Good habits, once established, are just as hard to break as are bad habits ~ Robert Puller
I recently read in Mary Kay Ash’s 1994 autobiography Miracles Happen about her $35K list. This is a list of the top 6 things you’d like to accomplish each day. This comes from a story in the book where a consultant suggested executives of a company pay them what this idea was worth and that ended up being $35,000.
A couple of weeks ago, I created my $35K list for writing. Then I created a grid that I can print out each week and check off my list each day.
If you follow me, you might be ask, why my topic for today returns to the basic of establishing routines. I have fallen out of my routines for the last three months or so. In short, after being sick over the holidays and responsibilities at the NSEDJ (not so evil day job), I just needed the extra rest and have neglected progress on my writing.
That’s the thing about most dream journeys. In my case, I was able to take a break and it worked for me. Now, if I depended on royalties for my income, this break might have been a different story. At this point in my life, all is well.
The other interesting note for me on this exercise is that my $35K list isn’t anything I didn’t already know I needed to be doing. All six routines: writing, blogging, promo, obtaining reviews, obtaining guest post spots, and working with my critique groups are activities I always did anyway. I didn’t always do them every day.
Once again, the answers were inside of me. I needed to get back to the place where I could focus on my writing routines and the 35K helped me get going again.
Have you had a time when you restarted along your dream journey by going back to the basics? I’d love to hear!
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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?
Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?
My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from Barnes and Noble!
