I’ve learned about faith, friendship, self and love over the past 11 plus years.

It’s been on my mind because my friend Jade Walker, who I think is a brilliant, accomplished, fiercely independent woman who I respect very much, took a shine to me when I wrote for Families.com. After I left she suggested a couple of times I re-consider writing a marriage blog somewhere.

But that was back when I was just recovering from the cancer. All I could think about was Haunt Jaunts, which seemed to be the thing Spirit put in my heart to motivate me and inspire me to get moving and focus on the future so I could get better.

But I can’t tell you how many people still seek me out after reading articles I wrote on Families.com to say how much my words meant to them. For any writer that is a huge compliment, but for me it affirmed something Jade had once said to me. It was just a random comment about how she liked my words and they spoke to her. But she’s extremely well-read. She’s world-smart and intellectually savvy.

I’m just me. I did graduate from the University of Arizona, but I wouldn’t my Communications B.A. a fancy degree. I don’t have any formal training in writing. Not like Jade. She’s worked for major publications. Heck, she still does. She’s a true journalist. For her to find anything I have to say interesting still blows my mind.

Yet, maybe there really is something there. Maybe when I channel Spirit and flesh out the ideas the Muse sings into my heart it is something interesting. Others seem to like it.

So I’m going to launch the SAHW Experiment and put together a book proposal and see what happens.

TIMELINESS AND TENNIS

I also want to try and not only be on time for meetings, classes, and what have you, but early. (I’ve become notorious for being late anymore and I hate it.)

And I want to get even better at tennis. I want to remember to run to the net when I lob over people’s heads. I want to remember to talk more on the court and warn my partner if I’ve accidentally lobbed short and given the other side a chance to smash her with an overhead. And I want to remember to turn my shoulders, reach for the ball and position myself to smash away any overheads the opposing side gifts me with. And I’m hoping I can remember to keep my left hand raised instead of dropping it during the serve so I get better stability and more accuracy on my serve.

Phew. I guess I’ve once again developed an ambitious list of things I’d like to accomplish in 2011. Mostly I just want to take chances and see what comes of them.

What kinds of things do you hope to do in the year ahead?