Article by Wendy McCance
Years ago when I began blogging I had a very unique experience. I was blogging daily and reaching out through social media to share what I had been writing. Slowly I saw the momentum of what I was doing gather steam and I began getting offers to write, my readership began to increase and a career was born. It was an exciting time in my life. Something I had never experienced before. I became hooked on the feeling of building something out of nothing.
The last few years have been challenging. Kids needing an additional level of attention, pulling me in a direction where being a mom left a career partially on the back burner. Family came first so I held onto the clients I had, but didn’t pursue new opportunities for a while.
I went through a health scare when I was diagnosed with cancer. Again, the career got pushed to the side as I came to terms with a scary new reality.
After so much time filling myself with worry, I was burnt out. I just lost the ambition to pull long hours to increase my job success. What once felt effortless, was becoming something that was dreaded. I had lost the excitement and desperately needed time off to regroup. I missed feeling excited about my career.
So, I grabbed at an unexpected opportunity. It seemed to show up just when I needed it most and allowed my mind to take the summer off from prospecting for new clients. I worked as a manager at the club our family belongs to and it changed everything in the best way possible.
For a writer, one of the most difficult things to come to terms with is being cooped up inside a building in a solitary environment. If you don’t have intense levels of dedication, being a freelance writer might just drive you to drink. Getting an opportunity to spend each day outside in the sun, socializing with members and running the day-to-day operations of the club took my head in a whole new direction. It was freeing to be outdoors and my brain felt alive again interacting with people and solving problems. It was the breath of fresh air I needed.
By the end of the summer, I naturally gravitated back towards writing. I began craving a chance to blog again and felt excited about getting new clients to work with. I was back and it felt great!
Making a decision to move out-of-state has just increased that feeling of renewal. It’s like that emotion that overtakes you when you buy a brand new car. You drive daily, but when you get a new car to drive, the excitement of getting in and driving around town is an absolute thrill. Planning the move feels very similar. I am building my business as always, but I am focused on Oregon and what I can create there instead of where I currently live.
I have put together a new Twitter account (you can check it out: @writingoregon and please follow!) solely created so I can connect to writers, bloggers, news outlets, businesses and anything else in Oregon (although I am also connecting to my readers when they follow me). I began to do the same thing on my LinkedIn account too. There are several groups that are Oregon based. They might be writers, or a group posting job opportunities or Entrepreneurs or small businesses, but these are the groups that will become valuable to me when I move. My goal is to already have a base of people I know in the new state and some opportunities readily available once I get there.
What’s remarkable is that I feel like the universe has also realized I am feeling refreshed and ready to work hard to get back on track. Situations have presented themselves seemingly out of the blue that are in line with my goals. Everything seems to be falling perfectly into place and I am thrilled.
One of the most exciting things that has finally been realized is that at last, I am writing the book that I want to see through to its conclusion. Over the past few years I have desperately wanted to write a book. Not just any book, but the book that would feel inspiring to me. I have started and stopped what seems like a dozen books simply because they felt forced. Until now, I hadn’t found that aha moment. I was looking to write that book that excited me when I wrote it. One I would have bought myself had I seen it in a bookstore. Well, it is finally being written.
Each day, I am writing about my plans and ultimate move to Oregon in diary style. Just to get down the steps of what I am doing to accomplish my dream along with how I feel about what I am doing. It has helped me to stay on track knowing what I need to do next to accomplish my dream. I’ll question if I have touched on the subject of moving enough each day. Did I prospect for connections in Oregon? Did I read up on places to live? What areas might be best suited for my husband to look for a new job? It keeps me stay grounded and focused.
Everything is falling into place in the most remarkable and exciting way. I can’t wait to share with you what happens next. Honestly, this is how we should all live our lives. With childlike excitement for what each day might bring and a bit of impatience to see what pops up next.
Wendy McCance
To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]
Latest posts by Wendy McCance (see all)
- Top Parenting Blog Winner - June 19, 2017
- Interview with Claire Cappetta of Clarified Lifeline - April 27, 2017
- Rewrite Time - April 25, 2017
