Reach For The Sky!

Dare to dream. Dare to reach for the sky.

The first step on the road to success is to DREAM IT.

Creating goals - both business and personal - are very important.  Do you want to succeed?  Take a moment and do this.

1.  Write down your goals.  Write down what you want to achieve, both in the short-term and long-term. Get on the right track - DO THIS! I know, I hate writing down goals too, but I think it is important to identify what it is you want to achieve.

What do you want to accomplish?
When do you want to achieve this?
Will you allow others to help you?
What do you want for yourself and your family?

BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR GOALS!!!
(Taken from Choice Financial training manual)

By making a commitment to succeed, you're making a statement to yourself and others.

I remember hearing this and it struck a cord.  I'd like to share it with you.

If you want to do something bad enough
  No one can stop you.
If you don't want to do something bad enough
   No one can help you.
     -----James Owens

So true.  Here's another saying:

You can achieve anything but sometimes it comes at a cost.  ---Annie Oortman

When you say yes to something, you say no to something else.  Unknown

Make a choice to be successful.  There's still time this year to accomplish something you've wanted to do.  For me, obviously, it's finishing a book or perhaps a set of short stories.  Right now, I'll take the challenge with you and make a commitment.  Will you join me?

Happy Reading!

K. R. Bailey

www.KRBailey.com

Go For It!

I'm often asked what advice I'd give to someone. After thinking about it, I'd tell them - Go For It! Whatever you've dreamed of or wanted to achieve, the world is an open book and you are your only limitation. None of us know what tomorrow will bring so use today wisely. Take a small step toward achieving greatness.

On of my favorite sayings is:

If it is to be
It's up to me.

It's so true. No one can tell you what to do. Oh, sure, you have bosses where you work and you probably should heed what they tell you. But only you can take control of your own destiny. So do it!

I always wanted to be an author. I let a lot of years go by without doing anything about it. When I finally made up my mind to do it, I can't tell you how excited I was to get my first acceptance letter (email in my case) from an editor. Holding my first published book was a feeling I can't describe.

Remember though, I said got for it - you need to take the steps along your journey alone, and it's not always easy, but it can be very rewarding once you start to succeed.

I also didn't promise you'd get rich - no one knows if what you've wanted and strived for will bring you riches. Satisfaction, yes. A sense of self-worth, absolutely. But wealth? So many things determine whether you'll get rich.

I've accomplished my goal of being a published author and the feeling of satisfaction is great. Does that mean I'm done. Heavens no. I have more books to publish, best-selling lists to hit, and so many more goals so I'm not through. I try to do something each day to move forward.

I hope you can accomplish whatever you want to do. It's a new year. Make the decision. Take the first steps to accomplish whatever it is you've wanted and dreamed about. You can do it! So go for it!

Happy Reading!

K. R. Bailey

www.KRBailey.com

Success Tips

I'm a Utah Jazz Fan.  Have been since the days of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Can't quit watching now even with all the changes happening.  Anyway, last night as I sat watching the Jazz game -- and they won, yeah! I started thinking about what an NBA player needs to do to succeed and I got to thinking so many of the steps are what any of us need to succeed.  Let me share some of the things I came up with.  Perhaps they can help you or perhaps it will bring other things to mind. 

1.  Enjoy what you do.  This is a must.  Can you imagine an NBA athlete playing ball every single day, week after week, being away from home and family if he didn't enjoy the game?  Well, I think that applies to being a writer or doing anything else you want to to do.  My sister is a quilter and she lives and breathes it and it's a good thing because I think it would drive her nuts if she didn't -- and because she loves it so she is definitely succeeding.  I enjoy writing my stories.  It's fun to create new characters, put challenges before them, and somtimes I'm even surprised at the outcome.  But, bottom line, I enjoy it.

2.  Practice, practice, practice.  An NBA athlete must practice constantly, and as a writer, I feel I have to practice writing.  The only way to improve your craft is to practice it, strive to improve.  Spend time going over and over what you do, working hard to be the best.

3.  Do it every day!  Before every game, I hear about NBA players working out, playing scrimmage, dribbling the ball.  It's on going day after day.  It must work for them.  We need to take that to heart and do the same. You've heard the old saying, if you don't use it, you lose it.  Well, I believe that is so true.  If you don't continue to push yourself, working at it regularly, day after day, you lose your touch.  I'm a piano player or at least I used to be pretty good, but it's sad I don't play much any more and because of that, I've definitely lost my touch.  Oh, I can still read the music and figure out where the keys are, but the flow, the ease of playing has gone.  I think your writing is the same.  You have to keep writing, keep producing, use new words, keep your mind thinking of new stories, settings, etc, because if you don't, you'll start to lose your touch.  Don't let that happen to you.

4.  Keep learning.  NBA players are constantly learning new plays from their coaches.  They are constantly challenged by other players and other teams. Writers need to keep learning their craft.  Take classes.  On-line courses are easy and inexpensive.  Strive to keep learning ways to fine-tune your writing, tighten up those sentences, try new words, learn and research constantly.  Don't become stagnant or the world will leave you in the dust.

5.  Talk to writers.  Join writer's groups.  Share your talents.  Let them share with you.  Be a mentor to someone who is just starting.  NBA players are great at mentoring and sharing.  Just in the last few weeks, I listened to C. J. Miles one of our Utah Jazz talk about how much he appreciated Deron Williams for working with him and showing him in practice.  I know, myself, that since joining our Utah RWA Chapter, I have learned so much from the experience of other writers.  I challenge you to do the same.  Not only will this help you continue to learn and grow, but it will enforce the things you know by teaching others, talking about what you've learned.

6.  Celebrate your successes!  Ever watch a ball team after they win?  Oh, yeah, they definitely celebrate their success.  It could be a high five, a hug, carrying their leader on their shoulders or pouring their drinking barrell over the coach's head, but they celebrate.  We have to do the same thing.  Whether it be the completion of your first novel, a request from an editor for your manuscript, or a book that finally is published, celebrate.  Let the world know how you've succeeded.  Let others be a part of your happiness.  I can't tell you how fun it is to hear all the words of congratulations I get from my critique partners and my RWA Chapter.  It definitely boosts your confidence and gives you the energy to take the next step on your journey to success.

You create your own destiny. Take charge.  Take the first step.  Keep working.  There is nothing so sweet as succeeding.

I'd love feedback if anyone can think of other things to add to what I've written.

Have a great day!

Are You Moving In The Right Direction?

Where you stand is not important -- its in what direction you are moving that counts.
------Unknown

I love that thought. Too often I think people worry that they haven't accomplished their goal, they aren't where they want to be in life, or that they may not be successful. But I think this thought says it all. It doesn't matter where you are. You just have to take small steps each day and one day you'll accomplish your goal and reach your dream. Don't have any? Then take time today and set some goals, identify your dream. The small steps will add up. Believe me, they will.

If you talk to various authors, they have a goal of writing a small number of words or pages each day. They know that eventually they'll complete that story or novel. Christine Feehan says her goal is writing seven pages a day. RaeAnn Thayne strives for three short period a day to write. They aren't all at once, but throughout her day, she tries to find small increments of time to put words on pages. They are moving in the right direction. I strive to find at least an hour each day on my computer to write and I admit alot of the time it is at midnight after my husband goes to sleep. Another thing that I find helps is to always have a notbeook with me. I am constantly playing with story ideas, developing characters, or plotting my story wherever I'm at. For me it works.

Someone on a diet knows they must lose a pound or two a week and over time it adds up to ten, twenty or more pounds lost. They know small steps lead them to success.

You can accomplish anything as long as you do it a piece at a time. Don't let disappointment or stumbling blocks cause you to slide backward.

Remember: If it is to be, it's up to me!