What are you waiting for?

As you think about your New Year’s resolutions think about this question. “What are you waiting for?”

That question pertains to so many things but how does it pertain to you? Think about it.

It could be as simple as my neighbor who wants to empty out her storage closet in her basement and just throw stuff away. Why this is an issue for her I have no clue, but it is. Over a glass of wine, while we ripped up my bedroom carpeting so I can have wood floors installed I told her the “black garbage bag” trick.

Don’t scrunch up and wrinkle your brows and nose at me. This is serious and something my ex-MIL taught me. If you really want to get rid of something and don’t want to be tempted to take it back out of the trash throw it in a black trash bag. Out of sight, out of mind. This works and I live by it. We shall see if my neighbor stops waiting around and contemplating her closet or if she uses my trick. I’ll let you know.

That is a small, simple example of answering the question “What are you waiting for?”

Another more pertinent example to writing is below.

Every week I meet people who read my books or about to read one of my books for the first time and inevitably one person will tell me that he or she has always wanted to write a book. My response to them is like the Nike commercials. “Just do it. What are you waiting for?”

Close your mouth before flies start to congregate and stop staring at me as if I have two heads. If you’ve thought about writing a book enough to mention it to me or anyone else then what the heck are you doing. Why not sit down and actually start writing it? What do you have to lose? Why wait?

Those are rhetorical questions. If you take the time to think about them and answer them then you don’t really want it.

About six years ago, I decided to sit down and start writing my first novel. I didn’t come up with every excuse to not write. Some examples would be – Who will publish it? What if I suck at writing? I’m not good with grammar. What if no one will publish it?

Who cares! If you think in those terms then you will never write the story that is itching to get out of you and onto paper. You are not a true writer unless you write. Come on. Life is too damn short to play “What if –”

When you were younger did you see a tree in your yard or in your park and say, “I want to climb that tree” then go about playing on the swing set? No. You marched up to that tree and put feet and hands to work.

Why should writing or anything else you want in life be any different? So what that you are older and somewhere along the way of growing up you became more cautious and hesitant. So what that you might slip and fall and even hurt a little. Is it worth it? Heck yeah!

Six years ago my life flipped upside down and spun. Instead of waiting for the world to crash around me, I took the proverbial bull by the horns and went after something I wanted. I pulled out my computer and started my novel. Yes, it took me about 4 years to write that first story and another year to get it published, but I did it. Now I have 3 books on the shelf and one in line for next year, with my fifth book in progress.

I ask you again. “What are you waiting for?”

Life will never hand you what you want. You have to go out and take it and make it what you want. Think about something you want so badly that you can taste it and then ask yourself the question “What are you waiting for?”

If you want it then go for it! I did and I’m about to do it again.