This isn’t exactly what I thought I’d be writing about this week, but, as we’ve seen this year, plans change.
So, right around Tuesday last week, my life-train suddenly derailed. Not a horrible derailment in the grand scheme of things, but a derailment nonetheless. (more…)
Sometimes I feel like my life is a giant jigsaw puzzle with all sorts of puzzle pieces scattered on the floor around me. The challenge is putting those puzzle pieces together to make some sort of a picture. Which means there’s a lot of trial and error involved to find out how they fit. Sometimes more trial. Sometimes more error. And sometimes I just pound the pieces to make them go together because that’s the way they SHOULD go! Goldarn it!
Very often I think I know how to put the pieces together to make the perfect picture, pound them until they fit, and then go about my business. Eventually it dawns on me that… “Heeeey! The reason things aren’t working is because I didn’t put the pieces together correctly.” (more…)
I love the beginning of a new year. I know that the divide between years is an arbitrary construct people agreed on so we wouldn’t get confused, but still. I always think of the end of the old year as a yellowed piece of paper full of scribbles finally being yanked off a tablet. And underneath is the new year—a fresh, bright, clean page.
Which is part of my problem.
See, that bright, clean piece of paper, the new unsullied year ahead, if you will, just begs me to set goals. Where do I want to be when this new page is full of scribbles and gets yanked off? Where do I want to go this year? In the next ten years? What steps do I need to take to try to get there? (more…)
Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2019! Goodbye, 2018 and don’t let the door hit you in the rear on the way out! (more…)
Come here, my friends. Have a seat on this comfy sofa. Turn off the news. Disconnect from social media (well, after you read this blog post). Stop streaming Netflix. Just sit. Take a deep breath. In…Out…
Good.
Now, I have a question for you to think about. What are you aiming at? (more…)
As we all know, Betsy is flailing around like a sock puppet trying to be a successful independent author / publisher. That’s not new. But now she has goals AND a production schedule. She seems to actually be interested in taking her game to the next level.
However, Skipper, a chipmunk who is a Habit Implementation Specialist sent by the Muse Council to help Betsy develop and meet her goals, has asked Betsy to come see her in her office in Betsy’s brain. Whatever can she want? Isn’t she satisfied with the progress Betsy’s making? (more…)
Although I love the holiday season, I’m a HUGE fan of January 1st. That’s when the new year stretches out before us unsullied by our footsteps. What will happen in 2017? What will we accomplish? Anything is possible.
But, as with everything else, possibilities only become realities if we actually do the work to make them happen.
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As I mentioned in last week’s blog post, I’ve become quite introspective here at the end of the year regarding my author business. Or lack thereof.
This introspection has led me to think about my reasons for doing this writing thing (again) and to identify a primary objective for what I want to achieve with it (again). Basically, my primary objective is to be a midlist, professional independent author, producing work regularly and being paid for that work because readers buy it.
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Hello, dear readers, and welcome to December. Soon it’s going to be 2017! Yeesh.
I always get somewhat introspective at the end of the year, thinking about where I’ve been and where I’m going. Because of who I am, I also beat myself up for not making as much progress as I think I should have made. Then, after weeping softly into my pillow, I pick myself up, look ahead to the new year and determine that the next 12 months will be different and better than the last. They will! *shakes fists at sky*
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Too many distractions can make you forget what’s important. At least, they can make you forget what’s really important to you, to the reality of your situation and your life in all its many aspects.
Life goes on despite massive change and uncertainty. We work and play and love and laugh and pay bills and try to make our way. We love our families (most of the time), have friends and coworkers, meet strangers. We survive.
But if we want to do more than survive, if we want to be the best people we can possibly be, then we have to focus.
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As you may have guessed from my last blog post, I’m once again re-evaluating how I spend my time. It’s a fine-tuning process that I’m sure I’ll be going through for the rest of my life. Time is our most limited and precious commodity, so I’m trying to spend mine wisely. Or at least not stupidly.
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Hello, my friends! I thought I would talk a little bit about productivity today. My productivity, to be precise (although I hope you can relate).
Productivity has been kind of a movable feast here at the Palatial Horvath Estate until recently. I managed to plot out my next book and, after some stops and starts, started writing it. I have 21,000 words or so of the first draft completed, but that progress has generally been made in a very herky-jerky fashion–days of silence broken by brief productive sessions.
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Uh oh. We haven’t heard from Betsy in quite a while. That can’t be good. What in the world has been going on with her? Has she fallen down a rabbit hole again?
Let’s see….
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Previously on Betsy’s Blog…
Betsy has been meeting with Skipper, a chipmunk who happens to be the best goldarned Habit and Goal Implementation Specialist the Muse Council has to offer. In the last post, Skipper broke the news that just coming up with the fuzzy, overarching objective of “I want to write a lot of books and have people read them” is not good enough. Betsy is actually going to have to do something about it.
Betsy, of course, would prefer to think rather than act, but Skipper insists. She has sent Betsy away to come up with her version of a plan. In the meantime, Skipper has contacted Harry, the white gerbil who is the Guide on Betsy’s Quest to become a successful independent author, and asked for backup.
Now Betsy is ready to meet with Skipper again. Has she come up with a battle plan? Does she have any ideas of how to proceed? Does she even know what “successful” means?
Let’s see…
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Although Skipper seemed to be knocking back margaritas with abandon by the end of the post, she had also managed to lead Betsy through a brain storming session to come up with an fuzzy, overarching, dream-like objective. Betsy wants to write stories, and have people read them.
Shocking.
Now Betsy is back for her next therapy session, but she seems a little glum. What’s going on? And what’s the next step now that she’s identified her overarching objective?
Let’s see….
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As you may (or may not) know (or care), Betsy is once again striving to set goals and develop habits that will at long last move her life forward. But in order to do this, she first needs to identify her overall objective. Her Big Picture, if you will. The thing towards which the goals and habits will lead. The horizon towards which she will steer.
Because Betsy is, well, Betsy, this is much easier said than done.
In a last ditch effort to chart a course through the perilous waters of sloth and distraction, Betsy is meeting with Skipper, a chipmunk who is one of the best Habit Implementation Specialists the Muse Council has to offer. Skipper will be asking the council for a raise after this assignment.
Will Skipper be able to help? Or will Betsy finally push her over the edge of insanity?
Let’s find out…..
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Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to… Betsy’s! Got! Objectives! Part 2. (here’s part 1) *thunderous applause* First, let’s meet our cast of characters. *music starts playing*
He’s a white gerbil trying to climb the Quest Guide ladder and he needs Betsy to get moving towards becoming a successful independent author. He’s… Harry! *music swells* *applause* Next, she’s the Muse and she’s the…Muse! *music swells* *roars of applause* She’s a chipmunk who knows how to get things done and is one of the best Habit Implementation Specialists in the land. She’s…Skipper! *applause* *cheers* He’s THE caffeinated beverage of champions and responsible for most of Betsy’s waking moments. He’s…Coffee! *screams of adoration* Now, now. Don’t mob the coffee, ladies and gentlemen. *laughter* Finally, meet our contestant. She’s an author of dubious talent and so-so perseverance. She is, of course…Betsy! *music stops* *silence* *crickets*
When last we left Betsy’s blog, Habit Implementation Specialist, Skipper, had given Betsy the assignment to think about objectives. She’s supposed to be presenting them for us tonight. But has Betsy given any thought whatsoever to objectives? Will she be able to dance her way through the explanations? Or will she go down in flames. The judges are waiting to find out!
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Betsy’s starship is lurching around the galaxy. THE book she’s been working on for endless millennium has been released into the wild. So what’s next? What path will Betsy traverse? What mountain will she climb? Will she lounge upon her sofa eating bon-bons? Or will she buckle down and keep moving?
Let’s see….
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Previously on Betsy’s Blog…
Skipper, the Habit Formulation specialist has returned. Betsy and Quest Guide Harry are meeting with her in Betsy’s brain to discuss how Betsy is doing in the initial implementation of her Good Habit Strategy, i.e. writing every day. The verdict has come back – okay so far.
But Betsy seems to have something else on her mind. She seems to have been thinking, which is cause for concern in and of itself.
Join us, dear reader, and we’ll see what in the world is going on now!
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Previously on Betsy’s Blog…
Betsy and Harry, the Guide for her Quest to become a successful indie authorpreneur – and a gerbil – have been meeting with Skipper, Habit Formulation and Implementation Specialist – and a chipmunk. Skipper has given Betsy lots of good advice, but when last we met Betsy was almost led astray by a Minion of Misdirection! Egads! Thank goodness the real Harry showed up in time to keep Betsy on her path.
Now Skipper has returned to see what’s going on. Has Betsy actually made progress on her assignment – to develop the habit of writing every day? Has she already failed miserably and fallen into the pit of despair always bubbling in her mind? Or has she just gone out for ice cream?
Let’s see….
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![_full_cheerleading_clip_art_2[1]](https://betsyhorvath.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/full_cheerleading_clip_art_21.jpg)
Previously on Betsy’s Blog…
Harry, Betsy’s Guide on her Quest (and a white gerbil) has brought Skipper, an expert in Habit Formulation and Implementation (and a chipmunk), to Betsy’s brain to convince Betsy that not only are goals and habits good, but she needs some. Betsy allows as how she doesn’t like goals because she never achieves them and that makes her feel like a loser. And why should she make herself feel like a loser when so many people are willing to do it for her?
But Skipper hasn’t given up yet. After taking a quick break to do research and for some, er, liquid refreshment, she’s back and better than ever.
Good luck, Skipper! Let’s see how things are going…
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Previously on Betsy’s Blog….
Harry, Betsy’s Guide on her Quest to become a successful independent author / entrepreneur, has just done a stint at the International Muse Council to undergo psychological testing. But he’s back! Better yet, he brought a friend with him – Skipper the Chipmunk, a specialist in Habit Formation and Implementation.
Betsy was a trifle surprised to find another unexpected voice chatting in her brain, but figured what the heck. Skipper was a trifle surprised to find that Betsy doesn’t like setting goals or forming habits. In fact, it would be more accurate to say she was disconcerted and even a little unsure of how to proceed.
This is not an encouraging start to their relationship. Can they recover? Can they find their way to a partnership? Can Skipper convince Betsy that goals and habits are actually good things and not of the devil? Join us and we’ll see….
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Previously on Betsy’s Blog…
Harry, Betsy’s Guide on her Quest to become a successful independent author / entrepreneur, has returned from a short stay with the Muse Council and he’s ready to rock and roll! He wants to help pull Betsy out of the mire of her own neurosis, kick her in the butt, and lead her on her way down the path to success. But to do that, he needs Betsy’s cooperation, doesn’t he? And that means giving Betsy the tools she needs to change.
A whole big crapload of tools.
Now as Betsy’s consciousness naps in the frontal lobe of her brain, a new voice enters the picture. Who is this? What does it want? How can it help, if help it will? Join us and we’ll see….
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One morning last week, I woke up feeling vaguely guilty and rather like a failure. Now that isn’t terribly unusual, but I didn’t know what was wrong this time. As I thought about it, I realized my feelings were somehow connected to the fact I had been to the grocery store the previous evening.It so happens this trip to the grocery store had gone perfectly well, but there have been many times in my life when a trip to the grocery store meant the purchase and consumption of vast quantities of inappropriate foodstuffs. I have come to associate going to the grocery store with breaking promises to myself and feeling like a failure.I have trained myself.Last week I was also thinking about writing and wondering why I hadn’t felt like a success when HOLD ME was published. After all, the publication of a book is the popularly accepted definition of success for a writer.
