This week for our How I Write series, my accountability group asked, “What advice do you think your younger self would give to you now? What advice would you give to your older self/future self?”
Then
FOCUS!In college, I first had the idea that I too could write a romance novel. It’s still firmly tucked under the bed, a few chapters in. I just sat down and started writing. No planning, no outline. Seat of my pants. And those first three chapters came out, splat onto the page. Then I hit a wall. I had no idea what happened next. In addition to that, I was in my junior year and there was so much shiny out there in the world to explore. The campus had just been wired with intranet and we had a chat system. This was not a recipe for good concentration. So, like now, my younger self would be warning me to focus on what I want to do, and do it.
Don’t just play around for a bit, keep at it!
Oh, and she’d tell me she really likes taking pictures, keep at that too!
Now
“Reach for the moon because even if you miss you will be among the stars.”I know I still have focus issues, but without a goal to shoot for, it doesn’t get you anywhere. This quote is another instance of the universe whispering in my ear. I keep seeing it everywhere. And as part of our accountability group we do set goals, but I suspect I like checking things off more than pushing myself to stretch farther. Recently, everything has been about stepping outside my comfort zone, I need to also reach higher and keep taking those steps to get there.
It can be kinda fun to pause on the staircase to look around and see how far you’ve come. But keep going! If you don’t push yourself, you’ll never see how far you can go.
YOUR TURN:What would your younger self say to you now? What do you want to tell your future self?
And if you’d like to read about how the rest of my accountability group answered, you can find their blogs here:
13 Cold Remedies If you’re one of the many people suffering from a cold or the flu, the Mayo Clinic has a list of remedies that have been proven or disproven to help. Conveniently, there were thirteen items on the list. Now, I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV…
I hate the ones like on the SAT where they’re not much more than busy work. You know. Lots of irrelevant information thrown at you about what the weather was like when Mrs. So-n-So’s 3rd grade class went to this specific zoo and saw a group of monkeys, so many males and so many females…
Week 23 of our 365 Photo Challenge. Yay! School is now officially done for the summer! I thought last week was crazy. but this week was worse. I got clipped by another parent while I was parked waiting to pick up the kids from school on Monday. The High School had finals so only a…
In Chapter 8 of Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, Donald Maass spends a lot of time on the idea of why we do what we do. Not just the big things, but the little ones too. He says it’s because we care. Without feeling like what we do matters, there’s no sense in getting out…
13 Songs On My Soundtrack I loved this meme when Gina Ardito did it a couple weeks ago for her Thursday Thirteen. My only problem was deciding which music collection to use. My laptop only has instrumental music: Opus 2. Waltz # 1 and Violin Concerto In F, RV 296 – 3. Allegro…
13 Things I’m Thankful for Today 1. My Husband — He puts up with me and all my baggage. He believes in me even when I don’t. *tonk* 2. My Monsters — Thing 1 and Thing 2 — They may drive me insane, but I love them dearly. They have their precious moments too….
13 Cold Remedies If you’re one of the many people suffering from a cold or the flu, the Mayo Clinic has a list of remedies that have been proven or disproven to help. Conveniently, there were thirteen items on the list. Now, I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV…
I hate the ones like on the SAT where they’re not much more than busy work. You know. Lots of irrelevant information thrown at you about what the weather was like when Mrs. So-n-So’s 3rd grade class went to this specific zoo and saw a group of monkeys, so many males and so many females…
Week 23 of our 365 Photo Challenge. Yay! School is now officially done for the summer! I thought last week was crazy. but this week was worse. I got clipped by another parent while I was parked waiting to pick up the kids from school on Monday. The High School had finals so only a…
In Chapter 8 of Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, Donald Maass spends a lot of time on the idea of why we do what we do. Not just the big things, but the little ones too. He says it’s because we care. Without feeling like what we do matters, there’s no sense in getting out…
13 Songs On My Soundtrack I loved this meme when Gina Ardito did it a couple weeks ago for her Thursday Thirteen. My only problem was deciding which music collection to use. My laptop only has instrumental music: Opus 2. Waltz # 1 and Violin Concerto In F, RV 296 – 3. Allegro…
13 Things I’m Thankful for Today 1. My Husband — He puts up with me and all my baggage. He believes in me even when I don’t. *tonk* 2. My Monsters — Thing 1 and Thing 2 — They may drive me insane, but I love them dearly. They have their precious moments too….
13 Cold Remedies If you’re one of the many people suffering from a cold or the flu, the Mayo Clinic has a list of remedies that have been proven or disproven to help. Conveniently, there were thirteen items on the list. Now, I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV…
I hate the ones like on the SAT where they’re not much more than busy work. You know. Lots of irrelevant information thrown at you about what the weather was like when Mrs. So-n-So’s 3rd grade class went to this specific zoo and saw a group of monkeys, so many males and so many females…
My younger self would say “The question isn’t what are you going to do. The question is what aren’t you going to do?” Then my younger self would pause and say “You’re still here?”
Sorry. I know I’m paraphrasing Ferris Bueller, but he’s still my hero.
Loved that movie. The reprise in the superbowl commercial was awesome too!
Great advice, no matter the source though! Thanks for stopping by, Jillian!
I like Jillian’s younger self’s advice. My younger self would tell me to be active. Exercise.
HI Kristen!
Fun blog and very thought provoking. I would definitely tell my younger self to push harder and focus, dammit!! I would also tell her to avoid dating boys her roomates made up funny nicknames for–ie: Sandbox Boy. He ended up being something a cat would bury in a sand box. LOL More proof that love is blind.
Thanks for stopping by, Sarah! Did the nicknames come before or after the meaning? Sounds like something fun to work into a story!
Now that your younger self has spoken, you can do it!
Hi, Kristen!
My younger self would say “The question isn’t what are you going to do. The question is what aren’t you going to do?” Then my younger self would pause and say “You’re still here?”
Sorry. I know I’m paraphrasing Ferris Bueller, but he’s still my hero.
Loved that movie. The reprise in the superbowl commercial was awesome too!
Great advice, no matter the source though! Thanks for stopping by, Jillian!
I like Jillian’s younger self’s advice. My younger self would tell me to be active. Exercise.
HI Kristen!
Fun blog and very thought provoking. I would definitely tell my younger self to push harder and focus, dammit!! I would also tell her to avoid dating boys her roomates made up funny nicknames for–ie: Sandbox Boy. He ended up being something a cat would bury in a sand box. LOL More proof that love is blind.
Thanks for stopping by, Sarah! Did the nicknames come before or after the meaning? Sounds like something fun to work into a story!
Now that your younger self has spoken, you can do it!