From Dreams to Reality
Photo Credit: Ronnie Overgoor
“I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m going to be who I really am. I’m going to figure out what that is.” ~ Emma Watson
Today’s blog is the third in January’s Goals and Intentions series. Last week I wrote about building a foundation. Now it’s time to translate the ideas you’ve been formulating into tangible goals. I’ve come up with five key areas to consider: career, home, self-care, leisure, and travel. I hope it will provide a framework for you, dear reader, to create a plan that aligns with your values and what you hope to accomplish this year.
Career
When it comes to career aspirations, it’s important to consider salary, job satisfaction, hours, benefits, and vacation time. It’s also worthwhile to think about how that fits into your goals for work-life balance. It isn’t an easy task. In the seven years since I decided to change careers from teaching to writing, I still haven’t figured it all out.
Writing is one of those careers that rarely has a salary or wage attached unless you’re in an employable role like copywriting. As a novelist, my income is derived from book sales. That translates to my job including marketing, and that’s the part of being an author I enjoy least. It’s also the area I don’t have a strong skill set, so building that has been an ongoing goal for me.
In 2019 when I finished writing my first novel, The Healing, serendipity brought me an opportunity to partner with hybrid publisher Anne Louise O’Connell of OC Publishing. Anne supported me with the entire process of getting my manuscript edited and proofread. She helped me put together a team to design the cover and interior layout. It took two years to get to launch day, but that was just the beginning. I still had a mountain to climb to learn about marketing.
I worked with professionals to create my own website, YouTube channel, and social media brand. At the same time, I wrote two more novels and a guided journal, all published by OC. It was a lot of hard work, long hours, and expense. I’ve continued to hone my writing craft, but I still haven’t come close to reaching my goals. Now I’m querying traditional publishers with the support, scope, networks, and budgets I desire to take my career to the next level.
Home
I’ve always been someone with a strong sense of home, which is ironic considering how many times I’ve moved in my life. They say home is where the heart is, and that certainly holds true for me. My home is a sanctuary, where I find solace from the stresses of the world. I believe your inner and outer worlds reflect one another, so I make my space feel peaceful. My style is organized, minimalist, modern, and functional. I like to add pops of bling to bring it all together.
Wellness
As a person living with Type I Diabetes and Thyroid disease since my early 20s, my self-care goals have always been more extensive than average. I also developed several food allergies in my 40s. In many ways, I feel fortunate. It might sound crazy but learning from a young age the importance of a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a nutritious diet has benefits. My focus on my mental well-being has also been integral in reducing the complications that go along with managing an auto-immune disease as challenging as insulin-dependent diabetes.
I achieve my self-care goals with a time commitment and financial investment. I’m an active member at a fitness centre and I practice yoga at home. I prepare balanced meals from whole ingredients. I’m mindful of carbohydrate-to-insulin ratios. With age and stress, my doses are constantly changing, so I have to stay on the ball. Meditation and prayer reduce stress, and I’ve sought professional counseling whenever life has thrown me a curve ball.
Leisure
Setting leisure goals is one of the most fun parts of this process, but I also believe it is valuable. Our hobbies and interests aren’t side gigs, they’re what light us up inside. For me, reading is a treasured past time that has the side benefit of giving inspiration to my creative writing process. Movies draw me into other worlds, far more adventurous than mine. And long walks in nature replenish my soul, reminding me of the beauty and wonder of creation.
Travel
I’ve always been enamoured by the concept of world travel, but I never had the funds or opportunities until after my children were grown. When I fell in love with Mister, I never imagined I would soon embark on a new life adventure, living as an expat in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was a mind-opening experience I’ll forever treasure. We vacationed in Egypt, France, and Italy; all on my bucket list, and destinations like Panama and Bahrain.
As you ponder who you are and how you want to accomplish your dreams, I hope my musings help you to figure it out. I wish you well, dear reader, and that 2025 is your best year yet.
COMING UP…
Books & Projects:
· All four of my books are available online at Amazon, Chapters-Indigo, and Barnes & Noble. You can also find them at select Chapters-Indigo and El Hombre de la Mancha bookstores.
· I am pursuing representation from a traditional publisher for my fifth literary fiction, a psychological drama that explores the complexities of mental illness and trauma. Stay in touch by signing up for my blog or following me on social media to find out when it will be published.
Reviews & Interviews:
· You can read, listen, or watch a large selection of reviews and interviews on my website.
Events:
· There are no events currently scheduled in my calendar.
YouTube Channel:
· Watch The Rogue Scorpion trailer.
· Watch The Holding trailer.
· Watch The Healing trailer.