Staying on track to goals

Posted on December 16, 2011 by laina

Last Friday I spent several hours planning out my week. I was very proud of myself and what I accomplished because for the first time in a long time I was very organized. I took all the tasks I needed from writing daily, to book promotion, client work, and personal to do’s.

Monday I hit the ground running and was immediately hit with an unexpected not on my list. However, because of my list I was able to easily deal with this issue and get back on track. had I not had my list I would have been so flustered I would have probably wasted the day. As it was I got most of it done, same with Tuesday, and so on. However, I am having a hard time now focusing to write. In the past I would write first and not worry about all the lists of things I also had to complete each day. But now that I know this list is going to be staring me in the face I have a hard time not thinking about it in order to write. Now I am behind about 6000 words to my weekly writing goal and as the source of my income that is stressing me out.

How can I balance all of this and not go crazy. It hasn’t helped that I pulled my children out of before/after school care for the month of December so my “work days’ are much shorter even though I am saving a lot of money which is a relief.

Any ideas?

Laina

The Dream House

Posted on December 22, 2010 by laina

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Chiczofrenic – Barbie & Ken

We all remember back when we were young and it was all about Barbie dolls and Baby Alive. If we had brothers there might be a stretch Armstrong and some Hot Wheels thrown in. However, how many of us played house. Traditional ‘play’ acting for girls and boys alike. Mimicking our parents and grandparents or people we may have watched on television. Is this where we learned that we wanted to have that perfect life? Did the those folks really portray the perfect life? It’s what all the people against Barbie and Ken were fearful of, the ideas that people could be perfect. We played with the perfect Barbie, in her perfect clothes, her perfect corvette, and perfect Ken. Did we feel this was how life was supposed to be? Perfect?

How did you feel the first time you realized that life wasn’t going to be like Barbie and Ken living the life in the Dream House? I know I’ve felt cheated at times. I thought life was supposed to be all rainbows and marshmallows. Damn that fantasy! It set some high expectations that now I must reach or live disappointed. Trying to achieve that dream is what is driving me crazy these days (among others). How about you?

Laina

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Are you a Diva?

Posted on December 19, 2010 by laina

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I often include myself in this category. I mean, why not? I am cool, fabulous and basically I am every woman! But where did it start? Who was coined a diva back in the day? Who is one now? All these questions plague my mind as I wonder how much of a diva I am considered by the masses? Well, like I usually do, I get on the computer and do some research and here is what I came up with…

What is a Diva?

Check it out and let me know if your a diva and why!

Laina

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Carbs or No Carbs

Posted on December 14, 2010 by laina

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I wake up this morning and put my low fat, low carb, high protein, high fiber bar in my purse. Fully intending to get my coffee and eat my healthy breakfast and start the day off right. However, I had a meeting at Panera Bread and when I walked in my resolve to not eat carbs started to weaken. The smell of toasting bread and bagels is one that I have a very hard time resisting. Still possessing some willpower I walked up to the counter telling myself that I would only have a coffee – ok and an ice tea (I am a true caffeine addict). But then the person waiting on me had the audacity to say “would you like to try one of our trail mix bagels today” and I caved. I couldn’t say no! My willpower went out the window and I said that I would love to try a trail mix bagel. I ate it and enjoyed every bite all while thinking about how I would just have my high fiber bar for lunch or skip it altogether, which we all know won’t happen.

I get so mad at the bad rap carbs have received over the last few years. I used to be able to eat my bagels with abandon and no guilt. But now I think with every bite how each calorie will turn in to sugar or fat or whatever. To be honest I am not really sure why I shouldn’t eat them. Just that they help contribute to my overall voluptuous curves and I don’t need any more help.

So much for my good intentions – it is true they do pave the road to hell.

Laina

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Who cares? Not I. Ok, fine. I do.

Posted on May 26, 2010 by laina

The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.
William James

So much for ever being wise. I would like to say I don’t sweat the small stuff, and I don’t, unless the small stuff really pisses me off. Then I just can’t help myself. I wish I could but I can’t. Maybe I should take up yoga or something.

Sometimes when emotions get the best of us it can be hard to decide if you are being petty or if it’s justifiable to be annoyed. And to be honest sometimes I like to be annoyed. So do you – admit it.

How can one get past that little stuff. Do you think about things in a global sense or how many bigger problems you really have (you would think that one would work for me).

Laina

Monday – already?

Posted on May 10, 2010 by laina

I’m not sure why Mondays always seem to be the most difficult day of the week to get up, motivated, and out of the house. Especially since I, like many of us these days, work 7 days a week.
I used to be so good at getting up early and jumping right in to whatever I had to accomplish and work, work, work, until it was done. Somehow I have, in the last year, become lazy. With good intent (I think) but with an intent that was really a fairy tale existence of what I wanted and thought might happened if I wanted it bad enough. Not so much reality. Now to face that reality it means to give up on that fairy tale and my wish for a Prince Charming. I mean, I searched all weekend on Craig’s list and there were absolutely no Price Charmings to be found. Who would have thought he would be so hard to find. I thought anything and everything could be found on Craig’s list. What a disappointment.
This week I pledge to get up and be motivated and get my stuff done. I also commit to working out 3x this week and since I have said that they last 3 Mondays and not done it, it will not be easy. I am going to finalize the business book (since I am so way behind deadline) and write daily on my follow up book to Stilettos & Scoundrels.

There…now it’s written. It MUST happen.

Cheers and Happy Monday!
Laina

BIG Mistake

Posted on February 22, 2010 by laina

Have you ever done something thinking you were being unselfish and doing the “right” thing only to have it end up being 10 times worse and to realize that you weren’t being perceived as ever doing the right thing in the first place? How does that happen?? Bad judgment or just poor communication of expectations? Whatever I guess. I’m not going to worry about it. It just strikes me as funny because of trying so hard for nothing.

Moving on…tomorrow is the first release party for Stilettos & Scoundrels at the Rainmakers Main Event. I have another one scheduled for March 10th at N. Rue in Broad Ripple and am working on several others (including the DSW at Clay Terrace). Exciting stuff. Now I’m trying to balance the selling with finishing the business book and writing the next Presley Thurman book. Never enough time in the day. How do you all balance everything without getting burnt out?

Don’t forget that MS Awareness week starts March 8th and we are building pre-awareness now! Purchasing my book prior to march 8th will send 20% of proceeds to the MS Society.
Have a great Monday!
Laina

Stilettos & Scoundrels Book Release – Rainmakers Main Event Tuesday Feb. 23rd.

Posted on February 19, 2010 by laina

Come to the release for Stilettos & Scoundrels at the Rainmakers Main Event. 20% of all proceeds from this event will go to the Indiana MS Society. The will be a member of the Indiana MS Society in attendance to answer any questions as we get close to the kick off of MS Awareness week March 8th.

If you can’t make it there will be other events or buy the book online at www.lainamolaski.com. Also available on Kindle. 20% of all online purchases prior to March 1st will benefit MS.

Monday morning blahs

Posted on February 8, 2010 by laina

Anyone besides me want to stay in bed today? I enjoy the pretty snow but I would enjoy it better if it was 70 outside.

So I have sold 2 pre-sale copies of Stilettos and Scoundrels I only have 298 more to go this month to pay my mortgage. In case you thought I was joking in my post from last week. I’m not. Now some of you might think I am really nuts, and you would probably be right, but not because of this decision alone. For a lot of personal reasons which I will spare you the details, I don’t much care anymore if the bank takes my house, so really it’s not that much of a gamble to loose. What will be worse than losing the house however, is not selling any books. I need that affirmation that I’m a marginal writer, at least for my first attempt. I promise to get better.

The other reason I didn’t want to get out of bed today is that I have a bit of a dilemma with my other book. I have a business book that to be honest I didn’t really want to write, I just was somewhat pressured in to it and I did see the point everyone was trying to make. I then came up with the bright idea to have a online companion and an iPhone app. Kind of a nice, tidy package that would make it seem fabulous. Well on Thursday I discovered a fatal (no I am not being dramatic) error in the website design that negated all the time I had spent thus far (time I don’t have) and now I need too find an alternative solution and I’m not sure what that is. I’m also on a tight deadline to figure it out if I want to meet my publishing deadline and without the online “stuff” I am not sure the book standing alone is positioned correctly. Does that even make sense???

So option A- Scrap the entire project. About $1500 wasted, not including my time, but wouldn’t be wasting any more $$ going forward.

Option B – Just do the book and iPhone app and don;t worry about the online companion. Would required some sort of major adjustments to the book but is doable.

Option C – Use my secret ninja powers to find a online solution ASAP (the issue here is I don’t really want to spend the time rebuilding the site from scratch when I need to promote my fiction book to make my house payment).

A little help from my friends would be appreciated:)

Peace-
Laina

PS Today is the start of the 30 day count down to MS week!!!!!!

Happy Monday!

Posted on January 25, 2010 by laina

I am determined to have a great week this week. I had a productive weekend and so far it is continuing through today (yes I realize it is only 9:30am) but let’s celebrate the small successes.
I pressed the “confirm” button on my fiction book, Stilettos & Scoundrels, to send to final printing. The book will launch March 16th, 2010. I haven’t yet decided if I’m freaked out by this or excited. I have a lot financially riding on this (hence the freaked out part) but surely all my friends will take pity on me and buy it therefore increasing my perceived greatness as an author to my agent and potential publishing houses. I am also having it formatted for Kindle, Sony reader, and Amazon reader. 20% of all pre-sale purchases go to the Indiana MS Society. You can purchase on my website www.lainamolaski.com so help out the MS Society and get your book now. If you’re local you will be able to pick up your copy at any one of the several book signings I am organizing right now. A list will be published within the next couple weeks.
I am waiting for my non-fiction book, But It’s My Business, to come back from my editor any day now so I can put the finishing touches on it and send it off. This book will be out March 30th and will have a companion website with tools and resources (available now) and an iPhone app. This book also will have 20% of all pre-sale orders to the MS Society.
In the meantime I actually need to sell these books and set up some speaking engagements for the non-fiction book. So back to work!!!

Laina