The Less I Call it Work

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work ~ Richard Bach

One of the weekly tasks I've always hated is the household chores.  The one chore that I love to do, though, is the laundry.  I love getting my clothes clean and put away and ready to wear again, especially my favorite clothes.

The point is, when there are chores and tasks to be done, it's easier to do the ones that we like to do and sometimes it's torture to accomplish the things that we don't.  Take blogging for example.  I started this blog because everything I read about emerging, independent writers said I needed a blog to help develop a platform.  But posting on my blog consistently has always been a source of frustration and stress for me.  Until recently.

Back in February I figured out that I just couldn't blog everyday.  No matter how careful I tried to plan everything out, a daily blog post for me was out of the question.  What I did figure out that would work for me is a blog post four days a week, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.  If you look at my blog history, I've been able to meet this "schedule" consistently since the end of February (I missed a Thursday post a few weeks ago when I was going to talk about an America's Got Talent contestant but then found out about the controversy surrounding his story and subsequent eligibility on AGT).  I've almost had more blog posts in the last four months as I had all last year.  I've finally been able to turn this "important to my writing career" chore into something which I actually look forward to accomplishing each day.

Another chore that I've learned to love this year is the actual writing itself.  I finally learned how to outline and make notes about my novels which has helped make the actual writing of the scenes much easier.  I just read a post from a publisher over the weekend recommending that if a writer wrote just one page a day, they would have a novel in a year.  I attempted to do that without notes.  After finished outlining the end of my first novel, A Place to Call Their Own, the words just poured out of my fingers and onto the screen.  I wrote 5000 words one week and I was so happy with myself that I did it again the next week.  Now 5000 words a week has become my "norm" and anything less is substandard performance, at least in my mind.

Part of the point, is to also realize that only I could figure this stuff out for me.  I had read over and over again about blogging daily.  I had read about outlining.  But no one could help me figure these things out until I tried them myself.  And if you're struggling with a part of your dream journey, only you can figure out a way to make it fun for you, so that it no longer becomes a chore.

What's something on your dream journey that is so much of a chore that you hate to do it?  Anyone have any stories about overcoming these types of barriers to your success?  I'd love to hear!

Gratitude is the Fairest Blossom

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Make a list of 15 mentors, friends, and people you admire, both in and out of your field, that you get daily bits of info from.  Ready...go...

How did you do?  Did you totally fail at that exercise like I did?  Earlier this week I was honored with the One Lovely Blog Award.  Part of the award is recognizing fifteen other blogs that you admire, follow, etc.  And I failed miserably at coming up with the top fifteen blogs which I wanted to pass the award.  It took me all week.

If you could name fifteen mentors, friends, people you admire in your field, on your same dream journey, how long would it take you?  Would you struggle with making it to the fifteen mark?  Or would you be like me and have so many people you want to thank, it's hard to whittle the list down to just fifteen?  Hopefully it's the latter.

Gratitude is so easy to give (just 'thank you' usually suffices), but often overlooked.  When given, it can be a very powerful force in meeting your dream goal. 

Who deserves a "thank you" from you today?

One Lovely Blog Award

 

I'm honored to have been given this award by Hemmie Martin, author of The Divine Pumpkin.

http://hemmie-writing.blogspot.com/

As the recipient of this award, I have three responsibilities:  

1) Share the link of the person who gave me with this award - thank you, Hemmie

2) Nominate 15 more lovely blogs for this same honor (see below).

3) Share 7 things about myself  (again see below, below).

My award nominees, in no particular order, are: 

Eric B. Thomasma

http://ericbt.webs.com/apps/blog/

CC Jackson

http://ccjacksonbooks.blogspot.com/

Stuart Haddon

http://stuarthaddon.com/

Liz Jessop

http://busylizzielovestotravel.blogspot.com/

Jason Jack Miller

http://jasonjackmiller.blogspot.com/

DiAnne Ebejer

http://ebbiesplace.blogspot.com/

Sharon Jones

http://color-me-read.blogspot.com/

Sean Sweeney

http://seansweeneyauthor.blogspot.com/

Rick R. Reed

http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/

Austin James

http://austinjameshere.blogspot.com/

Sheila Roberts

http://www.sheilasplace.com/blog.html

Susie Bertie

http://sooziebird.blogspot.com/

Joseph Eastwood

http://www.josepheastwood.com/

Gabe Berman

http://gabeberman.wordpress.com/

 Reggie Ridgeway

http://characterswellmet.blogspot.com/

Now Seven Things about myself:

1.  I have finished my first manuscript, A Place to Call Their Own, and am trying to get it self-edited and ready for presentation to publishers, agents, self publishing, etc.

2.  I am two-thirds of the way through a second novel, Disappear With Me.

3.  I live in Kansas City, MO.

4.  My formula for creating success and following your dreams is Create a Vision, Set Goals, Develop Routines, Set Boundaries, and Find Friends.

5.  My daily mantra is #WWRR:  workout, write, read, relax.  This has helped me focus on the important things that need to be accomplished each and every day.

6.  I watch True Blood, Dancing with the Stars, America's Got Talent, Glee, The Glee Project, Game of Thrones just to name a few of my favorite TV shows.

7.  I love to cook quick and easy recipes.

Thanks to Hemmie for giving me the award and congrats to my nominees.  Thanks you to everybody for your continued support!

A Sure Sign of Summer

It's a sure sign of summer if the chair gets up when you do ~ Walter Winchell

How's everyone's summer going?  As a student, Summer always started when school was out.  Now that I'm supposed to be an adult, summer starts Memorial Day Weekend.  The actual beginning of Summer was yesterday (June 20th).

The weather has not been any indication of the month this entire year.  It's only June and it feels like the hot, dry winds have been blowing all week in Missouri.  It's already hot and sticky, even at 9:00 AM each morning when I go outside and read and tan before going to work each day.  And for the last week, each time I get up, you guessed it, the chair sticks to me when I get up.

I can't tell you the last time I've had such an enjoyable summer.  Most of the time, I yearn to be out and free like the teachers (I wanted to be a teacher once upon a time).  I really should have gone back to school and gone into teaching at the college level six years ago to get that schedule.  But this year hasn't been bad at all. 

I get up everyone morning and follow my WWRR routine (workout, write, read, relax, not always in that order).  Part of that relaxing and reading has been sitting outside on my patio relaxing, reading, and getting a nice tan this year.  It's feels like a small victory in my larger dream of one day being able to support myself on my novels alone and live at the total whim of my own schedule.

How's your summer progressing?  Are you getting to do any of the things you've dreamed about?  I'd love to hear!!

Are You Really Sure a Floor Can't Also be a Ceiling?

Are you really sure a floor can't also be a ceiling ~ MC Escher

The cool thing about setting out on a dream journey is that you can do it however you want.  The really cool thing about being an author is that I get to allow characters to say, see, or do things most people don't get to in real life.

I recently read a couple of books on the art of fiction writing by Donald Maass.  I think the biggest lesson I've learned from both of them is making ordinary people do extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances.  That's why I chose today's quote as my topic for this post.

Not only is doing the extraordinary part of my continuing writer's education this week, but also the same lesson we can use for those of you following me on your own personal dream journeys.  Sometimes we have to look at things differently to make sure we reach those dreams and goals.  When I was finishing my degree, I had to take more than the suggested number of classes just to get finished.  It was tough, but I made it through.  And when I quit smoking, I didn't use the nicotine patch for the entire recommended time.

If turning floors into ceilings means making your dream come true, allow it, and you'll be happier in the long run. 

What have you done differently lately in pursuit of your dreams?  I'd love to hear!

True Courage is Like a Kite

True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher ~ John Petit-Senn

Happy Father's Day everyone!  Do you remember how much courage you thought your father had when you were growing up??

I think if you're reading and following my blog or looking for any of my tags, you're displaying some courage in making your dreams come true.

The most worthy dreams are usually the hardest to achieve.  Two other lifetime achievements that I feel are up there with becoming a published author have been quitting smoking and finishing my bachelor's degree.  Both of them took planning and determination to achieve, the same as writing my novels, A Place to Call Their Own and Disappear with Me. 

Find the courage within yourself to go against the grain of whatever life you're living and chase your dreams.  It will all be worth it in the end.

True Love Comes Quietly

True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights.  If you hear bells, get your ears checked ~ Erich Segal

Although I agree that love sometimes comes quietly, I believe that when you are presented with your dream journey, your goal, or your destiny (as they would say in the movies), sometimes it's loud and clear.

I hope your dream goal is loud and clear for you.  I hope that you're progressing on it this year in the manner which you have planned.  Things are moving forward for me, almost at a speed which I can't hardly believe.

We're almost half way through the year.  If you've been following mean since January, I've been reminding everyone, including myself, that New Year's Resolutions are for the whole year.  Most people make New Year's Resolutions, run into stumbling blocks early on, and then back down from them.  My challenge this year has been to keep up with them and keep going.

I would love to hear from anyone still chasing a 2012 New Year's Resolution!