How I Manage the Stress of Retiring to Write Full Time

How I Manage the Stress of Retiring to Write Full Time.
By Susie E. Caron  © 3/29/15


I am retiring from one career, so I can do more of another...


I am ready to become a full time author. I want to write more books. I want to write children's picture books, parenting books and others. (Currently, I'm sitting on about 20 titles and topics.) I want to produce my parenting podcasts, continue creating for HiWatt Writers, and more. I love posting my parenting articles for you here on Between You & Me. I enjoy meeting you on FaceBook and Twitter. But right now I'm a little bogged down. 


Lately, life is getting in the way of all the writing I want to do. 


So I thought, "Maybe you'd like to know what this author is up to?"


My life has become busier than usual lately for several reasons.


1. I am planning to retire from my private practice in psychotherapy by July 1, 2015. So I am saying "Goodbye" to clients and closing my books over the next several months.


2. At the same time, our building is for sale. It  was our home until 2006 when we bought a smaller home in preparation for our retirement, in a few years. (Or so we thought.)
After the housing market crashed, in 2007, and we had already moved into a smaller home, so I left my rented offices and set up a private practice in our former home treating children and families. There I acquired colleagues, and supervised  interns for several years. But now it's time to stop and start a new part of my life. (What do I do with a house full of stuff?)


3. In the past few months we brought a beloved  member of our family home to live with us.


4. Everything seems harder to do because  this winter just doesn't seem to want to end here in NW Vermont.


Perhaps you wonder if I am complaining? Maybe a little. (I didn't enjoy my childhood and my teen years were awful. Is that why I was a pretty good parent and successful therapist?) I do believe all those years help me to write articles and books for children and for you.

In addition, over my 47 adult years (and even before) I believe that God has taken care of me and my family in ways I'd never dreamed possible. The road was often rocky, but when that happened I learned to do these three things:

1. I pray for wisdom and patience.

2. I sing "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart." until I feel it.

3. And, I remind myself, "I am not ashamed...for I know whom I have believed and I          am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against        that day."  2Tim 2;12.

What do you do, when life is unpredictable and stress threatens to bring you down. Contact me and let me know. We are, after all in this life together and we really do need each other.

Twee' does Mean You & Me
Susie E. Caron

---