My husband and oldest son love riding dirt bikes together. They'll take off on our local trails, ride for hours, and return home sweaty, dirty, and exhausted.
But darn it, our son outgrew his dirt bike. We prepared to sell his bike and use that money for something bigger, but our son also wanted something a bit newer (fuel-injected...go figure). He's willing to pay the difference so he approached us with a plan, received our approval, and now he's on the path to earning money for the bike he wants.
I was truly impressed by our son. He didn't complain about what he couldn't have--he knew what he wanted and is in the process of making it happen. He printed up "business cards" and delivered them to our country neighbors. He's secured jobs feeding horses, chopping wood, and watching a couple's home while they went on vacation. With our guidance, he sold old gaming systems and other unused stuff on Craig's List.
His situation reminded me of determined writers. We can't worry about where we aren't, or what we haven't accomplished yet. We have the power to make it happen if we're resilient, remain open to learning, and continue working hard.
We write the material.
We revise.
We have our work critiqued.
We send it out to agents and editors.
We endure rejections.
We revise again.
We rejoice in steps forward.
Some writers are bravely plunging in to self-publishing, and we're cheering them on. Each accomplishment is savored and appreciated because we made it happen. And our successes are that much sweeter because of our hard work.
When our son finally buys that newer dirt bike, he'll experience the pride of earning the money and making it happen. Not a bad lesson for teens and writers, huh?
Do you savor your accomplishments as much as you should? What steps do you take to reach your own writing goals? Please share!
And thanks to everyone who entered the 1,000-word critique giveaway. The luck winner is...Jenn! Congratulations, Jenn! I'll connect you with the generous ladies at The Bookshelf Muse.