In December, I made a public accountability announcement of goals I set for myself to complete by the end of January 2014. It’s three weeks into the month. Time for me to set forth something new into the world!
I had three main goals:
- Finish the first chapter of my book.
- Make a video and post it.
- Send out 13 pitches as per my 13-Pitch Challenge
The First Chapter of my baby book? Check!
As promised, the first chapter of my book — as yet untitled — is ready for your perusal. It involves a bit of politics, emotion and, not-a-surprise-if-you-know-me-at-all, a smidge of soapbox standing related to the choices women make.
You can download the full chapter after the excerpt.
“What’s wrong with you?” people asked with absolutely no shame. “You don’t like kids?” I felt watched any time a child came near me or someone put a baby in my hands. “Look, the kid is crying. They know when someone isn’t good with kids. What kind of woman doesn’t love children?”
The answer to those questions invariably arrives as the following. Selfish, overly career driven women don’t want children. They don’t have natural instincts. They only think of themselves. Not that perhaps it’s not necessary for every woman to have kids, or that creation, beauty and challenge come in other forms.
It’s assumed even in our seemingly modern culture that women are incomplete without having a baby. A woman who can’t have children is called infertile. She can’t produce. It diminishes the role of women to one thing, ignoring building companies, being mentors, writing books.
Why didn’t I want children? Many reasons. I didn’t know if I could handle it. I have a temper that I didn’t want to take out on a child. I didn’t want to put all that time and energy into someone else when already I could barely keep up with myself. Would I be able to write with children?
Download full chapter now!
Create a video and post it! Check!
I almost chickened out with this one. It is daunting to post full on video of myself!
Three things held me to it!
One. I told you all I’d post it.
Two. The second chapter of my book focuses on self image. How we see our bodies, our talents and our flaws. I rarely express my most honest and personal thoughts related to these things. I also realize that in order to write the book I want to write, I have to dig deep and let you know how I feel, mainly because I know many others out there feel similarly as I do.
What better way to start but by sharing a video where I show myself as I am?
And three. I talked to Jeannie Mark from Nomadic Chick. Her advice? “Don’t chicken out. Remember, to build your business, you have to cast yourself as the character on your website. 🙂 People want to know the Leigh I know.”
I started writing this book in September by going back to the baby journal I kept while pregnant with Lila. I read, took notes, created a structure and identifying themes. Just as I finished organizing a first draft, I began feeling funny, kind of nauseated and dizzy. I could locate a bowl of dulce de leche ice cream from five feet away simply by smell. My clothes fit funny. So I took a test and got the little pink plus.
Call it kismet. Call it funny timing. Call it research for the book. There you have it!
The final goal? My 13 pitches? Half a check!
I promised myself I’d send 13 pitches out in the world, ripe for either acceptance or rejection by the end of January. How is that going?
I’ve outlined about 20 options, have sent out 3 and will spend the next two weeks researching and refining the rest. My pitch topics? Writing, the business of writing, parenting and travel with children. I am a bit behind, but I’ve done enough of the ground work to complete the goal as long as I don’t procrastinate.
As. Long. As. I. Don’t. Procrastinate.
