It seems everyone I’ve spoken to lately is dealing with something big, burdensome, or heavy--on top of the pandemic. We are living through such challenging, uncharted times.
There’s no doubt 2020 will be remembered as a year of extreme sadness for numerous reasons, but hopefully it will be a time of transformation and growth for a lot of people too. Perhaps this can be the beginning of a season which encourages and challenges all of us to move beyond fixed or antiquated mindsets and honor the need for constant change and development in all kinds of areas.
Not discounting the weight of everything, a wise friend recently reminded me of the need to continue to celebrate the good times, the highlights, and the silver linings along the way.
In this vein, I’m extremely proud of many of the inspiring women I’ve written about who are impacting change through their social media platforms, businesses, voices, or simply how they’re leading by example in their day-to-day. From sharing the causes they’re passionate about or currently learning about to the goals they’re working toward, many of these “things” are entirely different from their focuses just a handful of months ago.
It’s inspiring and encouraging and just one more reason why I want to put their stories and recipes into a bound collection. It was also the motivating force for me to put the pedal to the medal and submit my proposal for said book this month.
Their stories will surely motivate others to pursue their passions through even the most challenging of times.
And while I’d rather write about others, I’ve received the nicest messages regarding my recent story about sending off my Ladies & Ladles book proposal. And in reflecting on the amount of work that went into a project like this, I wrote down a few things that helped me achieve this goal. Maybe these “tips” will help you if you’re hoping to knock off a big goal during 2020, the most upside down year in recent history.
Here’s a list of what helped me stay focused and determined to achieve my personal goal:
Sending off my book proposal was my singular goal for the first half of 2020. I picked up a freelance project that took over my time and attention until around March, but from March to July, L&L was the only thing I worked on professionally.
Along these lines, I used my time to focus on this and only this. I’ve never been good at working at night, and I used to wake up before my kids to work, but we’re in a season in which waking up even earlier than them has not been plausible. Plus, I used to have a little help here and there for a couple hours of uninterrupted work time, but that wasn’t possible during quarantine. Thankfully (and I know it’s a true gift), my kids nap/”quiet time” around the same time, so once I had them to sleep/set-up for quiet time, I’d put my head down and work.
I know my most productive time (see above) and what I can eliminate to create ideal working conditions for myself: Completely cleared desk or table, no phone in sight, no messages popping up on my computer, and a full cup of coffee + some type of cookie (treat yo’self, right?).
I treated this proposal like a job. I asked a mentor of mine if he’d look over the project when I was done, and because of that, I felt like I had motivation and accountability. Knowing I wanted to send off the project in August, I told my mentor I’d have it to him in July so we’d have time for edits and changes.
I had confidence in my ability to achieve this goal. Last year, I wrote an entire book with my friend Collin, and that experience gave me the determination and certainty that I could complete this project. I also finished a book proposal 10 years ago, so I knew the basics of the process, though much has changed.
I made sure to do something toward this goal every single day. Throughout life I’ve recalled the words a high school teacher used to say, “Inch by inch, it becomes a cinch!” It sounds silly, but I’ve recalled it so many times. I used my Instagram account as a way to do something small like sharing a story or a recipe post when I didn’t have the time to sit and crank on research or writing. I wrote “the one thing” I did toward my greater L&L proposal goal in my journal the next morning.
I might continue to add to this list as I think of things that helped me achieve this big goal. What are your personal “tips,” habits, and advice for achieving goals? Leave me a comment!
