October 05, 2019

Track Income and Expenses to Improve Personal Finances

October 05, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

With the fourth quarter of the year just starting, I’ve heard a lot of chatter about planning and goals. Today, I wanted to share another way you can use your planner—to track your income and expenses to improve personal finances.

I started tracking my income and expenses at the beginning of this year as a way to keep an eye on the mountainous pile of debt I’d been accumulating. I like using Google Sheets, but you can easily do a quick tally at the bottom of a daily planner spread to record your income and expenses for that day.

September 08, 2019

Help Me Choose the Cover for My First Planner!

September 08, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

So, I may have gone a little overboard creating covers for my first planner. I’d love it if you would share your opinions in the comments below. Don’t worry, I have some larger pictures coming right up. But first, a little about this book . . .

This is a planner first and foremost, so while I was creating these covers, I kept that in mind. Most planners don’t include the authors name or a sub-title. However, there is going to be a bit of a self-help element to the book as well. I will be sharing my story with debt and my “TREE” method for keeping it under control and managing my finances.

July 17, 2019

Tips for Journaling from Mari McCarthy

July 17, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

After she lost the feeling in the right side of her body due to Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Mari McCarthy turned to journaling when she learned about Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages through The Artist’s Way. By developing a daily journaling practice, Mari was able to regain feeling on her right side and currently needs zero medication to control her MS.

July 07, 2019

Review of Heal Yourself with Journaling Power by Mari McCarthy

July 07, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

I’ve always been what I call a “reluctant journaler”. I’d start a daily journal practice only to stop a few days later. It would be days or even months before I’d start up again. After reading Heal Yourself with Journaling Power by Mari McCarthy, I’m definitely motivated to cultivate a daily journaling practice that sticks.

I love this opening quote from Mari: “When I change the way I look at me, the me I look at changes”. This had so much meaning for me and really shows how we are constantly evolving. By page 24 of Heal Yourself with Journaling Power , I was already fighting back tears, revelling in Mari’s amazing transformation story.

June 24, 2019

Learn to Write Faster with Writing Sprints

June 24, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a writing sprint challenge hosted by Sarra Cannon of Heart Breathings. I’d joined many writing sprints on Twitter (@TWSSFU hosts one every month) and read a lot about how writing sprints had affected many authors, but Sarra’s challenge really opened my eyes to just how powerful writing sprints are.

The goal of Sarra’s writing sprint challenge was to find your ideal writing sprint session. Each day of the challenge involved a different length and number of sprints. For example, the first day was three 10-minute sprints with 5-minute breaks, and Day 2 was two 25-minute sprints with a 10-minute break in between.

June 10, 2019

3 Types of Accountability for Writers

June 10, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

This month on my blog, I’m talking all about productivity and focus for writers. I find my own productivity increases tenfold when I have something to hold me accountable. Many courses I’ve participated in have recommended finding an accountability partner as a way of making sure you stick to your deadlines. It’s also a great way to make new friends.

When I wrote Keep More Money, I had weekly meetings with my accountability partner and we tracked the progress both of us had made on a spreadsheet as well as set weekly goals for ourselves. But an accountability partner doesn’t have to be someone who is working on the same type of project you are. My friend, Josie, and I get together online to talk about how things are going in our businesses even though we are in different industries.

June 03, 2019

Productivity Tips for Writers

June 03, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

I just released my fifth Skillshare class and it’s all about increasing your focus and productivity using a simple business tool called a SWOT analysis. The class isn’t specifically for writers, so I thought it would be fun to focus (pardon the pun) on productivity tips for writers here on my blog this month.

This week, I’m sharing a few things that have helped me a lot in my writing journey. I will say that it took some experimenting to really find a groove, so if you’re currently feeling frustrated, don’t stop experimenting. The tip that’s going to strike a chord for you could be right around the corner.

May 27, 2019

How to Write a Novel Using Your Intuition

May 27, 2019/ Michelle Cornish

I just finished reading The INFJ Writer: Cracking the Creative Genius of the World’s Rarest Type by Lauren Sapala, and not only was I blown away by how much it felt like she was writing about me, but the book really got me thinking about how my intuition comes into play when I’m writing.

You’ve probably heard that there are two types of writers: plotters and pantsers. If you just thought, yeah, I’ve heard this before, I’m out of here—wait! This isn’t going to be your typical plotters versus pantsers post. I believe things aren’t that black and white when it comes to writing a novel and the writer’s intuition plays a big role in the creation of their novel.

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