The Road Ahead

I am very, very, very excited as I write this post. The reason? Well – there are several:

1. I completed the 50,000 words in 30 days as a part of NaNoWriMo 2014. Yes, I did it. I am an official NaNoWriMo 2014 winner! They even gave me a fancy certificate :) . This also means that the first draft of my first book is ready. It is abysmal as of now, to say the least, but it has been completed. And that makes me proud
2. The course has been going well...there are a couple of more weeks to go. I have got some new ideas, and will spend the next few months working on them
3. The exercise routine has been going steady for over a month now. I just missed two days though – but I know I can easily get back in the rhythm, and I like that newly found confidence

So basically, the goals that I had set for myself two months ago, are all near completion, and that is what makes me so happy.

In my previous post, I had shared that as a part of my Live Off Your Passion course, it is time for me to choose a passion, and see if it works as a career option. The choice, for me, was not that tough, and I have decided to give writing a full fledged, whole hearted shot. Writing was a clear winner for two reasons:

1. I have always loved doing it, and left to myself, would have chosen it in any case. The course has helped me identify the kind of writing that I like to do, and my why behind it, and that helps immensely
2. I have anyway been dedicating a lot of my time to writing, lately, with the book and this blog, and it made sense to take it to the next level

Now, to be honest, I don't know how things will work out; I don't know if I will succeed; I still have some doubts about my capabilities. But somehow, I am no longer afraid. The fear of failure has gone out the window in the last two months, because I know that it is I who define my failure. And the way I see it, no failure is final. If I don't do well as a writer, I will do something else. I will find one way or another to work with my strengths, grow as a person, and contribute something to the world. Which is what success to me is, anyway.

So, this post of mine is to announce that I am going to spend the next few months improving my writing, revising my book and attempting publication, and working on a couple of other writing projects. The course also suggests that I can pursue one other interest of mine on the side, along with writing, and for that I have chosen psychology as a way of life, learning more about concepts like empathy, gratitude, happiness, peace, and love. The ideal career for me would entail a combination of these two main interests I have, plus some others, but there is still time before I get there. The journey has just begun.

It is December already, and soon it will be time to reflect on the year gone by, and make plans for the new year. I will continue to share my goals and dreams and progress on this blog – mainly because now I know for sure that this really builds accountability. In the last two months, every time I wanted to give up on my goals – whether it was completing the book or exercising, the only thing that kept me going was my public pledge – to myself and my readers. I didn't want to be someone who did not keep her commitment. And so I pushed myself, and kept going.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement all this while. It often came at times when I really needed it, and meant the world to me. I am truly grateful – thank you!