Day 2: Finding Risks.

One risk down, 364 to go...

I have to say, I thought the hardest part of this project would be the doing. It's not. Turns out thinking of a risk to take is infinitely harder than carrying it out.

Don't get me wrong, there are a million things I would love to try: surfing off the coast of Oz, SCUBA diving, rock climbing...but on a sunny Saturday in New York City - these are not options. Which is precisely what this whole challenge is about; it's not a chance to do all the things I could do if I had unlimited free time and funds. This is about doing the things I can do, and don't.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: All I had to do was reach out to two colleagues and ask for permission to use them as a reference. Okay, I have to admit I spent an hour stalling. On the bright side I spent that hour cleaning out and organizing my fridge.

Lesson Learned: If there is something you don't want to do (cleaning the fridge,) just make yourself accountable to do something you REALLY don't want to do (calling for references) - and you will get them both done.

When I finally worked up the nerve to make the calls, one of my colleagues had already read this blog and after some merciless teasing, happily agreed. Whew.

I didn't take a minute between the calls, since I knew it would turn into an hour of me cleaning out the pantry. The second call was a bit harder, since she didn't already know why I was calling. It's not really the asking that I hate, it's that build up when you know the reason you are calling is more than to say hi. But she was so encouraging and gracious, I felt like an a$ for waiting so long.

And now I am set with my two references.

It took all of ten minutes.

Well, five months and ten minutes...

TODAY'S RISK: Submit Writing to Magazines & Websites.

I have been writing in my free time since I was about ten years old. While I have always loved the art form, I have absolutely no formal training, which for some reason in my brain equals: credibility, creativity and talent. It was the encouragement from another fantastic colleague and friend to just go for it. So, I am dusting off the files (which I believe are in Word Perfect 1.0 format...) and sending them off into the void, well an editor's email address to be exact. I have absolutely no vested interest in the outcome...I'm just happy I'm doing the thing I can do today.

Thanks for coming back for day two Mom!