Accountability

My newest CP group is strictly romance--my main genre among the labels most often used to identify books and group them within a physical bookstore.

But this practice integrated in that CP group works no matter what kind of book you write, even nonfiction.

It is called accountability.

Basically, we share our writing To Do list with each other via e-mail daily. In theory, we end our day showing what is done and not done. While I may not consistently share my results recap with them, I know in my heart and my mind where I fell short, where I excelled. That is what is important.

I propose that this would work if you just send e-mails to yourself. Try it and see.

This simple tool astounds me. If you choose wisely--items that most deeply affect your biggest goals--you will be amazed at how much more you get done.

Shortly after implementing this eye-opener, I saw where I was asking too much from each day. Life gets in the way, my projects inevitably take longer, perfectionism kicks in, maybe a little procrastination too.

Plus you need to listen to your body. After the Aurora event, my mind was too polluted and distracted to be effectively applied to my future goals. It shut down. And I personally knew none of the victims yet was moved in a profound way.

In the Bible, God allowed his people to mourn the passing of Moses for thirty days (Deut. 34:8). Give yourself time.

My daily routine seeks to encourage mind, soul and body health which can only help me in reaching my goals. Like eating well, sleeping fully, being inspired.

So, if you just put two key items on your daily action list, think what you could accomplish in a week, a month, a year.

I maintain even fifteen minutes well spent will yield maximum results when repeatedly acted upon.

Can you spare a quarter of an hour for each square on a calendar to make your life better, more aligned with your dreams?

What if you carved out three-quarters of one single sixty-minute period in your daily allotment of time?

One for health (fifteen minutes of weight lifting or a walk or yoga).

One for organizing your residence (start with your home office and declutter--think about how you can transform your own place into that of a five-star hotel, with no guilt-inducing reminders of things to be done and a streamlined proficiency of function).

One for baby steps toward your highest, biggest, maybe scariest goal. I find whatever fear (doubt, worry, anxiety) is trying to hinder me will actually dissipate once I step closer, take action, no matter how small.

The consistent and persistent practice of doing something EACH DAY is magical--like compound interest.

This is what The Daffodil Principle teaches (my previous post), what FLYlady teaches (FLYlady.net), what Margie Lawson teaches (MargieLawson.com) and what John Assaraf spoke of in a short video on procrastination (see his link in my post of http://livingthedreampublishing.blogspot.com/2012/07/great-two-and-half-minute-video-re.html).

Experiment with accountability in your life and watch for the results.

Denise Barker, author + blogger +

Freelance Copy Editor, http://bit.ly/freelanceCE

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Writing and Dating Should Be All This and More

First, it is all about effective communication.

Second, it should be based on the internal guidance system within us, not our outward beauty, money, position in life, career, clothes, car, etc.

Third, we should be having fun--without intentionally hurting someone else--while engaged in both.

Communication.  We communicate with so much more than our words.  Our accent can tell where we were born perhaps.  Our clothes tell whether we are the staid, serious type or more flamboyant.  Whether we are blue collar or white collar--Duh!  Our body language may contradict our words.  Our actions may contradict our words.  Yet both opposing factors tell their own story.  We haven't even gotten into the underlying implications surrounding wordplay, tone, pitch, overall delivery.

Successful writing depends on the author effectively communicating with the reader.  Successful dating depending on the parties effectively communicating with each other.

Values.  As for the outward versus inward qualities that we all possess, the rules we live by (the internal compass) can cause so many divorces from marriages based on good looks, or money, or whatever gets ranked in magazines (the external container and circumstances).  Like the man who thinks it is okay to cheat on his wife, yet hides it from her.  If it were truly alright with wifey, why not be upfront?  Even if I were married to the Most Beautiful Person of 2011 or the Sexiest Person Alive, it would be over the nanosecond after I heard of any adultery.

These attitudes deliver a punch within our writing too.  Instead of finding that audience based on age or income, find them based on mutual mores.  Fidelity, honesty, hard-working, loving, sharing.  Or if you write about the world of drugs and human trafficking, obviously justice, the law, maybe even revenge are the shared values.  Work them to find the audience craving these stories.

Joy.  And finally, yes, we should all be having more fun (but not at the expense of others).  Our days should be filled with more joy.

So don't be so hard and critical of yourself and your writing.  I am a FLYLady subscriber (see www.FLYLady.net and sign up for her daily digest of inspirational messages and instructions) which is a free website devoted deep down to self-confidence, self-respect.  It also will help you get your house clean and organized in baby steps.  One thing she advocates is to work in fifteen-minute spurts:  kitchen, bathroom, office, for example.  The final fifteen minutes is for you.  What a great idea!

If you are of the puritan work ethic I was raised in, the thought But I can't play until the work is done still shouts at me in my brain.  It is getting weaker though, and I'm learning to ignore it more.  After all, with my workaholic tendencies and drive to accomplish and succeed, there is always more work to be done.  However, I take time to play more now.  My career change allowed that in grand part.  My new attitude encourages it in a smaller fashion.  Together:  I definitely have more joy and happiness in my days.

So should you.