Should I be writing about keeping a proper balanced life? Absolutely not.

Am I going to anyways? Yep.

I am not the poster child for keeping a balanced life. I do however keep a beautifully colour coordinated calendar, but my life is what I like to call organized chaos.

As many of you who know me personally, know I am the queen of wearing many, many hats. I often have multiple jobs, volunteering for everything that I’m asked to do (saying no is not my strong suit). But here we are today with only two jobs instead of the usual three as I try to create some sort of work life balance and take all of you along for the ride. Growth, progress, and balance. Or at least the early stages of it.

Let’s start with the classic process.
Step one: Stare at your calendar for multiple hours and stress yourself out over everything you have to do.
Step two: Panic.
Step three: Decide something has to change.
Step four: Read this blog and let’s get to work on balancing our lives together.

Most people will tell you the secret to taking control of your life is simple.
-A calendar
-A clean workspace
-Turning your phone off
And while all those things help, I think it might be time to try a few new tactics. Ones that actually feel realistic.

So I have decided it is time to try some new tactics of my own and here’s how I make them happen. 

Planning things for you. Your calendar can be your saving grace. My calendar allows me to never miss a commitment and now in my colour coordinated calendar I have my own colour, pink. I schedule and block off time just for me. Whether it is sitting and drinking coffee, going for a walk, or bingeing the newest TV show, it is time just for me. If everyone else gets scheduled time, so do I. Try it. It helps.

A night to yourself. You are allowed to just have a night on your own. You are allowed with no guilt attached. The house does not need to be cleaned and the laundry does not need to be done. That all comes later and already has its own scheduled time in the calendar. On these nights, I stop answering my messages, I get cozy in my room, eat my favourite snacks, and let the resting begin. This night is for you and only you.

One hour resets or even half an hour. Every night before I go to bed, I reset for my space, I set a timer and do everything I can during it. Tidy up the space, do the dishes, sort the mail, whatever needs to be done. When the timer goes off, you stop.

Creating a routine and adding it to your calendar. Laundry on Fridays. Groceries on Mondays. Knowing when things happen, it removes the stress of constantly deciding what task to do next.

Exercise. My productivity and routine are so much better when I go to the gym, take a class or even just going for a walk. Even if its just for twenty minutes, I feel so much better afterwards, and ready to take on the day.

A clean house. I know this just adds to the to do list but I promise it makes a world of difference. Your space feels more productive and when you are relaxing you do not feel like you should be cleaning the house you are trying to relax in.

Lists. Brain dumps. To do lists. Random notes. If it is in my head, it is stressful. If it is on paper, it is manageable.

Saying no and allowing changes to be made. This one is hard. But not everything needs a yes and not every plan needs to stay the same. Flexibility is part of balance.

Not scheduling something every day of the week. Leave room for spontaneity. The best plans are often the last minute ones and it also allows time to relax unwind and be ready for the next task.

Balance is not about doing less. It is about doing what you want without running yourself into the ground.

Stop burning yourself out. We can do this together.

The final two weeks of August—our little slice of heaven—when the whole family meets up at the cottages. It’s our tradition, our reset, when the rest of the world slips out of focus and days stretch to “miller time” (always an hour later than it should be.)

Days start in the water. Skis yank us upright, tubes whip across the wake, and someone always goes flying off with a scream, getting thrown across the bay. We test how many people can balance at once on the green cottage surfboard, cheering when we inevitably all fall off into the water. The current record is seven people. I’d like to see someone try to beat it.

As the afternoon comes, and the games hit the table. Cards and board games—strategy and bluffing with a side of cheezies. The afternoon games are the ones that take brain power. The game notebook comes out to keep score, and it gets very competitive. “House rules” cause more arguments than the actual rules. Partners invent crazy team names. Alliances rise and fall, secrets trade hands, and laughter breaks every few minutes.

By late afternoon, the lake calls again. We are drifting along the bay. Sometimes the kids run a paddle boat “taxi service,” hauling adults behind them just for laughs. Some tie their floaties with a rope to the dock so they don’t go too far and have to paddle back.

Sometimes the afternoons slow right down. Books come out on the dock, naps in the sun, and movies play on the blue cottage porch—possibly on fast forward, or the oldest Disney films we can find. The odd cousins walk happens, probably up to no good, while someone tries to spot loons or snap a picture of the geese across the bay to send to a certain cousin. It’s the kind of lazy pause that resets us before the next round of chaos begins.

Evenings are always in full swing, and everyone is wearing their best 1980’s velour tracksuits. Dinners are a mix of what everyone is cooking—sometimes a potluck, sometimes theme nights like Thai, or the famous ‘Taste around the Bay,’ which is where each of the four cottages creates a taste and pairing drink, and of course each year has a new theme for the tastes. This year: casino. Hats, cards, and cigarette girls with Popeye candy cigarettes. Definitely a night to remember.

And then the cottage transforms to the next event of the day. Dylan’s dance party kicks up, fueled by a playlist that grows every year with “cottage anthems.” Between songs, we play “Guess the year” for every track, arguing over decades as the floor shakes with stomps and spins.

The night turns to late night games, and dock gossip sessions that sometimes run clear through to sunrise.

Those two weeks? It’s a vacation on steroids that is filled with traditions that keep multiplying. And when we return each year, it all clicks back into place.
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Life is good—so good.

The dreaded blank space.

Let me introduce myself—my name is Catherine Poag. I published my first novel in 2021, and now here I am, four years later, being asked when the next one is coming out and I always say, soon.

Well, the real reason a second book hasn’t hit the shelves yet? Writer’s block. So, what did I do to solve it? I started writing a completely separate book.

In university, we used to get drunk, write our papers, then hope for the best. And honestly? Some of those 2 a.m. essays slapped. But when it comes to creative writing, it’s a little different. Wine-fueled inspiration might get you through a few pages, but it won’t carry a novel—and it certainly doesn’t fix writer’s block.

The definition of writer’s block is, “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.” So basically, you just sit there, staring at a blank screen or notebook for hours, hoping the page will magically write itself.

So... how did I fix it?

I started a new book. I didn’t plan it, didn’t outline it, didn’t overthink it—I just started typing. And once the words started flowing, I then went back and created a plan.
Was this the most strategic or professional approach? Probably not. Did it work for me? Absolutely. Will it work for everyone? Who knows. But if you’re stuck, it’s definitely worth a try.

If you’re looking for actual strategies (beyond my wildly effective but admittedly chaotic “just start a random new book” method), here are a few things that have helped me and some other writer friends to break through the dreaded writer’s block.
Change your environment. Go write in a café or at the kitchen table instead of your usual desk, you need to feel as if it is a productive space.  Go out and people watch; observe the way someone stirs their coffee or tugs at a fraying scarf. Let your surroundings make your characters come to life. Sometimes you don’t need to force ideas; you just need to put yourself in the path of inspiration.

Try writing exercises or prompts with zero pressure attached. Set a timer for 10 minutes and free-write, even if it’s just you complaining about having writer’s block. The point is to get your fingers moving and your brain unstuck. Prompts can help you tap into unexpected ideas, and the short time frame makes it feel somewhat manageable.

Join a writing club or even just a small circle of fellow writers you trust and let other people give you feedback on where to go next. They’ll see possibilities or directions you haven’t considered. The fresh eyes looking at your work will suggest things that haven’t even crossed your mind. You’d be surprised how many plot holes or cool twists you uncover when you're just rambling about your book. I do know sharing your work is scary but sometimes it’s gives you the right boost to get over your writer’s block.

Make a playlist. One that fits your book or scene. Then let yourself daydream to it. And it will be great to have a playlist to share with your readers once your book comes out, it allows you to bring your characters to life.

Lower the bar! Give yourself a tiny word count. Not 1,000 words, just 50 words a day. Once you hit it, you’re done. But chances are you’ll keep going. Most of the time, getting started is the hardest part, and once you break into those first few lines, the rest just starts flowing.

Most importantly, take breaks!!! Go for a walk. Take a nap. Watch something silly. Off topic but my roommate and I found ourselves down a YouTube rabbit hole and ended up watching the Swedish Chef from the Muppets and it will absolutely get your mind off your writer’s block and give your brain a rest.

If your looking to try something completely new and maybe out of left field, start writing the end first, there is not a rule that says you have to start at the beginning, or write a random scene that you are like yesss this is what I want to happen in chapter 27. Write whatever you are super excited about in your book, fill in the rest later.
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At the end of the day, writer’s block sucks. There’s no sugar-coating it. But it’s not permanent, and it doesn’t mean you’ve lost your creativity. Sometimes the best thing you can do is take the pressure off, write something new, and remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be perfect. So, if you're stuck, try shaking things up. Start something weird. Write something terrible on purpose. Watch something silly. Whatever helps you find your way back to the page. You'll get there—I promise. And hey, maybe I will too.
 
 

​Hi! My name is Catherine Poag, a 24-year-old author living life to the fullest. I’m passionate about working, traveling, writing, dancing, and exploring history and legends—all of which this blog will cover and more.

In 2019, I published my first novel, The Ferryman’s House, and was absolutely thrilled by the incredible support I received from my community. Currently, I’m working on the next installment in The Ferryman’s Tales series, titled The Rideau Hospital. In this book, Benjamin and Elizabeth embark on a new adventure, navigating the mysterious inner workings of Rideau Hospital as they uncover secrets from the past.
Alongside this, I’m also exploring new creative territory with my first romance novel. While I’m keeping its title under wraps for now, I’ll be sharing more about it, including the premise, very soon!

Through this blog, I hope to share compelling stories from my community, tales that deserve to be heard, and dive into fascinating local legends—or, honestly, whatever strikes me that week. I’m thrilled to have you along for the ride, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.
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Stay tuned, and see you next Friday!