…is that once you tell someone about them, you’re sort of bound to reach them. ‘Least, that’s how I feel.
Which is why:
a) I don’t always tell people about my goals. I’ve got this thing about hemming myself in!
but also,
b) I’m about to share a goal of mine for the next few weeks. See, just knowing myself, I know that if I verbalize my goal – to someone, that is, not just an empty room (although, I am awfully good and certainly practiced at voicing things to empty rooms!) – I’m likely to work a lot harder to bring that goal to fruition.
And so here it is: By the end of October, I’d like to have the first draft of my second book done.
Woohoo, I said it! Not going to lie, I typed and deleted and typed and deleted that goal. Two-thirds or maybe three-fourths done sounded so much more attainable. But no, I’m just going to go for it! I’m going to a storycrafting retreat weekend after next and then am taking the entire last week of October off work to simply write, write, write. (And thanks to my awesome parents, I’ll be doing so at a beautiful, secluded place!)
Now, You the Reader may have any number of thoughts running through your head:
a) Woah, this chick’s crazy. (Can’t argue with you there.) Spending a week of vacation time to write a book? (What can I say? Dedication. I may not like to hem myself in – see a) above – but once I commit, I commit!)
b) But didn’t you plug away at the first book for two years?? And now you’re going to write a new one in a month? (Yes and yes. Compare this to dating: If book one was a friends-first/gradual relationship approach, book two is meet, fall in love, marry in two weeks, boom, boom, boom. In my book – pardon the pun, hehehe – both have equal chances at happily ever after!)
and,
c) Great, you told us. Now get to work! Okey-dokey, will do. But first, please know that you have my permission, authorization, thumbs-up, green light to ask me, on November 1, whether I’ve met my goal. Seriously. Just ask.
And hopefully I’ll have a really great answer.
