Category: Goals

Making the Most of Your Time

On By Marese HickeyIn Encouragement, Goals, InspirationLeave a comment

There are so many demands on our time these days. All the technology means we are constantly available unless we call a halt. In my therapy work, many clients baulk at the idea of turning off their phone even if it allows them to sleep better. If we want to find time to be creative, we need to be creative to find that time. In order to write the novel/create the piece of art/write the poem, we need to be clear and prioritise it so that it gets done. If it’s not scheduled in, it gets scheduled out. One way to create more time is to stop watching television or watch less of it. Same with mindless surfing of the web. How many cat videos do we need to watch anyway?! Another option is to get up earlier or stay up later. Of course we need to balance our activities so that we get rest, interact with our loved ones, walk the dog, and do what needs to be done to keep things ticking over. Trying to write in the last couple of years has taught me the value of tenacity. Having a mindfulness practice has trained me to be able to focus my attention and bring myself back from whatever distraction the monkey mind is after now. Last night, for instance, I really, really wanted to go to the library to collect a book I had reserved which had become available. I was very tempted. I wanted to do anything except sit at the computer and re-edit two short eBooks I am working on. But I just made myself do it, whether I wanted to or not. I have discovered that there is no substitute for perseverance if I want to write, to improve my writing, to publish and to have others read my work. I hope you strengthen your perseverance muscles every day, and find a creative way to live your life creatively. By the way, my Goodreads competition is still open until 22/03/17 Win a copy of How to Love Yourself in Less Than 50 Years

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One Step to Your Dreams Today

On By Marese HickeyIn Encouragement, Getting published, Goal Setting, Goals, Inspiration, Managing Your Book Marketing Efforts, Overcoming Obstacles, Wisdom, WritingLeave a comment

One thing I have found about being a writer and self-publisher is that there is a whole new world of information and challenges that I have to negotiate in order to get my work out there. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done and the amount of new things to learn and implement. The problem is not lack of information. It’s information overload, and how to discern what is correct, useful and do-able. More precisely, what I am able and willing to do myself, or can afford to pay to get done. So I am finding that narrowing the focus of my attention is a useful strategy in order to avoid being overwhelmed. Creating a list of goals is one way of breaking it down into manageable chunks. And selecting three projects, or three elements of a current project to focus on is another useful approach. So for instance, my three elements at the moment are: 1. Market first book. 2. Complete second eBook series. 3. Learn new things about (1) and (2) every day. Then, under each element, I aim to take at least one action every day towards my three goals. Sometimes I am amazed when I actually get results, because I feel like I am plodding along in a wilderness, just treading my path on my own. Then someone gives me positive feedback about my first  book, How to Love Yourself in Less Than 50 Years, or they buy a copy and leave a good review, and I am cheered on to continue another day. So whatever your dreams are, whether it is to start your own business, visit somewhere you’ve never been, write and publish your book, or make peace with yourself – start today. Just take one step in the direction of your dreams. And then keep going. Hang on and hang in. You will get there eventually.