March 23, 2016

Still Learning by Lynn J Simpson

I am a starter.

Definitely a starter.

Things new feed my energy.

So when I embarked on my first blog back in 2011, I was excited. I'd been thinking about it for while. And finally with the push of a few attendees at a personal development seminar, I started. Actually, it was more than I push.

I became accountable to these people to get my first post completed within a week or my 'consequences' would be an invitation to my ex-husband and his wife for dinner.

Total truth. (The concept being to complete goals with either a reward or a consequence. I learned rewards work for me too, thankfully. The next time I was held accountable, I got to buy myself a Lulu Lemon jacket. And to this day, I am still reminded how I completed, got done what I set out to do, every time I wear that jacket. It reminds me that I can be successful).

So I did my first post.

And then came my first comment! How exciting!

And I wanted more.

So I read up on how to blog, how to create a network. I spent a couple of hours a day commenting on other blogs. I set up a blog schedule, having read the importance of consistency in your blogging. I joined blog-hops, had guest writers, and wrote and wrote.

I also was up at 4am every morning, with the goal of writing 500 words a day toward my first novel.

I also was posting daily on my photography blog as part of a 365 Days of Photos blog project.

And there was my full-time job, life and kids, and bills and laundry. The 'not so exciting' stuff, but necessary none the less.

And then I got side-tracked with something more tangible, enticing, Eve's apple.

And I bit.

And that became the new excitement, even though it turned out to be the wrong direction.

But one of the many good things about God?

He is a God of second chances.



So, once again I take on the business of writing through building a platform with the help of online mentors such as Michael Hyatt, Donald Miller, Jeff Goins, and Darren Rowse.

I'm still figuring this all out, this 'business of writing' and feel the constant tension of where to focus my time between the craft of writing and building my platform.

And thinking a bowl of Easter M&M's may be the perfect reward for completing my writing goals for today.

And maybe. for excitement, even try whipping up this new Easter dip a blog buddy posted the other day that includes M&M's!















7 comments:

  1. I think we all get that feeling of excitement when starting something new. Finishing strong is the real challenge. All the best as you continue to pursue your calling!

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  2. I love your 'reward' idea. I think that could work for me. I don't so much love your consequences idea but I get the drift lol. For me the consequences are self evident....no writing done, no publishable article, a sense of depression for not living up to what I know I can. I know the rewards are also self evident but sometimes they don't come as quick...so a reward I choose for myself could be a self-motivator.

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  3. Oh Lynn, I connect with the line "I am a starter" … I sometimes chastise myself for starting, but not completing. I also know if I didn't start something, I would never complete anything … rewards, starts and upstarts … life's challenges-thanks for sharing!

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  4. I too am glad that God is a God of second chances--whether it's in our writing or life choices or life rewards. (And now you've made me hungry for M & Ms!)

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    1. Sorry, Lynn, for my starting to write a response and then having something go wrong. I guess that's a false start too. I can identify with starts that don't get completed. I can identify with the tension you feel about where to focus your time. Is it on writing, research, finding markets, submitting writing pieces, or getting my name out there? I may not be the one to answer these questions either, but I believe it is in finding balance and being reasonable about what I can do with the time and energy I have.

      I do like to make a list of what I hope to get done in a week or a month. Even if I don't get everything on my list done, I do try to get a few tasks accomplished so I can cross them out with my coloured highlighters. If I do this in a notebook, I can continue next month with items that still have suitable due dates. (I am not a fan of the word "deadlines," as it sounds so final.)

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