Cookies, Crafts, and Consistency

If you haven’t already heard, I make a mean batch of cookies. I’m not boasting – it’s true. The reason my cookies are so good is that I have perfected them over time. If you want to do something well, you have to stick with it.  Anybody who bakes cookies on a weekly basis will eventually be a very good cookie baker.

The same holds true of any project or practice. Take crafting, for instance. I’m not usually a fan – partly because I haven’t taken the time to learn how to paint or cut out wood and partly because I have another job that is very similar to crafting in that I work with my hands. It’s technical and tedious and I am very good at it because I have spent years doing it. In an attempt to combine my technical skills with creativity I have designed my own beaded bookmarks. The first effort was a little boring.

They have evolved and the current designs are much more satisfactory than the first.

Several years ago I was working for a doctor and as he celebrated an anniversary of the opening of his practice he said, “I remember that day. I came to work and I sat down and waited for the phone to ring.”

How often do we do the same? In my case, I published my first book and thought my life would magically change. My books would appear in large stores and readers would buy them up by armfuls, right?  None of that happened. I began blogging and supposed readers would flock to my site because I had so much to say. Doesn’t simply having a Twitter account “get the word out?”

The truth is … we have to work for success. None of it happens magically. There may be some steps to follow that will be more effective than others, but even those have to be climbed – consistently. If the first tweet doesn’t bring followers, be assured that Twitter is not broken. You’ll need to work a little harder, a little smarter and a little more regularly. If your online store doesn’t empty its virtual shelves the first time you post an item, keep posting. If you want someone to read your blog, you’re going to have to tell them about it.

If anyone wants to know, I’m going to keep baking cookies because I’m good at it. I’m going to keep crafting because practice makes perfect and I kind of like the bookmarks. I’m going to consistently share my regular blog posts and other pursuits so the people that want what I have to offer can find it.

And if you want those cookie recipes … they can be found on my Recipes Page.

Happy Reading!

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