Coffee and cocktails

As some of you may know, I work in a coffee shop that serves alcohol. That said, you won't find Kahlua or Bailey's on our shelves. We're not trained to make hundreds and hundreds of shots that will get you white girl wasted. But we are nerds. Any of the denizens of coffee world can talk your ear off about our espresso beverages and coffee beans, and any of us bartenders comes with a huge repository of product and classic cocktail knowledge.

Despite my description, Octane doesn't employ a cadre of fully functional (and well-coiffed) coffee- and booze-savvy robots. In the words of one of my coworkers, "We're the nerds who finally get to be cool because we're into coffee and cocktails." We geek out on this stuff because it's cool to us, not because of its newly christened place in popular culture. As a writer with a column on cocktail chemistry, I'm constantly looking to study parts of the drink making process that I haven't examined before. Personally, as a perfectionist who studied under one of the best (thanks, Angel!), my technique can always use a little work.

It's not perfect or truly glamorous work. In the past six months, I've lost weight from running around...and taken more time to recover from late nights. I might be young, but I don't bounce back as quickly from sleep deprivation as I used to. On average, I drink less than I used to, mainly because my palate has evolved so that I can't tolerate things I used to like a lot.

Over the past six months, I've learned a lot about how I like to live and work. After almost nine months of jobs I tolerated to pay the bills, not dreading waking up has been an amazingly positive change. It's also made a huge difference to know that I want to learn more about everything I'm doing when I go home. My cocktail book collection is growing at a very steady pace and doesn't appear to be stopping any time soon, and my home bar is getting stocked very slowly.

It's been amazing to see what a change of work environment has done in six months. Needless to say, I'm really excited to see where it will take me next. Until then, I'll be meeting the plethora of deadlines I have looming over the next two weeks.

Run, write and repeat

As you may have gathered, I started running regularly a few months ago. Recently, the change in season and position in the service industry left me susceptible to illness. Over the past week, a particularly nasty cold left me exhausted and unable to function, so this week I'll focus on what running has taught me about writing.

• Be careful about Internet sources. Since Pinterest became popular, running and exercise plans are readily available. As with anything else, make sure that the source is a reliable expert in the field. Just as an unreliable training program can get you hurt physically, writing based on unverified sources can cripple your career.
• Practice smarter, not harder. Flailing around in running can lead to a satisfying tiredness, but it doesn't build endurance or speed. In writing, undirected practice does little to build a professional portfolio. In the long run, both can do more harm than good. Stay focused, and your directed practice will build your chops.
• Balance your physical and mental health. Balance is a buzzword in both fitness and entrepreneurship for a reason. Runners and freelancers alike suffer when they're unable to practice, so making time to do both is integral to your success.
• Find fun in your work/running. Exercise is necessary to your focus and longevity, but running can sometimes seem as tedious as editing poorly written medical copy. Listening to trashy music, running a new trail or even treating yourself to new running duds can break you out of a rut.
• Pace yourself. You're in this for the long haul, so practice accordingly. If you start to feel yourself getting burned out, take a step back. Consider saying no to new commitments so you can effectively manage your time. Write or exercise a little bit every day to keep yourself in shape.

Got any other tips? Leave them in the comments!

Six ways to build an editorial calendar

In both blogging and running, I've learned a lot through trial and error. After a hiatus during a technical medical writing gig, I'm doing right by my writing. I'm in the habit of writing something every day, and I'm making sure to balance that work with physical exertion. Here are some tips for setting up an editorial calendar of your own.

1. Choose your blog's focus. Unless your blog goes viral or you have thousands of followers, your devoted readers will most likely be people you know. Pick a subject that you want to read about, and write posts that would education and challenge you.
2. Set a schedule and put it on your calendar. If you're only posting once a week, do it like clockwork. It's easier for your readers to catch your posts if they have a general idea of when they'll go live.
3. Practice regularly. Find the time to write every day. Developing a voice and skill set requires regular practice, and with time, it will take less time to sculpt each word of a post.
4. Write in advance. If you're always scrambling to meet self-imposed due dates, come up with a list of posts for the week or month and write them all. That way, you have posts in reserve if a current event or other topic strikes your fancy.
5. Schedule posts. Most blogging platforms allow users to schedule posts. This function can take the guesswork and variability out of an editorial calendar once it's set.
6. Link up social media. Want your posts to go up in the morning without waking you up? Link your social media accounts to your blog. Every time a post is published, so will a tweet or Facebook status with a link to the entry.
7. Ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. Have them call you out if you miss a post. In any craft, having a support system can make all the difference, especially when you're starting out.

Personally, I've still got some work to do. My non-negotiable editorial calendar goes into effect next week, and the order of my posts will change. Though I still need to ask someone to be my accountability buddy, I've been doing better with every other part of this list. For here forward, expect Cocktail of the Week posts to go live on Mondays, running updates on Wednesdays and writing on Fridays.