2020 goals --- What are yours?

I can't believe this year, 2019, is almost over. As I've looked back over the past twelve months, I've found I've done a lot of good, wished I had more time to do better and did some things I didn't know I would.

As I've worked on goals that I want to do in the coming year, 2020, I've first asked myself "What am I already doing?" and that has made a world of difference in how I perceive myself and accomplishments. Because I do have a ton of accomplishments! This is part of goal-making that I'm aren't great at and I'm going to change.

Another surprise discovery for me was learning how I work on goals. When I feel like I've failed or can't make a deadline, I tend to give up and move one, which is fine, but I think I've found a better way for me. TWEAK. Not to be confused with twerk.

I'm writing my goals in pencil and tweaking them as I make my way through 2020. That way, if my schedule changes, or I get sick (like I am right now!) or family dynamics cause a shift, I can tweak my goals to fit what I need. That way, I don't give up on my vision.

Speaking of vision...do you make a vision board?? I'm thinking about one this year.

This year I want to be a better friend, mother and sister through listening better (sounds easy, but I tend to get lazy so I'm thinking of reaching out with texts, one-on-one dates and calls)
This year I want to be in better shape through lifting weights and certain dietary restrictions (apparently, tomatoes hate me).
I'm going to read more nonfiction books (got over 70 suggestions on FB!). 
This year I want to have five novels ready to self pub.

I have three novels written; two need edits.
I have two novels half way written.
That makes FIVE!

We can do this! We can make our dreams come true!

What about you?
What have you discovered about yourself?

New Year! Welcome 2017!

First off, happy 2017! Wahoo! It's a new year, a new perspective, a new beginning.

I had this whole blog post I typed up about me and mine and what we went through last year and the positive that came out of the negative and the goals I didn't achieve last year and the one's I want to check off this year.
But then I saw watched this TED talk with Brené Brown and she says so many things of what I was thinking for myself this year. I want to be kinder to myself. Forgive myself more; say no more; open my heart more.

Here are a few WOW moments from the talk for me:

• We make what is uncertain, certain. For instance, politics and religion. We tend to say, "I'm right, you're wrong. Shut up." There's no discourse or conversation anymore, just blame.
• What is blame? Blame is a way to discharge our pain and discomfort. (WOW)
• We are hardwired to struggle. We are not perfect. But we ARE worthy of love and belonging!

The takeaways:

• Let ourselves be seen, deeply seen
• Love with out hearts, even though there is no guarantee
• Practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror
• I am enough. We are kinder and gentler to the people around us and ourselves when we know we are enough

So I'm going share it with you. It's about 20 minutes long but thought provoking.

Wednesday Writing with 2 Felines ~ Advice on ending your story

Sometimes this is what I want to do all day. haha Doesn't she look comfortable and relaxed and happy? 

But I'm determined to get this book done and query soon.

This post came through my email and it resonated with me. I'm at the end of my story, trying to finish it.  I try and write Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm. Having a couple of writing buddies helps keep me on schedule and writing. 

Do you have daily writing goals? What are they?


Linda Goodnight on How to Finish That Novel


Here are the points:

1. Set daily goals and keep them. Start small. Writing one page per day will give you a nice fat novel at the end of the year. Each day, five days a week, I tell myself I have to write five pages. If I surpass that goal, and I often do, I’m super pumped. If not, no guilt involved. Either way, I’m moving forward on the manuscript.
2. Discipline. Allow yourself no excuses. If you truly desire to be a writer, you will sit down and write. People find time for what really matters to them. I’m amazed at the number of people who tell me “someday” they’ll write a book. Someday is now.
3. Spend a few minutes visualizing the scene and feeling the character’s emotionabout the scene before you begin. You’ll be amazed at how fast and how much you can write when you allow your subconscious those few moments to warm up.
4. Let the story out without censor or editing. Yes, this is hard. Shut off the part of your brain that says the writing stinks and allow yourself to write badly. Vomit the story onto the page and clean up the mess later. First drafts are never the finished product anyway.
5. Each day, begin 10-15 pages back, lightly editing as you move up to the blank page. By the time you get there, you should be back in the flow of the story.
6. Stop writing in the middle of the action. Tomorrow, it will be easy to pick up there and keep going.
7. Have a set time and place to write. As with any habit, the subconscious mind responds to triggers. Once you establish a routine of sitting down at the computer at a certain time and in a certain place, the writing machine in your head will know to turn on.
8. Limit distractions. This may mean turning off the television, the internet, your phone, and even arranging with your family to give you this quiet time. Protect the work from life’s interruptions.
9. Know the end of the book and write toward it.Better yet, use an outline. Even if you don’t plot, you need to know at least two or three big turning points in your novel. Write in to and out of those major events. This gives your writing direction and will keep you moving when the way grows weary.
10. Plan to reward yourself when the book is finished. Promise yourself anything you can afford that you would really enjoy. A new pair of shoes, a day off, dinner and movie, a weekend away. A friend of mine buys herself a piece of jewelry, her passion, after every book is sent to her editor. Find a computer photo of whatever it is and hang it over your work space. Look at it when the going gets tough. Use whatever dangling carrot will keep you motivated.

And there you have them, ten tips to keep you moving and motivated toward that final page. You have a marvelous story inside you, so stay the course, be strong and fight through to the end. The reward of a finished manuscript is a powerful feeling that many aspire to and few accomplish. Be the exception.

Foto Friday ~keep your eyes on your goal

Goals, Chronic Fatigue and Snow

What do goals, writing, children and snow have in common? 

My life. 

I've set my goals.

I wish I were writing.

A three day weekend=lots of play, no writing.

The snow is beautiful and sparkly. 

Two of my goals: 

Write/edit at least five days a week. I take Sundays off to let my poor brain rest. This also gives me a day to step away from my manuscript, giving me a fresh pair of writerly eyes when I come back.

My writing goal brings me to my second goal. 

I need to work out at least five days a week. Because of Butt-in-Chair-itis, my backside is becoming an unattractive flat shape. Not only that, I've found, for myself, that exercise helps get the creativity churning and feeling happier. 

Some days I'm so tired I can't get any writing done, my brain just won't function correctly. Chronic fatigue tends to do that. On those days, I try and catch up on my reading. So far this year I have read 29 (twenty-nine) books. Phew!

Our three day weekend involved a trip to Midway, tennis, shopping and sleeping. It was a fun, low key weekend. I only got one page edited while most of the family went to play tennis but that's okay because my expectations were low for writing over the weekend.

And today! Today my favorite type of snowflakes fell from the sky. You know those big, fluffy flakes that seem to muffle the world and let you just enjoy Mother Nature's show? I love those wintery moments. But now the sun is out and the snow is glittering. I think I'll edit right here by the windows looking out on snow mountains while the fireplace is blazing.

I leave you with chocolate...

Have a good week! 

Sometimes planning is just stalling

"You were made to create something. Something important. And sometimes, planning is just stalling. So get on with it." 

 Jeff Goins

I read a post last week that I've been mulling over and want to share with you.

Something you need to know about me first: I'm a thrower-awayer. I LOVE garbage day when all the refuse leaves my house and for a few precious moments the trash clutter is gone. 

I like drawers and doors shut. 

I like even numbers ($220 instead of $227). 

If a shampoo bottle is almost empty I either dump the rest into another bottle or throw it away. It's not worth my time to shakeshakeshake it until the last drop slithers out. (Honestly, I don't think the one penny I'm saving by using the last drop is worth my time either.)

So goals work for me. Nice, clean words on lined paper are a road marker to point me in the direction I need or want to go. When I've completed the task, I can cross it off my list! Aw! Sweetness!

Sometimes I get anxious when a goal is on my list too long. I have to do it now! Get 'er done!

*Blushes* And sometimes I cheat. I make simple goals so they're easier to check off.  Somehow I feel cheated. 

Last week I read Jeff's post: On Scheming: Planning, Decisions, and Accidental Accomplishments 
I had a personal epiphany. An uncomfortable epiphany for someone who likes straight edges, check lists and rounded numbers.

Here is the post in a nutshell (from one of Jeff's friends):  "It's far more difficult to resist the fear to plan instead of act."

Read it again. I'll wait. 

That. Is. Me.

I have the plans, the goals, the drive. But am I putting them into action?

Writing is not a one time goal. The goal to write so many words a day can get in the way of my writing. I stress about checking it off. Then my creativity is at a minimum. Oh! How my life would be complete if I could write a book in one day!

What happens if every day I decide to write? And the next day I decide to write? And the next? Soon I have a complete manuscript and writing becomes a HABIT.

A habit. 

Think about the difference between a habit and a goal. To me, a habit is something I do without thinking about it. A goal is something always on my mind, almost dictating the course of my day.

Here's another quote of Jeff's I liked: 

"What I did yesterday doesn't carry over to tomorrow. I have to start all over again. I can't rest in the security of goals; I have to embrace the present. Otherwise, I miss my chance to do what needs to be done today. So I try to keep showing up. And without realizing it, I'm further along in the process than I thought I'd be. This is the beauty of a goal-less life: if you focus on habits, you may end up doing more than you thought was possible. Not because of a plan. Because of passion and decision."

It's almost freeing to me to make a habit instead of stressing about breaking my New Year's Resolutions. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying goals are bad. For me I've come to realize my goals are not the same as my check off list.
Maybe I'll finally learn to enjoy the journey. That's the point, isn't it?

Life is about how you get there, not the finish line. (Seriously, would you want your gondolier to race to the end of your ride or would you enjoy the journey?)

What about you? What are your thoughts?

P.S.

One last quote to send you off on an awesome week:

"If you're already struggling with meeting your goals for the new year, try this: start something. And keep starting. Every day. Follow your passion. Be decisive. Create new habits. Maybe you'll get to where you want to be faster than you expected."

Get there my friends.

How many books can a reader read if a reader can chuck books?

Sorry. The title got away from me.

I wanted to know:

• How many books you read this year?
• What's your favorite genre?
• Is there ONE book you would recommend every read?
• Did you set a reading goal this year?
• And are we friends on Goodreads? What? Why not? 
• Here's my link so we can be buddies: Taffy Lovell

My goal was to read 75 books this year. I made it by 133%. Yup. I'm an overachiever reader.
I find I thoroughly enjoy Young Adult books. I think it matches my maturity level :0
I LOVED The Girl of Fire and Thorns. And Forgotten. Oops. That's two. Sorry.
My reading goal this year is to read one non-YA book a month.

Confessional Story:
I did chuck a book once.
I had no idea Hunger Games was a trilogy. I read the last page and stopped cold. The words read something like: End of Book One. I threw the book across the room. (It was a library book so please don't tell the librarians.) I couldn't believe the audacity of the author to end on such a literary precipices! And I had to wait for the next one?!

Pinterest & my distractions

Lately I've been all over the place with my creativity. I'm thoroughly enjoying baking thanks to Pinterest (come find me!). That's not bad, right? Except I REALLY want to finish editing and writing my two books. 

Maybe my inner creator is gently telling me to take a break from writing. I'm overwhelmed by the prospect of reordering my chapters. For the last two weeks I've sat in my writing spot, surrounded by my papers/notes/laptop and have done nothing with them. 

I finally decided to take back my life (I'm still on Pinterest) by making bite-size goals. I hope this help you as well:

• One step at a time.

If you look too far in the future you become overwhelmed and the task at hand becomes overwhelming.
Don't think about your blog or query or marketing if your book isn't finished yet. Focus on writing. You can't see the whole picture yet anyway so don't stress. Take one step at a time.

For me:
Write one page a day
Edit ten pages a day

What about you?

• Don't sit around waiting.

Doing something will move you forward. Sitting around, waiting, will get you no where. Does the thought of editing overwhelm you? Do you sit an stare at the computer screen, unable to type? Close the document (after you save it) and try an easy task for a little while. Trying cleaning out one desk drawer. If that's too much, unload the dishwasher. Something small and mindless to calm yourself down and refocus. You can do hard things! Sitting around is too easy.

For me:
Bake cookies when I need something easy to do

What about you?

• Be positive!

There doesn't seem much use for anything else except optimism. Focus on your strengths and achievements. Brush your hair in the morning. Do 10 push ups. Watch or read positive stories. Act positive and you'll be positive.

For me:
Read the comics

What about you?


Go get 'em, tiger!

What's Your Fate?

What are you doing in 2011?
How will fate run your year?
Wait a minute!
Fate does not run your life! YOU DO!
Nor should fate run your writing. YOU DO!

With a whole new year stretching out in front of you, how will you master it?

Here are some ideas for you:

Finish your book
Write
Begin a blog
Write
Find a new genre
Write
Find a new market
Write
Send your queries out
Write
Go to a writing conference
Write
Get in a critique group or start one
Write
Submit an article to your favorite magazine
Write
Become someone's writing partner
Write

Take charge of 2011. 
Be the master of your fate.

Goals and Whatnot

I set a few goals this month. I just knew I could accomplish all of them.
Then I got sick and stayed in bed a few days. I didn't even want to read.
But then I got better. So I got working on my goals again.
Then I got sick again.
Today I'm feeling the stress of not getting my goals done.
Should I feel badly?
I'm trying not to. I think I bit off more than I can handle. It's a lesson I need to learn.
And really, my unfinished goals won't break me or hurt me or anything like that.
It's all good.
I need to get back to editing my WIP. That is a goal I plan on finishing this year!
I have to admit I love the rush of finished my goals.

How about you? How are you coming along with your goals? And how was your Thanksgiving?

Writing Epiphany Over Eggs

I was cooking eggs for breakfast: scrambled with ham and cheese (my husband and my children who eat eggs say my scrambled eggs are the best anywhere!).

While I was gently stirring the eggs, I was thinking about what writing I wanted to work on today. Just then the song "Dream Big" by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband started playing. I found myself humming along then thinking, 'you've got to dream big'.

What is dreaming big? Is it only dreaming?

No. But that's how it all starts. You have to dream what you want first, then dream it big.

Then work big.

Dreaming is nice. But without the work, your dream will remain a fluffy dream.

If you're a

basketball player and dream of going pro what do you do? Practice. Practice. Practice

again. You play hoop every chance you get. You are first at practice and last to leave.

If you want to be a big time New York fashion designer, what do you do? Take every class you can on fashion design. Read all the fashion magazines. You plan and sketch and create ideas.

And if you're a writer? You want to be at the top of the book lists for weeks if not years. You say you want

to win the Newbery? Nobel Peace Prize? Work hard. Take classes. Go to writing conferences. Write and edit and write and edit more. Then keep submitting until your book is published.

No dream is too big.

No big dream comes easily.

Yes, this all came while I was cooking breakfast.

Then the epiphany hit.

The book that I want to do well will be the hardest one to write/edit/take criticism.

It will hurt my heart and my head.

No dream is easy.

But the biggest dreams pay off in big ways and not just money. The goals we work hardest for are the ones we smile over the longest. The ones our hearts will turn to when it needs a happy moment.

The hardest goals achieved make us strongest.

2010 Challenges-Chocolate Included

New Year's Resolutions are the rage right now.
It is January after all.
How many of you have made your lists? Anything new and exciting for 2010?
Do you have one big goal for the year or monthly goals?
I haven't made any goals.
I don't make goals in January. I like to make them in August, when the new school year starts.
I have goals every month, too, like editing a story a month or working a a query letter.
The list goes on.


Need some new ideas?
Here is a list of challenges you might want to join:

2010 100+ Reading Challenge (my reading list will be on my side bar)

2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

Joyce Dipastena's New/Old Reading Challenge

Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge

Lisa Jackson Reading Challenge

Tristi's Challenges

Support Your Local Library Challenge

Good luck!
Have a fantastic 2010. May all your dreams and goals be realized.

Oh, yeah. I am NOT giving up sugar OR chocolate this year.
Or any year.
Thank you.