Waiting and Wondering ( #AtoZChallenge )

I wonder what would happen if we didn't have to wait for anything anymore?   My guess is that we would no longer value that which we formerly waited on and with the loss of wondering, imagination would be diminished.    I can only wonder...

A figurine from my sister Joy's collection.

           When you think about it, most of life is spent waiting.   We wait for night so we can go to bed or we might lie awake in the dark early morning waiting for the alarm to stir us out of bed.  We wait for meals when hunger distracts us or wait for someone to get out of the bathroom so we can be next.  If you think back on your life you can likely come up with countless instances from early childhood on when the wait became obsessive at times. 

           Some of you might remember the mounting anticipation as Christmas came closer.  As the signs declaring the approach of that holiday appeared, we kids waited with anticipation as we watched bauble laden lit trees go up in our living rooms and gaily wrapped mystery parcels stacked beneath those trees.  We wondered what we were going to get this Christmas and the waiting became almost too much to bear.

          Life is all about waiting.  Waiting to finish school, start a career, get married, have a family, buy a house, retire, and eventually die.  It's one wait after another on this journey of life.  Once we reach one milestone of life, we begin turning our thoughts to the next one.  Much like the kids in the back seat wondering, "Are we there yet?" we are on a long journey with many stops.  Getting to one destination is not the real end to the journey.  Rather than wondering if we have arrived to where we thought we were going, we might more fittingly ask, "Where do we go next?"

         This is me, right now at this time of my life.  It's been a long exciting journey with so many stops and sidetracks along the way.  And as far as I'm concerned there are so many more places to go, people to meet, and experiences to be had.  I'm waiting, but still wondering as I move toward my next destination.  I am also working on it.  Dreams start passively, but disappear like early morning fog if they are not acted upon.

         Pondering, planning, and pursuing are the actions of the dreamer who wants to make a reality out of a perceived will-o'-the-wisp.  No dream can become a reality without some wondering and waiting.  That is the essence of dreams.  We wonder about an idea.  We map out a journey to achieve that idea. We then work on that idea to make it as real as it can be.  Then, once everything is set into motion, the waiting begins.

        Imagine that your life is a brick house.  The bricks are what we think of when we consider the structure of that house.  The part that we usually don't think much about is the mortar holding all those bricks together.  The bricks are the parts of our lives that are most meaningful--this is what we see when we look at our lives.  But the mortar is the time spent waiting and linking everything in our lives together to make it one coherent structure.  The house that we live in; the house that we are.

          And now I'm going to add a new wing to my metaphorical life house.  Keeping in the spirit of the metaphor I am assembling my building tools and preparing my blueprints. I haven't finished building my life house yet.  I've got work to do...

        Have you ever built a house?    What do you think would happen if you started building a house with no idea how you wanted it to look or anything else about the structure?    Have you ever had a dream fulfilled without any waiting or wondering on your part? 

Planning a Project ( #AtoZChallenge )

Planning a party?   Hire Arlee as your party performer!  On the other hand, I can't make it to your party.  I have other plans...

Pointing the way is the first step on any journey.

       
          Lately I've begun assembling an array of notebooks, journals, and other items that will help me to plan.  For now, as I have indicated in previous posts, I am essentially still in a dreaming stage as I plot possibilities in my mind.  Occasionally I've jotted down lists, pondered mental timelines, and made notes of things that might occur to me.  And I've been writing down song lyrics--but more on that in an upcoming post.

          There are many sayings about the wisdom as well as the futility of making plans.  I don't need to fill up my thinking with negative quotes that might discourage me, but those positive quotations are not anything I need to dwell on either.  Right now I need to continue down the road of thoughtful planning--strategizing with the intent of making a dream come true and for plans to make sense.

          Whenever I set out on a trip I grab my road atlas in order to make the trip in my mind first.  Tracing the routes on the maps, I consider which places to stay the night, what highlights we should take time to visit, or which routing will save time and money.  After I've planned the route, I get online to book motel rooms and set up vacation holds on services like the mail.  If my plans are meticulously made, then the trip will likely be smoother with less worry.  Plans are never cinched for us, but they will usually accomplish what we need or want to do in an organized manner.

           I can get away with a lot of randomness and lack of certain direction on my blog, and often in life as well.  But when there is a project at stake--especially one where you have to count on others to help you accomplish what you set out to do--smart planning will facilitate that metaphorical journey that must be taken.

           Whether it be a road trip journey or a metaphorical journey of dreams, the planning is what facilitates the first leg of the journey--reaching the destination.  That destination is always a prelude to the next part of the journey, and the next.  Life involves continual planning as well as sometimes changing those plans.

             The wise thing to do is to anticipate what can go wrong and have back-up plans.  After all, as we all have discovered at some time or another, plans often go far differently than we hope or expect.  Once my basic plans have been laid out, then I will have to decide what do when it all turns out different.  And I can probably count on that happening.

            When has a well thought out plan gone down a totally different path than you thought it would?    Do you tend to meticulously plan things or do you prefer others to do the planning for you?  Have you ever taken off on a long road vacation without knowing where you were going to go and how long you were going to be gone?

         

Surprise, Surprise! (#IWSG)

       
           I think I'm a pretty good writer.   Some people have told me that before.  And I've told myself that before too.   I tend to trust what I tell myself more than what other people tell me.   But it's my world after all and who knows, I might be dreaming all of this and what anyone says is really an extension of my own mind...

The Insecure Writer's Suppport Group

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 

The co-hosts for the September posting of the IWSG are Tyrean Martinson,Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant, and Beverly Stowe McClure!

Sept 6th question:

Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing? For example, by trying a new genre you didn't think you'd be comfortable in??

Surprising Myself    

        Tucked in my office closet is a box of writing going as far back as high school.  It seemed like I wrote a lot more back then than I do now.  There are short stories, poems, songs, and other miscellaneous scribblings.  On occasion I have looked into this trove of writing and read some of the work of younger days.   I'm impressed by much of that writing.

        Even looking back over some of my older posts on any of my blogs I feel a certain satisfaction with my writing.  It should come as no surprise that I think my writing is often pretty good since otherwise I wouldn't have written it.  I tend to like what I write and, to a degree, fall in love with my writing.          

        What has been lost over the years might amaze me even more than the writing samples I have on hand.  Thinking of written work that has been lost on old computers, writing that I've turned in as test essays, and other examples that are no longer in my possession for one reason or another, I seem to remember some of that writing as having been pretty good.  Too bad I can't get all of that writing back so I could reevaluate it.  Too bad...

        I am among my top ten favorite writers.  Yes, I know it sounds a bit egotistical, but why not.  Liking what I write gives me incentive to write more.  That attitude doesn't surprise me because I see great logic in thinking that way.   What surprises me is how damn good I can write!  (Yes, I keep telling myself that.)

          Delusional?  Perhaps.  But why not.   We all create our own fantasies about who we are--who we want to be.   And even who we've been.  The writer is the main character of the book that continues to be written.  If I am writing my own story then I want it to be good.  The best story that I've ever read.

           Are you aware of your own attempts to build yourself up?     Does insecurity blind you to your own abilities?    Where would you rank yourself in your list of favorite writers?

The Road Ahead (#IWSG) and #BOTB results

      Do you ever wonder where the hell you're going?    I've never liked traveling without a map--or these days my GPS--and yet I often forge ahead through life with few or no long range plans.  Seems crazy I suppose, but then again I avoid the disappointment of plans that get screwed up.  

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 




In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what's your plan to get there?

         This question ties in with the question asked in my previous post, What Does Retirement Look Like For You?   Since I am retired now, any thoughts of a future writing career are certainly tied into my life in retirement as it is. 

          Then there is a question of will I be around in five years?  I live with the intent of going strong for many years to come, but then I look at my father who suddenly left his life before he even actually retired from his job.  I don't think he was planning on such a quick earthly departure, but it happened to him just as it can unpredictably happen to me, you, or anyone. 

        Do I have a writing career ahead of me?  Will I even still be blogging if I reach that five years in question?  My life strategy has been to not have much of a strategy.  I live, I learn, I forget, and tomorrow comes before I realize that today has passed and yesterdays are distant memories that are more like pages from a book than any actual life I've lived.  

        I've lived a life worth living and continue onward as though it will never end.  There are few plans for me other than I plan to have fish for dinner tonight, have company coming over for dinner on Saturday, and in a couple of weeks my kids and grandkids are coming to visit for Christmas.  But that latter plan seems like a long time right now.  Five years is forever, but it is also like a blink of an eye.

        Perspectively speaking, I'm lousy at writing as a business.  And sadly in a way, I don't particularly have much concern about it.  Happily, I have a contentment with life and an optimism for the good things ahead, if not in this world, in the infinite eternity of God's grace.  

         I'll write as the spirit moves me and if writing success is somewhere in the years ahead then that is exactly what was meant to be.  For now though, the spirit is moving me to clean the kitchen and straighten up my office.   Then after a good night's sleep tonight, I'll look forward to another great day of being alive.  

Battle of the Bands Results

      In some ways my previous Battle using the song "Scandinavian Shuffle" provided a somewhat unexpected outcome. But then maybe it should not have been any real surprise.  I think both versions that I used are extremely good.  My dilemma of choosing a favorite is so difficult that I'm tempted to forego making the choice at all.  And either way I choose would be of no consequence to the outcome of this highly lopsided contest.   Therefore I'm going to go with the big winner which was the vocal ensemble Real Group.  

       I'm usually partial to violin music, but I do enjoy a good a cappella group.   So did most of the voters in this Battle...

Final Vote Tally

Real Group         18 votes

Mads Tolling         4 votes

Next Battle on Thursday December 15th

       In my next Battle I'll be staying within the Christmas spirit without resorting to actual Christmas songs.  You'll probably be familiar with the song I'll be using which may or may not be derived from another musical piece with which you may not be familiar.  However before we get to that Battle I'll be continuing with a couple more posts in my President Trump Acclimation Series--yes, I'm continuing with this as long as I keep seeing silliness online, on television, and elsewhere.  Wow, that could be a long, long time.   Then again I might just get fed up and move into the wilderness, off the grid, and surviving off the land.   Probably not, but you never know.

        What do you foresee in your life five years from now?  Are you a careful planner or do you just live relatively randomly?    Are you optimistic about the coming year?

       

X Steps to Promotion Success #atozchallenge

Staff selling IITA promotional items during Open Day 2010 (Photo credit: IITA Image Library)

Here's an overview of the promotional process as I see it:

I.  Create and develop:  Come up with your idea.  Produce a workable prototype.  Write your book.  Have in hand whatever it is that you will be promoting.

II. Believe in your product:   Once you've got your product/book to the final stage ready to promote, then believe in it!  If you don't believe in it strongly enough you'd better go back to tweak it until you do believe in it.  Why would anyone believe in what you've got to offer if you don't believe in it with all your heart, mind, and soul.  Also, believe in yourself--this is sometimes the most difficult part.

III.  Dream into doing something:   Visualize how you might get this product on the market and how it might be marketed to success.   Dream productively, but don't waste too much time with idle pipedreams.   Dreams can hold you back if you let them consume you.  Instead, dream enough to inspire you and propel you forward.

IV.  Research your promotional steps and venues:  After the dream, focus on the realities.   Investigate everything you need to do with promotion and the channels you will need to pursue.   Read books and trade magazines, explore the internet, and talk to people who know.   Ask questions and seek advice.  Get all the knowledge you can arm yourself with before heading out into the fray.

V.  Plan your course of action and strategize:   Take the knowledge you have gained and map out your strategy.  Write out a plan of action and schedule everything so you can approach your targets in logical progression.  Don't try to schedule too much at once.  A steady long range promotion is usually better than a big bang that fizzles quickly and uses all of your resources at one time.

VI.  Act!:   Once you're fired up and have your plan laid out, then act on it.  Only stop if absolutely necessary.  If you've planned appropriately then things should go just fine.  Don't let setbacks throw you off course.  If you have alternate plans and detours built into your schedule then you should be able to deal with any changes.  Have a mind for improvisation as well.  Once you're underway, don't lose momentum.

VII.  Get others interested:   Now that you're fired up and a powerhouse of promotional force in action, draw others into the excitement.  Tell others what you are doing and find out what they can do to help you promote.   Word of mouth is the best promotion you can find.   When others are talking then more ears are listening.  Don't forget the blog action such as tours and reviews.    This step can also be started earlier or combined with previous actions

VIII.  Stay motivated:   Don't get discouraged if things don't start out well or start dragging.  Take breaks if you need to, but keep stoking the fire of enthusiasm.  Don't forget that what you are promoting is something that you believe in and want others to know about.   Align yourself with people who will help boost your spirits and keep you motivated.   Avoid the negative forces that will hold you back.  Keep smiling and hold your head high.

IX.  Follow-up and evaluate:   After a reasonable period--the first month for example--stop for a session at home or in your office to look behind you to see what you've accomplished.   This step should actually be built into your strategic plan.  If you have milestones to help measure your progress then it becomes easier to evaluate what you've done.   Be sure to follow-up with those you have contacted to see how their role in the promotion is playing out.  Call on those who expressed previous interest but were noncommittal to see if they are willing to help now.    Don't let the groundwork you've laid behind you get overgrown with the weeds of time.   Keep the past contacts up to date and evaluate the present to see where to go next.

X.   Review and renew:     After you've done your evaluation of efforts so far, it's time to review the data and renew your enthusiasm.  This is where you start asking the questions about what is working and what is not. Answer honestly and don't be afraid to ask others what they think.  Don't lie dormant too long.  If you're not happy about the success so far then it's time to forge onward.   Start back at step one and plan your new strategy.    By this time you're probably a pro at promoting and the job is much easier.

          What steps have I left out?    What steps might you eliminate or rely on others to do?   Have you approached promotional matters in this way or have you taken a different approach?

Related articles

• How to Build an Email List Fast, Pt. 3: Go Beyond Your Website
• Facebook Promoted Posts vs Sponsored Stories
• How to negotiate a promotion or 'self promote' as I call it
• 10 Steps Ever Artist Must Take to Promote Their Tour

Getting Organized for the #atozchallenge

 

      Todays post was inspired by a post by Lynn at Connecting Stories.  That post is actually a few years old, but just as relevant now as it was then.  Take a look at Lynn's post and see if you suffer from "Organizationitis".

Getting Organized

       I'm one of the worst people in world when it comes to being organized.  I've got my systems, but they don't always look so good.   My office is chaos and I don't even want to talk about my garage.  I do have my moments of organizational genius, but things in my everyday life are often in shambles--or would at least appear so.

       One area of my life where I tend to do pretty well organizationally speaking is blogging.   My last few A to Z efforts have come off very smoothly due to structure and planning.  Since the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is an event, I plan it much like I would plan a trip, a party, a meal, or anything else you are expecting to happen within a designated time frame.

        Trip planning is something I've always been meticulous about.   In part this is due to my years of travelling.  I like for things to go without a hitch so I can enjoy the scenery and not worry about the trip details while traveling.  When I've planned well I'm better prepared for surprises if the unexpected awaits around the next bend.

         In the same way the A to Z April Challenge has a destination and a schedule so I start with a roadmap and a calendar.   I'll decide on my theme in January or February at the latest and then wait for the ideas to come.  When those ideas start popping into my head I'll start a post prescheduled for the date on which it will appear.

         Another way to start ahead is to put placeholders for each letter on the designated day on your blog composition pages.   If you happen to get inspired you can go ahead and write posts in those reserved dates as they come to you.  Or you can set aside a portion of each day to come up with an April post or at least part of one.  Sometimes I'll sit down on a Saturday or Sunday when I've got time and write several posts.   I don't know about you, but when I get on a roll I can sometimes crank out several posts at a sitting.

        Once you've got a post that's completed then go ahead and schedule it to post automatically on the day you want it to.  If you've started this process in February or even before, you'll find that prior to April's arrival you'll have all of your Challenge posts done.    When your blogging chores are already finished come April then you can cruise through the month and have plenty of time for networking and visiting the other participating blogs.   It really takes a load off when you do it that way.   How else do you think I managed to manage four blogs in the previous two years' Challenges?

        And one of the many positive benefits of participating in the April Challenge is that you'll likely establish the habit of preplanning posts in your regular blogging.   A to Z can make you a better--a more efficient--blogger and writer.  If you're using the excuse that you can't participate in the A to Z Challenge because you don't have time, scrap that poor excuse and just sign up to the list.  Start your posts now and you'll find that you have more time than you thought.   Getting organized to blog through the alphabet is your key to successfully winning the Challenge.

         Have you decided on your A to Z theme yet?   Do you set up your letters ahead of time and fill the posts in prior to April?    What are your organizational strategies for making the April Challenge go more smoothly?


     

Related articles

• Guest Blogging: Dead or Alive?
• Will you take part in the #blogging #atozchallenge this year?
• For #bloggers new to #atozchallenge : What is it and Why You should Join
• Calling for #bloggers to help form Team Damyanti for the #atozchallenge

Getting all your ducks in a row

A rubber duck. Français : Un canard en plastique de couleur jaune. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 
        Success is rarely random.  A poorly organized marketing plan rarely leads to a successful conclusion.  It's better to be organized with a meticulous approach to avoid wasting time and money.  In other words it's a good idea to get all of your ducks in a row as the saying goes.

           Baby ducks naturally fall into line behind mama duck whereas the elements of a marketing strategy are not so compliant.  It's up to you to get everything lined up and organized properly.  If you have someone helping you out that's great, but it's not like that for most of us.  And no matter what the case your projects are your babies to look after when all is said and done.

           Good strategy requires doing some research.  Find out if there is a need or a want for your product and where that market is.  Look for the best ways of reaching that market.  Set up a goal and the milestones that will mark your way to reaching that goal.   Study the formulas devised by marketing gurus and see what has worked and what has not worked for others.

             As you progress in your line of strategy, mark off each step and examine to see if you are on track with the desired outcomes.  If something is not working figure out the best way to make it work or come up with a new plan that will work better.  Be flexible but also have discipline.

             Some of the traits that you will want to hone for yourself are consistency, sincerity, honesty, and credibility.   In the long run your reputation will be shaped by these characteristics.  When you can count on yourself, others will feel better about counting on you as well.

Here are my recommendations for the letter G:

Geoff Maritz is a blogger whom I feel like I've known for a long time.  At Geoff's Blogs he's posting about his home continent Africa during the A to Z Challenge.

Gregg at Gospel-Driven Disciples is someone who provides some intensely thoughtful Bible study, but also knows how to have a good time when he lightens the mood on his blog.  Gregg has been another long-time friend to me.

Then finally there's Glen at Glen's Blog Spot.  He's not in the Challenge this year and doesn't post as much as he used to, but he's got a lot going on in his life these days and I enjoy it when he does post something.



Here are some links from some marketing experts:

http://www.marketingminds.com.au/features/gurus.html

http://bradburnie.com/make-money-online/internet-marketing-gurus.php

seth godin  http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/