Goals and Punctuality

I started classes at the community college on Monday. I'm going for a Medical Office Specialist certificate. While I was a bit nervous, I like challenges. Now, I'm considered a very punctual person. I have issues with lateness. I don't do tardy. I didn't do tardy in school. Until Monday.

I left for school on time and arrived with time to spare. I didn't expect to park in Texas. I pounded pavement loaded down with anything I might need, and then some. The college grew before my eyes. We're talking crazy big. It looked like a gigantic parking garage with a courtyard in the center. Oh, and there are a million halls. I had about two minutes to track down one of them.

It took longer than two minutes.

I finally found my class, six minutes after it started. I walked in late. And the one empty seat had a crappy computer monitor and a freakish keyboard. No one else had to type on a freakish keyboard. I hate being late. I'm never late. I spent the bulk of the class waiting for my pulse to regulate. I think I have homework? Not sure. Guess who's going to get to class super early next time? Yep - ME!

I felt like such a nerd. At least I know where ALL the halls are now. Oy. The next class went better, even though they changed the room number.

So despite a harried and chaotic start to schoool, I still ended up with a productive day. I worked in the morning, and then after I got home I worked until dinner. Tuesdays and Thursdays are night classes, so I'll have more time during the day. It's too soon to say how much homework I'll be assigned, but I'm confident I can work out a schedule where I fit everything in. At least I'd better! I have much to do.

I'm in charge this month and super pumped to accomplish my goals. I've worked out each morning, and then some thanks to parking in Texas. I'm done coming up with excuses for not working out. I feel better when I exercise. Even my post-it note says so.

I'm reading like a fool, which always makes me goofy happy :) Some great books I've read over the past couple of weeks are:

We Are Not Alone - The Writer’s Guide to Social Media by Kristen Lamb
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia
Dead Iron by Devon Monk (review coming soon at Clockwork Reviews)

I'm polishing the sequel to Iron Butterfly so I can submit it. And I've started with the first 5 pages of deep-edits on my steampunk mystery novel. They're more intensive than regular edits. If you've ever taken a workshop by Margie Lawson, you know what I'm talking about.

To help with my blog goal, I've decided to embark on a weekly blog series. I have two ideas that I'm toying with, so once I know, you'll know.

How about you? How are your goals coming along? Are you diving right into the deep waters? If not, what's holding you back?

Maybe you need encouragement? For this round, I'm looking for people to poke, prod, and push me to make my goals if I even think about slacking off. I mean it. If I'm falling behind then I'm losing focus, and right now my focus is strong. So I will ask for some rough housing if need be!

If you're looking for motivation and encouragement, ROW80 will deliver.

And as I tend to do, I'm leaving you with some steampunkery goodness:

Very cool Steampunk Star Wars artwork by Bjorn Hurri.

Twittertape Machine by Adam Vaughan



Thanks for stopping by! Now I'm off to cheer on the lot of you :)

Marie Andrews