Thinking of giving up...consider this!

(cross posted at Hoosier Ink)

I have a dream…sounds poetic doesn’t it? But seriously, most of us, or at the least many of you reading this blog, dream of publication. Ultimately, we have hopes and dreams of someday seeing our work in printed form. Some just want fame. Some want the added income the royalty checks bring in. Some want to be able to walk into their local library and see their books on the shelf.

Whatever reason you have for wanting it, it’s important to you. It’s significant and the dream is worth having. But what you might not realize is how important it is to those around you. Specifically your children.

I was at the state meeting we had a few weeks ago talking to a couple of new friends and we were talking about motivation and how we struggle to find time to write and to really keep fighting for our dream of publication. I told one of the girls that I’d recently realized I have to keep pursuing this elusive dream because what would happen to my little boy if he watched his mom want something so much and then just give up. He’d think it’s okay to let go of his dreams. I can’t be that mom. I can’t be that example. I have a dream and as long as I am able to pursue it, I will! What about you? Are you ready to quit putting your dreams on the back burner and start fighting for what you want?

Goals

My friend Cara posted about the ACFW conference and all she has to accomplish in the next few months. I was tired just reading her post. Anyway, I thought it might be a good time to think about my goals for the next couple months.

I need to finish Rock Bottom. I'm almost done with the rough draft. Then I'll send in my proposal and start the editing. Figure that way I'll be working while I wait.

Once I submit the finished book (if they request it) then I'll start on the book I started last year. Inn for a Penny. I put it away but when I reread what I have so far I still like the premise so I'm looking forward to seeing where that goes.

I need to finish saving for Tanner's braces. He has a really bad problem where they're doing it in two phases. It's going to cost about $7000 and we need a couple thousand down. So that will take some budgeting to accomplish.

I have an idea for a short story contest that's going on and I'm thinking of entering. I just need to write the story. LOL. Only 3500 words so shouldn't be too tough, but still, butt in chair time is needed.

I'd also like to get my house organized. It's not bad, but I feel a need for some order lately. It's bugging me that I have photo's in a Rubbermaid container instead of filed away nicely or a stack of papers that needs to be shredded. That kind of stuff makes me uncomfortable. I don't like people to stop over and see a messy or cluttered house. I shouldn't care so much, but I do. :0/