GOALS
For over three years now, I’ve written a list of ten goals in my bullet journal, mostly every day. There were a few bad months and a few bad days, but, when I could, I repeated the same list in ink on the page. Sometimes the list swelled to eleven or twelve or shrunk back to exactly ten as achievements became, well, achieved. I ran my first marathon, became a board-certified general surgeon, and ran a Disney half marathon. I got engaged. Writing down my goals every day is a habit I picked up from Rachel Hollis, a social media entrepreneur who has since slightly fallen out of favor in my eyes because of her messy divorce. Not that humans aren’t allowed to get divorced. Not that humans aren’t allowed to change. I have compassion for people who put themselves out there so publicly, but Rachel Hollis’ entire platform was based on ‘rising together.’ Anyway.
The number one item on my list of goals— I will tell you now— has always been: I will write a New York Times bestseller and write for a living.
I don’t know if putting it out there is equivalent to saying a birthday wish out loud, but I don’t think so. I think it’s more like speaking truth into existence. Okay, Universe, I’m telling you now! I’m admitting it now! Perhaps, now that I’ve told Other People, it even adds accountability.
I don’t know what the book will be yet. As you know, I write in a variety of adult and young adult fiction, non-fiction, and medical research. I keep throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what will stick. What will become my life’s work? Or, is it as Donna said, “None of this is your life’s work!” What she means by that is: Don’t put that kind of weight or importance into it. It’s all work, and it’s all work that you have to do.
Work is the key, you know. You just have to do the work. To be a writer, you have to write. Ugh. I know it, you know it, the Universe knows it. I love to write. My complaint has always been a lack of time. For example, if I had spent the last twelve years writing instead of studying and practicing medicine, maybe I would be somewhere by now, too. The fact of the matter is, I squeeze and wring out precious hours, steal them from my family and my sleep, to put a few things down on paper now and then.
Like this morning, I popped up at 7 am (on a non-work Saturday) and immediately had an impulse to check my email. It turns out that I won second place in the EEEK! Short Shtory contest. I’m a little sad I didn’t win the cash prize, but I did get posted on the website, so hopefully, it adds a bit of street cred to my belt. (Or should I say, another head?) Read Jaxe, Another Kind of Monster Hunter at this link:
A different version of this story has been rejected twice from other publications. The lesson in this (I think) is: I have to be in this for a long haul. I imagined that my first YA novel would be picked up by a publisher eight months after I wrote it. HAH! People work on their books for two, five, ten years before they get published. I may be one of those overachievers, but I don’t get to bypass the system.
I’m sitting at a small kitchen table in a tiny house next to a waterfall, almost three hours outside New York City. Blonde wood planks the inside of the well-appointed cabin. I’m in a red buffalo check bathrobe and a wool cap, and Lindsay is two feet away from me, making coffee. The forest outside is splashed with orange and gold; the sun is just peeking over the sleepy shadow of the Catskills. This is my first long weekend off in the eight months since COVID came into our lives. I’m unplugged, untethered, and unwound. We might go on a hike, visit the Thomas Cole museum, or find some apples to pick. Tonight we might try again for three hours to build a fire with damp logs. We’ll make s’mores and then sit down to a supper of homemade soup and red wine. I might have time to write. I am happy.
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In other news, I was interviewed for a podcast… details coming soon! In the meantime, check out these awesome people at Hey Poopy! Podcast.
I have another piece in Baseline Med (Mortified in Medical School) and one of my Medium articles (I’m a Bit of a Karen, and I’m Okay with It) is getting some attention. For other things to read, go to my Hongkongfong LinkTree.
If anyone knows of someone who will make a website for me (I have been fumbling around with SquareSpace for too long), I can pay cash money! Let me know.
I’m ignoring the fact the Election Day is two days away (my mail-in ballot was counted) and that we might continue to be isolated from our families for the holidays. Wherever you are, YOU ARE DOING GREAT!
Keep your chin up, and (as Flying Penguins) always go black tie.