A Challenging New Year
by Diane Penna
As a writer, I spend the majority of my day sitting down, with my fingers in a frenzy on the keyboard. Unfortunately, the exercise my hands receive does nothing for my body, and many of my writer-friends will attest to this as well. I did something about my growing seat-cushion this week, and joined Weight Watchers. Little did I know that just during my first meeting I would gleam knowledge applicable to all areas of my life, including my writing career. I have been sharing the message with as many as I can; its power is amazing.
We all have trouble staying motivated month after month, no matter what the task is. It is so easy to give up on a career, assignment, or project that doesn’t seem to be going that well, and almost every writer I know has thought about quitting at least once. With the start of the New Year, many of us made goals and resolutions to keep us in line, to keep us motivated, and to keep us moving in the direction of our dreams.
It’s really too bad that by week three, the majority of those goals are long forgotten and given up on. However, what people don’t realize, and what I learned at the WW meeting, is this:
By week three, those who will eventually accomplish their goals have “slipped up” just as much as those who will give up and fail.
Did you get that? Read it again. Do you see how powerful that statement is?
What this means is, that if you are on week three of trying to work toward your goals, it is not too late to succeed, no matter how many times you’ve slipped up. Whether you are trying to lose weight, get out five queries a week, or write a prize-winning article, it is not too late to reach success! Get back with the program and choose the fork in the road toward your goal.
What are your goals this year? If you’re looking for a little direction, the writing community is filled with many 2007 Challenges that may get you moving toward success. Here are a few to get you started:
Is sitting at home, writing all day, hurting your waistline too? Try the Freelance Writing Jobs/Write Path Weight Loss Challenge.
Do you instead wish to expand your client list and make more money this year? Try Kristen King’s 2007 Inkthinker Query Challenge, where the goal is to get out 120 queries over the course of the year. Perhaps you just want to write a contest-winning article worthy of publication.
Try Absolute Write’s Freelance Assignment Contest, which runs month after month all year.
Just remember, if you slip up, if you forget to count your points or submit your query, tomorrow the slate is clean. Get busy and make your dreams come true!
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Diane Penna is a freelance writer and WAHM (work-at-home-mom). With two children, ages 3 and 6, she gets much of her inspiration from the day to day challenges of taking care of a home, earning money, and raising kids. She does all this while trying to maintain the identity of first and foremost being a woman and a born-to-be writer.
Writing self-help material that enlightens the life of women is Diane’s primary goal, while publishing a book filled with encouragement is her dream. She is passionate about family and parenting, life and living, and sees it as her destiny to help others through the written word.
Visit Diane at The Write Path and Crazy Mom’s Journal.