My husband will be accompanying all the priests in our stake on a mountain biking/camping trip in Moab, UT in a few weeks. We've been trying to go for a bike ride regularly to help him get ready for this trip.
We ride our bikes for 5 miles on the country roads near our home. The ride includes some small hills that seem much larger on a bike than in a car :). It's nice to be out in the warm weather away from the computer, phone, and TV and just enjoy the beautiful scenery as we bike around this loop.
I've found while riding my bike that if I look ahead and see the upcoming hill I get overwhelmed and think I can't do it. I feel discouraged and wonder why I ever started on the ride in the first place. I've discovered that if I keep looking just ahead of me, I mount the hills without any problems. It's kinda like the "one foot in front of the other" idea. If I only think about the immediate road ahead of me and see it in small chunks I feel much more capable of finishing my bike ride.
It's the same way with writing a book. I've published three novels and yet, sometimes, I wonder how I will ever write another book. How will I ever finish it? The task is too daunting. I'll never make it to the end. When I look at the entire project, or the entire bike ride, it overwhelms me and I feel discouraged. But, if I take writing a book bit by bit, chunk by chunk, before I know it, I'm finished. And, as with concluding the bike ride, I can look back on what I've accomplished and feel good about it.
And to take this even further, it is the same with life and trying to reach the goal of eternal life. If I look at the whole thing, all the things I must learn and accomplish, all the faults I must fix, all the flaws I must overcome, it is overwhelming and I wonder if I'll ever make it to the celestial kingdom. Yet, taking it in small pieces, focusing on overcoming one fault at a time, I can accomplish my goal. I can look back and see how far I've come and feel good about it and that propels me onward. Eternal life isn't meant to come in one step. It is a series of baby steps throughout life just as writing a book or riding 5 miles on a bike is a series of small chunks that are doable one at a time.
Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2011 Goals
Happy New Year! Every year on this day I find it hard to believe a new year has begun. Time flies by so fast, it's a blur.
December was certainly a blur for me. We spent the first week in Florida at Disney World and came home in time for all the Christmas shopping, wrapping, making goodies, singing carols, sending out cards rush. It was a whirlwind. We've spent the last few days celebrating Second Christmas because all of my kids are home.
Now it's a fresh new year with all sorts of possibilities. I make yearly goals, but I also make monthly and weekly goals. In fact, I make daily goals. I'm a list person. If I don't write something down, I'll forget and I won't get it done. I'm a little stressed right now because I forgot to get a new daytimer so until I go to town next week, I'll have to use loose paper to write my daily goals.
General goals:
Repaint/redecorate bathroom upstairs
Reorganize and repaint master bedroom
Clean carpet upstairs
Organize basement to utilize space better, including food storage
Return to exercise schedule 5 days a week. My honey bought me Zumba and lots of Wii dance games to help me.
Return to proper eating habits and lose the weight I've gained in December. I'll be doing South Beach.
Writing goals:
Complete a full first draft of YA paranormal "Glow"
Revise and submit "Glow" to publisher
Revise, format, and have available eBook on first chapters
Market "The Upside of Down" and hope to sell through first printing
Outline next novel
Make my blog better
That's a good start. How about you? Goals? Want to share? Remember, a goal not written down is merely a wish.
December was certainly a blur for me. We spent the first week in Florida at Disney World and came home in time for all the Christmas shopping, wrapping, making goodies, singing carols, sending out cards rush. It was a whirlwind. We've spent the last few days celebrating Second Christmas because all of my kids are home.
Now it's a fresh new year with all sorts of possibilities. I make yearly goals, but I also make monthly and weekly goals. In fact, I make daily goals. I'm a list person. If I don't write something down, I'll forget and I won't get it done. I'm a little stressed right now because I forgot to get a new daytimer so until I go to town next week, I'll have to use loose paper to write my daily goals.
General goals:
Repaint/redecorate bathroom upstairs
Reorganize and repaint master bedroom
Clean carpet upstairs
Organize basement to utilize space better, including food storage
Return to exercise schedule 5 days a week. My honey bought me Zumba and lots of Wii dance games to help me.
Return to proper eating habits and lose the weight I've gained in December. I'll be doing South Beach.
Writing goals:
Complete a full first draft of YA paranormal "Glow"
Revise and submit "Glow" to publisher
Revise, format, and have available eBook on first chapters
Market "The Upside of Down" and hope to sell through first printing
Outline next novel
Make my blog better
That's a good start. How about you? Goals? Want to share? Remember, a goal not written down is merely a wish.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Goals Revisited
It seems like I think a lot about goals in January. I even write them down in my journal. Soon January gives way to February and my thoughts turn from my well-intentioned goals. I decided that I wanted to revisit my goals frequently this year so that I can assess how well I am accomplishing what I set out to do in January.
As far as my writing goals:
1. Write every day M-F. I have been doing this.
2. Submit a new novel. Not yet, but hopefully before summer I can submit another novel--I am working on one.
3. Write 6 nonfiction articles for children's magazines and submit them. (I'd love
to break into Highlights this year). I am outlining and researching ideas for several articles.
4. Attend a conference (I plan to attend the Storymakers conference in March). I'm registered and ready to go to the Storymakers conference--can't wait!
5. Continue to improve my skills by completing my ICL course and participating
in an English refresher. I've turned in an assignment, but my instructor didn't like it very well so I'm rethinking the direction of that assignment. I have researched several English improvement sites on the internet and hope to participate in some of those soon.
6. Promote my novel, Heaven Scent, as much as I can. So far, I've spent a great deal of time thinking about how to promote Heaven Scent. I have some ideas and have even purchased some promotional items that I hope will ignite interest in Heaven Scent. I've contacted some reviewers and hope to have some reviews posted soon. The books will be in the warehouse next Thursday or Friday. I will also post the first chapter on my website in the next few weeks as well as sponsor a contest. I don't know how much influence any of these promotions will have on buying decisions. I didn't realize that promotion would be so intensive. I'm learning a lot!
7. Read one novel/month in the LDS market. I didn't finish a novel in January, but I'm close!
On my more personal goals:
1. I have exercised M-F, 45 minutes a day (except for when I was sick).
2. I am eating better and cutting out most junk food, though I do enjoy popcorn and ice cream on the weekends with my family.
3. I am reading my scriptures every day. Our Bishop issued us a challenge to read The Book of Mormon by July so I've been reading it as well as reading the Old Testament.
4. I have been trying to look for more opportunities to serve and help others.
That's about it. I'm hoping to recheck my goals every month or so to make sure I am moving in the right direction.
How about you?
As far as my writing goals:
1. Write every day M-F. I have been doing this.
2. Submit a new novel. Not yet, but hopefully before summer I can submit another novel--I am working on one.
3. Write 6 nonfiction articles for children's magazines and submit them. (I'd love
to break into Highlights this year). I am outlining and researching ideas for several articles.
4. Attend a conference (I plan to attend the Storymakers conference in March). I'm registered and ready to go to the Storymakers conference--can't wait!
5. Continue to improve my skills by completing my ICL course and participating
in an English refresher. I've turned in an assignment, but my instructor didn't like it very well so I'm rethinking the direction of that assignment. I have researched several English improvement sites on the internet and hope to participate in some of those soon.
6. Promote my novel, Heaven Scent, as much as I can. So far, I've spent a great deal of time thinking about how to promote Heaven Scent. I have some ideas and have even purchased some promotional items that I hope will ignite interest in Heaven Scent. I've contacted some reviewers and hope to have some reviews posted soon. The books will be in the warehouse next Thursday or Friday. I will also post the first chapter on my website in the next few weeks as well as sponsor a contest. I don't know how much influence any of these promotions will have on buying decisions. I didn't realize that promotion would be so intensive. I'm learning a lot!
7. Read one novel/month in the LDS market. I didn't finish a novel in January, but I'm close!
On my more personal goals:
1. I have exercised M-F, 45 minutes a day (except for when I was sick).
2. I am eating better and cutting out most junk food, though I do enjoy popcorn and ice cream on the weekends with my family.
3. I am reading my scriptures every day. Our Bishop issued us a challenge to read The Book of Mormon by July so I've been reading it as well as reading the Old Testament.
4. I have been trying to look for more opportunities to serve and help others.
That's about it. I'm hoping to recheck my goals every month or so to make sure I am moving in the right direction.
How about you?
Monday, January 7, 2008
Goals
The online version of our local newspaper runs polls each week. The poll last week asked if readers had made New Year's Resolutions or not. Of 1398 respondents, 75% did not make any resolutions. Isn't that interesting? I'd deduce from those responses that the community isn't very goal-oriented.
Perhaps, the idea of making New Year's Resolutions is a bit outdated or old- fashioned. Yet, I believe it was Spencer W. Kimball who said something to the effect that a goal not written down is merely a wish. I've found that to be true. I'm a list person. If I don't write something on my daily list, it doesn't usually get done. Sometimes, when life is hectic, I don't write my list and depend on myself to just remember all the things I need to do. Well, all that happens is that I accomplish very few things. I've found that if I don't write down the calls I need to make, the bills I need to pay, and the household tasks that must be completed, not only do things fall by the wayside, I feel as though I haven't accomlpished much, even if I've been busy all day long. When I have my list and check things off as I go, I feel much more productive.
I also list goals each year. I have physical and spiritual goals that I won't mention in this blog, but I'd like to list my writing goals.
1. Write every day M-F.
2. Submit a new novel.
3. Write 6 nonfiction articles for children's magazines and submit them. (I'd love
to break into Highlights this year).
4. Attend a conference (I plan to attend the Storymakers conference in March).
5. Continue to improve my skills by completing my ICL course and participating
in an English refresher.
6. Promote my novel, Heaven Scent, (which will go to press next week--
yipee) as much as I can.
7. Read one novel/month in the LDS market.
There it is for the world to see. I think it's important to not only set goals, but then evaluate those goals to see what you did/did not accomplish and to help set more realistic goals in the future.
As we set goals, I think it's important to give ourselves room to change or adapt those goals and to feel good about any of the goals we reach. Sometimes, goals take longer than we expect or life gets in the way and that's okay. As long as we have goals set, I think we're on the right track.
Here's hoping everyone will not only record their goals but accomplish them in 2008.
Perhaps, the idea of making New Year's Resolutions is a bit outdated or old- fashioned. Yet, I believe it was Spencer W. Kimball who said something to the effect that a goal not written down is merely a wish. I've found that to be true. I'm a list person. If I don't write something on my daily list, it doesn't usually get done. Sometimes, when life is hectic, I don't write my list and depend on myself to just remember all the things I need to do. Well, all that happens is that I accomplish very few things. I've found that if I don't write down the calls I need to make, the bills I need to pay, and the household tasks that must be completed, not only do things fall by the wayside, I feel as though I haven't accomlpished much, even if I've been busy all day long. When I have my list and check things off as I go, I feel much more productive.
I also list goals each year. I have physical and spiritual goals that I won't mention in this blog, but I'd like to list my writing goals.
1. Write every day M-F.
2. Submit a new novel.
3. Write 6 nonfiction articles for children's magazines and submit them. (I'd love
to break into Highlights this year).
4. Attend a conference (I plan to attend the Storymakers conference in March).
5. Continue to improve my skills by completing my ICL course and participating
in an English refresher.
6. Promote my novel, Heaven Scent, (which will go to press next week--
yipee) as much as I can.
7. Read one novel/month in the LDS market.
There it is for the world to see. I think it's important to not only set goals, but then evaluate those goals to see what you did/did not accomplish and to help set more realistic goals in the future.
As we set goals, I think it's important to give ourselves room to change or adapt those goals and to feel good about any of the goals we reach. Sometimes, goals take longer than we expect or life gets in the way and that's okay. As long as we have goals set, I think we're on the right track.
Here's hoping everyone will not only record their goals but accomplish them in 2008.
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