The power of 5-year intentions

Your seeds need time to grow

Sometimes when I get frustrated or feel like I’m not making enough progress (towards a dream, a goal, a creative project, anything really), I step back and look at the longer timeline.

I think about how I’d like my life to look in one, three, or even five years, and I ask myself:

What seeds can I plant now that will help me grow into that version of myself?

I can usually think of at least a few specific things. In fact, I’m asking myself this very question right now (literally right now!), and I’m having no trouble coming up with a solid list of very actionable things I can do:

• Make a spreadsheet to research agents who sell middle-grade books and are open to queries. Start with that one book I already know would make a great comp title.

• Gather the final round of feedback from beta readers on my current WIP.

• Start outlining the idea I have for the sequel.

• Write that one email to that one future collaborator I’ve been meaning to reach out to.

• Contact people in my network (I already have a list) and let them know I’m open for business.

• Get the next few MeowStack posts scheduled.

• Follow up with the next crop of featured authors on SmallStack.

And just like that, I have a solid to-do list for the next couple of weeks.

Photo by author

I’ve had this rattlesnake plant for a bit longer than five years. It was only a few inches tall when I got it, and my cat immediately chewed it to bits. I almost threw it away, but my husband encouraged me to try to save it.

I trimmed off all the chewed leaves, put it out of the cat’s reach, and made sure it had plenty of water and light. It was slow-going at first and honestly not very pretty. But now? Now it’s a gorgeous, healthy specimen that sends up new leaves every year.

I’m so glad I didn’t give up on it.

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