Alright.

Last week at the humour conference we saw this speaker/performer named Jana Stanfield. She was great. One of the things she told us to do was think of something we always wanted to do, a dream for ourselves that has been on the back burner forever, but that we had done nothing about. Could be anything from learning to rollerblade to taking a painting class to changing professions.

Then we had to think of three things that we could do that in some way worked towards that dream/goal. Three IMPOSSIBLY simple things, three things so easy and painless that there is NO WAY we couldn't have done them after a week. And then the next week you think of three more things, and so on. Before you know it you are up on your rollerblades or you have kicked your 35 year old son out of the house finally or you have gone from being a secretary to being the boss.

Because we are afeared of failure, we set up these high minded goals for ourselves, that can never be achieved anyway so what's the point. No big deal if they don't happen, they are too hard in the first place. For instance, I have this ideal of having this perfect house. But my house, it is so far from perfect, honest to pete, EVERY single person I know has a tidier house than me. Okay, almost every single person. but you get my point. I have such a hard time maintaining neatness. But I do not find relative neatness acceptable. Either my house should look like a Brick flyer or it is a piece of crap. It has only looked like a Brick flyer once and that was when I had cleaners come in. It just ain't gonna happen. So I get discouraged and funked out and what is the point of tidying anything if it is going to get messy anyways and I am just a big ole failure at it and everyone is a better person than me and why don't I just crawl into bed and die.

You see? The ideals are so far away from the reality that I am doomed to fail. Again and again.

So this J.S. tells us if we think of three tiny things and do them, we will be ispired and motivated by our little successes and this will give us the momentum to keep at 'er. Like if you were going to lose 40 pounds, before you have lost any weight it is like oh why bother 40 pounds might as well be 100 and I already had two rows of OReos for breakfast so I might as well just forget it and where's the butter I need more on this muffin because 40 pounds ain't gonna happen anyways.

But. If you manage to get up on that diet or exercise program and lose, like SEVEN pounds, you are all hey! I lost 7 pounds whaddya know only 33 to go I only had yogurt and fruit for breakfast aren't I just the best person ever I think I will take a walk do you want to come?

Was it George Bernard Shaw who wrote 'murder breeds murder'? Well, it isn't the most friendly of examples but by the same token, 'success breeds success'.

I think one of my big problems (among many, how long do you have.) is that I get distracted. I can focus and hone in for like a day and a half and then I am flittering away to find a nicer flower to land on, this one looks a little dried out. And I think distraction comes easy when every time you get out of bed you trip over a pile of clothes and toys and OUCH! a thumbtack. And you go to write down a to-do list but you can't find a pen and your notepad is nowhere to be found.

I have dreams. I want to finish my degree. I want to get off me arse and exercise OUTSIDE more, maybe even go back to that gym who cheerfully takes my money every month event though they wouldn't know me from Adam. I want to write a screenplay. I want to do more stand up. I want to be a calmer mommy. I want highlights, maybe. I want to learn how to sing properly. I want to improve 500 percent in money management.

But I think, if the above things are going to come true, while I work towards them, there has to be an underlying theme of becoming tidy-ish. Because how on God's green earth am I gonna take over the world if I can't find clean underwear?

So yeah. I picked one of the dreams, to write a screenplay, and did my three things. Mind you, I had till yesterday at noon to officially have completed the three things within a week, so there I was at church sunday morn, writing a character list out on the back of a piece of paper that I tucked inside a bible so people couldn't see. Then I had to speed home and install Final Draft 7 (screenwriting software) on my computer. While it was loading I did the third thing which was to open the Idiots Guide to Screenwriting. And whaddya know, I got into the book and read forty pages. So now I have invested some time and sparked my desire to do something. I have lost, if you will, those first three pounds.

AND I have cleaned a little bit more than usual every day this week. ONe because we were having a party but two because I know greatness don't come outta slobbery. How is this great story going to come out if I keep stepping on thumbtacks.

So I encourage you to do the same. Pick something and then think of three things you can easily do. I would love if you commented or emailed me about it! I am a top notch encourager!

Have a good Mon!

A.