What do YOU want to learn this year? I’ve been giving this
some serious thought. Generally, I just wait for a topic, hobby, adventure to
hit me and then I go figure it out. But this year I’m being intentional. Here’s
my working list of what I want to learn this year -
1. How to sell a book. I’ve got so many books in me. Three that
are already written. What I don’t have is somebody to help me sell them to a
publisher. Oh, I know I could self-publish, and it may come to that, but before
I do that I want to do everything I can to get a real, live agent. This means
learning how to perfect my query, pitch, and angle. This means trying some new
tactics and not sitting here waiting to be discovered.
2. How to make soup. I’ve never been a big soup person, but I
want to be. I’m not going to force myself to eat soups I already know I don’t
like – split pea, squash based soups, clam chowder – I’m going to learn how to
make soups I do like. For Christmas I bought myself a fancy new Cuisinart Soup
maker with the gift cards I received, so now I can get down to business. Very
excited about this project.
3. How to pick a college. The first of my three very bright
children is beginning this adventure. I will accompany him to many campuses,
peruse catalogs, meet with admissions counselors and find scholarship
possibilities. And I will learn the game. I promise to pass along any great wisdom
I collect in case you are headed down this road yourself.
4. How to be truly present. I am very good at doing ten things
at once. But I don’t want to continue this crazy habit. I’m ready to experience
my moments, pay attention to the person in front of me, and listen to my own
heart. I haven’t figured out my strategy yet for challenging this lifelong
habit, but it is something I want to work on this year.
