How Deep is Your Puddle?

You can't tell how deep a puddle is until you step in it ~ Unknown

When I started writing A Place to Call Their Own four years ago, I had no idea of all the support available to new writers.  I expected to go to the public library, check out a few books on how to get my manuscript published, and be done with it.

I am still amazed at all the support and resources available for new writers.  The explosion of the social media in the last few years has helped this tremendously.  I love having my group of Facebook friends and people I follow on Twitter posting articles of interest to help me in my quest to become a published writer.

So whatever goal journey you're on, just get started.  After you get going, examine all the information you might be able to find on making your dream a reality. 

Although it may be terrifying to get out of your comfort zone, it's very exciting to start a new chapter in your life ~ Katie Couric

When you're reading a book, a new chapter can signal many things,  Sometimes in a fiction book, you're swept from one exciting locale to another with the turn of a page.  If you're reading non-fiction, a new chapter usually changes the subject, sometimes completely, sometimes just slightly.  New chapters frame new boundaries to engage you in the story or the subject  matter at hand.

Whenever you set out upon a new dream journey, it is like starting a new chapter in your life.  Just like reading chapters in a book defines new boundaries for you as a reader, starting new dream journeys also mean establishing some new boundaries so you can't reach your goals.

Sometimes the boundaries can be temporary.  Maybe you need to give up just a bit of free time each week to reach your goal.  Many times, reaching your dream journey helps you define new boundaries in your life that you choose to keep, even after you've reached your goal.

I'm setting some new boundaries in my professional life this year, so I can move towards my dream of finishing my novel.  It's been tough at times, I've wanted to retreat to my old ways.  But as I trudge forward, out of my comfort zone, the feeling knowing I've freed up myself to work on my novel has over come my fears that something will go wrong at work.

What new boundaries have you set this year to help you reach your goals?

There is No Way...

There is no way I can anticipate all the good things that will happen today ~ Brian Narelle

I hope you had a good Monday.  This is the first day of the first full week of the year.  I have to say, my new year is going just fine.  And I love this quote, because there is no way one can anticipate all the good things that will happen from day to day.

I hope that you're continuing in your dream journey, just like I am.  Hopefully, unlike myself, you reached your goals for 2011 and are moving on to other things.  If you are like me and didn't meet a goal or dream you set for yourself in 2011, I hope that you haven't beat yourself up too much and have looked at your dream again.  I didn't meet my goal of finishing my book last year, but I am determined to do it this year.

I can't help but to share once again that getting on my New Year's resolution wasn't something that I started last Sunday. It's taken me all week to work my way into it.  On Saturday, I shared that I had been awake at my goal time for three days in a row.  I am happy to report, that I continued that wake up time yesterday and today.  So to reach my goal of finishing the first draft of A Place to Call Their Own by August 30th (not 31st, and I am sticking by that), I have started towards my goal of getting up early in the morning to work on the novel during the week.

Hang in there and no matter how much life throws at you, just remember that there is no way you can anticipate all the good things that will happen when you wake up each day.  Just make sure your vision is clear and your goals set so that your routines and boundaries will be in place when you're ready to pick up your dream journey where you left off.

I'd love to hear how your New Year is going, please share your comments with me...

How's Your New Year Coming Along?

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one most responsive to change ~ Unknown

We're six days into the New Year, how's your New Year coming along?  Don't be discouraged and don't give up if you aren't following your resolutions as closely as you would like.  I wrote last year that the two biggest goals I've ever accomplished were New Year's Resolutions and not even started until April and May of those years.  Don't give up.

My resolution this year is to absolutely finish my novel.  This year, I am planning to be done by August 30th so it can be ready for the fourth quarter.  To do this, I am committing myself to new boundaries and new routines to accomplish this goal.  And to set up these new boundaries, I am make some sweeping changes at work to clear up the time in my personal life.

So to accomplish my bigger goal of finishing A Place to Call Their Own, I have to start at the end and get my professional life in order.  That should be accomplished this week.  Then I can start working on the morning routines at home to make finishing the novel a reality.  I've already started getting up early, I've been up by 5 AM each of the last three days.  Maybe I should go ahead and get up early tomorrow so that I can do that on Monday as well? 

I hope the New Year is going the direction you wish...I'd love to hear your comments on that or your New Year's Resolutions in general...