One person who has motivated and inspired me is a high school buddy that I've reconnected with on Facebook, Pam Asberry. She has her personal blog called Sometimes It's Cloudy, Sometimes It's Clear:
And she's started a new project with some of her fellow romance writers down in her home area of Georgia:
Love the lips!
Plus, she works with her Georgia Romance Writers of America group and contributes to their blog AND at least one other I know of. My head hurts. While I was The Queen of the 300 Word Essay for my local writers group and SF club back in the day, that was still only one per month for each.
So, a few weeks ago, when Pam posted some of her goals for the rest of the year, motivated by a non-fiction book she read, I wrote down my goals on some scrap paper. I promptly put them in the drawer of the desk and forgot about them. That's how I roll and I don't even have the excuse of antibiotic brain now! Anyway, I thought I'd better get my act in gear, having just applied for A Real Job that IF I were to get it would scare the @#$% out of me.
Sorry I don't have the cool video embedded, like she did. As I said, I'm still learning and to be honest, I have the link somewhere, but I need to spend some time cleaning up my notes. *sigh* Another thing I'll put on the goals list, promise. I do remember that the goals, in order to be more effective, need to be "I will..." statements and have a definite date attached to them. Simply by writing them down, they are more likely to be accomplished, right? They need to be doable, which means I need to get off my fat @ss and stop playing Jewel Quest III all afternoon, while watching bad TV.
So, here are some goals for the remainder of 2011:
1. I will finish one large needlework project by 12-31-2011. I love stitching and have several that would only require a little more effort to finish.
2. I will be more active and watch my diet to lose at least 10 lbs. by my doctor's appointment the first week in September (let's say 9-1-2011). Really. It's not that hard, Julee.
3. I will get the boxes of cross-stitch magazines and craft stuff that I no longer have need of or want to the place that sells them on eBay for me by 9-1-2011. I've made several hundred dollars so far this year off of stuff that had been in boxes in the garage, not seeing the light of day for years.
4. I will clean and organize the dining room, kitchen and living room so that we can host a Christmas party this year, say before 12-23-2011. The dining room has been a storage room for the past year. I will include re-upholstering the six chairs I spray painted black last year.
5. I will find full-time employment I enjoy by 10-1-2011. The TV station my husband works at is being sold, so this is an issue.
6. I will finish editing Seven Days by 7-31-2011, so it can go to my beta readers.
7. I will finish writing at least one other novel-length manuscript by 12-1-2011. Shouldn't be a problem, because I pretty much have Seven Months done, except for putting it in first person.
8. I will research and query at least three agents by 9-31-2011.
9. I will research and make a decision about self-publishing by 10-31-2011.
10. I will get my writing notes re-organized and get at least five notebooks transcribed into the computer and saved on flash drives by 10-31-2011.
How 'bout them apples? All reasonable. I've got them written in my purse notebook and on a card I'll keep by where I write. Only 4 and 5 depend on others--my husband has to finish the bookcases in the dining room and a total stranger has to decide to hire me. So, these are my mid-year resolutions. How are you doing?
These sound like great resolutions, Julee! But I encourage you to get a small notebook and rewrite your ten goals first thing every day. It will keep them churning in your subconscious and help drive your decisions as you go through your days. I am doing this first thing every morning - right after I make my coffee, just before I write my morning pages. Then I spend five or ten minutes in meditation. I am amazed at how much more productive I have been since I started doing this, and it takes very little extra time (I have been writing morning pages for years). Then be sure to write your monthly, weekly and daily lists so you will have a plan of attack. I believe in you and wish you much success. And thank you so much for the shout-out!
ReplyDeleteI tend to write more new stuff in the morning too, but my sleep schedule is such that I'm usually going to sleep about 4am. Trying to do better. I am getting back to my purse notebook that I started when Mom and Dad were ill. I had to write stuff down then or I'd forget it. Thanks so much and you're welcome!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your goals! Setting them and then putting them out there is definitely a move in the right direction!
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