Blog

Sticking to the plan: a surprise twist

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | August 3, 2021

In my post “Rerouting course: weighing the options,” I share how a change in plans may necessitate revisiting and weighing the options available to us. And in the case of the upcoming vacation my husband and I planned, it showed up as an unexpected closure of a forest preserve — which ranked No. 1 on our…

You had me at chocolate: what excites you?

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | July 27, 2021

Months ago, I shared a new Monday mindset I began to employ as a way to encourage others who, like me, may be known (on occasion) to perpetuate Monday’s bad rap. For those of you who missed it, check out my legacy post touting what I (still) lovingly dub Funday Monday. Today, I still delight…

Rerouting course: weighing the options

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | July 20, 2021

Earlier this year, my husband booked a weeklong summer trip for two at a cabin nestled in the Northern Arizona mountains. With a forest preserve just yards from our front porch, we intended to take advantage of the cooler temperatures by hiking as much as possible. However, with the wild fires raging across the state…

Shiny object syndrome: keeping a focus on the here and now

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | July 13, 2021

My shiny object appears in the form of an invitation. For me, a shiny object translates into any situation on which I focus my attention, but drop when something new and/or exciting comes along. In this case, it arrives in my inbox with a subject line that beckons — as if giftwrapped in sparkly paper…

The roles we play: to lead, to follow or to go our own way

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | July 6, 2021

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust I set the pace on a recent sunrise hike, my partner close behind. A little over halfway around our weekly “loop,” he assumes the lead to finish out the 4+ miles. My energy at first keeps us…

A minimalist life: just the necessities, please

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | June 29, 2021

For many of us, the past 18+ months presented myriad opportunities to reassess and reprioritize what we do and how we do it — ultimately forcing us to reconsider if there might be a better way…whether today, or years down the line. It might mean something simple, like removing excess “clutter” within our daily lives…

I have no idea what I’m doing: but I’m having a blast

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | June 22, 2021

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come…You don’t give up. ~ Anne Lamott A few weeks ago, I listened to an interview in which Sarah Werner, host of The Write Now podcast, spoke with one of my…

How to find joy in the journey: a ‘retirement mentality’

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | June 15, 2021

Finding joy in the journey. It’s a cliché, right? Because how can you find joy when you’re digging in the trenches, managing a household, caring for an aging parent, grieving a loss — not to mention coping with global, and even local, unrest? Self-help books and speakers tout the need to detach our focus from…

The power to take flight: ‘What if?’

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | June 8, 2021

One of a writer’s tools includes asking the what if question, and then throwing our characters under the bus (sometimes literally). I ask myself the what if question often. Not just on paper for the stories I tell, but when it comes to my life as a whole of its sum parts. For example, what if I…

A big or little thing called perspective: it’s all in how you look at it

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | June 1, 2021

Welcome to my inaugural blog post! Although it actually marks my 959th entry (you can access previous posts at Always The Write Time Blog), I’m excited to hang out with you at my new home—where today’s topic focuses on perspective, brought to you by a recent hike in the mountains. While my surroundings changed from…

Under construction…

By ChrisMadaySchmidt | March 15, 2021

Click into post for legacy Always The Write Time blog.