Intentional Living as a Busy Mom & Debut Author

Good morning, readers!

Two weeks into the new year and I’m posting an update to keep myself accountable and to be transparent about my work life balance as a mom of two teenagers and an author on deadline for her debut novel who also wants to stay healthy and keep up with her hobbies and friends. (Okay, that was stressful just to type.) 

My goal (I hesitate to say resolution because of the negative connotation, and because I am generally a goal setter in my life) for this year was a combination of smaller goals. I know this is going to be a hectic year full of things I have never experienced before, things that I won’t necessarily be able to plan for or predict. My goal is to not lose sight of all the other parts of my life that I can (somewhat) plan while I navigate it, to build a solid foundation to work from, to not get (too) stressed, and keep everything in perspective.

So, what does that look like? I wanted to make sure I didn’t drop off the face of the planet and get lost in my writing, which is such an easy thing for me to do. I wanted to make sure I kept up with going to the gym, meeting up with friends (especially friends not in the writing space), and making time for my hobbies. 

Two weeks into the year, some areas are going better than others. Sometimes, I feel like my calendar app is like a game of Tetris, trying to slot in an hour—or even half—in the smallest of spaces. 

I’m deep in my next round of edits for my debut, and it’s more like a puzzle than ever; moving things, cutting things, expanding things, finding the right pieces and where they fit. I have a month to figure it out, so this takes top priority!

I finished reading my first book of 2025, Held by Anne Michaels, and absolutely loved it. The audiobook was a great way to kick off my reading year and I’ve already recommended it to so many people! One of the things I like about audiobooks is that they let me multitask, though I do have a whole stack of physical books to read that I want to try and get through this year. Yes, two weeks into the year and one book read. No, I will not say “only” one book read. I am not a fast reader, but I still read and experienced a book that I hadn’t before, and that is still a joy. 

My Substack is up and running! I’ve posted two lessons so far, one about brainstorming ideas for a book and a second about choosing the idea you want to write. These are the first two lessons in a weekly series I’ll be running for the rest of the year, guiding new writers who want to write their first book but don’t know where to start. This was part of my goal to be more intentional with my social media use, and helping others with their writing is something I truly enjoy, even if only a handful of people sign up for the challenge. (But I hope you’ll join us!)

I’ve only knit a few rows of stitches so far this year. I need to finish my daughter’s sock. Pro: It’s the second one, and she has small feet. Con: It’s a knee sock. I missed my meetup with my knitter friends last week—the kids had only returned to school from winter break that day, so I prioritized getting my house cleaned—but plan on meeting up this week. Cooking is still no fun and an afterthought. The gym is an established routine at this point for two days a week, though I’d like to get a third day in there. The spot where it would fit? Currently taken up by revising. 

So, as ever, it is a balancing act. For me, I think the best thing I can do is check in with myself regularly and keep on top of things. It’s going to take active balancing and decision making to build my days how I want. I’m going to have to let some things go and make a conscious decision to hold on to others. 

I had a friend tell me that she chooses a word for her new year instead of a resolution, almost like a theme. At first, I thought of the word “balance,” but I think “intentional” is the word I’m looking for. I want to be here and present and make every decision I can with purpose. I want to look back on this year on December 31, 2025 and say, “I made this year everything I wanted it to be, to the best of my ability.” I suppose that means I need to wrap this up and decide what I’m making for dinner tonight. 

What’s your word of the year?