Best Time To Prepare / Happenings In The Outhouse 26-July-2024

There is an adage that says (I'm paraphrasing here): when is the best time to prepare?  Let's take retirement saving for example or career advancement.  Answer: five years ago (or some time in the distant past).  When is the second best time?  Today.

Obviously, no one has a time machine to go back, to give yourself financial or career advice years ago, knowing how it all ends up.  But preparing for whatever change is taking place, the best time is now.  Not tomorrow.  Not next week or month or year.  Now.

If you do not, then you'll look back five years from now and wish that you had done something different.

How is the world changing?  What can you do to study now that will pay dividends down the road?

Moving Forward / Happenings In The Outhouse 19-July-2024

This will be another short one.

Last weekend, my wife and I had our wedding reception, open to the public.  It was a fun time seeing family and friends, and some I have not seen in a long, long time.

Now it's back to writing.

Still working on my fun short story, and I have just backed a Kickstarter that will allow me to submit new stories to another market that isn't normally open.  I'm optimistic that my chances of landing a coveted spot are extremely low, but it's the feedback I'm looking for mostly.

Of course, publication would be amazing too.  Overall, just looking to be a much better writer.

Pay Attention To What You Are Learning / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-July-2024

Pay close attention to what you are learning.

I had a meeting with one of my colleagues and they were asking what they should be doing to prepare for an upcoming leadership role.

This is an interesting question, and can be applied to many jobs or learnings as there is a multitude of information out there.  Take leadership for a moment.  There are a ton of books, and they run the gambit from dreadful to spectacular.  Okay, so how do you know?  You don't.  And here's the caveat: what one finds no value in, others do.

I have read a lot about time management over the years, and there are good ideas and there . . . well, mediocre ones at best.  But what one finds that works, others do not.  And vice versa.

It's easy to get caught up in the soaking up of knowledge.  In the end, the best way is to actually do the job.  Take writing.  The best way I have found is to sit down and write.  Read too, but also write.

Laser Focus Goals / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-July-2024

Last week, I wrote out my "Next 5 Things" to do for the next three months.  I have been doing this for a number of years now, and it is important that I do this, to focus my energy on what needs to be done in the near future.

I will not share what I wrote, but I am determined to laser focus my goals and achieve as many as possible.  I am utilizing Heinlein's Rules of Writing.  Of which I have utilized before but am becoming more intentional now.

The rules are:

1) You must write.

2) You must finish what you start.

3) You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial demand.

4) You must put it on the market.

5) You must keep it on the market until sold.

Seems simple.

But you would be surprised at how few writers actually do this, then wonder why they aren't successful.  Not that I'm a big name author with big name money.

But at least I'm working at it, and having fun.