My 10 Year Plan: Writing Goals + Make the World Less Scary

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An important exercise that I have engaged in since I was in college was to sit for a few minutes with a cup of coffee and my journal, and make a 5 Year Plan.  I have specifically prayed about where exactly I hope to be in 10 years. At that time, in 2030, I will have two children in college, 5 kids at home, three will be teenagers and two will be pre-teens.  My mind is sorta blown when I think about that, but also, I have a lot of good hopes and good plans for my future.

There is no question in my mind that my calling in life is to be a writer.  It is my passion. When I go to a bookstore and grab a cup of coffee, browsing and getting ideas and a pulse of the zeitgeist is possibly my favorite activity.  I come alive, time moves swiftly, and I have a million ideas of what I want to read and write next.

My hope is to get a regular writing gig, hopefully with an online Catholic publication, write a nonfiction book and get it published, write a book of poetry, write a children's book and get it illustrated and published, and give an interview.  My "reach" goal is to win an award for something that I write.  I also hope to continue reading between 60-70 books a year as I have in the past.

In ten years I will be 46. There is no doubt in my mind (from talking to people I admire who are further down the road of life than me) that getting older is hard, but accomplishments outweigh disappointments.  When we have a clear idea of where we are headed, it is easier and more exciting to pursue our passions. We have an end goal in mind, therefore each day we can take a bite of the whale that is our future hopes and plans.  Dreaming with your journal is a fun and exciting way to take a bit more control of the direction of your life.

We live in a dark world, with disease, scary criminals, abuse of power, gangs, drug issues, and the dark web.  How are we making our world a more beautiful, less scary place to live? Through the redemption of Catholic culture we can only hope to make the world a better place to be.  Study, labor, and virtue are needed. Passion comes from attention, inventiveness is the result, and study is the cause.  When we see something beautiful in nature, such as a bird in flight, it should arouse no fear or suspicion.  To seek the freedom which that bird has, we have to focus on God, who is all goodness.

read more at tacywb.blogspot.com

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