28 Comments

Bad vibe pens are the worst.

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I was going to be all superior like, I've got this one under control until I got to the bit about the pens. True confession: I have at least three bags of old pens that have been with me through three major moves because "some of them might still be good." You got me. They are heading to the trash.

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You got me with this one, Kate. I laughed out lot a few times, especially when you said, “What we’re NOT going to do…”

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The Good Box part took me out 😂

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I feel like this post just dug deep into me and scooped out my rotten core. Ironically enough, reading this started out as a way to distract me from my To-Do list, but it was the most rewarding distraction I could have had today. What a great guide to flush out all the mental junk I've been carrying as a writer and as a disorganized human being. Thank you!

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I can totally relate to my gazillion thoughts and your affirmation of "a messy list helps me calm down and see what I need to do instead of running around like a hamster on a wheel" !!

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"If you’re meant to read a book, it’ll find you again."— Absolutely true. Just like story ideas that escaped being written down.

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Two of the best declutters for me?

1) Getting rid of Instagram. Craved it for 12 hours, never thought about it after that because it made me SO MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE as I write my latest book.

2) Doing The Thing. Every day now I prioritize writing the book. Kate talks about the anxiety of the writer's life and Doing The Thing every day, even for a small amount of time, is the best anti-anxiety medication going.

Steal these tips for yourself.

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Love this! I just donated about 20 pens I hate to a local writing organization. They're their problem now.

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Oh god I love this! The advice works. I just recently got some new shelves for my bathroom. Just small new shelves! I put stuff on them and... suddenly realised I've been buying multiples of stuff I already had by accident! I had *four boxes of hair dye* in stock. Four! That's a lot of extra unneeded hair dye that I wouldn't have needed to spend money on for quite a while from now!

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Your posts always make my day way better. And my days are great anyway. So I guess I must be ecstatic! Thank you for making me laugh out loud.

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Re: footnote #2 — noooo!!! Gold star to those who can’t resist buying a book because it calls to them despite their teetering TBR pole! Because after all, that’s what helps writers keep writing and publishing

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I feel extremely seen. Thankyou for my gold star. This brightened my day. 'You are never going to use all those purses! Inject it into my veins!!!!' Still laughing now.

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Thank you for writing this! I'm into minimalism generally (though it's a WIP), and loved this one that's specific to writers.

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Loved how this post started with some (hilarious) nonsense on reels and ended up with some mental health tips.

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My BMLs go in my journal - just to get out of my brain. Then the actual first tier to-do list goes in Asana (project management software).

You also remind me: I gotta back up a lotta files, just in case. I’m also in the process of figuring out where writing should live. It is hard to find The Place!!

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