Dreaming vs. Doing

I love talking about writing. I love reading books about the craft of writing. I love spending time with my writing friends and dreaming about writing. Do you know what the hardest part of being a writer is?

It's the actual writing.

We all have dreams--whether it's writing a novel, running a marathon, or snagging our dream job. Our dreams are our passions and hopes for the future. So why is so hard to actually live them out?

One word: Fear.

Fear of failure and fear to move out of our comfort zone. Steven Pressfield calls it the resistance. Seth Godin calls it the lizard brain. It's that part of ourselves that wants to stay safe and comfortable.

The people who reach their dreams are the people who have learned to face this discomfort head on. We have to learn to be vulnerable and uncomfortable and to stretch ourselves in ways that don't always feel natural to us.

Reaching our dreams isn't about circumstances or even talent; it's about making a choice to step out in faith with the belief that you'll fly.

5 Ways to be a More Creative Mom

Let's face it. When we become mothers, our time is no longer our own. Whether you're a mom with young kids (like me, with a 5-year-old and a 4-month-old) or you're a mom with older kids, our worlds tend to revolve around their schedules. Sometimes it's hard to make time for ourselves, but one thing I think we need to fight for is the time and space for creativity. Using our creativity fosters more creativity, and that's good for ourselves and for our families. Here are a few ways you can be more creative.

1. Find some time for yourself to create - For me that means getting up at 5am to write (I know. It's not for everyone.) For you it might mean asking a family member to watch the kids every other Saturday to craft or paint. Whatever it is, find the time and block it out on the calendar.

2. Find a community of other creatives - I don't know what I would do without my local writing group and my writing friends. Even if I can't be at the monthly meeting, I make sure I stay connected to my writing friends through text, social media, or a lunch. Maybe it's the people at your local yarn store or a friend you can bounce ideas off of. Our creativity is usually connected to our passion, and no one will understand your passion like others who share it.

3. Get your kids involved - Pay attention to their creative interests and foster them. Try to be a part of it by going to a music or cake decorating class with them. Sit down with them and draw or make a collage. Make creativity a regular part of your family.

4. Journal - Even if your passion isn't writing, journaling is a great way to brainstorm ideas and clear your brain. Sometimes getting your thoughts out of your head and on to paper can make room for fresh new ideas. Find more tips on journaling here.

5. Try something new - If you love crafting, give writing a try. If you're a writer, go to a painting party. Getting out of your comfort zone will only broaden your creativity, and you might even have some fun while you're at it.

How do you stay creative?

Four Ways to Declare Independence

© 2008 Randy Robertson, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

Hey guys! I'm over at Heart-Shaped Glasses today talking about how we can break free of the things holding us back. I'd love for you to come join the discussion.

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Courage

Brave

For all my writing friends -

You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love
Or you can start speaking up
Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do
And they settle ‘neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

Everybody’s been there, everybody’s been stared down
By the enemy
Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Innocence, your history of silence
Won’t do you any good
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don’t you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you

Tee Ball Lessons

My four-year-old is on his first tee ball team this year. It has been fun (and sometimes painful) to watch him and his teammates learn and grow throughout the season. And there is nothing cuter than little four and five-year-olds in uniforms. But overall, I think this season has taught me more than it has taught my son. 

My son did a great job hitting the ball, but the other team got him out on first base, which is a bummer because running the bases is his favorite part of the game. The first base coach told him he needed to go to the dugout on the other side of the field. Instead of going straight to the dugout, my boy decided he would run the bases anyway. LOL. No one seemed to mind waiting a few extra seconds for him to round second and third base before joining his teammates.

Lesson: Don't let rejection stop you or take the fun out of what you're doing.

On Thursday we had a double header to make up for a game that had been rained out. The second game lasted until almost 9pm. Do you know what it's like to be with a group of four-year-olds who are playing tee ball well past their bedtimes. We were quickly loosing control of the troops. There were fights. There were tears. Our poor coach spent most of his time trying to console crying children.

Lesson: Beware of burnout. It's hard to do your best when you're worn down. Build in healthy breaks when you can.

My son's team are the Bluejays. So when our uniforms didn't come in on time and we had to wear white t-shirts, he said they were the "Whitejays," and the team they played last week were the "Greenjays." ;) They're a great group of kids. Sometimes they tackle their fellow teammates trying to get the ball, but for the most part they make an excellent team. When my little guy got upset on the field, it was another little boy who went over and checked on him.

Lesson: Surround yourself with people who will cheer you on. Also, make sure you're supporting those around you. 

Did you play sports as a kid? 

*Today's post idea was dreamed up by the lovely Jessica Patch. Thanks, Jessica!

10 Ways to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution

1. Make sure you have the right goal. Is it measurable? Is it realistic?

2. Focus on one or two resolutions at the most – not a list of ten. Changing a habit is difficult and the more attention you can give it the better.

3. Make a concrete plan. If your goal is to exercise more, buy the gym membership or home video and set specific days and times to exercise.

4. Write down your goal and track your progress. Putting things on paper is powerful. Post your resolution and daily updates on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror where you can look at them every day.

5. Replace bad habits with good ones. It helps to have a healthy habit to turn to whenever you have to say no to something. If you’re giving up soda, make sure you have some great teas or a new water bottle to replace it. If your resolution is to complain less, write down something you’re thankful for each time you want to say something negative.

6. Identify the motivation for your resolution. Why do you want to eat healthier? To have more energy? To live a longer, healthier life? To be a good example for your children? Knowing the why will help you get through the tough times.

7. Remember that it won’t be easy. Setting proper expectations for yourself can help you get over the hurdles you’ll face.

8. Reward yourself. If your resolution is to work on your novel every day, reward yourself with a new book or a coffee from Starbucks each month that you write 20 or more days.

9. Visualize success. Envision yourself on December 31, 2013 after you've successfully reached your goal. How will you feel? What would that look like?

10. Don’t be afraid to fail. Resolutions are hard. If you get off track, get up and try again.

Are you setting New Year’s Resolutions this year? What are they? How do you plan to stick to them?

12 Days of Christmas for Writers

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

12 Fulls Requested

11 Muses Musing

10 Plots-a-Flowing

9 Bloggers Blogging

8 Hours-a-Writing

7 Editors Editing

6 Tweets Retweeted

5-STAR REVIEWS

4 Best Sellers

3 Query Letters

2 Agents Calling

And a Contract to Fill you with Glee!

Merry Christmas to all my wonderful writing friends!

What do you want for Christmas this year?

Protect Your Time

I don’t know anyone who says there are just too many hours in the day, and they don’t know what to do with all their free time. Our culture seems to admire busyness, but if we’re going to reach our dreams, we need to learn how to step out of busyness and into living out our purpose.

Make Your Goals a Priority. Faith and family definitely need to stay at the top of the priority list, but if our dreams are important to us, we need to make sure they’re not getting buried by less important things. Once you’ve identified your priorities, determine a specific time and space for accomplishing them.  

Learn to Say No. Give someone else an opportunity to host that get-together or to chair that committee. Try making a list of the areas in your life where you want to spend your time. When someone asks you to add something new to your schedule, refer back to your list before making a decision. 

Identify Time Zappers. Sometimes I waste precious time without even realizing it. Keep a log of where you spend your time for two days. It may reveal time wasters you hadn’t noticed. After we identify those things, we can put measures in place to control them. Set a timer by your computer while you’re searching on the internet. Only allow yourself to watch shows you’ve recorded on DVR instead of surfing channels. Turn off your cell phone during certain hours of the day. 

Does busyness threaten to keep you from reaching your dreams? How do you protect your time?

Reach Your Dreams

1. Write down your goals. Whether you hang them on your bathroom mirror or you hide them away in your journal in your nightstand, there is power in writing things down.

2. Make sure the steps you take are moving you toward the summit, not further away from it. My dream is to write novels. When I took a job as a newspaper reporter, I enjoyed it because I love writing. But I soon learned that if I wrote all day in my day job, I didn’t have the creative energy to pursue my own writing during my off time. When I left that job, I found a job in marketing that leaves me enough energy to follow my dreams. Make sure you’re not getting off the path of your dream.

3. Tell someone about your dream. You don’t have to tell everyone you know. Many people didn’t know I wrote in my spare time until I had a book published. But it’s important to tell a few people you trust. Choose these people carefully, and make sure they’re going to be supportive and drown out anyone who tells you you can’t do it.

4. Find a group of like-minded people. I have a wonderful group of local writers and writing friends from all over the country who have the same passion I do. No matter how much your family supports you, no one can understand the path you’re on like others traveling the same road. Today with all kinds of online groups, email loops, and communities, there are more ways to connect with others who share your dream.

5. Do the work and give the rest to God. Don’t fear failure. Ultimately He is in charge. The key is to show up, strive to do excellent work, and trust God to take care of the rest.

What's your dream? What steps are you taking to reach it?

On another note, I got a little blog and website makeover from Jason Walker this weekend. If you’re looking for a great web designer, check out the Website Ministries site.

Live Out Your Dreams

What would it look like for you to "go confidently in the direction of your dreams?"