Jennifer Lauck's new memoir, Found, is coming out in March 2011 (Seal Press) and is available for pre-order on Amazon.  She is the New York Times Bestselling author of Blackbird, Still Waters, and Show Me the Way.  Follow her musings each week as she stares down her pub date, creatively engages the community, and embarks on the quest to spread word. 

Last week, my book Found arrived and I attached a small piece of paper to the cover that read: “1,000,000 copies sold in hardcover.”  (I'm here at Powell's City of Books, with one of the first shelf copies)  The goal I wrote out and put on the cover wasn't just "wishful thinking" though, like dreaming about being an NFL football player or an astronaut.  In fact, this is an acheivable goal and setting the goal, in a real and visible way, is an important part of the goal setting process. 

Of all the things I have done in preparation for this book release, one of the most important has been “adjusting my attitude.”  I took an in-depth, nine week training from a young man in Portland, Oregon named Jacob Gudger who was just fresh from a Bob Proctor Goal Achiever’s Seminar (of The Secret fame).  Jake taught me how the conscious and the sub-conscious mind works.  Much of what he was teaching me was in line with what I had been taught in the high thin air of the Rocky Mountains as I studied Tibetan Buddhism.  Number one, I manifest everything is happening in my life—everything and this includes the good, the bad, the odd.  It’s all coming from me.  Once I put Jake's teachings and my own common sense together, I got to work following his recommended formula of goal setting and then I maintained a Zen like focus on my goal which includes daily practices. 

It’s working. 

A week after I set my first goals, I secured a book deal.  Two weeks later, I was able to purchse the car I wanted (I know, it sound’s silly but there you have it.  I hated my old car and needed a different one).  And many small and large victories later and here I am, with my book shipping around the U.S.    And, I have set the next goal which is sell one million copies in hard cover.  Three days after I set this most recent goal, I was given an unbelievable opportunity to write a controversial editorial for Huffington Post, which sparked intense interest and debate.   I had know idea what the Huffington Post even was (I know, talk about the dark ages) and boom, now I'm on it!  If that isn’t the universe parting to show me the way, I don’t know what is.   Now I have written a second post and am being invited to write more.  Not only do I get to write about a topic that is very important to my heart and spark important debate, my book is being exposed to an audience of 215 million people.  That’s the way to get the job done.

She Writes sisters, I am telling you this, we are living in an extremely important time for writing and publishing.  Yes, the dinosaur of New York is dying away and yes, the way we are selling books is changing but there is good news.  I believe it’s getting easier in some ways, due to the social networking opportunities.  Pay attention to what is available out there, use the technology and see what happens.   I have come up with a way to be home, with my kids, but reach thousands and this will be by offering myself to any book group that asks to host me.  I will appear in any living room, across the country, via Skype.  This will save in time, travel, money and physical wear and tear.  I don’t know if it will work but I’ll willing to try and remain open to other opportunities.   That is what it takes, as a writer and an artist.  Be open.  Be willing.  Change your attitude.  Learn. Grow.  And sell those books!  

Have you set a goal you and it came to pass?  What is your goal setting and achievement process?  

Jennifer Lauck lives in Portland, Oregon with her two kids, thirteen-year-old Spencer and nine-year-old Josephine. She mentors, teaches memoir writing and is just wrapping her MFA with Pacific Lutheran University. 

Connect with Jennifer at her SW profile page, via Twitter , or Facebook.