Writing.Com General Discussion

         Are you in control of your life or are you just coping with whatever comes to you? I'm guilty of the latter. So many things stand between me and my dreams. I discovered a podcast by Dr. Phil that may be helpful to you in your goals of becoming a better author. And it's free.

         In you cell phone, go the podcast icon, search for drphilintheblanks and click on Living By Design. There are 9 podcasts. Or you can listen on your desktop, which you will have to access anyway for the worksheets. The worksheets are not user-friendly for listing, but are very helpful. He has you set very practical goals and realistic deadlines. More important he helps you analyze what's been holding you back. You can apply it to parenting, your job, or other things, as well as writing.

         I thought the hardest homework was the session that had us list our 10 defining moments, the 7 most critical choices (things we did ourselves intentionally), and the 5 most pivotal people. I discovered my mind has been filled with negative things that weren't true! They could not hold up to critical analysis. The sources of that negativity were not authoritative or true, but frequently arose from other people's weaknesses. I have to sort through a lot of old patterns and replace bad habits with better ones.

         You don't live in the ideal world. Your behavior should always be ideal, but you have to be wary of all the people who would hold you back, maybe not intentionally. This is a very realistic, but honest way to pursue your dreams and the life you really want. Everyone will respond differently, since we're all unique. It's worth the time if you want to make changes.