Every now and then something so super cool enters the average human's life that it inspires her to get out of bed in the morning. And yes! Such a thing has happened to me. I am so thrilled about my new 2017 Ink+Volt planner that I rush through my morning routine so I can get to my desk and open it.

Fourteen days into the calendar year and I am organized and productive.

You'll probably want one for yourself. Click. Quick. Because by the time you get yours, we'll be 3+ weeks into the new year. But that's okay. Start recording all the marvelous things you've accomplished so far this year, and then write them in their appropriate spots in the planner when it arrives. If you're one of those people who add things to your to-do list just so you can check them off, I know you understand what I'm talking about. One can't have the first month of the year stay blank! What kind of start is that?

I spend a lovely fifteen minutes everyday going over my goals...weekly, monthly, and yearly. Ink+Volt has a place for all of those, and that is the key to what propels me forward, consistently seeing my ultimate destination. (Okay, consistently for two weeks.)

The Ink+Volt planner also has a special section for your year's theme--a word or short phrase that encapsulates what you want to achieve for the year. This requires some thought. Although there is a place to brainstorm about the theme, I didn't want to risk messing up my new planner with the wrong thoughts, so I brainstormed elsewhere.

(I'm not usually so anal. It's just that I have a thing for notebooks, and this one is so smooth and soft and important. I didn't want to mess it up right from the get go.)

As I was brainstorming, at first all I came up with were words like:

PRODUCE

FOCUS

DISCIPLINE

Geesh.

2017 sure was looking to be a fun year.

:-/

I needed to pretty it up a little bit, add some sparkle, make it shine, glitter it with goodness and joy.

And presto!

BLOSSOM!

My writing career blossoms.

Ta da! My theme in four words.

The day after I'd decided on my theme--I hadn't told anyone yet--Mr. Rae and I were texting about what I might be doing that day. I responded. Something like, "I have to get this synopsis done and sent off to my editor ASAP for a book proposal." (I'd been working hard on it for a couple of days...as in shut away behind a tiny door, deep in the bowels of our house, and no one had seen me in forever.) See for yourself how the rest of the text conversation went.

Also, see for yourself that he's the sweetest guy ever!

Blossom!

Did you see that?

He said blossom! And I hadn't even told him! (And he would never snoop, in case your sneaky little mind was wondering.) It was a sign from the universe. I'm on the right path.

And books ARE coming. For those you waiting for a Mayflower Mages book, the third book is with the publishing gods who live in New York, waiting to hear its destined fate...

...may they be benevolent and kind in all their wisdom. Amen.

In the meantime, I'm working through draft after draft of the fourth book.

One way or another, I will have release dates soon for both books.

After all, it is written in my planner that they. Will. Be. Published.

It is written; therefore, it is so.

Because I read about it everyday.

See for yourself. (It's square bullet points #1 and #4.)

(Colorful pens and doodles. The keys to success.)

I have a lot to accomplish in 2017, but that's what blossoming is all about...brimming forth with creative potential that flowers into actuality.

Life is busy. Writing is happening. Books are coming.

And now I have to go put a checkmark in my planner next to "Write blog post."

ANISE RAE

My writing career blossoms.