What Do You Really Want? I Mean REALLY?

This is the time of year we all take stock. And for most of us, it's a mixed bag of disappointment and desire. A win here or there, for sure, but mostly, well . . . there's room for improvement.

I didn't finish that manuscript.

Budget? You've got to be kidding. My bank account has become meaningless in any financial strategy.

I want to be on the New York Time's Bestseller list and have Hollywood clambering for a nod from me.

And so usually, at this time of year, we suck up our failures and somehow convert them to ideals for the next year, because our dream hasn't changed. We search the cosmos for a place to hang our hat and try to convince ourselves the new place is the right place and something magical is bound to happen.

We've learned how to formulate our goals: they must be SMART. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timely.

Can I just say one word for all of this rhetoric toward intense introspection? Blick.

I've really been thinking about this.

In fact, for the last couple of months, the little list of tasks I have on my desktop is a lot different than one you'd expect from someone who actuallly wants to accomplish something. It's focused less on things I must accomplish than on how I want to feel after the outcome of actions I take.

At the end of the day, every day, I want to feel good about myself. I want to feel I have taken a step toward validating my dreams. At the end of the day, every day, I want to feel I've made a difference. The details are supplements to those things, but Those Things are the end goal. Every 24 hours. I'm hoping that not only will they help me achieve my dreams, but that I'll become a better person in the process.

So what I'm suggesting you consider is for your plan for 2011 to be less specific and more intrinsic.

But whatever you choose, we'll work through the year together. We'll celebrate and commisserate. I'll be as open with you as I can about my process and progress.

And there's no question I won't tackle.

For each reader here, whether regular or happenstance, I wish you validation in whatever you pursue. And to know what you really, really want.



CR: Secrets to Die For by L.J. Sellers

It's all better with friends.

An Uncommonly Delicious Book

Every once in a while, I run across a book that's uncommonly delicious, and I want to tell you about it.



I began reading Least Wanted by Debbi Mack yesterday afternoon. I would have finished it last night but my eyes got tired. I finished it this morning.





This is Mack's second novel featuring attorney Sam McRae, and I liked it. A lot. She took risks with this one. Any time an author tries to reproduce dialect, there's a challenge. Mack does it well in this book. Least Wanted takes on some topics most writers would steer clear of, but she handles them with just the right amount of reality and compassion, without dwelling in judgement.

It's an e-book, and for a grand total of 99 cents, you have hours of solid entertainment. There is no better deal.

If you haven't discovered it already, not all e-books are created equal. The technology to format and keep the editing solid is still getting the kinks worked out. (And between you and me, I'm pretty sure there's a slew of e-books out there that haven't met an editor who knew what she was doing.)

Mack delivers it all. A great story, developing characters, excellent writing and an e-book experience that sets the bar.

For those of you who received a Kindle for Christmas, treat yourself to a Mack for the New Year.



CR: Secrets to Die For by L.J. Sellers

It's all better with friends.

Post-Holiday Fog

I'm having a bit of trouble getting refocused. From November through the first week in January, we go from one celebration to the next. All of them important. All of them filled with love. All of them mentally staggering in their consumption of available attention.

Half of me loves to be carefree and willing to take off on the spur of the moment. The other part of me needs structure. Routine, and a good schedule, go a long way in helping me stay disciplined and focused. Disciplined and focused helps me feel good about what I've accomplished at the end of the day.

So. Part of my post-holiday plan (and I'm including everything post-Christmas) has to be making a schedule to get back on track.

What about you? Do you have trouble refocusing? What tricks do you use to get back where you want to be?




CR: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz.

It's all better with friends.

Colorado Christmas, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band!

There are parts of Colorado where people are wearing shorts and playing golf, I'm sad to report. Here's my wish, on so many levels:







It's all better with friends.

Enya - Silent Night (in Irish) Christmas

Merry Christmas.








CR: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz.

It's all better with friends.

O Holy Night - Susan Boyle

Merry Christmas.

Kirby Larson Interview

Believe in yourself.