One look at this post from February 12, 2011, and I knew it had to be this week’s recycled post. Why? Because last week the editor at Discovery House Publishers said Different Dream Parenting will be released on October 1.
And what did I do upon hearing the news? I panicked, of course.
Apparently, I haven’t progressed much in the two years. It might be a good idea to reread this post daily for about a month. Maybe even memorize it. Certainly keep it in mind for when I get twitchy and owly about what needs to happen before October 1.
Give it a read and see what you think. If you have some advice about how to practice what’s been preaching, leave a comment. Until then, I’ll be breathing deep.
September is Only Six Months Away – Recycled
Yesterday my editor said A Different Dream for My Child will be released sometime in September. Instead of being pleased to have a specific date for scheduling speaking engagements around the release date, for contacting magazine editors willing to run articles related to the book, and to share with my family and friends, I immediately panicked.
September? But it’s only six months away, give or take two weeks. So much needs to be done. There are query letters to magazines, articles to write, a website to build, medical and parent support groups to contact. How can I possibly get it all done while getting Mom’s house ready to sell and helping with her finances, working on the mystery novel with Ginger, writing for Facets and Health Connect, preparing two months worth of kids’ devotions for a new Tyndale House publication, and not neglect my husband, son and daughter? Suddenly, my life seemed as convoluted as some of my sentences, and my undies were definitely in a bunch.
Then I thought of my early days of teaching, when I spent much of the month before school began getting my a hot, stuffy classroom “ready.” August after August, I worked myself into a frenzy trying to prepare nine months worth of material by the first day of school. After about twenty years (call me a slow learner), I realized that on the first day of school I only needed to be ready for the first day of school, or at the most, for the first week.
Maybe there’s a lesson to be learned from my teaching career. I don’t need to be ready for September in February. I need to be ready for today, for this week at the most. So this afternoon, I’ll look at what needs to be done by September, break everything into doable bits and choose one small thing to tackle tomorrow. My learning curve for the next six months will be high, it’s true, but that’s a whole lot better than twenty years!
