Sierra Writes

One Step At A Time!

2009-07-06T19:37:00.001-07:00

I posted a few days ago that I was going to climb a 13-er...a mountain over 13,000 feet tall, in preparation for this weekend's 14er.

The mountain had about 2,800 feet of elevation gain. When you consider a flight of stairs has an elevation gain of about ten feet, you get some sort of perspective.

The hike itself was, round trip, eight miles.

And the strangest thing happened...we had awful weather for the climb.

You name it, horrific wind, freezing (literally) temperatures, rain, icy rocks, fog, even hail. For the majority of the hike, the mountain ahead of us was shrouded with fog. Near the top, I was blown backwards off one rock.

On many trails, the way is marked by piles of rocks, called cairns. We were literally unable to see past the cairns. We weren't sure if we were on the trail or not for most of the final assent.

What I learned from this experience...once you have set the goal, focus on your next step. Make sure you're stepping in a sure-footed way, but take your next step.

If I had been able to see the summit, I'm not sure I would have attempted it that day. The conditions were more than adverse. But I didn't keep looking. I kept moving toward the goal. (Keep in mind, I'm not advocating doing things that are stupid or life-risking. I am advocating taking smart, considered risks, but moving forward toward your goals.) Sometimes, by focusing on small steps, rather than the end result, we can achieve even greater things.

Here's to you reaching your summits!

Celebrate Your Independence!

2009-07-02T18:53:00.001-07:00

On this side of the pond, we celebrate the Fourth of July, otherwise known as Independence Day.

It's a day rich in tradition, with barbecues, picnics, watermelon, homemade ice cream, family, friends, and firework displays.

But we can make this day into our own special celebration of independence. And you get to define independence anyway you want to.

I'm celebrating my independence from lethargy by climbing a 13-er (a mountain that's over 13,000 feet tall. Mount Audubon, in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area.) And next week, I'll continue the celebration by climbing a 14-er, Mount Bierstadt.

One of my friends is celebrating her indepenence from that extra five pounds she's been lugging around.

Another is celebrating her independence from too much debt.

Another is celebrating her freedom from the 9-5 grind. She's now working for herself. It's a struggle, but she says she's never been happier.

Many of us Western women celebrate our independence, literally. I was on a writing retreat with a dozen talented female writers. One night, we all climbed into the outdoor hot tub, beneath a canopy of stars. From our vantage in the Colorado mountains, we could see the Milky Way. And our conversation drifted to the fact that in parts of the world we would not have the freedom to gather sans men. In certain places, we would not be able to spend a couple of days away from home, frolicking in our bathing suits, getting massages, and talking the night away.

So...what do you want to be independent from? How do you want to live your life? What does freedom mean to you? (Even if you're in Europe or half the world away in Australia, or celebrating Canada Day, how can you make this holiday yours?)

Cheering for you...

Love, Sierra

The Power of Focus

2009-06-24T18:03:00.001-07:00

I've been learning a lot about the power of focus as we're trying to get things done.

We live in a world of multi-tasking, and I'm guilty, guilty, guilty!

At the gym, I jump on the exercise bike, plug in my headset to the television monitor, scroll through until the Travel Channel shows up, start pedaling, then dial in the workout I want, sit back and open a magazine, well, I sit back after I check my BlackBerry to make sure I haven't missed a text, call, or email in the walk from the locker room. (If I have, I respond!)

When I get home, I power up the computer even as I open the refrigerator to look for something to cook for dinner.

I was grateful when cell phones became readily available, that way I was able to extend my work day another half hour while I drove home.

One drawback I've found...I'm not always as engaged as I could be in what I'm doing.

Yesterday, I shut off the phone and concentrated on a project for an hour. And something amazing happened...I finished the project. I had allotted four hours to the job, but I accomplished it in 60 focused minutes. Without distractions, I was able to finish a job in a quarter of the time it usually takes.

I will probably not stop multi-tasking anytime soon. But I've learned a powerful lesson about the power of single-minded focus.

So that leads me to my question for you...what could you accomplish in a focused, laser-like hour? (I bet you may even astound yourself!)

Hugs, Sierra (who only answered one text message while writing this!)

Taking Your Own Advice

2009-05-24T20:34:00.001-07:00

As a business and personal coach, I'm living the dream, all day, every day. I am fortunate to spend hours with people, talking about their hopes and dreams and goals. Once my client has honed in on the things he or she wants to achieve, we formulate a strategy for achievement.

We'll spend the next sessions focusing, honing, refining, sometimes changing the course, but always we keep the end in mind. We strategize together, talk about "what if," imagine what life will be like when that goal comes tue. Nothing is off limits; thinking big is encouraged!

After a call last week, I hung up feeling strangely dissatisfied. My client was happy; she had a plan and a goal. She was energized, she was creating something new. But I realized I wasn't taking my own advice!

I didn't have a plan of my own, let alone something fabulous with action steps outlined. I wasn't spending time thinking about what I want to accomplish!

Like a cobbler whose children need shoe repairs, I was a coach without a coaching plan in place for my own life. Whatup with that?

And it occurs to me, as a woman, as a busy professional, I, too, get caught up in the 'doing,' rather than exploring, dreaming, thinking, creating, imagining "what if?" I'm so busy on the treadmill that I forgot why I climbed on the machine in the first place.

So my question to you...

You're a brilliant person. Absolutely brilliant. People call you for advice. People come to you with their problems, people listen to you.

You give good advice.

And I'm wondering...what advice are you giving others that you should be taking yourself?

(If you're brave, share it here. I dare you.)

Lotsa love, Sierra

Celebration!

2009-04-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Happiness!

Loose Id is bringing out "Hawkeye One: Danger Zone" in paperback!

I'll have more deets soon, but this is exciting news!

In the meantime, if you're looking for the e-book...http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Hawkeye_One__Danger_Zone-812.aspx

Achieving Your Dreams

2009-02-26T07:28:00.001-08:00

I'm a big believer in setting goals, thinking about what you want, dreaming about it, listing all the ways your life will be better for reaching your goal, talking about it with trusted friends and advisors, being single-minded in your determination to achieve...

But, what next?

Er... Action.

That's a part most of us don't really think about, much less do.

I can think about writing. I can dream about it. I can list all the great things that come from writing, seeing your name in print, looking at the gorgeous cover art, getting a royalty check. I can even attend writers' groups and conferences. I can blog about writing a book. I can talk about it with my friends. Most certainly, I can make a list of the ways my life will be better if I write a book.

But until I sit myself in a chair and put my fingers on the keyboard day after day, hour after hour, missing out on opportunities to go out with friends, skipping activities I enjoy, I can never achieve my goal.

Several years ago (okay, maybe five), I set a weight goal. I did all the things I talk about in my coaching. I made the lists, I talked about how great things would be once I wore a smaller size, I dreamed about it.

But I actually didn't get to the fitness club all that often. And I didn't significantly change my eating habits...until I had an issue with my knee last fall. I ended up in physical therapy. In order to keep up my regular activities, including hiking, I had to make changes.

I hired a personal trainer to teach me to get fit. Since I had to pay in advance, almost a thousand dollars, I had a real commitment to show up for my three-times a week sessions. Then, because I wanted to get the most out of the sessions, I changed my eating habits. (I even learned how to cook brown rice and started steaming fresh veggies every day.)

I had spent years visualizing the scale at that ideal weight. I pictured shopping for smaller clothes. I talked about eating healthier. I strategized how I would achieve my goals. I told people about my determination. I wrote affirmations.

But I took only half-hearted efforts to achieve my goals. For example, I'd eat well for two days, and then have a Coke and chocolate the next. I'd go to the gym once a week, maybe twice if I was feeling ambitious.

Until I made a consistent effort, I held my own, but I didn't make progress.

I'm happy to report that, as of last week, I have achieved my weight goal. (Now I'm going to set another!)

I learned through this experience that dreaming, thinking, wanting, affirming is not enough. To achieve, you have to take action.

What do you really, really want that you haven't taken action on?

Be honest with yourself.

If you want to be a writer, do you write every day? (Or do you only think about it and dream about it?) If you want to be a size smaller, have you checked with your doctor and made a game plan? If you want better financial results, have you made changes to your spending, saving, investing habits?

Where can you take action to have the life you dream of?

Believing in you...

Sierra
(who has a story out in the new, fabu Night of the Senses anthology from Total-E-Bound. Yes, I skipped fun activities in order to see my name on a book. Some sacrifices are definitely worth it!)

Keep On Dreaming!

2009-01-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Last month, we talked about the importance of setting big goals. If we don’t take the time to think about what we want and dream of it, we might possibly never achieve it.

Unbelievably, the first month of 2009 is already behind us. We’re settling in after the holiday insanity. For many of us, real life (RL) has already intruded on our beautiful, bright, shiny new 2009 goals. Some of us may have already resumed some old habits we swore we were giving up in the giddiness of a champagne toast and New Year’s resolutions.

So what do I want for you?

It’s time to restore the luster to your dreams!

I want you to pull back out your 2009 goals. If they’re already dusty, dust them off! If you haven’t opened the file on your computer since last year, open it up.

Re-read your list of dreams, goals, the vision you had for 2009.

And for each of those dreams, I want you to write three to five reasons why you want to achieve that goal.

For example, if you wanted to lose a bit of weight, you might say, I want to live longer. I want to have more energy. I want to feel better. I want to wear a smaller size.

If you want to write a book, you might say, I want the feeling of accomplishment. I want to see my name on a book cover, etc.

Your dreams are yours. They’re personal. Your reasons for wanting those goals should be personal, too. Feel free to write more than five reasons, but please, do write at least three reasons you want to achieve each goal or dream.

Here’s to you and a re-energized 2009!

Until next time,

Sierra
www.sierracartwright.com

Happy New Year!

2008-12-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

New Year's!

As we move from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, a bright, shiny new year awaits!

As a certified coach, I encourage you to take a few minutes to think about what you'd like out of 2009. Life happens at warp speed, whether we're ready for it, or not. If we don't focus on what we want out of life, we generally don't get what we want.

As you decide what you want, I suggest you write it down. The very act of writing it out engages the left side of the brain. The right side, the more creative side, is the side we tap into when we're dreaming, when we're exploring the possibilities that lie ahead of us in 2009.

At least once a month, and preferably once a week, look at your list. Hold it. Read your dreams out loud. The feel of the paper (or the "touch" of your fingers on the keyboard if you wrote on your computer) and the sound of your voice all work together to help anchor your wants, dreams, and desires.

But it all starts with the very first step, dreaming, wishing, hoping, thinking...

Next month, we'll talk about the crucial next step...

Until then... Happy New You!!

Cool New Website!!

2008-12-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Check this out!!!!!!!!

http://www.ticklesandtingles.com/

My friend and I are very excited about this site! We provide high-end and luxury adult oriented items where you are center stage. Fun stuff, exciting stuff, provocative stuff from the United States and Europe.

Please visit us.

A Great Big Juicy Bite

2008-10-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

In this part of the world, it's time for a celebration of the harvest! Pumpkins, squash, apples... Fun!

And while it's a celebration of abundance, how about a time to celebrate you? And how about taking a moment to slow down and think about taking a great big, juicy, delicious bite of...life?

Is there some adventure your soul longs for? I'm not talking, necessarily, about jumping out of an airplane (although I'm game if you are!) or bungee jumping or even racing a NASCAR. I'm talking about a big, juicy bite of something that appeals to you!

That could mean painting a wall or a picture. Writing a book or penning a journal. It could mean traveling somewhere new and exciting, or even trying a new place for dinner or a drink. It could mean taking up a new sport or a new hobby. It could mean baking something new.

For me, my great big, juicy bite is about...owls! Tonight, I'm heading out to "band" Northern Saw-whet owls. I have no idea who else will be part of this adventure. I have no idea how you do it. The only thing I do know...it will be cold in that part of the Rockies at night, and it will be dark. And it's something I've never done before. I'm excited and nervous.

I could easily have said "No" to the call to adventure, after all, it's a long way from home and it's cold and... You get the picture. There are always a dozen, legitimate reasons not to do so something new, something outside your comfort zone. But if you were to set aside that reluctance and to take a great big, juicy bite of something, what would it be?

Let me know what you decide!

Have to run now...I need down gloves and a headlamp for tonight's adventure. Let's hope it's a hoot! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Love, Sierra
Sierra Cartwright
http://www.sierracartwright.com/
http://sierracartwright.blogspot.com/

Too Exciting!!

2008-10-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce I'll be participating in the "I HEART NY" series from Loose Id!

The other authors are superstars, and I'm honored to be in their presence!

The series will start around Valentine's Day and end with St. Patrick's day!

Of course, my heroine has an Irish background. (Write what you know, right? LOL) Her name is Bridget (thanks, Mom!) and she has red hair (and I wonder where she gets that??)

Life is good, yes?

Unbelievable

2008-10-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

I cannnnnnnot believe it!!

"Signed, Sealed, and Delivered" was nominated as one the best erotic romances of the year!! Thank you, Night Owl Romance!

Will you please vote for "Sierra Cartwright Signed, Sealed, and Delivered?" Thanks!!

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/norawards/fall2008norawardseroticebooks.asp

Updates

2008-10-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

Cool stuff is coming as fall approaches!!

Time to curl up with a hot book!

I'm thrilled to announce that you can get my latest book, Danger Zone, from Loose Id, on October 14, 2008! What a fun way to celebrate my birthday.

S-s-s-sizzle!

2008-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Wow!

Talk about fun in the sun!

I just returned from the International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas. The weather was hot, the evenings sultry, the excitement palpable, the energy level high, the food abundant and delicious. Excitement and expectation were everywhere. The atmosphere sizzled.

There were beautiful young women, and some hunky men!, modeling for various lines. The highlight of the event was a fashion show on Monday evening. Drinks flowed from an open bar (what’s better than a glass of Merlot, but a free glass of Merlot?!). The music was techno, so it had a great, energetic beat. The choreography, staging, and lighting made the package complete.

The whole event started me thinking about fantasy, about creativity. Every piece of lingerie on the models (and some of the pieces were itty-bitty!) had been designed by someone. Then there’s color and fabric. In its way, creating an event like the International Lingerie Show is not terribly different from writing a book.

You begin with nothing, other than an idea. Then you craft characters to sweep away the reader and create a fantasy. Words become a writer’s canvas. Plot provides the nuance of color, dialogue, the music. Conflict is the fabric, be it sheer and daring or sturdy and opaque. Pacing is the backdrop, the staging.

If a writer has done her job well, then we’ve been entertained. We’ve been swept away into an alternate reality that allows us to forget our problems and concerns. We’ve escaped to a place that is real, but doesn’t really exist.

Our senses have been fed. We’ve laughed or cried. We’ve rooted for some characters and shouted boo-hiss at others. We’ve been moved emotionally, turned-on in an elemental and thrilling way. Maybe we’ve been provoked to think about our own lives in a new or different way. We’re excited, as if a techno beat had provided a staccato to energize us.

Writers have created a sizzle that satisfies. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Love,

Sizzlin' Sierra

www.sierracartwright.com

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered from Total-E-Bound Books

Coming Soon: Danger Zone from Loose Id www.loose-id.com

Summertime!

2008-06-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's summertime!

Green leaves, flowers blossoming, sultry nights, birds singing, birth, renewal....

What do you need to renew?

What do you need to re-connect with, re-connect to?

What's is YOUR passion?

What makes you feel alive?

What quickens your heartbeat?

This is the absolute perfect time of year (at least in the northern hemisphere!), to sit on a chair outside, or maybe curl up in a hammock, bask on beach.

And when you do, don't forget to connect.

Dream while a lazy, fat cloud saunters across the sky.

And it's okay to ask yourself some questions that will sustain you in the shorter months of fall and winter.

Questions like:
If I had my ideal day, what would it look like? What time would you get up? What time would you go to bed? What would you eat? Where would you live? What would you do (if anything!) to earn a living?

Who would I like to connect with? (Is it time to send a formal written invite, or maybe an email or -- gasp! -- pick up the phone! and invite a friend to lunch, dinner, even a glass of wine at a rooftop cafe?)

What will summer of 2009 look like? (Will there be a great holiday to the ocean, or will you rent a cabin in the mountains for some blessed cool?)

What are my plans for this year's first cold snap?

What do I want to accomplish the rest of the year?

Regardless, this is a fantastic chance for you to picture your perfect life.

After all, what are daydreams for?

Here's to you and your dreams!

Muah!

Book Release Day!

2008-04-21T10:44:00.001-07:00

It's book release day! YAY!!

Here's a link to my latest book...

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=Ys2w49236071&strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=247

Taking Care of You!

2008-04-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

As writers, we’re told to write what we know. So, for this blog, I will. I’ve learned, the not-so-easy way how important it is to take care of myself.

As a coach, writer, parent, manager, always looking out for others, you’d think I’d look out for myself, too, right? Er, not so much.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve done what might be termed a “crash and burn.” And it’s not pretty. I caught a nasty virus, had my energy level drop to nearly nothing and haven’t had a lot of interest in things that generally energize me.

So, darn it, I’m going to have to practice what I preach and write what I know.

When I coach my clients to take a sheet of paper and divide it into seven sections (one for each day of the week), and write out their ideal schedule, that means I need to do the same.

When I instruct an employee who has been working too many hours that they need to take a refresh and rejuvenate day, I need to recognize my own limits and take some time to rest and rejuvenate, too.

When I tell my daughter (who’s certainly old enough to know better!) that sleep is the mighty healer and that things will look better in the morning, I should tuck my tired self into bed and remember that things will look better in the morning. After all, I’m definitely old enough to know better!

When I coach clients to list the things that jazz them and to write a top 100 list of things to see, to do, to have, I need to do the same thing.

Getting a regular massage isn’t just for those around me. Eating nutritious foods that aren’t loaded with sugar are for me, too, not just others. Moving my body so that I look and feel better and have more energy to make it through the day (to say nothing of releasing endorphins and regulating serotonin levels) is something I should do every day. After all, I do know about the Law of Inertia. (An object in motion stays in motion, right?)

So, here I am, making a public commitment to taking better care of myself. Starting with a bubble bath, a good night’s sleep, and packing my gym bag for tomorrow’s work out.

What advice do you give others that you should take yourself?

See you again next time…when I have some progress to report!

Please, feel free to let me know what you’re doing to take care of you…

OMG!

2008-04-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

OMG! OMG! OMG!!

I have really great news, and...and...and, I can't share it yet!!

Stay tuned!!

Dreaming

2008-04-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

www.sierracartwright.com

"Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before." -- Joseph Campbell

Follow your bliss...

Easier said than done!

So many of us are caught up in the daily grind, get up, peel back our eyelids, brew a cup of coffee or tea or crack open a can of soda (who cares, as long as it has caffeine) go to work, or drag the kids out of bed and get them ready for the day. Then, with our responsibilities to our relationships, our jobs, friends, homes...

We're so tired, how would we even know what our bliss is, let alone to follow it? But you know what, it's there, somewhere, niggling. It's those random thoughts that dart through when you're busy doing other things. Maybe it's a book you see advertised, and you think, "One day, when I have more time, I'll read it." One day, I'll take a long vacation. One day, I'll go back to school, get a puppy, do that volunteer work I've been thinking about.

One day...

Maybe, if you're like me, you get ideas at the most interesting times. When I'm in the bathtub, when I'm driving, drifting off to sleep, or going for a walk. But all those times have something in common...they come to me when I'm either alone or being quiet. It's in those moments that I get that whisper of what my bliss might be. But it's what I do with those moments that matter. Do I ignore them until they go away? (Yeah, more times than I care to admit! LOL)

Or do I do something with that urge? Do I follow it? Do I book a trip somewhere fabulous? Do I do a little research into a new job I might like to have? Do I scribble down a few words for my new book?

In the quiet, and, thank God, sometimes in the chaos, ideas, thoughts, inspiration come to us. What we do with them is up to us. What were you thinking about as you read this? What came to your mind? And now, what are you going to do with it?

Here's to you, and here's the the urging of inspiration!

Simple Pleasures

2008-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

www.sierracartwright.com

….Deep breath in. Another out…. There. Doesn’t that feel better?

Not that I’m one to talk, LOL.

As a coach, writer, business manger, I, like you, wear a dozen different hats, sometimes more than one at the same time! (You know what I mean. It’s when you are at work and you’ve got your cellular phone pressed to you ear because you’re getting a call from home. Oh, wait! There’s call waiting buzzing, telling you an important client is ringing.)

And it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our lives…phones, shopping, cooking dinner, running the kids to school, checking email…

By the time you get to the end of the day, you fall into bed exhausted. Then the alarm shrills and you drag your still-tired body from bed only to do it all over again.

Sometimes it feels as though our lives are roller coasters where you’re strapped in. “Please stay seated until the ride comes to a complete stop.”

Well, guess what? It’s not easy, but we can stop at least part of the insanity. How? This may sound counterintuitive, but we can enjoy our lives more by scheduling some fun into our day.

As a coach, I know that time for fun doesn’t magically appear in our lives.

It has to be planned. At least weekly, maybe even monthly.

You’re kidding, right?

I have to plan even more than I already to?

If you want to enjoy life more, yes.

My suggestion? Call your BFF and put a dinner date on the April calendar now. Schedule a ‘date’ night with your SO. Buy tickets to that show you’ve been dying to see, even if it doesn’t open until July.

By having things to look forward to, we brighten our lives.