No More Excuses

In my mind, everyone’s got a list of things they dream of doing yet tell themselves they don’t have time for. Lack of time followed by lack of money are the biggest excuses people use for not doing what they know they should be doing.

I’m going to call your bluff

—I say you’re just stalling because you’re afraid of trying and failing.

You’re even more afraid of trying and actually succeeding!

Oops—did I just hurt your feelings with the truth?

Well, I used to be just like you.

(And, in a lot of ways, I still am.)

In one of my first posts, I admitted that I squandered away four decades of free moments instead of using them to start living out my dream. Around my fortieth birthday, my son gave me the kick-start I needed to start making writing a priority in my life. (Basically, he insulted me, and then I had to prove a point—sneaky kid!). That was the beginning of my life as it was meant to be.

And let me tell you: Once you get the ball rolling, she picks up speed

In the past two and a half years, I’ve written two novels, at least fifty short stories, more than a dozen poems and about two dozen nonfiction pieces. Are they all finished or ready for publication? Nope, but I’m twenty-one publications ahead. That’s a pretty good foothold on my dream.

I also quit the job that was killing me, put an unhealthy relationship behind me and decluttered my home. I’ve made a handful of new friends, and I am involved in the writing community. Living my dream has given me enough joy to pull myself out of the “fake” life I was leading.

So what’s your dream, Rach?

Before, I thought I just wanted to be an author. I didn’t have a picture of what that really meant besides seeing my name in print below the title of something I’d written. I realize now, more than anything, my dream is to share my voice with others. This blog post, my ability to try new things, public speaking (arghh! 2018 goal), teaching…all of these allow me to express myself. I’m sure I’ve got something to offer—even if it just touches a single person.

Almost exactly a year ago, I signed up for my first pottery class, and I bought this domain name last Christmas. Now I can’t imagine not knowing how to throw a pot or scouring my brain for a blog post idea every Monday morning!

My Challenge to You

If you don’t have a list of things to do before you die (or a bucket list), make one. If you think you don’t have time, at least think about what you’ve always dreamed of doing. Choose one or two and promise yourself you’ll do them in 2018. Hold yourself accountable by telling others or posting it on your refrigerator door.

I’m sure that you, like me, struggle each day to juggle your important conflicting priorities. From dedicating precious time to family and friends, to doing your work well, to focusing on your health and well-being, to using your creativity, to helping others, to getting enough sleep — there are an unlimited number of important areas in our lives that we attend to daily. But amidst all of this, are you dedicating time for the things that matter MOST — that make you feel alive, inspired and ready to be more?–Kathy Caprino, Huffington Post

You might also take a look at these past posts to get that boulder rolling!