Day 23: Queries Sent

So, I made a list last night. Just a few little things I wanted to get done.

1 - Yoga - done
2 - Send out 3 queries - done

There were others but these two were the crucial ones. Yay. Pat on the back.

What I noticed is that if I actually sit down and get writing and stop the second guessing then I can be quite productive. Getting up at 5am definitely helped.

Day 22: Do you have a favourite place to write?

Writing in cafe's, surrounding by chatter of random early risers, watching the world wake up, the sun rise, surfers tackle the waves, cyclists speed by on their morning long rides, the smell of freshly brewed coffee…the words flow, not always perfect but at least kernels to work with.

Day 21: Timing your writing

I’m useless in the evening. Especially after a long day in the office. While I’m motivated to do some writing on my way home, once I actually get home, eat, shower, and sit down, my brain switches off. Even journaling is a strain. 

So I’m shutting the computer down for the day. Instead I’m putting my feet up, watching Better Homes & Gardens, enjoying a glass of almond & coconut milk, and going to bed. Some days I feel double my age. It’s been a long week and at almost 32 weeks pregnant, I’m just getting more tired by the day. 

Happy Writing!

Day 20: I know this is what I want

The excitement bottles up, erupting on the first day. You’re keen to write, to research, to query. You churn out whatever you can find and then your bubble bursts, and you go through a low, so low that you stop. You feel paralysed and feel you cannot move on. 

The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t, is what they do next. Here are your options;

1. stop, give up and carry on living your life dreaming of something more, something better; or,
2. push past the analysis paralysis, push past the imaginary obstacle you’ve created for yourself, and achieve everything you’ve always wanted to achieve and so much more

The choice is yours. I hope you make the right one. 

Day 19: Ideas? They’re everywhere

A common question of writers is, ‘where do you get your ideas?’

Ideas are everywhere. 

In books, on television, when you read the paper, an article in a magazine. A fresh study in a medical journal, an incident on the street, a memory, an experience, a dream, a fantasy.

Use them for inspiration and you will never run out of ideas again.

I came up with two article ideas today after reading some new studies into health and fitness. I might be able to slant them to target multiple markets. One idea = two markets (at least). 

Where do you get your ideas?

Day 18: Obstacles Galore? I don’t think so.

The only real obstacle is you. That’s right. Most of the time it comes down to our own mind frame and how we perceive what is in front of us. Why can one person become more successful over another? They don’t let their personal obstacles get in the way. Sure some people seem luckier than others but many people create their own luck by taking chances and challenging themselves. 

For a long time I’ve wondered why I haven’t gotten what I wanted. Why am I still not achieving what I want? It’s because I’m not trying hard enough. I’m placing imaginary obstacles in my way which are preventing me from taking the action I should be taking. 

In the end it comes down to how thick our skin is, how much rejection we are willing to take, to what lengths we are willing to go, and how much sweat, perseveration and dedication we are willing to give, in order to achieve our wildest dreams. People are living their dreams all over the place. They’ve taken action. More importantly they’ve taken responsibility for their own success. 

Are you taking responsibility for your own success? Or are you placing imaginary obstacles in your way? 

Day 17: Who do you think you are?

We are judgmental fools trying to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the flock. We label and stereotype one another with little consideration for the consequences. It starts of when we’re children. Our parents call us shy, naughty, boisterous, rude. These are just words but they become ingrained in our brain and we grow up to reflect these traits more than others. All my life my mother labelled me shy because I wasn’t outspoken and I didn’t feel I needed to be the centre of attention. That does not make a person shy. I was simply and introvert and choosing when I spoke or when I cried wolf. Shyness had nothing to do with it. I’m not shy. At 30, well almost 31, I know that now. I like attention, I like to talk, I like to have fun, travel, meet new people, but on my terms not on someone else’s. 

I can think of many labels I can give myself. Writer. Runner. Daughter. Partner. Friend. Client Maintenance Officer. Giver. Taker. Lover. Soon to be mother. Granddaughter. Swimmer. Triathlete. I probably could think up of many more but there’s no need The above shows that I am not one dimensional and I should not let just one dimension define me and my actions. 

That’s what I’ve been doing all my life. 

The ‘shy’ label has prevented me from achieving my dreams. I heard the term so many times that I started believing it and maybe even became it. Now, I fight to rip it off, because a ‘shy’ child may be cute, acceptable, lovable. A ‘shy’ adult is odd, obscure, and just doesn’t work. Not the in the world of social media, competition, and wanting to achieve your dreams. 

Now it comes down to taking the first step. Going out into the world and reaching our full potential. Only we are capable of doing that. No one is going to reach our full potential for us. Nor are they going to put in the effort to guide us if we first don’t take the first steps and reach out. 

I’ll always be an introvert. I love my ‘me’ time. The quiet of being with my own thoughts. Analysing the world, my life, and just being. I like my own company and that’s a good thing. I don’t need to take energy from others to feel good. I just need solo time be it at home on the couch, going for a walk in the park, lying under a tree at the beach, sitting at a coffee shop writing. Whatever. 

I’m a writer. I write. Whatever happens next is up to me. 

Who are you?