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Joy Walker

About Joy Walker

https://joymwalker.com

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Chip R. Bell Books

Value-Unique, Not Value-Added

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Last week, I had the immense privilege of a personal phone conversation with consultant, speaker, and bestselling author Chip R. Bell. If you don’t know Chip and why I was so excited to talk with him, let me tell you a little about him. Chip R. Bell and the term “value-unique, not value-added” are synonymous. He purports that offering something different, rather than offering something more, is the wave of marketing.

Chip has been speaking and writing about companies, thinking through the lens of customers for decades. Kaleidoscope and Inside Your Customer’s Imagination are his latest books. In them, you will find countless examples of how you can make your customers’ experiences more memorable, more unique.

At Forbes.com, Chip writes fresh articles on the value-unique topic. He encourages businesses, authors, and entrepreneurs to create an element of surprise. Chip’s challenge to companies is to develop a culture that encourages customer loyalty. Make yourself stand out by adding unique value to whatever you are selling.

In our phone conversation, Chip gave me some brilliant suggestions as a new blogger and author. He said a well-written blog is insightful and encouraging, that blogs should have catchy titles, unique graphics that relate to the topic, and include hyperlinks to other bloggers or writers. Blogs should conclude with a call to action. He suggested I write shorter blogs and start a newsletter, mentioning that newsletters should be “newsy,” and informative with lots of graphics and photos.

Chip also suggested entrepreneurs and writers read:

  1. Seth Godin’s blog and books, especially Tribes, and Chip’s favorite, Purple Cow,
  2. Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics by Jackie Huba, and
  3. Sidetracked: Two Women, Two Cameras, and Lunches on Sherman’s Trail by Milam McGraw Propst and Jaclyn Weldon White.

Even though Chip has been teaching the concept of “value-unique versus value-added” for years, this concept is still unique and effective. If you read Chip’s books or articles, or anything he suggested here, please tell me what you learned. Also, if you have an example of a company who practices value-unique strategies, please share it in the comments section. That one comment you share may spark a value-unique idea in someone else.

One more thing:

Chip, along with Beverly Armento (see Beverly Armento A Life of Joy and Resilience), Dan Blanchard, and Patti Phillips, Ph.D., wrote an endorsement for my book. You can see the short version on the back cover of Finding Joy in the West, and the full endorsement on the first page. My book will be available on April 1, 2025 (no joke). Stay tuned for shorter blogs and a Finding Joy newsletter if I can pull those ideas off. As always, thanks for your support. I’d love to hear your value-unique ways to find joy.

Finding Joy in the West-Coming Soon

Almost Finished

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This is my 50th blog and I’m excited to announce that Finding Joy in the West: A Quest to Ride My Bike in All Fifty States, is almost finished. My first blog was about meeting Jane Friedman in June 2023. I had just finished writing the first draft of Finding Joy. In my naivety I thought my book was almost finished. A year later, when I submitted the eighth draft to my editor, again, I thought it was almost finished. I was so excited, I had a party and wrote blog 32, Join the Movement, about celebrating the near completion of my book.

Then in January 2025, as I wrote Lessons from the Writing Process, I thought the book was finished. Draft thirteen was complete, yet I learned it had miles to go. The first week of February began a ping pong match with my book cover designer and my publisher. The cover I thought was almost finished, still needed many tweaks. And, the manuscript, when converted into a PDF required an infinite number of edits. Mostly the edits were spacing and compatibility issues. However, we also found misplaced words, verb tense mistakes, and spelling errors.  

I am sharing all this with you because I’m certain you have had a project, or a goal, that took longer to complete than you could have ever imagined. A “simple” bathroom remodel can take months longer than scheduled. Losing weight and paying down debt always takes more effort and time than we would like. Projects and goals tax our patience and endurance. This book has stretched me and challenged my faith more than I could have known. But I’m learning it is in the persistence and in overcoming the challenges that I find joy.

As of the writing of this blog, Finding Joy in the West has been submitted for publication. That means, it’s time to schedule book launches and book signings because it is almost finished. Book promotions and whatever else needs to be done before the books can be sold will start taking priority.

Yet, as important as the book promotion is, I still need to focus on writing Finding Joy in the East, and the next 50 blogs, plus journaling about what is happening in the Keys. You never know, I may one day decide to write Finding Joy in Florida. In writing Finding Joy, I am finding joy in the process. There will always be another blog, another book to write, and that brings me joy. I hope you too find joy in overcoming challenges as you work toward reaching your goals.

From those of you who have read all 50 blogs, to those who are just joining me, I say, “Thank you.” Your support through this journey means more than I can express in words. And to all of you who are planning to buy Finding Joy in the West, stay tuned for its release. When I receive my first box and when it is available on Amazon and other online retailers, I will post it here and on Facebook and Instagram. (I may also be found shouting it from the roof of my motorhome.)

As I conclude my 50th blog, I want to leave you with the wisdom of three of my favorite authors. If you are struggling with a project, or weight loss, or paying down debt, or a goal that seems unreachable, don’t quit. Jesus said, in Luke 18 to “always pray and not give up.” Listen to Andy Andrews who says, “persist without exception.” And to Jon Acuff who wrote in his book Finish, “Quit trying to make it perfect. The opposite of perfect is not failure, it’s finished.” And since finish is my word for the year, I’m looking forward to the day that I can tell you, not, “my book is almost finished,” but “my book is finished.” And more than that, I look forward to hearing your stories of finished.

Joy M. Walker
Joy M Walker

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

Finding Joy T shirts scattered

What I’ve Learned from Finding Joy

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Three years ago, I began writing Finding Joy. The title evolved into Finding Joy in the West, A Quest to Ride my Bike in all Fifty States. At the beginning, I was so naïve I thought my first draft, which took me six months to write, would need a little editing and my masterpiece would soon be on its way to becoming a best seller. I laughed at myself. Then three more times over the next two years, I thought I was finished. Still so naïve. Now, thirteen drafts later, I’d like to share what I’ve learned from Finding Joy. 

Lesson 1: Patience is a skill developed only by testing it

By nature, I’m not a patient person. I get frustrated easily. Writing takes me longer than I think it should. The editing process took more back and forth with my editor than a tennis match. The book cover and the page layout required more decisions than planning a wedding (not that I would know about planning a wedding, but I can imagine it’s a lot). Working on Finding Joy for two years longer than I planned challenged my patience to the core.

But the knowledge, endurance, and patience I gained from completing Finding Joy in the West will carry me through Finding Joy in the East and beyond. So, estimate the time you think it will take to complete a project, block out one third of that time in your schedule, and you will get a lesson in patience. Or, double or triple your guestimate and deprive yourself of a good lesson.

Lesson 2: The road is not always smooth and straight

 Jon Acuff says he writes a book in about 600 hours. Knowing I am a novice, I guessed it would take me twice that long. According to my calculations if I wrote twenty to twenty-five hours a week, my book would be completed in one year. My calculations did not take life into consideration. While I waited for my editor to do her part, when family needed me, and when other projects had to be addressed, the writing got put on hold.

Blogging also cut into my book writing time. In addition, the 1200 hours, was merely a guess. How in the world could I know how much time it would take to complete something I have never done before? I hit 1200 hours somewhere around draft seven and lost track of the hours when later drafts required research and clarifications from people mentioned in my book. Now I know to plan for bumps and curves in the road. Assuming the road will always be smooth and straight is a good way to set yourself up for inevitable frustrations. So, know there will always be bumps in the road and plan for them.

Lesson 3: Support is essential

When those bumps and curves in the road caught me off guard, I never would have been able to stay on track without the support of family, friends, and mentors. Sometimes, just knowing people were cheering for me was enough to keep me focused. Other times, like when my manuscript came back from my editor with more red than the Canadian flag, I would call someone who would assure me it would all work out and that I had what it took to finish Finding Joy. They were always right. Support from loved ones is so essential that I would suggest not starting a project without it.

As I near the finish line of the marathon called Finding Joy in the West, I reflect on the lessons I have learned hoping my next marathon Finding Joy in the East, will be a bit easier for having completed my first. Having developed my patience muscles while understanding there will be challenges, and knowing I have a strong network of people who will support me, gives me the assurance that I have the strength to complete another book-writing marathon. The idea of writing a third and forth is daunting. Yet, I am still naïve enough to believe I will ride my bike in all fifty states and have the patience and endurance to write about completing my quest. I am living my dream. Whatever your dreams, I implore you to get out there and chase them. I want to hear your story of finding joy.

Joy M. Walker
Joy M Walker

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

Woman by motorhome at Long Key

Finding Joy in the Challenges

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It’s easy to spot the challenges life throws at us. Finding joy in the challenges takes work. This week I drove my motorhome through Florida to visit with friends on my way to the Keys. But it seemed my rig was determined to keep me from returning to Outdoor Resorts at Long Key (ORLK) where I met up with my 94-year-old friend Ray last year (A Ray of Sunshine). And where I met so many great people (The People Here are Great).

My focus on Finding Joy in the West prevented me from taking a motorhome trip since my visit to the Keys last year. Since November, I have worked toward returning to the Keys, but challenge upon challenge made me wonder if I would make it. Listed here are some motorhome challenges I faced over the last two weeks and the joys that followed.

Challenge #1: The door lock on my motorhome broke.

Joy #1: My friend Jeff immediately came and diagnosed the problem. And my neighbor Steve helped me install a new lock two nights before I left.

Challenge #2: The carbon monoxide detector started chirping.

Joy #2: Again, to the rescue came my neighbor Steve. He detached the wires and helped me determine the correct replacement part. And Christine, my friend who lives at ORLK, said I could ship a new one to her.

Challenge #3: I believed a part I had ordered for the screen door wouldn’t fit.

Joy #3: My friend Mark installed it for me in less than an hour.

Challenge #4: The house batteries did not charge as I drove. (I had the same trouble on the way to the Keys last year.)

Joy #4: Sharon and Sally, the women I wrote about meeting last year (What are the Odds), had an outlet for me to plug my rig in when I arrived at their home in Gainesville. And Vern, the mobile repairman who fixed the battery problem last year, texted that he would fix it when I got to ORLK.

Challenge #5: The new door lock locked me out of my motorhome.

Joy #5: Sharon figured out the problem with the door lock and fixed it.

Challenge #6: A curtain rod fell while I was driving.

Joy #6: Sharon fixed that problem too!

Challenge #7: Hot water gushed from the tank outside my rig a couple of hours after I filled the freshwater tank and plugged in the water heater. Sharon flipped the pressure relief valve, and I unplugged the heater.

Joy #7: The water quit gushing. We left it alone and hoped for the best.

Challenge #8: New construction kept me from parking at my friend Esther’s house.

Joy #8: I got the last site at a city park campground in Melbourne for one night. And Esther and her friend Lauren picked me up, took me to dinner, and brought me back to the park before the gates closed. All went perfectly until I plugged in the water heater again. I added checking the thermostat to Vern’s list. And . . . the next morning as I walked, everyone I passed on the trail was friendly.

“Hope you’re finding joy.” One man said as he read my sweatshirt.

“I am!” I said. “I hope you are too!”

Challenge #9: When I arrived at my friend Zuzana’s gated community, we found out the complex wouldn’t allow me to leave my rig in the parking lot like I had done last year. We needed to get a parking permit from the office for permission to park overnight.

Joy #9: At the office I met Kendra, the sweetest receptionist in West Palm Beach, who is also a writer. And that evening, I connected with Rick, the kindest nighttime security guard in town. In the morning, we found a place off the property to park my rig. As a bonus, on Friday I reconnected with Kendra and Rick and tagged up with a new friend Yadi. I also met Zuzana’s friend Lenore, and her neighbors, Ed and Sandy.

When I arrived at ORLK on Saturday, my neighbors Rick and Sherry, Gina, my security guard friend, and Deb (What are the Odds) greeted me. After dinner, I enjoyed a walk with my Canadian cousins, Ernie and Myrna. We met new friends and old, which reminded me that The People Here are Great. And as Deb and my cousins filled me in on the challenges some of our ORLK friends have faced this year, I realized how insignificant my minor inconveniences are in comparison.

I’m so happy to be here at ORLK. This morning my friend Ray came to my site to visit. Joy overwhelmed me as we embraced. The same joy fills me as I anticipate reconnecting with the rest of my ORLK friends. All the challenges fade in the background as I look forward to two months of the Keezy life.

 It takes work to find joy in the challenges, but oh, how important it is to find that joy. I plan to spend the next two months finding joy. I challenge you to do the same. Stay tuned for more finding joy stories from the Keys.

*Photo by Deb

Joy M. Walker
Joy M Walker

Thanks for being a part of this journey!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, I’d love your support in growing this community! Please share this with your friends, family, or anyone who might find it interesting. Your shares help me reach more people to help them find their joy.

Joy M. Walker

Never-ending Learning Curve

3 Lessons from the Writing Process

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Because we are in the middle of January, it’s time to take a second look at our goals. Let’s take the time now to reassess, to look at our habits, our schedules, and our process. Mid-January is a good time to question whether our goals are still important to us. (That’s what we did last January. See Starter’s Day.) Do your goals bring you joy or lead to more joy in your life? Remember your “why.” No goal without a strong reason behind it will succeed.

This time of year, there is a lot of talk about goals (Jon Acuff), habits (James Clear), and . . . publishing (Jane Friedman). Okay, that last one is a stretch. Jane is talking about publishing and if Jane is talking, I am listening. You may not think the topic of publishing fits with goals and habits, but for those of you who know me well, you know those squirrels can link the most dichotomous thoughts in my brain in a millisecond.

So, to connect the dots for you, this week I finished draft #13 of Finding Joy in the West. This iteration has caused me to realize on yet another level that a manuscript, if given the opportunity, can have an infinite number of drafts and hence never get published. It’s time to call this one done, D-O-N-E, DONE. There will always be facts to check, alternative ways to convey a story, and sentences to add or take away. Yet, because Finding Joy in the East is awaiting the completion of its predecessor, I’m calling the manuscript for my first book complete. My word for 2025 is finish. It’s time to get this thing published . . . or dare I say, “FINISHED!”

I’d like to share with you some lessons I have learned through this writing process. My hope is that my lessons will help you as you work on your goals.

          Lesson 1: Projects take longer than we think.

When I started writing in 2022, I naively thought I could knock the book out in a year. Others had done it, so why couldn’t I do the same? I failed to consider that I went to school to be a teacher, practiced teaching for thirty years, and never mastered the art of teaching. Why I thought I could jump into a new career and be on par with the best of them, I will never know. There is this thing called the learning curve, that everyone must round. The learning curve offers no specific timeline, nor a definitive end. Taking the hands of those who have offered their support has helped me tremendously.

            Lesson 2: Writing is a process.

No one publishes their first draft. That’s why Jane Friedman suggested I read Allison K. Williams’ book, Seven Drafts. And writers often refer to Ann Lamott’s famous quote “sh%$# first drafts” in her book Bird by Bird. Writers rely on early readers, editors, cover designers, page layout professionals, printers, and a sales and marketing team, like a builder relies on framers, plumbers, electricians, roofers, painters and more. Knowing it’s okay to never arrive, and knowing it is a process for everyone, is reassuring.

            Lesson 3: Projects require a system and a belief in the system.

Belief in the process and belief in myself to stick with this project to see it to completion is perhaps the biggest lesson learned. Understanding that there would be times when my belief would wane was key. Over this three-year process there have been many times when I relied on those who have supported me. My gratitude goes to those who believed in me when I couldn’t even see the finish line, much less see myself crossing it.

Here in mid-January, I can see the finish line. It’s a good feeling, but I still have miles to go. I want to encourage you to take some time to reassess. Look at your goals, your habits, your process. You have what it takes, but is what you are working toward still important to you? Is it still bringing you joy? It’s okay to reset. Tweak those goals. But don’t quit. I want you to know I am behind you every step of the way. Please email me or share your thoughts or goals in the comment box.

*Photo Courtesy of Joe@Pixabay

Happy New Year 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Happy New Year! Welcome to the time of year when 46.5% of North Americans set goals. It’s a good time to reset. Did you know you are twice as likely to achieve your goals if you write them down? And you are 76.4% more likely to achieve your goals if you tell a friend or mentor what you hope to accomplish. And did you know that those who:

  1. write their goals down,
  2. share their goals with others,
  3. list actionable steps with specific dates to work toward their goals, and
  4. have people who will encourage them and hold them accountable, are 96.3% more likely to reach their goals?

Well, I made up those statistics, but they sound believable, don’t they? We’ve all heard similar stats about goal setting. Although I made up the numbers, I’m sure you will agree with me that if we do A, B, C, and D, we are more apt to achieve great things. Great accomplishments don’t happen by accident. Have you ever heard someone say something like, “I was just scrolling on Instagram and suddenly I had a YouTube channel with a million followers.”? Or, “Yesterday, I opened a blank Word document and bam! Today my book is finished.”? Or, “I started eating fries and a Big Mac before bed and quit going to the gym and poof! I lost fifty pounds.”?

Now about setting those goals, some experts say they need to be BIG goals, or they won’t motivate you to reach them. Others say, set small attainable goals because when you reach a goal, it will give you a hit of dopamine, encouraging you to set new goals. Whatever your approach, write them down and put your actions in your planner. Daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews will also increase your odds of success. Also, focus on your why, as I mentioned in Starters Day. Having a strong reason for reaching a goal may quite possibly be the number one indicator of success.

If you have read some of my blogs this year like, One Word, Eternal Hope, or The Fourth Quarter, you know that my word for the year was focus. I focused on completing my book by the end of 2024. In the fourth quarter, my editor and I made some serious progress, and I sent it back to her on December 23rd for what I hope to be a final review. The cover is a work in progress. The book is close, but I did not reach my goal of having it in my hands by today. Disappointingly Finding Joy in the West won’t be finished until 2025. But where would it be if I had not focused this year on that one thing? Since I have never written before, I grossly underestimated the time and effort involved in writing a book. But I never quit.

My focus word for the new year is finish. In 2025, I plan to continue to focus on finishing Finding Joy in the West. Then, to increase the odds of me selling more than twelve books, I will host a book signing event or two. If I sell more than a dozen, I will celebrate for a minute and get to work on Finding Joy in the East.

So, how did you do with your goals in 2024? Did you lose that weight? Declutter the garage? Run that Marathon? Read through the Bible? I hope you did. And I hope you will share your accomplishments with me.

Now, what is your focus word for the new year? What are your goals for 2025? If you are a goal-setter, let me encourage you to do A, B, C, and D. And if you need someone to encourage you, count me in. I will be happy to send you an email every quarter to check in on your progress. I’d love to hear from you.

Please share your achievements and goals in the comments section below. As Jon Acuff says, let’s make 2025 our greatest year ever. Happy New Year!

*Image by Wilifried Pohnke from Pixabay

Frasier Fir

Christmas Traditions

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Christmas Traditions come and go. As I prepared to write this, I began by reading last year’s Christmas blog, A Heartbreaking Christmas. In that blog I wrote about the Christmas my sister and I lost our innocence which revolved around a family tradition that had started in my mother’s childhood. Every family has their own spin on Santa and Christmas in general. In some families, Santa wraps his gifts, others say elves don’t have time to wrap. Santa leaves one gift for each child in one family and fills the room with gifts in another.

In the 70’s Santa brought gifts and visited with the Walker family on Christmas Eve. The big guy slipped in when the Minnich’s (my friend Kathy’s family) went for a drive to see the lights. The Koontz boys down the street never saw him or heard him but woke to evidence that he had dropped in while they slept. Wrapped presents surrounded the Frasier Fir by the fireplace, and only crumbs remained on the plate of cookies they left. And the Pentecostal family who lived behind us said Santa never came to their house.

As an adult I find it sweet that my parents spent all that money on gifts for each of us six children only to give the man in the red suit all the credit for coming through with fitting gifts for all of us. The parents do all the work and a generous man who may or may not have lived centuries ago gets all the credit. But such is the tradition passed down from generation to generation around the globe.

Traditions surrounding the Christmas holiday are as numerous as the families on earth. A tradition I heard from my favorite author and podcaster, Andy Andrews is that they would bake a cake and celebrate Christmas Eve in honor of the birth of Jesus, the real reason for the holiday. Through the years all of us have heard of family rituals such as the father of the family reading the story of Jesus’ birth from the second chapter of Luke as the children sit and listen at his feet. A child reading T’was the Night Before Christmas or loading up in the family van to attend a Christmas service followed by a drive around town to see the lights are all traditions we have practiced or heard about. Extended family gatherings around an abundance of food—another family favorite–make for good memories for years to come.

Well, whatever your family traditions around this holiday may be, I hope you will take a minute to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Also, as those traditions change through the years, and as you reflect on your favorite Christmases past do not neglect the Christmas present and the family and friends who surround you this year. This Christmas may be an especially difficult one for you due to financial difficulties, illness, or the loss of a loved one. Know I will be thinking about you and praying for you and your family as you embrace one another in love. There is no sweeter time of year than when we gather around family and friends, giving tangible gifts, but more importantly the intangible gift of love.

If you have a comment or a tradition you’d like to share, please scroll down to the comments section and type away. I love to read your stories.

And as the jolly ole elf always says, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

*Photo courtesy of Nancy Browne

Little Missouri River

An Adventure on the Little Missouri River

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On my first long trip in my motorhome, I met a semi-retired airline attendant named Judy who had a precious six-year-old papillon, named Harper. We traveled side-by-side in our motorhomes for a couple of weeks in North and South Dakota. In my book Finding Joy in the West, which is scheduled to be released in early 2025, you will read about my adventures with Judy and Harper. Following is the first part of the first of many adventures with the dynamic duo.

The first morning we camped together at Theodore Roosevelt National Park South, Judy suggested we take her inflatable kayak and inner tube down the Little Missouri River. We found a place to launch at a nearby state park. We squeezed through a clearing in some brush, scaled our way down a steep embankment, and waded into the river. Judy put Harper on the back of her kayak, stepped in, and pushed off with her paddle. Following suit, I pushed off and plopped myself into the center of the inner tube.

We floated downstream, admiring the perfect view of the buttes and the amazing blue sky splattered with pillowy white clouds. Harper, perched at the stern inches behind Judy, looked confident like he had done this a million times. Several times we walked in the water because our crafts dragged on the river bottom, and occasionally the current became swift, but most of the time we just floated gently down the river.

An hour or so into our excursion, we switched places so I could try her kayak. Thirty minutes later we switched crafts again. When we got out to walk through a shallow area, I held on to the tube, but I hadn’t gotten back on it yet. In half a second, the water changed from too shallow to float to a rushing current too deep and strong for either of us to fight. Judy pulled over to the bank for safety. She called for me to come to the bank, but I was further downstream. 

To get back to her, I tried walking, and then swimming when the water rose above my waist. I felt as though I was in one of those resistance swim pools designed to give you just as much resistance as you can swim against—the swimming equivalent of a treadmill. My efforts got me nowhere. It was funny at first. But then, the water got deeper, and the current stronger. Though swimming as hard as I could (which was not that hard given I’m not much of a swimmer and I was still holding onto a tube I could not climb into), I was getting whooshed further and further from my friend.

Judy pushed off and steered her way through the turbulence. Thankful she was willing to push away from the safe spot she found on the bank, I held on to the tube and quit fighting the raging waters.

Once I quit battling the current, I gave one big kick with my legs and hoisted myself back on top of the tube, which now posed as my life-saver ring. With Judy and Harper close behind, the current shot us downstream as though we were on a ride at a water park. Within 2-300 yards, the water returned to the peaceful flow we had experienced earlier, and on we sailed. Minutes later, as though our lives had never been in danger, we once again marveled at the charm of the river, the stunning buttes, and the soft blue sky with the wispy snow-white clouds.

This is the end of part one of my first adventure with Judy and Harper. Part two of this story chronicles my first and only ride in the back of a police car. It all turned out ok, but you will have to get my book to read the rest of this story and the many Judy and Harper escapades that followed.

Got a kayak or white-water rapids story of your own? Please scroll down to share.

 

One Thing Narrow

One Thing

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Thanksgiving is the day many in the United States look back at the year and recall things for which we are thankful. Even in the throes of tragedy, we try to find the good. It’s healthy to look back, to be grateful for where we have been. And, after looking back, it’s good to look forward.

Reflection moves us forward. As I reflect on 2024, and my word for the year (which is focus), I think about how much I have learned about writing, about life, and about myself. My one thing has been to write. Yet if you read Focusing on the Big Rocks or any other blog I posted about goals, you know I struggle with focusing on one thing. Even when I sit down to write, I question: “Should I write a summary of my book? Or should I write a blog? Or should I write in my journal?”

One thing I find fascinating, though, is the timing of how pieces of information come together and weave the fabric of our lives into one neatly designed quilt. Currently, a few hundred of my best friends and I are taking an 8-week class with speaker, podcaster, and author, Jon Acuff. Jon is preparing us for “The Greatest Year Ever.” Our homework assignment for day two was to make an extensive “looking forward to list.” From that list, he encouraged us to make goals, and then to funnel our list of goals into one goal. One goal! He challenged us to commit to working on one goal for a minimum of fifteen minutes a day for thirty days.

Jon likens this challenge to dating, rather than marrying. Often people commit to doing something for 365 days that they have not even tried for 1-7 days. On January 1, people set goals such as ‘I’m going to run five miles every day,’ when the only running they have been doing is from couch to refrigerator. So, Jon is encouraging us to start small and build. We may find that after 30 days of “dating our goal”, we don’t even like it. That’s the point of dating. We can break up and find a new goal to date.

Now, while Jon is encouraging our group to focus on one thing, I noticed on Goodreads that Jon just finished listening to Do It Now: Overcoming Procrastination by Fuschia Sirois. Not wanting to procrastinate, I downloaded it and listened to it myself. The author points out that we can’t multi-task like we think we can. We lose our focus every time we get a text, an email, or a phone call, and it takes valuable time to refocus on our task at hand. She says we get less done by trying to do more. She also noted we procrastinate on tasks we know are going to be difficult or unenjoyable. That’s why Jon says we should pick one thing we love. Focusing on one thing we love could lead us to more enjoyable lives.

Before I finished Do It Now, a friend told me she was listening to a book called, The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. I bet you can guess the underlying theme of this book. Yes, like Jon is teaching us to focus on one thing, the authors reiterate the importance of focusing on just one thing. How did Michael Phelps, diagnosed with ADD as a child, become the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time? Among similar stories, the authors note Michael won twenty-eight Olympic medals by focusing on one thing.

Everything I have heard this week is telling me to focus on one thing. So, as you reflect today on what you are thankful for, I challenge you to make your “looking forward to list.” Then, think about what you might focus on in 2025. We have a month to “date” a few goals before we pick one to “marry.” Do you already have something in mind? What is your one thing? I’d love to know your thoughts. Please scroll down and comment below.

*Photo by Janice Burrell

Woman smiling in hallway

Beverly Armento: A Life of Joy and Resilience

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What a JOY! We met in February at the Georgia Writers Museum Writers Retreat in Eatonton, Georgia. As a former teacher and college professor and second-year presenter, Beverly spoke to the group with enthusiasm, poise, and confidence. I hung on her every word. At the end of her presentation, I was inspired to finish my book, Finding Joy. She had published her first book, Seeing Eye Girl: A Memoir of Madness, Resilience, and Hope, at the age of 81. It is her story of growing up with a blind, abusive mother in a wildly dysfunctional family. Certainly, I thought, if Beverly can publish at 81, I can do it at 60.

By the end of February, I had finished reading her book, posted reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and become not only a fan, but a friend. On our first phone call, Beverly encouraged me to make JOY the thread that weaves through every blog I write. And as I was realizing that my book, Finding Joy, falls under the creative memoir genre as much as travel and adventure, she told me that memoirs are about reflection. It will take me years to reflect on those words of wisdom, but I will always remember I heard them from Beverly first.

In a recent talk, Beverly told me she was focused on writing her next book. However, she admitted to having too many commitments. As Seeing Eye Girl gains momentum, she struggles with promoting her first book while writing her second. Her next book is a novel called Will Power, which is about her father.

            “So, how did you find the time to write Seeing Eye Girl?”

            “Well, you have to be persistent and disciplined with your behind-the-computer time. I also participated in a critique group. Ten women who were all writing memoirs got together every week. We analyzed each other’s work. Being analytical about others made me more analytical about my own writing.”

            “You met every week?”

            “Yes. We were all dedicated to our own work and to each other. I would also say, get in a group with at least two or three writers who are better writers than you. You don’t need people who are just going to tell you, ‘Oh, this is so good. I wouldn’t change a thing.’ That’s not going to make you a better writer.”

            “That makes sense.”

            “I also took a lot of classes in creative non-fiction. My book reads more like a novel because that’s how I looked at it. I was ‘showing a story’ rather than ‘telling a story.’”

            “Oh, I like that. Yes. You were definitely showing your story.”

            “Yes. It took me a long time to find my voice. But when you find your voice, it’s like you have found the tone you want to achieve. It gets easier after that.”

            “Tell me more about tone.”

            “Well, I didn’t want to bash my mom or wallow in the abuse. My mom wasn’t all bad. She had a compassionate side, too. When I was living it, I felt the fear and the anger, but as a writer I didn’t want readers to feel sorry for me. I wanted to portray the ‘strong Beverly’, so I turned down the volume on the abuse and emphasized the good times, the joy of my childhood.”

From the trauma in her home life, Beverly learned to be strong and resilient. She found comfort and joy in school—in her supportive teachers and friends. Her teachers were so kind to her that she resolved to give back by becoming a joyous, happy teacher for other students one day. And she did just that. Beverly taught middle schoolers and then college students for fifty years before retiring to write.

Miss Armento (who later became Dr. Armento) enveloped her children with kindness and taught prospective teachers to do the same. Beverly credits her teachers with believing in her and encouraging her to become a teacher who would make a difference. She says teachers have more impact on their students than they will ever know. And at 83, Dr. Beverly Armento is still out there encouraging others to make a difference in the lives of today’s youth.

I encourage you to read my friend’s memoir. It’s on Amazon. And you can learn more about Beverly on her website www.beverlyarmentoauthor.com. If you know her or ever get to know her, I’m sure you will agree with me that Dr. Beverly Armento is a JOY.

*Photo by Kai Smith of Eikonik Images

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