Find the Joy in a New Project

Obviously a lot of my new projects are books. I get excited every time I put together characters and conflict for my next story. It’s positively energizing to be on the brink of something new and fun and exciting. Granted that energy tends to wane around page 20, but at the start, it’s all shiny and new. Here the possibilities are endless and the sky is the limit for these story people. I am working on a few new ideas right now, and I truly enjoy this process.

Cleaning and decluttering are projects that energize as well. I recently followed my friend, Julie Hilton Steele, as she decluttered her house for Lenten: 40 Bags in 40 Days. It was impressive, especially because she worked at it every single day and achieved her goal.

Facebook is great for seeing remodeling and painting projects, too. Author Holly Jacobs just laid a new wood floor. A while back she was making baskets and posting the photos. It’s a pleasure to see the accomplishments of our friends. We had to have plumbing work done on our laundry room that involved cutting out drywall, so my laundry room is getting a new paint color. As long as I’m picking a new color paint, I might as well hang new pictures.

Plant a new area in your garden or a flower pot in anticipation of full blooms later on. Gardening brings a lot of joy. That's last year's morning glory in the photo. Each year I can see the trellis from my front door, and it welcomes me when I come home and pull into my garage.

Another friend, Brenda, sews and quilts, and the finished projects she shares are beautiful and useful. It’s exciting starting a new craft project. Pulling together materials and supplies gets you excited for the journey. Seeing it finished is the icing on the cake.

Cake! Planning to bake or cook a special meal is a fun new project. Sometimes the hunt for the perfect recipe takes considerable thought, cookbook browsing and intense Pinterest perusal. Shopping for ingredients builds anticipation. Once in a while a recipe is a flop, and that’s disappointing, but the masterpieces more than make up for those. Last weekend I mixed up strawberry cake batter and poured it into the waffle iron just for fun. The kids loved it. (I did too.) Sometimes it brings joy to wear a vintage apron or use a favorite kitchen tool.

Working on something new is a good way to get out of a rut or find motivation. Beginnings are a fresh start on an accomplishment. Find the joy in a new project!