Tag Archives: Dedication

January 1, 2021 · 4:08 am

My word for 2021…

If 2020 taught me anything, it’s that time is precious and fleeting. I’ve stared down at my own mortality and realized I waste more time than I should for the goals I want to accomplish.

So, the word I’m keeping at the forefront of my brain this year is DEDICATION.

The dictionary definition of dedication is: the quality of being dedicated or committed to a task or purpose. Easy, peasy. Commit yourself, your time, your efforts to something you want to accomplish. Since my life is divided into compartments, I need to dedicate myself all around.

First, to my family. The plague has prevented me from seeing those family members and friends I love best, so until we are all able to get together and hug one another without worry again, I am dedicating myself to reaching out more and being more involved in their lives. I’ve let that slip this year and have let too much time go on between encounters, be they over the phone, in letters, or Zoom. 2021 will see me initiate more facetime with the people who mean the most to me.

Second, to my health. I’ve been able to keep Covid free this year because I listened to the scientists and the doctors. My hands are chapped from so much washing and sometimes I think hand sanitizer has become my new perfume since I permeate it when I get a whiff of  myself. While the isolation/quarantining has kept me plague-free, it has done a number on my weight and overall health. I sleep even worse than I did before ( which wasn’t much, as many of you know) and comfort foods became a big distraction in 2020, leading to a weight gain that is not conducive with the health of my joints or my psyche. in 2021 I am dedicating myself to exercising daily and cutting out the crap foods. I can be just as comforted eating a carton of yogurt than I can a package of Chips Ahoy cookies. Well, maybe not so much, but I am determined to make the better choices in the eating department.

Third, my writing career. I feel like this area needs the most dedication. Before the crisis, I was pounding out 2-3000 words per day. I didn’t need to be quarantined to sit at my desk and write because I was already a hermit. One would think that during an enforced home isolation I’d bang out even more words because I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. Didn’t happen. Somewhere along the way I got lazy and started doing other things like baking, binge-watching Netflix, Hulu, and Disney, and trolling social media for hours. As a result I didn’t make much money this year from sales because I didn’t put out much product. in 2021 that is going to change. I already have 6 books that need writing ( 2 are novellas so that helps), I wnt to start a new romance series, and I am rededicating myself to putting the book writing first. Blogging can come second and social media third. I’ve built a good following on all my social platforms so I think I can let them grow a bit organically this year.

SO, that’s my life pan for 2021 and the word I hope helps me achieve everything I want to achieve.

Enjoy this first day of the new year and lets all pray the craziness of 2020  is behind us for good and forever.

Until next time, peeps ~ Peg

Dedication word cloud

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November 11, 2016 · 11:01 am

Bribery…and why it works so well during NaNoWrimo

So this is a totally ridiculous, narcissistic blog post today. I’m going full honesty here and tell you how I stay motivated to write so much during the NANOWRIMO challenge. Be prepared…you may learn something that clouds your opinion of me forever.

Okay…Taking a huge, cleansing breath…Here goes.

I bribe myself to keep writing.

I know! How awful is that?? I should be writing because I want to, not because I’ll get a reward if I do. The 50,000+ word book SHOULD be the reward. The ONLY reward.

But no, it’s not.

I start off with a mountain of motivation each morning as I sit at my laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard, giving full vent to all the thoughts and scenes and dialogue that have been running through my brain for the previous 8 hours – the time I should be sleeping but, well,  you know. Chronic Insomnia. The brain that never shuts down. That’s me.

Anyhooooo….

I start off like a speeding train and about hour 2-3 I start to get a little fatigued, a little distracted, a little, well, bored. I know I have many more words to write – can feel them jumping out of my fingertips in their efforts to break free from my mind – but I start to wane. To keep myself glued to my chair ( figuratively, folks) I’ve developed little bribery rewards for my diligence. Here are just a few of the things I pamper myself with for my perseverance at the laptop:

  • If I get another 1000 words down, I’ll have a cup of tea and a Peppermint Patty
  • If I finish this chapter I’ll troll thru Amazon and look for new books to read
  • If I hit my 2500 minimum daily word count, I’ll schedule a facial this afternoon
  • If I can get this dialogue perfect in the next 20 minutes, I’ll go get lunch at Panera.
  • If I exceed my daily goal I’ll go shopping for makeup/skin care products/perfume, in other words, I’ll go to Sephora.

See how this works???

And isn’t it ridiculous? I didn’t raise my child to do what’s right in life by bribing her. I would  have never even thought of that. Her father and I taught her to do what is correct simply for the reward of getting it right. We didn’t say, “do you your homework and you’ll get a cookie. Get an A on a report and I’ll take you shopping.” We never even gave cash for good report cards. The end result – the good grades – was its own reward. None other was needed.

Why can’t I, then, as a fully formed and functioning adult, heed that wisdom?

See? I told you your opinion of me would get clouded.

Le sigh….

When I’m not ruminating on my hapless state or bribing myself to go on, you can find me here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+

And if you are in need of it, here’s a little distracting motivation for you to peruse and ponder…nano23

you’re welcome………

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Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Dialogue, Kensington Publishers, Life challenges, love, Lyrical Author, NaNoWriMo, New Hampshire, Romance, Romance Books, RWA, Strong Women, WIld Rose Press AUthor

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November 10, 2016 · 11:48 am

Commitment

The definition of commitment is:

  • the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.: the company’s commitment to quality.
  • a pledge or undertaking: I cannot make such a commitment at the moment.

It is, in my opinion, a loaded word because you can attach so much to it and extract so much from its meaning.

NaNoWriMo, in my opinion, is the practical exemplification of the word commitment. In order to adequately perform the challenge, you must commit to writing every single day inorder to fulfill the 50,000 word goal at the end of the month. To break it down numerically, you need to have a minimum of 1,667 words written every day for 30 days to hit those 50,000 words . Or by the page, you must have written almost 7 pages per day of 250 words per page.

That’s commitment.

Most of the writers I know are far succeeding that minimum every day, myself included. Well, most days, anyway! Life does intervene.

So, as we move towards the end of the second week of NaNoWriMo, let’s keep committed to the goals of:

  1. writing daily
  2. writing a minimum of 1667 words
  3. writing 6-7 pages minimum of approx. 250 words each
  4. staying focused

And because I am such an avid fan of commitment, here’s a little motivation for you to be so, as well…

nano21

When I’m not committed to NaNoWriMo, you can find me committed here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+

and I’ve also put together a Pinterest motivation/commitment board as well if you need more inspiration ( and by inspiration I mean looking at some pictures of hot guys telling you to write!)

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November 19, 2015 · 12:19 pm

Commitment…

This past weekend I was in Las Vegas with my husband and our daughter. They were both registered to run 13.1 miles ( 1/2 marathon) of the Las Vegas Marathon. To anyone who has every attempted even a 5k race, you know the most important part of the marathon is the preparation for it.

My husband is a lifelong runner, my daughter relatively new to the sport, so they prepared in different ways. Both finished exceptionally well, especially for the horrendous weather conditions at the start and end of the race, and both were fine the following day – a little tired, a tad stiff, but no major problems. Their dedication to finishing the race upright and in a certain time frame made me very proud as a wife and mother, and it re-instilled in me my own dedication to writing.

craxyrunner

Why writing, you ask? What’s one got to do with the other? Well, I’ll tell you.

Training for the race required a daily commitment to running. A training schedule of increasing miles per day, and then a rest day thrown in, helped with the endurance needed for the long haul. Eating well, at certain times, and foods high in protein and nourishment, allowed their bodies to be at peak performance to withstand the grueling conditions and the long time length the run required. This was no sprint. Muscle training with weights strengthened  them to endure the pounding their bodies would take with each stride and sprint.  All of this took time, dedication, commitment, and mental focus.

race-meme

Much the same way writing a novel takes.

You don’t sit down at the laptop and write 75,000 words in one day. Even NaNoWriMo allows you 30 days to write 50,000. No, you write a certain number of words every day, all adding to the gist of the storyline. I once heard Nora Roberts describe why she writes every single day ( like I do.) She said, and I’m paraphrasing, writing is like using a muscle. When you don’t exercise it, it atrophies  or weakens and it takes much longer to get it back in shape. To write every day keeps the brain fresh and the storyline clear. Setting out to write a novel takes focus and dedication even when you fall into a plot hole or don’t know where you’re going next.  You keep moving forward toward the end. Your brain needs to be nourished and healthy just as your body does, to be able to form coherent sentences and remember where you’re going with the plot.

So marathon running and novel writing are more alike than you’d think. And in the end, one will earn you a medal, and both with give you the satisfaction of a job well done.

winner'spic

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