JC's Corner

You may know that I am in the process of writing two books, Secrets to Celebration and The Virgin Leader.  However, recently I was having a hard time balancing work and writing. Sound familiar?

Because I LOVE my clients and the work I do, my writing was getting put on the back burner. It seemed like work and normal day-to-day activities were taking up all my time.

In the Time Management course I offer, we talk about a common misconception. People believe that they don’t have enough time. In reality, it is not a time issue; it is a decision issue.

In my case, the questions were: how important was writing to me; and what was I willing to do to make it happen?

I started with the end goal in mind – getting one or both of my books closer to the editing stage. I reflected on what seemed to be getting in my way. I discovered it wasn’t just work it was: laundry, taking care of the cat, cleaning, paying bills, allowing others to control my schedule, and, and, and.

If I was going to move forward toward achieving my goal, I knew it would take quiet, uninterrupted, focused, creative time. Easier said than done… I needed a change of scenery. I evaluated my schedule and picked a date far enough into the future that would enable me to reschedule or minimize my workload.

I chose a location that I could drive to, where I would feel safe, and one that would meet my needs. I booked a hotel for 10 days – quite a splurge and an investment for me.

You would have thought I was moving. I loaded the car with my Keurig (after all, a girl MUST have her coffee), flip charts, markers, post-its, scissors, tape, and written copies of both manuscripts. I packed only comfy clothes since the purpose was solitude and not social interaction.

The experience was much more than I anticipated or could have hoped for. I not only achieved my goal of getting one or both of my books closer to the editing stage, I learned a lot about myself in the process.

Is there something you want that seems to be out of reach?  Is there a voice that won’t let you forget it?  Perhaps it is not meant for you to forget… perhaps it is your dream that you are meant to fulfill… your purpose for being here. 

WHAT will it take to move you forward?

Perhaps the following questions can help:

1. What is it that YOU want to do?
2. Why is it important?
3. What is getting in your way?
4. How will you “feel” when you accomplish your goal?
5. What are you willing to commit to in order to make it happen (time, money, resources)?

The benefits of my experience are lasting long past the 10 days I invested working on my books. Before I left Sedona (yes, majestic Sedona, Arizona!), I identified what had made it successful for me so I can re-create the experience in the future. It was time well spent.

The following quote by author Greg Reid, “A DREAM written down becomes a GOAL. A goal written down into steps becomes a PLAN. A plan backed by ACTION becomes REALITY.” This pretty much sums it up for me!

DREAM, GOAL, PLAN, ACTION = REALITY!

I’d love to hear about your DREAM, drop me a note to success@jmclark.com.

If you can dream it, you can achieve it!   Dream big!!!

 

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