Self-Discipline is Remembering What You Really Want

The lovely and amazing Kit Campbell (read her free awesome story here!) is going to/is in Peru. I’m thrilled for her, but also envious. I want to go very much!

Reality, though, does not accede to unreasonable demands. I have to recognize that I am in no shape, health-wise or financially, to go to Peru. (I mean, I could load up the credit card and get there. I don’t think I have enough leeway to get back, and I couldn’t afford to do anything while I was there, and I definitely couldn’t be climbing any mountains which is what I want–what makes me want Peru so much is Machu Picchu and getting there takes mountain-climbing.) (I also wish to snuggle an alpaca, but that is beside the point.)

It seems to me that God/the universe is giving me a nudge, because I’ve been pondering something I read about a week ago: Self-discipline is remembering what you really want. And then I read a couple articles about people doing things that matter and I wanted to do something, but I am not made to do such things as those women have done.

My way is my writing. And I was pondering that this morning as I wrote my 750 words.

I have a lot of goals for my novels. I want to spread tolerance. I want to inspire caring. I want to teach, and I want to help people grow. I want to inspire charity and responsibility. I want to change lives. I shall do my best to do it sneakily.* I won’t ever give up–and I need to keep in mind what I am trying to do because I tend to skate along the surface.

*by sneakily I mean I won’t be writing preachy novels. I will put stuff in that readers will see if they are at a point that they can and need to.

After and on top of all the other nudges, came the news that Kit is off to Peru. To deal with my unreasoning envy, I applied reason. So I now have a reminder above my monitor.

Self-discipline is remembering what you really want.

1. to WRITE, not play on the internet
2. to WRITE, not clean, so stay on top of stuff so it doesn’t get bad
3. to sell books and become independent, so promote
4. to be healthier, wear smaller clothes, and hike to Machu Picchu
5. to have ALL THE FUN EVER so stop SPENDING

I put it on my refrigerator, too. And on the Plotting Corkboard in my bedroom. For my novel goals, I put simply “Go Deeper” on a pink post-it note on my monitor. I think that’s all I need to help me with that, but we’ll see.

I know me, and I tend to go in cycles. Or perhaps it’s more that I chase shiny objects and squirrels, and it takes time for me to come back to what I really care about. Or is it because everything is all inter-linked, but my focus shifts? I don’t know. I do know that steady, sustained effort is not my strength. That doesn’t work when rescued girls or dogs need you NOW, but it will work just fine for keeping my life on the path I was made to follow. Especially if people poke me once in a while and ask if I’m still chasing my dreams instead of just wishing.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go wish Kit an awesome trip and I’m going to mean it with all my heart.