The Annual Extra

From "Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation." P. 49

When I was helping hunter / jumper judge and trainer Geoff Teall write his book, he brought up the concept of the Annual Extra. The annual extra was one thing he determined to add over a year -- in addition to his regularly scheduled program -- thus making it part of his routine.

I love this idea. This year, I am going to implement an Annual Extra in several areas of my life.

* Professionally, I'm going to start sending out a newsletter.

I'll continue blogging, aiming for regular updates every Monday, because I like the longevity and permanence of a blog. I've met so many wonderful people through the magic of internet searches that bring them to my posts. (Of course, if net neutrality becomes a thing of the past, blogging probably will too. Guess we'll cross that rickety bridge when we come to it.)

Major, the MuseLetter Mascot

Blog posts are forever. But I want the opportunity to interact in a little more timely and personal way with people. Hence: the monthly MuseLetter. [You've signed up for it, right? If you're reading this on your phone, you may have to click "View Web Version" at the bottom, but there's a nifty MuseLetter signup form. It would be cool if you'd join me on this little adventure. I solemnly swear not to waste your time.]

I want a place to share cool things I've discovered while researching my latest projects, odd or quirky books and movies that lie far off the beaten path, portraits of fascinating people I wish I'd learned about before, and more. I figure if such things inspire me, they'll likely inspire others.

* Creatively, in addition to the two books I intend to write, I'm going to finish "ANTHEM," a concept musical honoring American women.

This is a big stretch for me. My songwriting has always been something I've pushed to the back burner. Writing the songs is one thing. That's fun. Letting other people hear them -- that's way out of my comfort zone. But it's something I'm going to tackle this year. Because: growth.

* Personally, I'm picking up the guitar. Again.

Telling myself I'm going to learn to play it. Again.

Last year, I did fair-to-middling with this decision. Until about March. Then, erm, well, let's just say my good intentions became paving blocks on the highway to Hell.

But I mean it this time! I've trimmed my fingernails ("too long; can't practice" is relegated to the trash-heap of 2017). I've loaded GuitarTuna on my phone to practice chords when I'm sans instrument. I've re-searched and re-found and re-bookmarked the YouTube tutorials I need. I'm gonna do this!

Why am I telling you this? Two reasons: 1.) Telling the world of my plans makes me more accountable. And 2.) perhaps you, too, would like to join me in my Annual Extra extravaganza.

What extra thing do you want to make a regular part of your life in the next twelve months? What additional skill would you like to have? Do you want to write a novel? Make a film? Learn a new language? Maybe you'd like to keep a neater house, have a container garden, or learn ballroom dancing. Your Annual Extra could be "write an actual letter to someone every week and send it" or "take up watercolor" or "become proficient in C++." Whatever it is, here's your official green light. Make it happen. Blessings to you as you put another wrinkle in your brain in 2018!

"Flying is Just Impossible" - Thoughts on My Daughter's Sixth Grade Goals

My darling daughter breezed into the car after the first day of sixth grade, fired up and ready to take on the world. She loves school. Her day was great! Her teacher is awesome!

"What did you do today?" I asked.

"We set goals for things we want to accomplish this year!"

Curious, I asked for more information about these sixth grade goals. With my daughter's kind permission, I have posted them here:

And now, I am exercising my parental prerogative to offer some thoughts on the list... ~ahem~

First, I love the self-portrait. Too many of us make grandiose plans, listing our goals and hopes and dreams, without stopping to indulge our Inner Artist. I am smitten by the idea of drawing a selfie to head every list of goals I create in the future.

1.) "Learn how to care for pets."

Actually, dear Daughter, when you told me your list, you said your goal this year was "To learn more about zoology."

"Why did you write 'pets,' instead," I asked.

"I wasn't sure how to spell 'zoology,'" was your reply. Which only makes me wish you'd put "To learn more about spelling" on the list, but I know better.

I heartily approve of this item. How can I help? Perhaps if I stop saying "Does your guinea pig have food and water?" every night, you will learn what happens to said pig if you *don't* feed and water it every day. The same holds true of the parakeet.

What would you like to learn? How much keeping a pet costs? I would be happy to contribute to your achieving this goal by allowing you to assume responsibility for your dog's expenses, including food, license, shots, fluffy stuffed chew toys she can shred into dust particles, and vacuum cleaner bags for storing the roughly 3.7 pounds of black fur she sheds daily.

Efforts to teach computer skillz continue...

I can't complain about how you are taking care of the two cats you're catsitting. I have never had to remind you to feed or water them, or to clean out their litter boxes. The only thing you have left to learn about them is how to say good-bye gracefully when their owners return to claim them in December. That's going to be a tough one.

You do a good job caring for your parakeet. You also willingly help feed and care for the horses, chickens, ducks, Quakers, and the other dogs and cats that share our home.

Why do I suspect that this item is cleverly disguised code for "Acquire MORE pets?"

Allow me to reiterate: No hedgehog. No. While I'm at it, no foxes, no otters, no snakes, and no hamsters. We already live in a zoo. So I would like to add "I already have" as a qualifier to the end of #1.

2.) "Work on computer code."

Your father can help you on this one. He's the computer guru. I know enough about html coding to know that I'd rather have anesthetic-free oral surgery while hearing the audio book of Snooki's novel than sling code for extended periods of time. ::shudder::

You do love your otters, don't you?

This is a good example of a non-quantifiable goal. It doesn't have a clear, identifiable end for you to know when or if you have achieved it. When I asked you why you wanted to learn coding, you told me you wanted to build an interactive website "Like Animal Jam, only cooler."

I suspect it's because Animal Jam has recently added otters (no doubt at your suggestion), but they are only available to paying members, which you are not, because I said you had to use your own funds if you wanted to throw money away on online gaming.

I find acquiring a skill so you can do-it-yourself admirable. When I told you about Code Academy, you immediately looked it up and bookmarked it on your phone. I'll be interested to see if you follow through with this. I hope you do.


3.) Know Christ more.

That, my dear, is between you and your maker. I'll do everything in my power to help you achieve that goal.

Very well... Carry on...


4.) Study LSAT's again.

Erm.

You are the only eleven-year old I know of who thinks reading "How to Prepare for the LSAT" books is fun. I know you want to be a lawyer -- and the good Lord knows you are a world-class arguer. But kids your age are generally not even thinking about the PSATs yet, let alone concerning themselves with getting into law school.

You've wanted to go into law for as long as I remember. Why? So you can work with environmentalists to save endangered species, especially otters. I don't generally admire lawyers. I also don't generally admire vipers or electric eels. But they serve a necessary function. As long as you keep #3 on your list, you'll make a great lawyer.

So, go ahead. Keep on reading that LSAT book you keep checking out of the library. I have ten years to figure out how to pay for law school. Maybe by then, your mastery of #2 on your list will have paid off...

5.) Write a book.

Good for you! You write and illustrate manga books all the time, when you're not filming movies starring your LPS creatures or reading. Why not take the leap and focus solely on telling a story with text?

I told you about National Novel Writing Month in November. You've lived through the madness with me. Now, you can experience it for yourself.

As your Number One fan, I can't wait to read what you've written. I hope you'll include me as a beta.

But a caveat, Dear One. If you want to regularly put food on the table, and be able to feed the critters you love so much, may I humbly suggest following either #2 or #4 as a career path? Because I can tell you, when #5 is your calling, it makes you rely a WHOLE LOT on #3...

One day's worth of reading. Yep. That's about right.

6.) Read all of 2,000 books.

Well.

That IS ambitious.

This is the only truly quantifiable goal in the list, but have you done the math here?

If you're going to finish 2000 books by the end of the school year, that's over 10 books a day. Which is totally doable for you; I just wanted to make sure you realize the scope of what you hope to accomplish.

"I know it's ambitious," you told  me when I pointed out the magnitude of the goal. "What I wrote down first was 'learn to fly.'" But, while that would be so cool, flying is just impossible. I don't have wings. So I wrote this."

Ah. I see.

Sometimes a goal appears doable as a whole, but when one begins picking away at the reality of achieving it, one becomes overwhelmed at the sheer scope. Still, what overwhelms one may motivate another.

(Case in point: #MadWritersUnite -- wherein writers pledge to write 2 full books, between 70K and 90K words, total, during the month of September. I hope they do it! I wish them every good thing. But as for considering something similar myself, I can't even...)

You read like a fiend. You read all the time. You love to read, and I can't find fault with that. So, as long as this goal doesn't interfere with your chores ("I can't clean out the dishwasher; I'm reading" is not an acceptable statement in this house) or your health (You will go outside and play every day. Seriously. Go.), I'll support it. You've already finished the Junior section at our local library. I'm not sure they have 2000 books there that you haven't yet read...

My dear, you have set some high bars for yourself this year. I'm proud of your enthusiasm and your ambition. I'll be interested to revisit this list in a month or so, and see where you are on it. Let me tell you: whether or not you have wings, if you stick to it and see these goals through to the end, you WILL fly.

My daughter's friend (and my godson), in the same class, said: "My goals are to be more helpful and keep my mouth shut more."

Any thoughts I may have had on his goals are moot. Before I could offer any observations--

He paused. He sighed.

"I'm not optimistic."

Drive Thru Writing #Goals

For the past several years, my friend & neighbor Sheila has had a goal: To drive through the McDonald's drive-thru. With her horse.

Sheila works full-time. She's got kids. Grandkids. In the past year, her mother-in-law who requires hospice care and close attention has moved in to their small farmhouse. She's had horses for years, but she's not what one would call "accomplished." Oh, sure she can ride. She can drive. But she's never shown. She's not one of those horse people.

The fact that she has zero desire to ride or drive competitively has not stopped her from having a goal. When she got Will, her grade Belgian gelding, she announced "I want to take him through the McDonald's drive-through."

Which is 5 miles away, on the other side of town.

There were a thousand and one reasons why she shouldn't reach her goal. It's a long way away, as the horse walks. It's infinitely easier, faster, safer, and saner to jump in the car and turn the key anytime she's craving fries. But where's the fun in that?

Some people laughed with tell-tale condescension when they heard Sheila's goal. They didn't say "That's silly" to her face. They didn't have to. She could tell who supported her and who thought she was nuts.

We writers know a bit of having drive-thru goals. Often, just saying "I want to be a writer" qualifies. Writers quickly discover a thousand and one agents, publishers, and editors who don't share their vision. When we begin a novel, writing "the end" is a long way away, as the plotter plots. It's easier to read someone else's book than to write our own. Ah, but where's the fun in that?

I facilitate a weekly Writing Practicum for writers pursuing publication. Traditionally, when a new writer joins our group, I ask for a backward introduction. "Introduce yourself to us as if it is three years from now."

Wonderful intros from accomplished, New York Times bestselling novelists and wildly successful authors tend to ensue.

"Now introduce yourself again. This time, as it if is one year from now."

We are treated to visions of brilliant writers poised on the brink of publishing success.

"Now, please tell us who you are today."

And we meet the aspiring writer with drive-thru goals.

Nothing -- NOTHING -- is wrong with drive-thru goals. We all have them. So what if no one else shares them? So what if people think our quest is laughable or futile? Who needs the naysayers?

Don't listen to those who tell you life would be easier, faster, safer, and saner if you only had different priorities. Keep your eyes on the prize. Practice your craft. Know the route you want to take. And one day, if you stay true to yourself and to your writing, you'll make heads turn when you make those dreams come true.

All photos courtesy of my dear friend Sheila LeBeau. Taken Sept. 5, 2011.

A Simple Way to Make Your Goals Reality

At Christmas time last year, a blog post by literary agent Nathan Bransford invited readers to comment with a wish for 2010. For every comment, he pledged to donate $1 to Heifer International.

Mr Bransford invited others to take the ball and run with it. I took him up on the challenge. So did at least 22 other bloggers (according to the links on his original post). And ::bam!:: -- just like that -- a bit of writing that I did, coupled with a bit of writing that others did, resulted in a real benefit to real people. (The comments I received were enough to buy some bees!)

How's that for a warm, fuzzy feeling and for knowing that your writing is doing something worthwhile and making the world a better place?

The experience made me think about how I can make my dreams (and the dreams of my clients) have a more positive impact.

I wanted to come up with a way that would not only help clients, friends, and others reach their goals, but that would also make the world a better place as those people were reaching for their goals. So My Goal Posts was born.



It’s simple, really:

Step 1 State what you want to do.

(If you, like me, have several big projects you want to tackle, then each major project counts as a single goal. This keeps you from than loading up all of your dream projects into one big pile and calling that your goal.)

Step 2: Choose a time frame in which you will make it happen.

Step 3: Divide your main goal into 12 quantifiable sub-goals.

(For instance: If your goal is to write a novel, the following sub-goals might make sense:

1.) Outline entire project and begin required research.
2.) Write the hook, complete required research, create character notes.
3 - 7.) Write 20,000 words (5,000 words per week) until project is completed (100,000 word total).
8.) Read and edit first 50,000 words. Solicit criticism on the edited draft.
9.) Read and edit second 50,000 words. Solicit criticism on the edited draft.
10.) Incorporate necessary changes.
11.) Polish prose until squeaky clean.
12.) Edit for grammar and punctuation.)

Step 4: Determine your favorite non-profit charitable organization. Set up a way to donate to them and post it on your website or blog.

Step 5: Identify at least 10 people who love you and who want to see you succeed. Write their names down, contact them, and ask if they will help support you in your quest to reach your goal.

Ask each supporter to pledge a total of $60 to help you reach your goal.

Every time you make a stated sub-goal, each supporter pledges to make a $5 donation to your chosen charity.

Important!: If you do NOT reach a stated sub-goal, your supporters are not required to donate. However, you (and no one else) are responsible for committing to your dreams.

Failing to meet a sub-goal is literally taking money away from your selected charity. That's not fair! So it is YOUR responsibility to pledge to make up the difference that your missed sub-goal has cost the organization. If you have 10 supporters, and each is happy to donate $5 / month for each goal you make, that means that you are responsible for a $50 donation for every month you miss your goals.

How's that for incentive AND for knowing that your dreams are as important to the world as they are to you?

At the end, you will not only have reached your Big Goal, but you will also have raised at least $600 for your favorite charity!

I would love for this to take off and inspire tons of people to reach for their goals. It's on my Stuff That Would Be Cool if it Happened list.

Imagine: if only 1,000 people committed to their Goal Posts in this way, not only would those people make major strides toward making their dreams come true, but they would raise over $600,000 for charities around the world! How cool would that be?

My friend Kelly and my husband are working with me to develop My Goal Posts. Throughout the month of June, our idea is in the running for a Pepsi Refresh Everything grant. If we win the grant, we’ll receive $5,000 to put into developing and maintaining a killer website that can help inspire people, track their progress, put them in touch with others who are willing to support them in their goals, and more.

You can help! Log in to the Pepsi Refresh Everything site and cast a vote for My Goal Posts.

While you’re there, check out the other cool ideas in the running this month. You can vote for up to 10 different ideas per day. But PLEASE – come back every day and cast a vote for us.

Then – why not get started on your Big Goal? Get some friends to pledge their support, pick a charity you’d like to benefit from your efforts and make it happen!

Stuff That Would Be Cool if it Happened

I have a deeply rooted, recurring fantasy that both Robert Pattinson and James McAvoy will fall in love with one of my screenplays and engage in an all-out effort to win my affections so I will choose one over the other for the coveted part.

Hey, a girl can dream...

While such a thing would categorically prove to me the power of prayer (and go a long way toward undoing the scars inflicted upon my psyche the year I was 7 and Santa Claus "took a tumble"), my life will, somehow, still be complete if it never happens.

So instead of stalking yummy, uber-talented A-listers, I shall put my desire for their attentions on my list of Stuff That Would Be Cool if it Happened.

At the end of March, writer Cherie Burbach posted her list of such Stuff on her blog.

In Cherie's words, this is a list of really cool things... that if they happened would be just so great you’d pinch yourself. These aren’t goals, and they aren’t part of your bucket list, rather, they are things that you really don’t have any control over. Kind of like winning the lottery. You may buy a ticket, but the rest is up to the universe. Even if you buy a ticket every week, it’s not like “win the lottery” is something you can do. It has to happen to you.

(Now, one of the things on Cherie's list is "Write a Song." I might argue that writing a song rarely just happens. It takes conscious work, much like writing anything else. But she knows that, and she refutes my argument before I even make it. Her song-writing "cool stuff" involves collaborating with one of her favorite songwriters. She also recognizes that though she likes the idea of writing a song, she's not going to put her life on the line to make it happen.)

This gives me the courage to post my own STWBCiiH list. It's stuff that I'd love for the universe to smile upon me and allow to happen, that would grace my time on this planet and put a bounce in my step. Serendipitous stuff like, for instance:

Being Cast as an Extra Movie Rider. I have no delusions of acting ability. I have no desire to ever be in front of a camera and be required to emote on any level. But I would jump at the chance to put my entire life on hold and ride a horse as an extra in a film. Heck, I'd even pay my own way for the privilege. 'Cause it looks like it would be a blast. ("There's Mommy, dear. In the twentieth row, seventh from the left, on the big bay." How cool would that be?)

Skydiving. I know I could just open the Yellow Pages, make a call, and go for a free-fall. But flinging myself out of a plane is not something I want to do by myself. If I die, I want to die with friends around to mourn my passing. My friend, movie director, pilot, and fearless sky-diver Paul Martin swears he'll take me diving whenever we actually begin shooting a feature we have collaborated on. I keep telling him that this event should happen sooner, rather than later, because with age comes wisdom -- and wisdom suggests that jumping from perfectly good planes is something someone of my age should not do. But he's older than I am and he keeps getting up after hitting the ground. So this remains on the list.

Voicing an Animated Character. Too many of my friends say I remind them of an escaped Muppet. Though the recurring theme of my life is looking for ways to avoid being in front of a camera, I would love to play around with voice options for helping pixels come to life.

Seeing Earth from Space. When I was a kid, for the longest time I wanted to be an astronaut. I would be willing to live on ramen noodles and water for a year in order to save up enough $$ to go into orbit. But even that probably wouldn't be enough for a down payment on a waiting list. Maybe there'll be a space-travel-for-starving-writers option before I die and become the stuff of stars... (Photo from NASA. Wish it was from my own camera...)

Riding the Pan-American Trail. How cool would it be to take a horse all 15,000 miles from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego? This clearly falls under something that I would have to make happen. And with my responsibilities as mom, spouse, bread-winner, etc., heading west to go for a lengthy ride seems the teensiest bit self-indulgent. ("At 50 miles a day, it should take me just under a year! You guys have enough mac & cheese to last? Ok. ::kiss. kiss:: Be good. Listen to Daddy. Say your prayers. Brush your teeth. I'll see you when you're 8.")

Having a Personal Tour of the Vatican Archives. I'd love the opportunity to just -- inhale -- all that history.

Swimming in an Antarctic Hot Spring. I almost didn't put this on here, because it's technically on my Life List. Someday, I swear, I'll sit in the hot springs on Deception Island. Just so I can say I did it.

Hearing Bon Jovi or Loreena McKennitt Sing One of My Songs. Or provide the soundtrack for a movie I wrote. That would be good, too.

Start a Global Goals-for-Charity Movement. My friend Kelly Smith and I are developing My Goal Posts, a site that encourages people to articulate a major goal, break it into bite-sized parts, and support their favorite charitable cause as they strive to make their goal reality.



It would be beyond cool if the idea would take off. It would be a painless way for people to make their dreams make a difference. I would like to be a part of that.

I could go on. Maybe another time I'll add to the list.

How about you? What's on your STWBCiiH list? Dreams, as you know, are free for the taking... Here's hoping that the best of yours come true.

First Benchmark for "First Book"

In our house, kids and books go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like syrup and pancakes. Like ketchup on french fries. It seems like my daughter has been reading ever since she's been born.

Reading is so prevalent in "Hendricksonville" that we tend to take a passion for the written word for granted. We can't imagine our lives without the joy of books.

First Book is a non-profit organization that understands the vital importance of literacy. First Book provides free books to children in need year-round. It has earned a top rating of four-stars by Charity Navigator, with more than 92% of donations going directly to their programs and less than 8% going to administrative costs and overhead.

When Kelly Smith decided to take me up on my Goal Posts challenge, First Book is the non-profit she chose to champion in her quest to finish her historical novel this year. I am honored to be one of her charter supporters. Today, the last day of January, I was thrilled to hear that she had met her first goal!

Yay, Kelly!

Want to encourage a writer and do some good in the world? Contact Kelly and sign up to be a supporter!

Want to make your own goals count to more than just you? Make your own Goal Post commitment. Good luck! And let me know when you've made your first benchmark!

Goal Posts, Part III -- Plan for Success

or, Hallmarks of an Achievable Goal

I've been doing what I call "vision work" with a friend and client. She is in the process of starting a non-profit and is working to determine what her Big Picture plan is.

I believe in the importance of branding (or knowing exactly what hole your services fill). Vision work is a way to help find what it is about a business that really drives you. Articulating your vision makes it fairly easy, then, to develop a means of branding the business so it connects with others who share your passions.

Goals are an essential part of vision work. In my experience, not all goals are created equally.

Some goals are too fuzzy. ("I want to make the world a better place".)

Some goals are unwieldy. ("I want to create a compound that, when added to normal drinking water, alters the human genome in such a way that it eliminates selfishness, thus making the world a better place.")

Some are too complicated. ("I want to add the anti-selfishness compound that I have created and patented to the water supply of the entire world. I will do this by inventing a cloud-seeding process that will impregnate rain clouds with specially coated pods that will, via a timed-release mechanism, disperse the compound into the atmosphere. That will complete Phase I...")

And some are impossible. I don't mean impossible in a "they said it couldn't be done" way. I mean making someone else responsible for achieving your dreams is impossible. And irresponsible.

In my experience, goals that inspire people to achieve them share three hallmarks. When making goals -- whether for the week, the month, the year, the book, or the business -- I counsel clients to do the following:

1.) Clearly articulate the goal.

If you can't say it, you can't see it.

"I want this book to be a bestseller" is not a clearly articulated goal. There are too many undefined areas. For instance:

Do you want the book to be a bestseller for the publisher? If so, what does that entail? Do you want it to be in the Top 10 sales of books published in the same year? Or in the Top 10 of all of their other published books including their backlist?

Do you want it to be a bestseller on Amazon.com? Is making the Top 100 a goal? Or do you want to make the Top 10 of a particular genre? How long is "long enough" to qualify? Amazon.com updates their bestseller lists hourly. Is hitting the #10 slot for an hour adequate? Or do you want to maintain the position for a certain amount of time?

Do you want it to be on the New York Times bestseller list? This list is compiled very differently than Amazon's list. Being a bestseller on one doesn't guarantee being a bestseller on another.

"I'll take whatever one I can get," I've had clients say. If they're close enough to me at the time, I finger-ping them in the head.

No one -- but NO one -- will just give you a bestseller. They are not lying on the table like brochures available for you to "take." You want bestseller status? You must work for it.

Knowing what your goals are tells you where to focus your efforts so you improve your chances of success. The more specific the goal, the better your plan of action -- and the greater your chances are of achieving it.

2.) Tell others about your goal and get them involved.

Friends and family love to lend support. Their involvement also keeps the goal before you and makes you accountable.

For a specific suggestion on how to use Charitable Accountability to involve your supporters in helping you reach your goals for this year, see my Goal Posts, Part II post from earlier this month.

3.) Make meeting the goal entirely your responsibility.

My goal cannot be contingent on someone else for its realization, because then it is too easy to blame other people if the goal is not met. As I mentioned earlier, it is also impossible for me to control someone else's actions. Therefore, any goal that hinges upon someone else is inherently flawed.

For instance, "I will get an agent in 2010" is contingent on someone else deciding to sign me. But I can't MAKE someone make that decision. However, I can do everything in my power to find the right people and present myself to them. A goal like, "every month, I will research at least 10 working agents and managers and find at least 2 worth querying," is something for which I can be responsible.

A goal that you clearly articulate, tell others about, and assume responsibility for is a goal that has every chance of being met.

So... What are YOUR goals? And what are you going to do about them?

Goal Posts, Part II -- Charitable Accountability

or, Put Your Money (and Time) Where Your Mouth Is

Several things have happened lately that have made me re-evaluate how I will approach the things I want to do. One of them was a pre-Christmas blog post by literary agent Nathan Bransford in which he invited readers to comment with a wish for 2010. For every comment, he pledged to donate $1 to Heifer International.

Mr Bransford invited others to take the ball and run with it. I took him up on the challenge. So did at least 22 other bloggers (according to the links on his original post). And ::bam!:: -- just like that -- a bit of writing that I did, coupled with a bit of writing that others did, resulted in a real benefit to real people. (The comments I received were enough to buy some bees!)

How's that for a warm, fuzzy feeling and for knowing that your writing is doing something worthwhile and making the world a better place?

A few days after Christmas, we received a letter from Darlene, a friend of ours who used to work at Whirlpool with Robert. She was a project lead and a project manager. This past year, however, she quit her (very lucrative) job with corporate America to pursue her dream. She is currently attending seminary and getting her M.Div. Her Christmas letter practically glows with hope, fulfillment, and the satisfaction of rising to a welcome challenge.

All we could say was "Wow!" We are so proud of her for following where her dreams lead.

Both Mr. Bransford and Darlene have made me think about how I can make my dreams (and the dreams of my clients) have a more positive impact.

I wanted to come up with a way that would not only help clients, friends, and others reach their goals, but that would also make the world a better place as those people were reaching for their goals. I propose Charitable Accountability as a place to start. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Identify your BIG End Goal. It must be quantifiable and reachable within this calendar year.

(If you, like me, have several big projects you want to tackle, then each major project counts as a single goal. This keeps you from than loading up all of your dream projects into one big pile and calling that your goal.)

Step 2: Identify at least 10 people who love you and who want to see you succeed. Write their names down, contact them, and ask if they will help support you in your quest to reach your goal.

Step 3: Divide your main goal into 12 quantifiable sub-goals. Each sub-goal should be attainable within 4 weeks of working on it.

Post these goals, numbered 1 - 12 on your website or blog.

If your goal is to write a novel, the following sub-goals might make sense:

1.) Outline entire project and begin required research.
2.) Write the hook, complete required research, create character notes.
3 - 7.) Write 20,000 words (5,000 words per week) until project is completed (100,000 word total).
8.) Read and edit first 50,000 words. Solicit criticism on the edited draft.
9.) Read and edit second 50,000 words. Solicit criticism on the edited draft.
10.) Incorporate necessary changes.
11.) Polish prose until squeaky clean.
12.) Edit for grammar and punctuation.

Step 4: Determine your favorite non-profit charitable organization. Set up a way to donate to them and post it on your website or blog.

Step 5: Ask each of your supporters (see Step 2) to pledge a total of $60 to help you reach your goal in the next year. At the end of each month, you should have reached the next sub-goal on your list. Post your progress on your website or blog.

Every time you make a stated sub-goal, each supporter pledges to make a $5 donation to your chosen charity.

Important!: If you do NOT reach a stated sub-goal, your supporters are not required to donate. However, you (and no one else) are responsible for committing to your dreams.

Failing to meet a sub-goal is literally taking money away from your selected charity. That's not fair! So it is YOUR responsibility to pledge to make up the difference that your missed sub-goal has cost the organization. If you have 10 supporters, and each is happy to donate $5 / month for each goal you make, that means that you are responsible for a $50 donation for every month you miss your goals.

How's that for incentive AND for knowing that your dreams are as important to the world as they are to you?

At the end of the year you will not only have reached your Big Goal, but you will also have raised at least $600 for your favorite charity!

And that, in a nutshell, is my formula for Charitable Accountability. Any takers? If so, feel free to comment. I encourage you to put your $$ where your dreams are. Get your friends and family on board, and get started toward reaching your goal today!

Goal Posts

Happy New Year to one and all!

The arrival of a fresh year stretching its twelve pristine months into the future invites me to make plans.

Look at that enormous expanse of unsullied time, I think. Plenty of time for me to finish the draft of my NaNo novel, split it into three pieces, and flesh out the trilogy...

and research and draft my Pet Novel Project that I'd begun before NaNo...

and edit two clients' projects...

and write books for two other clients...

and write another spec script...

and research literary agents and managers, pinpoint the right ones for my work, craft brilliant introductory query letters, and have them fight over the right to represent me...

and plan the Writing Workshops I'll be teaching...

and promote the book I helped Ryan Gingerich write, which is due for release in March...

and get the movie of "Against the Wind," the screenplay I co-wrote about the life of running legend Dick Beardsley into production...

This is how my thoughts get me into trouble. Because, suddenly, those 365 beautiful, blank days seem pitiful and small and entirely unable to support all the things I want to accomplish when they visit.

I -- like so many writers -- want to do too much. This poses the very real danger of spreading myself too thinly, of starting too many projects, and consequently failing to finish much of anything.

The name of the game is Prioritizing. Instead of asking "What do I want to do this next year?" I must address the issues of "What will I commit to completing this year?" Which is somehow scarier. In many ways, it's easier to have a million Things I Want To Do than to have two or three Things I Will Move Heaven and Earth to Accomplish.

This has led me to think seriously about how to help myself and the writers with whom I work to meet our goals for the next year. I have a plan percolating. I think it will work. I'll add it to the Things I Want To Do, and unveil it next week...

Till then: I encourage you to write down the things you will commit to this next year. Feel free to post them in the comments, if you wish, but write them down. Then let's work together to make our dreams reality.

Happy 2010!

Heifer Update

or, Here's the Buzz...

Thanks so much to all who participated in spreading some Heifer Holiday Cheer by commenting my Let Your Dreams Help Others blog post. Twenty-four people commented here. (Several others commented on the link on my Facebook page, so I'll count them, too.)



Thanks to you (and thanks to the bighearted Mr. Bransford who inspired this adventure), a gift of bees has been made to Heifer International. Think of it: honey, flowers, pollination, increased crop yield, increased income -- all made possible for someone because you took the time to share your goals on my little blog.

So, blessings to those who responded (and you know who you are). Here's hoping that you start the year off with a smile. Know that your writing has been directly responsible for helping out another human being. Wishing you all health, prosperity, and happiness. May you all your dreams for 2010 come true!

The Business of Books

I received an e-mail update from Janet, a writer friend of mine who is in the process of researching her first contracted book while finishing up the proposal for a pet project.

In her update, she commented on a "light bulb moment" she recently had:

I have almost finished my book proposal - that is certainly not an easy task for an unfinished book, is it? It did help me pick up steam, better determine my audience, and examine several others along the way. Published books are really successful business projects, aren't they?

Ah! So they are.

Most books that get in print these days are really businesses. The sooner a writer realizes this, the better! Too many writers treat their books like hobbies, or pets, or illicit affairs, or toys. They don't take the books or themselves seriously. They fail to realize that publishing is a business and are all too often lax about learning how that business operates.

One of the things I encourage writers to do is to set goals for themselves. I encourage writing goals ("I'll write X,000 words a day." "I'll finish X chapter(s) a week."). I encourage business-building goals ("I'll submit to X new markets each week." "I'll research at least one relevant manager this month."). In all things, however, I encourage realistic expectations.

Sometimes, overly ambitious goals can arise from an unfamiliarity with the rigors of the writing profession. As with any job, some days are more productive than others. If an unfamiliarity with the ups and downs of any business venture does not inform our writing goals, we tend to set those goals while dazzled by the glow of an exciting new project. However, if our goals are contingent upon our being brilliant every day, we not only set ourselves up for defeat -- but we also pave the way for burnout.

New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick has some excellent advice on how writers can stay motivated without burnout.

One of the things she suggests is that writers build in a certain number of "sick days" and "personal days" when developing their goals. Doing so, Bostwick suggests, allows one the writing equivalent of calling in to the office and taking a day off when necessary for one's life, liberty, and general well-being.

Bostwick's approach to the business of writing is well worth considering.

If you are a writer, I encourage you to come up with a plan that will make this next year the one that develops your Pet Project (you know: The One that's just begging for your attention). As you plan, however, I suggest that you consider the business you are in. You are in the business of creating. Of living your life. Of learning, and loving, and growing, and expanding your horizons. Beware of becoming a workaholic. Treat your writing, and your books, like any other business venture. Build your goals around a schedule that allows you to grow your business and remain "open for business" for many years to come...