This year, like all years, has been filled with gains and losses. On the positive side our precious grandson, Matthew, was born in September. We began the year focused on the illness and death of Gary's brother and ended the year with the death of our beloved dog, Scribbler. In between there were many ups and downs and through it all we held the course.
Journal entry, December 2002.

What happens when things don't go as planned? Are your plans quickly derailed? Are you easily distracted? Are you immobilized or do you fall apart? Can you hold the course in spite of the disruption?

" T H E  R O A D  T O  H E L L
I S  P A V E D  W I T H  G O O D
I N T E N T I O N S "
Mom


" NE V E R  P U T  O F F  U N T I L
T O M O R R O W  W H A T  Y O U
C A N  D O  T O D A Y "
Mom said that too


" T H E  W O R K  I N V O L V E S
C O M M I T M E N T ,  P A I N ,
A N D  A  G I V I N G  O F
O N E S E L F ,  A N D  Y E T  A L L
O F  I T  I S  E S S E N T I A L L Y
A  J O Y O U S  E X P E R I E N C E "
Sydney Lumet


" I  A M  I N T E R E S T E D  I N
T H E  S I Z E  O F  Y O U R
I N T E N T I O N .  I T  I S
B E T T E R  T O  O V E R S T A T E
T H E  I M P O R T A N T
T H A N  T O
U N D E R S T A T E  I T "
Robert Henri


" W O R K  L O V I N G L Y  D O N E
I S  T H E  S E C R E T  O F  A L L
O R D E R  A N D  A L L
H A P P I N E S S "
Pierre-Auguste Renoir


" E V E N   I F  I  D I D N ' T
W A N T  T O  C O M P O S E ,
I  P A I N T E D  O R  S T A C K E D
T H E  P I E C E S "
Louise Nevelson


" T H E  W O N D E R F U L
T H I N G  A B O U T  W O R K I N G
I S  T H A T  T H E  M O R E  Y O U
D O  I T ;  T H E  E A S I E R  I T
I S  T O  D O ,  A N D  T H E
L E S S  L I K E L Y  I T  I S
Y O U ' L L  G E T  S T U C K "
Anna Held Audette


" I  W I S H  Y O U  T O  B E
P E R S U A D E D  T H A T
S U C C E S S  I N  Y O U R  A R T
D E P E N D S  A L M O S T
E N T I R E L Y  O N  Y O U R
O W N  I N D U S T R Y "
Joshua Reynolds


" SE L F - D I S C I P L I N E  A N D
S T A M I N A  A R E  T H E  T W O
M A J O R  A R M S  I N  A
W R I T E R ' S  A R S E N A L "
Leon Uris


" P U T T I N G  O F F  A N  E A S Y
T H I N G  M A K E S  I T  H A R D ,
A N D  P U T T I N G  O F F  A
H A R D  O N E  M A K E S  I T
I M P O S S I B L E "
George Lorimer


" I  N E V E R  W R O T E
A N Y T H I N G  T H A T  W A S
P U B L I S H E D  U N T I L  I
W A S  F O R T Y "
James Michener

I have come to realize that "holding the course" is an essential set of skills. Life is filled with disruptions and we can easily be diverted from our goals if we are unable to remain steadfast. Holding the course implies maintaining our direction with flexibility.

In our workshops I often talk about intention, focus and will. It seems to me that all three are necessary to accomplish our goals.

It is not sufficient to intend to do something as my mother often reminded me. New Year's resolutions fall into the category of things we intend to do, but rarely complete. Without focus and will our intentions can easily be defeated.

Last summer we were working out of town and we recognized that it was impossible to maintain our regular schedule of eating and exercise. It would have been easy to give up our routine. However, we chose instead to say, "Right now this isn't going to work, but when we are both home in a month we can re-establish our programme." By holding the intention to return to our schedule when were home again we actually found it easy to return to our regular schedule.

Often it is our focus that is the problem. We are bombarded by so many stimuli that it is easy to become distracted. I sometimes refer to this as "Butterfly Syndrome." We can't hold the course if we are distracted by the many possibilities that are constantly available.

When I lose focus I tend to put off tasks. I have favourite ways of distracting myself especially when I am anxious or scared. One is to become intent on having an immaculately clean house. Another is to become so absorbed in my current novel that I can't put it down. The clues that I am losing focus usually have to do with having important deadlines when I suddenly notice that the refrigerator must be cleaned today or when I pick up a new mystery even though I haven't yet started my essay that is due tomorrow.

Sometimes it is our will that fails us. Will is the determination to move forward. It implies self-discipline and self-control. Often we must engage our will to continue or complete difficult tasks.

When I am tired and discouraged sometimes I just want to give up. It is my will that I summon to help me hold the course. Recently I was feeling overwhelmed by the thought of organizing images for this Website. For a time I was paralysed by the enormity of the task. Yet when I accessed my will I was able to complete the work in an afternoon.

Holding the course requires a perspective that includes the possibility of deviating from a course without leaving it. We cannot predict all of the events that will impinge on our plans. By holding our intention, maintaining our focus and summoning our will we can hold the course.

I wish you smoothe sailing on your chosen course in 2003.