LifeSoup by Cherie Dawn Haas

Hello, friends and fellow creatives.

As you read this, I’d like to invite you to take a moment to first think about what your “goal” is. I specifically made this month’s title, and this post, generic because you might not be here with the same goal as me. And to be honest, my goals are always evolving; perhaps yours should, too?

A note: This post was originally written in March 2022. Some things have changed – I published my THIRD book, titled Ashes for William. Some things have not changed – such as the war in Ukraine, linked at the bottom of this article.

Write down your goal in a journal if you haven’t yet. Set a date, plan for the mini-steps along the way … all the fun stuff that comes with dreaming your biggest dream. Because there’s a ton of content out there about how to achieve your goals, I’d like to get more personal here and share with you how I’ve done it so far.

I’ve written and published two books while working a full-time career, being a mom of two growing young men, being a wife, and having side hobbies such as eating fire and performing with various circus groups (shout-out to Bircus, the circus brewery!), plus managing a small vineyard, being a three-dog mom and caring for a flock of chickens. Oh! And since earning my Yoga Teacher Certification in 2021, I also substitute-teach yoga classes for my two favorite studios. Whew!

Trust me – I’m not sharing all of that to come across as bragging in any way; just stating the facts, ma’am (or sir), to say that I get it. You’re busy. But you have a goal you want to nail.

You can do it.

Here are some tips I have for you; these are ways I personally accomplished publishing a novel and a book of poetry (while doing all the above) and staying relatively sane in the process.

1. Wing It. 

Don’t worry about what you don’t know. Just get started by taking the smallest step you possibly can, today. Right now. I’m not joking. You can come back to this message later. 

When my husband and I wanted to move to the country* years ago, the first step we took was to call the bank and find out what we could afford. What can you do in just 10 minutes for your first or next step?

If you’re a writer, just start putting words on the page. You can always edit later (and you probably should).

*This worked out, btw … the image shown above is the view from our country home. I call it a fog rainbow; the morning sun hits the valley fog just so, and boom! It’s beautiful enough to make you thank God.

2. Prioritize Your Dream.

If you don’t carve out at least a little time each … let’s say … month* at least, to work toward your dream, guess what? There isn’t a magic fairy who’s going to come along and do it for you. Learn how to say no to things that could be getting in the way of your heart’s dream to write a novel, paint the vision you have, nail an audition, or just to spend more of your life living it your way and doing the things that make you feel great, like dancing or playing an instrument for yourself.

*Some people will tell you to do xyz every day. I’m not one of those people, because the only things I do every single day are to brush my teeth and at some point tell my smallest dog, “I wuv your wittle feet.”

3. Have mentors.

We might not have magic fairies, but we can have mentors. After getting a degree in English / Journalism, I was lucky to end up working in the publishing industry where I made friends who knew the trade. Aside from that, working in a corporate environment inspired me to apply the same level of professionalism to my personal endeavors (even fire eaters have to be professional). 

It’s amazing if you have folks like this IRL. Make a list of who they are; even inspiring friends and family members can and should make the cut. If you don’t have someone to look up to in person, then clip images of famous people who embody what you want to do – authors, artists, musicians, speakers, etc. 

My list also includes people I may never meet, whose stories and motivation inspire me to continue to follow my heart, to work my toosh off at my career because I love it and it supports both my family and creative life; and people who inspire me to also know when to just take a chill pill (NOT a literal pill) and watch an episode of Frasier.

4. Ask for Help.

We’re going to hit roadblocks along the way. There will be times when we don’t know what to do next. While listening to the School of Greatness podcast, I learned the concept of “Who, Not How,” in which you’re encouraged to find someone who has the answers and work with them to help you, versus putting the pressure on yourself to learn every aspect of what it will take to get your goal.

Aside from traditional resources such as the library and internet, simply ask around. Someone you know either has the answer, or maybe they can lead you to someone who does. That’s how I found a homicide detective to interview for what will become my third novel, hopefully in 2022.

5. Do I have to say it? Don’t Give Up.

That’s it. I haven’t given up. When I couldn’t find a literary agent to represent my first novel, I self-published. When I wasn’t quite sure how to organize a collection of poetry that was a reflection of my life, inside and out, I just kept working on it until I knew it was right, and my editor knew as well.

They say that’s the difference between writers and wanna-be writers … that writers simply keep going.

Just listen to your heart here. How would you feel if you gave up on this dream / goal you have? How will you feel when it’s in your hands? Go back to your journal and jot down your thoughts about all of this. You can simply write “how” you’ll go about each of these tips, then make it happen.

Stay inspired,
Cherie Dawn

P.S.
All of our hearts are heavy for our fellow humans in Ukraine right now as Russia continues to bring them suffering. If you’d like to help, here’s a list of resources from NPR: How to Support Ukraine