Get Reasons out of the Way of Writing

My list of reasons (i.e. excuses) could fill a book. Maybe if I would take the time to write down that list then I would have a best-selling book, but I had something else that needed to get done for now. That will have to wait.

Get it?

Great ideas are useless if I do not put action behind them. My thoughts about a gift book are just a cloud floating in the air. The manuscript sitting on my shelf is just a dust collector. The potential of my flower garden remains buried behind a wall of weeds.

Maybe that is more my life than just the patch of dirt in the front yard. I know that weeds pop up in my life and it is easier to ignore them than to put the energy into digging them up. The bad habits that I have fallen into are hindering the view of my life that I know is available.

Starting Now

1. I just finished emailing the gentleman that oversees our local “Celebrate Recovery” group. My weight has been dragging me down for far too long. I want to stand up and say it will never do that again and “Celebrate Recovery” is a great group to help encourage me over my hump. The accountability is the key. It is not just that they are watching but that they believe in my ability to overcome!

2. I will choose to write one personal blog post before watching anything on television (and this does include the news 😉 ). Television is one of the greatest time eaters in my life. Using the record option on my satellite has helped dramatically but there are still those days when I choose to sit around and flip channels until there is no time left to do what I need to do.

3. I will begin to crochet, write notes and letters, grade papers or do other multi-tasking activities while I do watch television. There was a time when I could create an entire afghan in just few days by following this pattern. Getting back to keeping myself busy while I watch keeps me from eating while I watch AND will help reduce the amount of yarn I have stored around the house. Plus, I’ll have gifts galore to share with friends and family by Christmas.

4. My manuscript will be completely edited by the end of the month – yall be sure to ask me about how I am doing and hold me accountable to this commitment! I moved a lamp into the bedroom last night so now I have no excuse for doing one last task before calling it a night. (We HAVE two wall lamps, but they both stopped working a few months back. Having to get back up out of bed was the perfect excuse for NOT doing any writing before crawling under the covers.)

5. I will find one more writing job that will increase my income for February and the months ahead. The last several months I have tried to focus more on my own writing instead of writing for others, but the deadlines and the change of pace are both excellent motivators for me. The key to success in life is to be willing to discover what works FOR your life.

6. I will find one new way to promote my eBook each week – either by offering a free copy through another website, offering additional bonuses or some other method of promotion. Writing the eBook may be one of the biggest hurdles around, but marketing that eBook is just as important a task.

7. I will complete one new query each week to a contest, website or publication. The more opportunities I look for then the more opportunities I will find.

This list is not the answer to my dilemma – it is just one more list if I do not choose to do what I say I will do. Only my actions will drive me down my path. I have my ducks in a row, now to get them where I want to be!

What are you ready to start doing right now that will drive you to your purpose?