Friday Five - A Day Late

1. Summer is really over, and I'll get my mornings to myself now. My youngest went back to preschool. A really great preschool where I don't feel guilty dropping him off, and he gets to play and explore and i get to work. So that is my most exciting news of the week. Well exciting to me at least.

2. At the end of every summer, I'm excited for the kids to go back to school so they have some structure, but then I forget what that structure means for me. I always wondered how stay at home moms managed to stay so busy once their kids were in school. There are so many time pressures now that have to do with having kids in school. Getting to the bus in the morning, and picking them up from the bus. The homework in the evenings, and getting them to bed on time. So much stuff that has to be done. But I do get time to work now without feeling guilty. That's nice too.

3. It is easy to get discouraged, and lost along the way. I've had the times when I'm super focused on my writing, and times when I've been so discouraged. I've had my share of almost there moments and falling short. This week I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. Do I keep going forward? Am I just kidding myself? Is this a reasonable and attainable goal for myself? Do I just write to write or am I really striving for publication? And if I do decide whether this is achievable, am I willing to really put in the time to make it happen?

The truth is that eight years ago, I decided I wanted to be a freelance writer. I didn't know how to start. I went and got books at the library, and read them. It took a few more years for me to actually start applying for jobs, and a few months before I landed my first job. I've built up what I do to the point that I have a niche that I write about. I make a very respectable hourly wage. I did it. I reached that goal. I write for a living.

And I can do the same thing to reach my next goal, which is writing novels for a living. I know what I need to do. But I need to be committed to making it happen. My first book may not be the book. Okay so it wasn't. I wrote it several years ago. But my second book may not be it, and maybe my third book won't either. But if I quit now I'm not going to make it. If I keep working and trying, I will. Just like with anything that is important but difficult to achieve, I have to make the time commitment and keep going no matter what.

4. I love the beginning of the school year, since it is a chance to reset my goals and my schedule to make it happen. In addition to my writing goals I want to lose some weight and exercise two hours a day. That feels like a lot to me, but I know that's what I need to do to reach my goals. But I'm building up to it, gradually, so that it will become a good habit that will stick.

5. I'm having a hard time coming up with a fifth option. So instead I'll ask a question. What goals are you guys working towards?

Happy writing!