Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Scary Stuff

Since everyone is blogging right now about goals and resolutions for 2008, I won’t bore you with my whole list today.(And yes, I do have goals for myself. Big ones. Life changing ones. They involve yoga and soy and vegetables. And quality time with my laptop.)

However, I did make a minor goal for myself for 2008 that I will share with you. My goal is based on a quote I have hanging above my desk: “Do one thing each day which frightens you.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Something about that phrase is resonating with me these days. I’m taking it as a challenge, because fear is, of course, one of the things that holds me back. A fear of failure, a fear of looking like an idiot, a fear of...well, lots of things.

So, on Monday, I sent several emails I’d been avoiding. Pulled out my WIP and made some changes I’d played with, but worried they might be too “different.”

And I agreed to go to a yoga class tonight with Smarty Pants. 2008 should be very interesting.

So share a goal if you like, or even a quote that inspires you. Or tell me about yoga--like how much I'm going to love it (right?).


PC

EDITED TO ADD: Stefanie is Angel's winner from yesterday. Send your shipping info to angel@writingplayground.com

9 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

I'm getting ready to buy a docking station and set up my notebook as a desktop. This means I need to move the router upstairs to the DH's computer so when I pull my notebook out and travel with it, he can still access the internet.

So I have to move all my files to the notebook. The documents aren't hard. It's setting up Outlook Express and moving all the messages and the address book. And getting my bookmarks to the new computer.

It's scary cause if I don't do it right, I'll be *gasp* cut off from the internet!

PM

P.S. I think you'll really like yoga once you get started.

Barbara Vey said...

As for taking on one scary thing a day, I commend you. I always think I'm brave, but it really only happens on certain days.

As for yoga, it wasn't for me. I can't be still that long. I'm more of a cardio person. Good luck with it!

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite quotes (shared by my gal pal Rhonda) which I have printed and sitting on my desk (because I struggle with being a worrier and I'm trying to rid myself of that useless waste of energy):

"There's nothing to worry about - EVER! Either you have control or you don't. If you do, then take control. If you don't, then dismiss it. Don't waste your energy on worry." Dr. Wayne Dyer

Rhonda Nelson said...

Jen's right. I have two quotes by my desk. She's shared one. Here's the other...

Arguing with stubborn peopl is like mud-wrestling with a pig. Eventually you realize the pig likes it.

As for scary, my son get's his permit in a month. I think I'll be sufficiently frightened then. :-)

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

You will like yoga. You stretch all your muscles and breathe and some end with relaxation and meditation, which we both need. I found it to be a great stress reliever in the past.

My goal this year is pretty vague - just to take "better care." Better care of myself with what I eat and how I treat my body - exercising, flossing, etc. Better care of my house and car (I already took my car into the shop and got it ship shape). Better care of my pets and DB. Better care of my work. Just being more consciencious about things. We'll see.

Katherine Bone said...

Eleanore has some great quotes!

I love your pig quote, Rhonda! So true... so true. And why can't I resist debating one?

What about the fear of success? I think that holds me back. Which is stupid because that's what I really want to do, be a successful writer.

Kids driving? #4 was a passenger in a car yesterday that wrecked. Nothing can top that call a parent gets when their child is telling them they were in a wreck. #4 has a sore neck and a mark on her leg but other than that, she's all right, thank God!

Yoga is cool. You'll enjoy it. Especially once you get those long lean muscles that make a woman's body look great. I like pilates better. Which combines yoga with strength training.

Angel said...

I can already tell this year I'm going to struggle with the fear of not getting it all done. All what? you may ask. Oh, just everything. The list never ends (yes, I know I should take that as a sign...).

But my goal this year is simply to "be consistent" in my work and care of myself.

Angel

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

My goal is to stay focused. I get distracted easily. Or I do stupid things like leave my purse at my mother's...with my flash drive inside. Arg. There goes my plan to work.

Instigator

Lynn Raye Harris said...

Funny you write this, PC. Just yesterday, I wrote my query letter to a certain editor. And then I told myself I'd put it away and look at it again this week. Because the truth is I'm afraid to send it. I KNOW that it's not the query, but the writing that sells. I know the query needs to be coherent and interesting, but I also know the best query in the world won't sell a boring story. So I guess I'm afraid because I know sending this means I could get a big fat NO back.

I like that quote by Eleanor. It makes me think of the woman I read about who vowed to do one new thing a day for one year. She has a blog, and I go read from time to time. I thought it was a cool idea.

Another quote I like is one I can never find attribution for. I've also seen different versions of it, but the one I like is this one:

On the plains of hesitation lie the bones of many millions who, while on the verge of victory, hesitated and were lost.