That just sounds wrong, doesn't it?  Who in their right mind would make quitting their goal?  I've never been accused of being in my right mind anyway, so I guess it's no shock that I would set quitting as my goal. 

I am quitting one thing each day that stands between me and my goal of a full-time cookie business.  Today's focus was to quit being scared.  Lots of times in the past I have been too scared to see the reaction on someone's face to deliver cookies to them.  I have this crazy fear that someone is going to take a look at the cookies and call me a fraud...tell me my cookies are ugly, and they can't believe someone would pay me to make such ugly things.

I have always tried to talk my daughters into making deliveries for me, and then I sit on pins and needles until they tell me they were delivered and the person enjoyed them.

Today, I had a delivery to do.  I was determined to make the delivery myself and fight my irrational fear.  This was a special delivery from Lincolnshire Police Department to Lt Carney of the Lincolnshire Riverwoods Fire Protection District.  I knew I would catch him at home and with his kids.

My heart was pounding when I got out of the car to make the delivery, but Lt Carney was gracious and personable.  His kids were fun and excited to get cookies, and they loved the cookies.

Peyton, Lt. Carney, Brett

So, thanks to Lt Carney and his kids for helping me take my fear head-on today!  Lt Carney, I hope you continue on the road to health, you have a lot of people on your side!

My day job is a police dispatcher (using the term "day job" loosely since I rarely work a day shift, usually overnight shifts).  The officers have become a great fan club of my cookie business.  Despite what the media tries to lead us to believe, cops do not all sit in the donut shop nomming on sweet treats all day.  Most of the officers I know are lean and health conscious.  In fact, the first time I brought cookies in I had to really convince them to try them because sweets and carbs are not in their diets.  After their first taste they all glow about my cookies.  Great way to motivate me when I'm questioning my choice of "dream" jobs.

Yesterday one of them, TJ, even confided in me that when he first saw my cookie he thought to himself it was going to be hard and dry, he was so surprised that it was exactly the opposite.  The icing, because it is royal, was hard, but the cookie was so moist.  Thanks TJ for being so honest with me!


I did these cookies for free to share with the officers I work with.  I do a lot of free cookies.  Drives someone I know to frustration with me, not gonna mention any names, but she is the first child I gave birth to.

In Jon Acuff's book "Quitter" he really excited me with his thoughts on doing things for free.  He said something to the effect of do a project for free if it is something you have not done before.  It gives you the opportunity to practice.  And we all know practice is essential to becoming better at what we do.

Off to go practice some more!  More cookies and a story to share tomorrow! 

Have you heard the saying "a body in motion stays in motion"?  I'm testing this idea for the sake of all those who want to be successful.  I have read if you want to be successful, at business, life, love, house cleaning (say WHAT?!), then hustle.  

I have begun planning my day the evening before.  I have found if I wake up knowing what I am doing first thing and throughout the day I am much more likely to be productive and constantly in motion towards the goal --- SUCCESS.  A great tip, is to start your day with your challenging tasks first, get them out of the way and you'll coast through the rest of your day! 

It has been working and I find myself being so much more productive than I ever had been in the past.  I got cookies done without stress, and they look great!  I was able to work on them leisurely, without stress because I did not procrastinate (did I mention that I have decided to quit procrastinating?).  I planned to work on them each morning after my coffee, and I did!

There was also time in my days for laundry, cleaning my room, work, social interaction with friends, time with my family and personal time.  Anytime I found myself wanting to procrastinate or take a nap (my favorite way to waste time) I reminded myself that I needed to keep going because being productive translate to money earned and that means I can support my family better.  That's my motivation, and it really works.

Summary:

• Plan your day the night before.
• Know what you are going to do when you get up in the morning. 
• Start with biggest tasks first.
• Find your motivator, and remind yourself of it whenever you feel like slowing down.
• Be more productive.
• Have more time!
• Bee Happy! 

What are experts saying about quitters?  Let's see what one has to say...

Jon Acuff, author of the book Quitter is an expert.  He quit 8 jobs in 8 years, which certainly qualifies him as an expert on quitting.  In his book he offers great advice on how to quit your day job for your dream job.  He is now working his dream job with the fabulous Dave Ramsey team, creators of the Total Money Makeover program; a great system on how to become debt free.  

You see, I am a cookie decorator, which is my dream job.  But, I am also a single mother with 5 daughters and so I work as a police dispatcher and a medical editor (day jobs) to pay my bills and feed my family.  Some days I feel I took the left when I should have taken the right fork in the road to my dream job, I'm in nightmare territory now!  Caught on a treadmill to make money, but never really getting any closer to my dream job.

Today is my birthday!  Happy birthday to me!  

For my birthday I have set a goal:  In a year I will be working my dream job to support myself and my family, and not my day job(s). 

Jon Acuff's advice in his book "Quitter", on how to move from your day job to your dream job makes great sense.  I love it when someone can make sense of something that I have heard over and over, but never could "hear" the intended message, very much like the first time I heard Dave Ramsey talk about how to become debt free...it was an ah-ha! moment.  I have decided today is the day to QUIT...

• ...making excuses.
• ...procrastinating.
• ...stop planning and start doing.
• ...stop telling myself I can't.