When we sit down to write, we have a vision. At first, the vision is about the story we are trying to tell. At some point, our vision might change to seeing that story as a book. Then it becomes a vision of a book that catches the eye of an agent; that attracts an editor; that gets many great reviews and fans and gobs of money and fame and…

All of these visions are fine and dandy but don’t forget about the three-foot toss.

As adults, we have this marvelous talent to focus ahead, set goals, and generally obsess about our destination. We know a home run, a hole in one, a touch down, a best-selling novel is the ultimate goal in those respective endeavors.

A child’s experience is different. They experience where they are at that moment and none other. They are the present moment personified. Until a certain age, they don’t have the context of past, present of  future.

One of the challenges we face as adults (and parents) is becoming transfixed by those big measurements and forgetting the thousand and one three foot tosses to reach the big achievement. Those three-foot tosses count. If we don’t celebrate them as valuable and important, we create undue pressure on reaching our goals. The tendency is to celebrate only the achievement. As a result, we miss the one thousand three foot tosses, which are essential to reaching that goal.

Tomorrow is the Writers League Of Texas big conference where they invite agents, editors and writers to mix, mingle and find connections. For some, perhaps having the courage to go to the conference is their three-foot toss. For others, it might be pitching their novel to an agent or editor. Whatever your three foot toss is today as a writer, I am cheering.

If you are at the conference, please say hello. I will be one of the panelists on the 10:15am panel: Digital Publishing: A Brave New World. At 1:45, I will introduce Jay Ehret, the Dean of Marketing Know How at marketingspot.com and author Missy Balusek for their panel: Paparazzi! How to Leverage Publicity for the Self Published Author.

Thanks to my dear friend Gail Allen for the three foot toss wisdom.