Deliberately Expect the Extraordinary

                Listening to Constance Arnold’s most recent podcast has motivated me to deliberately ask and expect the extraordinary. This phrase has awakened me because until then I have only expected the ordinary. Given how my life has been for the past 4 years, all I want to do is keep my head above water and pay my bills on time. Now I have managed 3 promotions in the last 4 years but there has been a significant amount of turbulence too. However, right now I realize that I have decided to ask for the extraordinary. I simply don’t want to have a full-time position. I want one which is mentally stimulating where I will be able to learn something every day. Also I will deliberately expect more than just starting my business off on the right foot. I expect to it to be epic! Constance’s podcast has stopped me from settling right then and there because I know that I am capable to expecting more; therefore, for the next 30 days, I will keep a deliberate action journal chronicling my daily steps towards an extraordinary life. I love this idea because I love continuous improvement and with 32 days remaining in 2015, I can see progress ending this year on a high note; and, positioning myself for a way better 2016.

Moving from Writer to Mentor During Nanowrimo

                Nanowrimo is grueling. I will be the first to admit this. This is my first time winning in 8 tries. As soon as I have won I have morphed into mentor role because I need to see more people win. I have shared participants my tips and stories of my overcoming writer’s block (It’s real that the first 43,000 words were easy but I get writer’s block with 7200 words to go. I have managed to snap out of it by writing 8900 words in 2 days winning Nanowrimo with 51,630 words.). Mentoring comes easy for me because I love to communicate with people and exchange ideas. It is the 29^th and there are still people winning the competition, and people who need encouragement to cross the finish line. 

Nanowrimo Badges

Winning Nanowrimo and Its Meaning to Me

I have won Nanowrimo after 8 years. I’ve won because I have an outline, a theme, encouragement and determination. I’d be the first to admit that it has been hard. There have been 4 days that I’ve stopped because my brain swirls with all of these ideas. My brain need a break. In the past 2 days, I’ve typed over 8900 words to win. After turning the corner on 40,000 words with 8 days to go, I was determined to win. Before this year, 38,000 was my personal best. Now I will revise my book and prepare for the manuscript editing this December.

The Difference between Gratitude and Intention

There is a difference between gratitude and intention. Many gurus want people to be grateful. There is nothing wrong with that. I awake every morning and go to bed every night grateful for life and opportunity; however, I am set intentions every morning and night towards getting as much money, abundance and freedom. I equate gratitude as static or potential energy. When are grateful, you are still and quiet. You are grateful for your current state and what you have right now. Yet, to move forward, you need intentions which is dynamic or kinetic energy. When you intend to do something, you set the ball in motion. There is a big difference between gratitude and intention. You cannot move forward only on gratitude. You must add intention in order to become a better version of you.

Veracity

Veracity (noun):

Full Definition of VERACITY

1

:  devotion to the truth :  truthfulness

2

:  power of conveying or perceiving truth

3

:  conformity with truth or fact :  accuracy

4

:  something true

                The word of the week is veracity. Although I practice internal honesty every day, with 2016 being less than 45 days away, I need to be more honest. I need to declutter letting things, ideas and people who don’t serve me. I need to drop things that hold me back from my greatness. I must do it now and not want until New Year’s Eve because those evil spirits will weigh me down.

Project Execution with 45 Days Left This Year

Nano Epiphany and Other Things

                I know that I have been busy with Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) so I haven’t been writing on Blogger much. Today I have to take a mental break (I am currently at 17,676 words and 20,000 is my next goal). I am ahead 3 days so I deserve the rest. Also I have had a great epiphany. While perusing the #Nanowrimo hashtag yesterday, I came across some woman who wasn’t participating in this year’s competition because it coincided with her doctoral thesis. We tweeted each other and I learned that writing a 50,000-word novel was similar to writing a doctoral dissertation. The lightbulb went off immediately.

                I admit that I have been toying around with returning to school for my doctoral degree but I am conflicted about which major I should pursue.  I know that economics is the most math intensive out of statistics and business administration, but it is very hard. Personally, I don’t want to be seen as a math slacker. I am leaning towards taking statistics because it is out of 100 and I can still hold tight to my NASA Astronaut dreams. To become a NASA Astronaut, I need to have a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree. Statistics will qualify me for this. Furthermore, becoming an astronaut satisfies my inner Trekker. My mother has hooked me on the original Star Trek with William Shatner while growing up in Cleveland. I always want to be in something science-related. Therefore, earning a statistics degree puts me front and center. Although I have some incomplete education elsewhere, I still believe that with adequate preparation and discipline that I can accomplish my stats goal (It would be great to write about my statistical analysis too!).