It's OK to Say No

It comes from saying 'no' to 1000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much ~ Steve Jobs

I hope your dream journey is going well.  I have been off the work-job all week, so I've made some real strides on my novel, A Place to Call Their Own.  For those of you who might me new to my blog, I have set a goal to be finished writing the first draft by August 30, so I can start editing and start looking at publishing options before the end of the year.  Things are moving along very well, I hit 50,000 words this week, which feels great to be this far so close to the first milestone, completing the first draft.

Along the way, I've had to say no to some different opportunities that have come up along the way.  Most of what I say no to is myself.  I have to keep telling myself, focus on my writing, on my novel and nothing else.  Earning a living from writing is my goal and I have to stay focused.

Sometimes I have to say no to other writing projects.  In addition to A Place to Call Their Own, I have notes and ideas for eight other novels and two non-fiction books.  Sometimes, I just have to have get my inspiration typed out, just to get it out of my head.  I take a brief, one or two day break, type up my notes and the scenes that I'm inspired to write and then put them aside.  Sometime these breaks help me brainstorm some more story lines for the primary work in progress.

Sometimes you only have to say no temporarily or you can postpone the opportunity that is calling.  If you can spend some time on your dream journey now to be rewarded with more time later, readjust your priorities to help say 'yes' sometime in the future.

Whatever your dream journey, you will have to make sacrifices to reach your goal.  Some of those sacrifices will be permanent and some may be temporary.  Stick to your priorities and you'll reach your dream goal.

What are some things you've been happy to give up to reach your dream goal?  I'd love to hear from you!

Keep It Simple Stupid!

KISS it!!

My chore for the day was to go get the tags on the car renewed today. What should have been a quick trip to the DMV to get this done turned into a two hour ordeal and I still don't have that chore completed.

Keep it simple, stupid is an acronym I've heard most of my professional career. In my frustration with the Missouri DMV, it occurred to me that the whole process could be much simpler. And that's what I needed earlier today.

It also occurred to me to take my own advice for the DVM and make sure my dream journey of getting published simple. As a modern day novelist, all I need to do is write every day, read every day, and be social every day. That's it until A Place to Call Their Own is done and ready for publication.

Any dream journey should be whittled down to three to five different steps. What is your dream journey and how can you KISS it today?

Action has Magic, Grace, and Power In It

Action has magic, grace, and power in it ~ Goethe

How are your New Year Resolutions coming along? I hope you haven\'t forgotten about them. Remember, two of my biggest accomplishments were New Year\'s Resolutions that I didn\'t get stated until much later than this in the year.

Whatever Dream Journey you\'re pursuing, I hope that your acting upon it. Acting on your goals and dreams is the only way that you\'ll reach your journey. Good Luck!

Guest Post

Today's post is by Sister-In-Law, Lori Frech.  I wrote about her last springs when she trained for her first 5K run.  Here is some more from her inspirational story.



Where do I begin? I have to so much to say, but I will try to keep this short and to the point. My life has been nothing but a series of ups and downs, sometimes feeling like I am on a roller coaster. I was always trying to let go of my difficult childhood and could never find a way to do that. I look back and I see now that my negative attitude was the reason my adult life did not go as planned. I was always looking for the next bad thing to happen to me......and guess what...it always did. It was either a bad relationship, losing my job, getting divorced, health problems, etc. Some of these things could have been avoided if I only maintained a positive attitude and not let poisonous people in my life.

Fast forward to about 3 years ago. I was in a horrible relationship and I knew I had to get out and I had to change. I was introduced to the law of attraction and positive thinking. Shortly after, I met my husband and we fell madly in love. At some point in our relationship I started thinking negative thoughts again and I knew I had to take control of my life or my relationship would not last. I started reading more about positive thinking and about exercise and nutrition. I have always exercised, but not on a consistent basis. The motivation to exercise came from within......I no longer could live this way. I didn't want to be unhealthy when I was older and I wanted to be strong for my future children, and show them the way life should be......pure happiness.

The benefits from a healthy diet and exercise are phenomenal. I have overcome my anxiety and bouts of depression, with no medication. If I am feeling down, I head to the gym and everything is better. I feel better about myself and I feel like I can conquer the world.

I have had several obstacles that had to get through in order to be the person I am today. I have a severe hearing problem and balance disorder. If that wasn't enough, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis about 2 months ago, following a laparoscopic surgery. To top it all off, I have to have major surgery in about a month to separate all the tissue in my abdomen from the endometriosis. If this surgery works, then my husband and I will hopefully be able to get pregnant! Fingers crossed!

I'm not going to tell you that these past few months have been easy, because they have been difficult and trying at times. During this time I resigned from my job after being on disability for my hearing/balance, since they didn't have a job available for me. I also had my laparascopic surgery for endometriosis and got hearing aids. Oh, and I can't forget my hormone injections that mimic menopause! Oh fun!

I am telling you all of this because during this time......I exercised regularly (5 times a week), I started working out 8 days post surgery, I became a certified personal trainer, and I started a new job as a personal trainer. All of these things happened because of my positive thinking and envisioning myself as a personal trainer and living my dream. I would NOT feel this way, if I did not exercise and eat healthy. 





"Like" Lori's Facebook Page at:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/LTFitness/222128364534346?sk=wall

So you pulled a Monica?

Or a Dean?  Or a Lori? or a, well you fill in the blank.

I was watching Friends yesterday, "The One with the Cuffs."  In the episode, Monica is hired by her mother for a big catering event and looses a fake fingernail in the preparation.  Her mother, prepared for her to "pull a Monica again," is prepared with back up food for the event.  Phoebe comes to the rescue and helps Monica realize that "pulling a Monica" doesn't have to be a bad thing.  Why not make "pulling a Monica" a good thing?

So why not make "pulling a ____" a great thing this year?

I hope your year is going the way you've planned it.  We just completed five weeks.  Where are you on your resolutions?  If you are well on your way, congratulations.  It is tough, but if you're working hard to develop new habits, hopefully they are in place.

If things aren't going the way you wish, don't despair.  You still have 47 weeks to accomplish your goals, the year has just begun.  I'm not as far as I want to be, but working hard to "pull a Dean" this year and get my novel finished.

What about you?  How is your 2012?

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?