When the Deadline Takes a Backseat

My editor sent my Finding Joy in the East manuscript back last week. Apparently, it’s not finished. The good news is that all my concerns are hers as well: it reads too much like a diary, contains unnecessary details, and is not always engaging enough. The bad news? It’s on me to fix it.

Since March 2025, when I launched Finding Joy in the West, I’ve had my sights set on publishing book two by March 2027. Seeing how far the East (draft) is from the West (published) makes me question that deadline.

March is over six months away! You’ve got this, my brain tells me.

However, I’m leaving next week for a three-month motorhome trip. It’s not a vacation. It’s the trip that will drive book three. If all goes as planned, Utah will be state number forty-nine. While I’m traveling, though, I need to ride my bike, visit national parks, meet people, and record those experiences in real time—all while writing blogs and revising book two.

Sometimes meeting a deadline means sacrificing something important or not producing my best work. Though completing book two is a priority, it might need to take a backseat while I make the most of my Southwest trip.

March is still starred on my calendar, but I’m not willing to miss riding at Zion National Park or watching an Arizona sunset because I’m sitting in my tiny house editing a book I can finish later.

How ‘bout you? What might you be missing while chasing a deadline?

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

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Joy M. Walker