I told myself, in preparation for today's post, that I would randomly open to a page in M.J. Ryan's book, This Year I Will and let the chapter speak to me.  I would go where M.J. Ryan's words took me.

Page 112, "Yes, You Can Find the Time." 

House of Shine readers who tuned into yesterday's Community Forums General Discussion have to be smiling right now. Robin, loyal reader and author of countless books on parenting, is using the General Discussion Forum to mentor anyone who is interested in writing a book, a short story, or a magazine article.  Yesterday's forum discussion revolved around setting a goal for daily word count and then carving out time to meet that goal. 

I was perspiring as I was reading Robin's encouraging, yet no-nonsense, approach to publishing.  I was sweating because, as all too many of you know, I claimed 2010 as my Year of the Book.  While many of you were off claiming the Year of Me, Year of Organization, Year of Art, Year of the Phone, and Year of Home Decorating, I was busy setting a goal that there is no way to squirm my way out of.  There can be no half decorated house, no two pieces of art instead of twenty, no talking on the phone more than I did.  

When it comes to a book, I either wrote one in 2010 or I didn't.

Two hundred twelve words a day is what I need to write in order to reach my goal by December 2010.  Sounds manageable, I know.

I am sweating because, frankly, I cannot - CAN NOT - imagine where I will fit one more thing into my schedule.  As it is, I spend my morning shower thinking about what I am going to think about on my way to work.  While at work, I routinely think about my next three or four moves: (1) finish memo, (2) return three phone calls, (3) scour the internet for information necessary to work on a project, and (4) send an email reminding people of upcoming meeting.  Oh, and step number five... review planner for next four things to do.

Home is the same.  I break simple tasks into parts that span days.  Monday, make dough for Cookie Cutter Challenge cookies.  Tuesday, bake cookies.  Wednesday, decorate cookies .  Thursday, package cookies and photograph.  Friday, write post featuring cookies.  As for folding laundry, one basket = 15 minutes.  My day is already choreographed with the same precision as the Lion King performer who transforms from wart hog to giraffe in less than one minute (Confused? See yesterday's post).

How, with three boys, a job, a blog that's on the move, and all the other commitments involved with being a wife, homeowner, friend, daughter, sister, and volunteer can I possibly add "author" to my list?

Impossible.

Enter, M.J. Ryan.  "Each of us has the choice as to how we spend our time.  But it's really easy to tell ourselves it's not our choice, especially when it involves some new habit or dream that takes energy to bring into being."  Ryan admits that finding the time is not easy.  Reading her chapter was a little like listening to her say,

"Claudia, writing your book might require sacrifice.  It might include writing before you go to bed instead of watching Anderson Cooper; using vacation time to write chapters instead of hopping on a plane and visiting family or friends; spending less time on daily blog posts; making a contractual agreement with yourself not to send a single package until January 2011; or finally accepting that the socks are never going to get sorted."

Ryan reminds us, "Time is one of our most precious resources.  Even if you can carve out only fifteen minute a day to devote to your new habit, that's ninety one hours over the course of a year."  

Visit us in the Community Forum section labeled M.J. Ryan and tell us what time choices you need to make so you can have what you really want this year?

Shining off until tomorrow...