Last night, I was decluttering my magazine/catalogue rack (now that I have placed all my Christmas orders), and came across these:
Unread Magazines!
Now these are not just any magazines. These are woman’s home decorating magazines! These are magazines I subscribe to. Magazines, that a year ago, you couldn’t pry out of my hands, until they had been read cover to cover, at least twice! Magazines that are a priority to file and keep in good condition (even if I don’t know where last month’s bills and tax info. got stashed)!
Yes, strange things are afoot…
This last week I sold my first article!
A woman’s magazine bought it. I don’t know which one, as it was bought through a third party, and the name used was a pseudo. What I do know is that it is a print magazine, making me a ‘published’ author. Okay, so that is a little premature, since it hasn’t been printed yet, but it will be!
…I have gone from reading magazines to writing them.
My husband and I had a good laugh over this. We were both thinking of the days when I would read anything, just to be reading, because my addictions (none considered dangerous) ruled my life. We were also thinking of my love/hate relationship with dead-lines that led to procrastination, and my perfectionist attitude, which kept me fearful, making it difficult to have an orderly home. I am not saying that all of this has changed, but things are different than they were a year ago.
The biggest difference is my attitude. I decided that exhibiting addictive behavior was not all bad, because it helped me to stick to things, even when I found them boring…I kept coming back. Between my addictive behavior and my perfectionist attitude, I was willing to learn new things. Both have helped me to become a proficient knitter and writer within the last year.
Believe it or not, last year at this time, I only knew how to knit and pearl. I had never followed a pattern, and thought a garment was beyond my ability or patients. It was a few days before Christmas (2007), that I undertook my first knitting project…beyond a dish clothe. I knit a bath mitt. It turned out so well that I was inspired to knit a Daniel a pair of mittens… Knitting is now one of my favorite, most useful pass-times.
A year ago, the only things I wrote where Thank You letters, personal notes, and a journal. My spelling and grammar were atrocious. I disliked dictionaries. I thought I would always be a failure in the English department. Then a friend showed me a book writing challenge for the kids. It looked like fun, so we dove in. We missed the deadline, but I realized I enjoyed the process, and that teaching the children was going to require a different attitude on my part. So, I took my sister’s advice (the sister who has always dreamed of being an author), and began to write daily, even if it was just a list.
In both instances, my perfectionist attitude has served me, as long as I allow myself room to not be perfect, the first time. This attitude, coupled with addictive behavior, has kept me trying, until I am happy with the results and have learned the skills I need to do well.
These same attitudes have been bent to help me use my time productively. To achieve goals and dreams, and keep my home on track. Sites, like the Fly Lady and Zen Habits, have helped me to take little bits at a time, and really make progress. An exceptionally helpful article is here.
