Dream the dream......

Valerie J. Steimle

The reality for many people who want to finish their first book is that many times their writings and writing time gets pushed to the way side.  Over the last several years I have been taught the value of dreaming.  Day dreaming is necessary for everyone who wants to fill a goal; an idea that has been thought about for many years.

As a young mother, I day dreamed a lot  about getting my own books published or finding myself on many by-lines for syndicated articles and here I am, 20 years later realizing I have accomplished just that. I have written and published four books and have over 300 articles published in newspapers and online websites with many syndicated all over the world and it all started with a dream.

The book, Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions to help you see it and Seize It, by John C. Maxell has incredible power.  If you have ever read his writings ---they are always motivational and uplifting.

Start by answering these ten questions about your writing dream:
1. Is my Dream really my dream?
2. Do I clearly see my dream?
3. Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?
4. Does my dream compel me to follow it?
5. Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?
6. Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?
7. Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?
8. Am I moving closer to my dream?
9. Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?
10. Does my dream benefit others?

We are writers with creative ideas and answering question four would help us realize that most of us are compelled to write.

  He discusses the fact that if we have a dream, (for example to write a novel or non-fiction book) then we should have a strategy which refers to question five.

                                                                                         

After answering the above ten questions you have a solid concept of what your dream really.  Review and answer the rest of the questions which follow:

1.      Find your present position: Ask yourself where you are now in your plans to fore fill this writing adventure.

2.      Discover your future position:  Where do you want to go?  What will my dream look like when I have achieved it?

3.      See the positions in between:  Find the pathway that lies between the first two.  What steps must I take to get from my present position to my future one?

Examine all your Actions:

            A.   Do something: start the process by doing something today, right now, immediately. Do something today that relates to your dream. Do something every day that relates to your dream

           B.  Consider all your options: Once you figure out a plan for reaching your dream there is danger that you will become inflexible and try to stick to your plan no matter what.  Sometimes it’s wiser to explore other options.

C. Utilize all your options:  This is what really caught my eye:   John Maxwell himself had written a dozen or so books and realized he wasn’t making an impact with his writing.   That is unbelievable to me.  How could someone write a dozen books and think they hadn’t made an impact on anyone?  But he did and he feels other authors or creative people do the same thing.  They write a book, they send it to a publisher and then they hope for the best.  But as Mr. Maxwell says “hope is not strategy”.  So he came up with a plan.

PLAN:

1. Come up with an idea for a really good book. Make an outline of your ideas.

2. Find a team of people who will help you (like ANWA or other writing groups)

3. Make a deadline for yourself. To do great and important tasks two things are necessary:  a plan and not quite enough time.  Meaning the plan will be set and not having quite enough time makes you work a little bit harder.

4. Creativity: brain storm with your team to come up with ideas

5. Opportunity: Thinking up ideas is great but you still have to get people interested enough in your book so they will read it.  Mr. Maxwell taught seminars from his book and sold copies. (The book he wrote after this whole experience is called Twenty-One Irrefutable Laws of Leadership which has been used for many motivational seminars and workshops.)

So dream, dream, dream all that you want to accomplish and then take note and get busy. There are many dreams to dream here on earth and not enough time. We can accomplish much with our actions and our plans.