Firstly because, to quote the redoubtable Mike Primarolo when I said that life could be hard at times, replied that “It beats the alternative”, as indeed it does. However, it can do much more than that. If you are on the right track, it can help you to achieve your goals. Conversely, if you don’t keep going, you won’t.
Now, as someone who was good at helping others to change their lives, I wasn’t so good at doing the same myself. Not that I couldn’t and didn’t change, I did; often and a great deal. It’s just that I didn’t really believe that it was me in charge of the process. Furthermore, once I had done something important, I quickly took it to be the norm and not a big deal. Yes, I know now how silly that reads but, as ever, the journey was always better than the destination. Recently, however, there has been a change and I am starting to realise that I can actually set personal goals as well as realising them. Much of this has come about in two specific areas. The first is people I meet at the Professional Speaking Association who seem to have a higher opinion of me than I do of myself. For which, many thanks, it is having an effect. The other is in the area that is solely my own, that of writing.
Those who know me will be aware that I started to write my first book, then entitled “Never Too Late”, 12 years ago. I did this because I wanted my eldest children, Tracey and Matt, to understand why I had acted as I had. When I had finished the first draft, I talked to a cousin about it and her response was that I must have known that my life was not like anyone else’s in the family. Well, the truth is I did and I didn’t. Or, rather, I did but didn’t want to. Yet, I had been proud of my difference, it was who I was. Well, I tried to get the book published, without any luck. However, one of the agents I sent it to e mailed back to say that it was a good story, well told and that, if people had the opportunity they would read and enjoy it. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t get that opportunity as no one knew who I was. Balls to you, I thought, I’ll write another book and then you’ll know who I am. And that’s exactly what I did. Both are now available both in paperback and on Kindle. Not only that but books 3 and 4 are over half way through. This, however, isn’t as important as the fact that I am setting a target of finishing book 3, “Lessons from a Chequered Life”, by the end of January.
Interestingly, my youngest daughter, Ellie, entered a competition to write a novel of 50,000 words in a month. And did it! Before she was 18! The moral of this story? Don’t be afraid to set goals and do keep going.