So, one year my my mom was visiting me and I saw her washing one of my cooking pans. I was like, “Mom, really, it’s a lost cause.” She looked at me like I was crazy and said, “you just need to clean them.” I glanced at the black pot, saw the bottom was a little dark and said, “but it’s just seasoned.”

I realized we all make a lot of excuses for things. Things we want to get done. Books we want to finish. Closets that need to be cleaned out. Exercises that need to be done. A diet that needs to start. Her words really resonated with me and when my mom returned to Florida, I buckled down and attacked that pan.

I realize life is a lot like cleaning your pans. You get complacent. You don’t realize the rut you get into. It’s winter now, so the excuse to get out and exercise gets trumped by “It’s cold, it’s dark, I just want to curl up in bed with the covers over my head and eat something yummy and fattening and it will make me happy!” (Insert whatever excuse you make). Or, the house looks “clean enough – I mean, who is coming over anyway?” (go ahead, please fold your laundry and put it away even if company isn’t coming over)

Well, it’s time I heed my own advice. I have one book with my editor right now for a final read and I am going to start full press reaching out to agents. I’m up to 18 submissions so far. It’s so daunting and defeating, but I need to buckle down and do it. I have another novel in the hopper about 100 pages in and I have a book called House of Leaves I’m trying to get through. It’s a pretty intense book and I’ve been making excuses, but I want this off my plate. I can’t just let a book go. I have to finish it, so like those pans, I’m going to attack it!

What’s something on your plate you put off but know you need to do? Love to hear!