A Day for Dreaming

Last night again, I just wanted it to be morning. This morning my alarm went off, and I got up right away though I was quite sleepy. Then I discovered it was 6:10 and the alarm had apparently already gone off once. My goal was to spend two hours reading - one more of the self-disicpline book and one that had something to do with publishing/editing/formatting/publicizing and the myrad of other things that I'm working on.

I went to the kitchen to make some tea - I've been trying to instill that habit as well. Pop was up and hungry so I thought I'd better get him breakfast before he left. So I decided to make breakfast and then read for two hours. While I worked we again chatted about the stock market and owning a theater. He expanded on the idea of building a theater with a lot of rooms in the back for classrooms. He charted out how the different areas of revenue could come in to support the theater and eventually help me attain my goal of producing my work in film and theater. After breakfast, he pulled up his stock market - uh, account? - and began showing me the rise and falls and how you could make more by selling during the rise, than you could by keeping the dividend. He showed me two of the more stable companies and explained how to read the numbers. He'll have to show me again because my brain saw the need to mulitply numbers and convert fractions and tried to distract me by waving the maroon and gold curtains of my theater across the small part of my brain that peeps out from it's long hibernation. But it was interesting. And we talked more about the theater. By 9:00, I hadn't read a word and I was convinced that it was possible to do anything I wanted.

I found out that 44 people visited my blog yesterday setting a record for any of my blogs in one day. One person bought a copy of "Across the Distance" making it 5 that I've sold since it was published. And 15 had visited today by 9:00. Now it's 16. That added to the feeling of euphoria.

I read and did some of the exercises in the book, then set to work with a passion. I scrapped my original plan to work on editing "Swing" today and declared it "National Lindsey Goal-Mapping Day." A day for dreaming it was. One my trusty whiteboard (which I got for the class that didn't make and I must say I've fallen in love with it) I wrote out. Publicity Program. Publishing company. "The Room" (referring to the room I'm supposed to be finding a way to use for steady income...la la la) "NeverLand Productions" (referring to the old acting troupe/school I wanted to start) to meet in my theater, "The theater," and "filming company."

There. All the stepping-stones of my dreams combined into one great circle of life... or ten lives... or work, really.

So then I made a fancy blueprint for "New Heights Productions" - starting with a timeline for preparing book signings. I tried to map out ideas for publicizing the book and creating excitement and benefits for the readers. Then I worked on what would be required for my "New Heights publishing" company, trying to decide if I should focus on learning the skills I need to do everything myself in a professionalism manner or if I should find a way to farm out the work so I can work on selling. I would - if I had steady income.... hmmm. Haven't figured that one out yet.

Then it was time to make the blueprint for "The Room." I erased the whiteboard again and began brainstorming for ideas to make a weekly, steady income. Piano, voice, starting a grocery-shopping business, the usual.

I wrote down Tuesday and Thursday, to figure out how many hours I could work and how much I could make while giving the majority of my days to publishing. Then it happened.

My stomach churned. I swallowed. I don't WANT to be tied down. I pictured living here and not being able to go stay in Palacios and...

Then I quite. Erased it and walked away where I filled out the form on overcoming fear and stress. There really is no simple answer to what I want. I can't be in two places at once. Unless I made my stead income off of editing and formatting people's books online. I could get really good at it and it would only take a few hours a week once I figured it out and - would that take away from my books? Where would I even start to do that? If you've ever googled "becoming an editor" or "learning to be a typesetter" you'll get a lot of snooty blogs on how if you MUST insist on self-publishing, you should leave that to the professional. Or you get a lot of "Let me do that for you!" But no one will explain the steps you need to become a profession. By this time, the wind was dying down and my sails began to flag.

I read some more of the book. Did some more of the exercises.

Nearly fell asleep.

So there you have it folks. Here's my exercise answers. My "blueprint" will be in the next blog.

1. Sell 1 million copies of each book.

2. Produce 1 book into a film

3. Act as a major character in a film.

4. Donate 1 million dollars to IJM.

5. Pay my parents back for their investments.

6. Renovate Palacios

7. Own a piece of real-estate

8. Meet a future husband

9. Own a self-financing theater.

10. Finish my four-year degree.

11. Become a natural healer.

12. Buy a new car.

13. Heal my family relationships

14. Make 50 new friends

15. Build physical strength

Major Definite Purpose

Sell 1 million copies of each book by September 12, 2012.

How can I reach this goal?

1. Set up at least four book signings a month.

2. Get reviews on the book.

3. Give away free copies of the book.

4. Blog, tweet, and other social media.

5. Make 1 million very good friends.

6. Find other people to help sell my book.

7. Find stores to stock my books.

8. Make a book trailer for my books.

9. Find 100 “loyal fans” for the book.

10. Write more books.

11. Tell everyone I meet about my book.

12. Make book cards.

13. Advertise for the book.

14. Lower the prices of the book.

15. Write newspapers about the book.

16. Research how others sold their books.

17. Hire an editor, cover designer and formatter so I’m free for writing and marketing.

18. Develop relationships with customers by keeping up with them.

19. Develop relationships with future customers by taking and interest in their endeavors.

20. Book club discounts.

How can I sell 100,000,000 copies of my books in a year?

1. Create a sensation buzz and excitement.

2. Research whatever Harry Potter and Twilight did.

3. Create a book trailer and put it in front of everyone.

4. Create strong relationships with people - especially those who would enjoy the book.

5. Go to book fairs.

6. Find interesting places to sell it.

7. Book signings.

8. Write lots of books.

9. Create a small publishing company and get it into bookstores.

10. Focus on ebook sales.

11. Get reviews from everybody.

12. Enter into published contests.

13. Give consignments to those who help me sell.

14. Lower the prices as much as I can.

15. Give books away to garner buzz and reviews.

16. Find a way to break into media.

17. Develop ways to pull people’s interest into interacting with the book.

18. Write the newspapers.

19. Review other people’s books who may be common with mine.

20. Launch a national campaign

Failure is not an option. Success is assured.

Action Exercise

1.

· I will lose Palacios or I’ll move there and won’t thrive.

· I won’t be able to make enough money and reach my goals.

· I’ll have to get a job that will tie me down.

· I’m afraid to live far from family.

2. I have always wanted to act in film but was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find enough wholesome work to pull it off. I have always wanted to be a best seller but I’m afraid I won’t be able to get my work out to enough people for it to take off. I have always wanted to fix up Palacios and live there while still doing things like acting and being near family.

3.If I was guaranteed success in filming I would create a headshot and show up with confidence for auditions. I would network with people to produce my writing as a film and would unashamedly expect a role because nobody can pull my own characters off like I can. If I was guaranteed success in being a best-selling author, I would cry in relief. Then I would go full-force into whatever it is that will make me that way. If I was gaurenteed a job that wouldn’t tie me down, I would travel back and forth between here and Palacios (if I owned it, I could live in it part-time and rent it out on the weekends while I’m gone) and I wouldn’t worry about choosing between home, family and opportunity. If I was guaranteed that I could successfully live on my own and stand on my own two feet, I’d pursue everything I was now – only about triple the speed.

4. The three areas of my life in which I experience the most fears of failure and loss are making enough money to be financially independent, losing the emotional support of my family and in making new friends and trying new things because I’m not good enough. To overcome the financial aspect, I need to study more about investing and hone my skills so that I am an “expert” in my fields and I know what I need to make my books successful. I can temporarily get a job to build up my assets so that I have enough money to invest. I need to start thinking and acting for myself without depending on anyone’s help. I need to enjoy my family, not enslave them. I need to work on understanding people more, and try doing things that scare me so I become comfortable in social situations. I need to prove to myself that I am just as capable as anyone else.

5. The three areas, that I experience the most criticism, rejection and embarrassment are not having a normal job, not having money and being introverted. I could overcome this by succeeding despite not having a normal job or getting a normal job and thus fitting the idea that everyone has that I should look like. (Wow. I just blamed everybody. Let me try this again.) I could overcome this by working to be educated in my field and producing high-quality, efficient work. I could find better ways to earn and invest my funds as well as saving the little I do make. I can work on my people skills by reading books on body language, personality and getting out in different social situations to interact more.

6. If I knew that I could not fail, I would recreate every book I ever wrote into film versions, act in some of them and use half the proceeds to help end human trafficking.

7. If I had 20 million in the bank but only ten years left to live, I would build my own theater, equipped with training rooms for classes. I would write as many books as I could get out there. I would invest 1 million to make sure the money kept building. I would renovate Palacios for my parents – and if they didn’t want to live there, I’d buy it and use it as a “relief” house for wounded pastors or something. I would get my books made into movies, cast it myself and create it as I see it in my head. I’d build up as much dividends and royalties as I could and direct half to my family and half to ministries that end human trafficking so that they would be supported even after I left. It’s a lot but given the ability to hire out the work, I think I could do every single one of these. Oh, and I’d have a grand time doing it. I’d visit all my friends at their homes and take them all on a trip to Europe.