I attended the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference last weekend, and I met a man in his early twenties. Although many of the authors, agents, and editors were inspiring, this particular man truly inspired me. He worked at Burger King and took the bus to the conference every day (three day conference). It took him two hours to get to the conference (or home) via bus. The conference started at 8 am and went to 9 pm (long days, but fun). It made me think about how much are each of us is willing to sacrifice for our dreams? There are many reasons why we choose not to pursue our dreams. Here are just a few:
- Can’t put in the hours
- Dumb & Dumber came to my mind.
- Harry: “I can’t believe we drove around all day and there’s not a single job in this town, there’s nothing, nada, zip.” Lloyd: “Yeah, unless you wanna work 40 hours a week.”
- Every single person who has every accomplished anything big worked hard to get there.
- Fear
- Fear that no one will like their product.
- Fear that they are not good enough.
- Fear where to even start.
- Fear can go on and on.
- Time
- I’ll start going after my dream tomorrow or at the start of the New Year.
- I’m young. I have time.
- I’m old. Who will listen to me?
- Time is often linked with fear.
A former pre-nursing student of mine contacted me recently wanting advice about our nursing program. She felt overwhelmed. I told her that everything I accomplished I always did it one step at a time. If you look at the entire program, you will want to quit before your start. Look at your schedule and time week to week. Plan your goals and what assignments you need to complete for the week. This will chip away at a semester, and a semester completed will chip away at the entire program. I believe this philosophy applies to any dream or goal we desire. Chasing a dream can appear daunting, but take one step toward it. The next week, take the next step. As long as you are moving forward, eventually, you will reach the top.
JUST DO IT! Take your first step today, and please comment on what you’re working on!
I’m in the final stages with an editor, and I plan to get an agent to help me publish my first YA contemporary novel. It has definitely been a marathon and not a sprint!
This keeping at it is exactly what gets me through every long-term project. Only way to do it, really.
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Thanks, Damyanti! Keep it up!!! One step at a time! 🙂
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Great post and reminders! Good luck with your first novel and let us know when it is published. 🙂
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Thanks, Jeff! I really appreciate the positive encouragement :). I wish you the best on all of your goals!!!
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Writing more consistently. Enjoying your blog.
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You are too sweet. I decided to write 2-3 times a week starting in 2017. It’s been great meeting new people. I was hesitant honestly because I worked full-time as a university assistant professor. I was worried about putting myself out there. I’m not full-time anymore, and in 2017, I told myself to just connect with people. Go for it. I’m loving it so far. Thank you! ❤️
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Wow, I noticed you write quite often. Again, I’m inspired. People tell me, “I don’t know how you do it.” Now, I’m telling you the same. So, did your son finally choose a college? I hope so.
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We are working on a school for Kobi still. He’s a junior this year. We will get there! Thank you!
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I was hoping to do a steps for success in college series. Let’s see if I get there. I just felt like I didn’t have much guidance, so it would be nice if I could pay it forward. We don’t have a lot of time, but we do our best! So proud of you!
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Indeed. Thank you. I’m proud of you too. You are too sweet with your kiddos on camera. They are funny.
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Good luck with your book. I know it will be a success.
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Thank you! That means a lot! My agent is about to pitch it to publishers, so we will see how it goes. I’m staying positive. ☺️
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