TIME FOR MAINTENANCE...
Ziggy, my lovely little run-around, is one of those cars that likes to tell you how cold it is outside, how far I can travel before I need to put in petrol, and loves to shout that SERVICE IS DUE NOW. Complete with warning light.
I've never had a car before that could do all this (they merely got me from here to there...mostly). And while I still enjoy all of his extras, I decided it would be ideal if we, as writers, could have a SERVICE DUE NOW message.
Imagine a little notice popping up on our monitor or lap top screen - politely informing us that it is time for a check in. A bit of maintenance, usually long over due.
For myself I would like a variety of notifications.
WEEKLY- just a quick note to look over the past week, and to see what progress has been achieved. If none, to look and see why not. Perhaps life, as it does, got in the way, perhaps work and stress and family and just plain living meant that writing was put on the back burner. But I think looking back over each week would make me realise, Ahh I've decided today was a pyjama day and didn't want to do anything. And I had the same day last week- and the one before - and the one before that. Hmmm a pattern is emerging. Not a good one either. Time to do something about it.
MONTHLY- Looking at the bigger picture. Lets face it, no matter what we do, there is always going to be twelve months in a year. So if looking back over the month I've realised I've completed nothing, wrote nothing, sent nothing out, and haven't had a fleeting idea....then that is one month down. Gone. Finished. No use crying about it. Time to pull myself up, and see what I can achieve in the next month. And sometimes a month can go by with very little done, merely writing a few lines of poetry. That is when I have to tell myself 'so it happened, but do I want a repeat of this next month and the one after?' It's true that nothing changes unless you change what you have been doing.
THREE MONTHLY- For me I want this reminder to come and hit me hard. SEND SOMETHING OUT. I do have the best of intentions (the old cliche about the road to hell being paved with good intentions is there for a reason), I note down a deadline or a place to send out work. Then something happens. Usually nothing. And before I know it, the deadline is gone. I've missed it, yet again. Sending something out once every three months is do-able. I just have to be reminded- and do it. My friend Miss Kim, a personal trainer has the mantra 'get.it.done.' Time for me to listen.
SIX MONTHLY- this is a big one for me, and one I avoid at all costs. Clean my desk. Yep that growing collection of papers and notes, scraps with anything and everything scribbled down. Why am I keeping most of it? Am I working on all these things at the same time? Surely not, if so then that is another problem to address....focus on one thing at a time. Get it done, get it good. Then move on. There is something about an uncluttered desk and uncluttered mind- hmmm mine I'm sure is not this kind of mind. But it would be nice to be able to see some semblance of actual desk top and not a paper strewn trail.
ONCE A YEAR- Going away to write, or in my case, The Writing Retreat. My writing group is great at doing this, and no matter how stressed with work or family or life in general, we always find a time and place to get away for a few days. We write, we talk writing (and as we all know by now, I go for lots of walks and take lots of photographs). But it is time away from the usual, from my writing desk at home. And this is how new ideas are formed, how some ideas are concreted down. I think we all need this, to get away, put a new perspective not only on our work but how we work. And sometimes merely talking about an idea with like minded and respected peers can really focus goals...and offer inspiration.
I will try and put some of these 'warnings' into practice. As I write this, my desk top is calling to be culled, cleaned and de-cluttered. I will see if I can oblige.
Till next time
Bye
Vicki
I've never had a car before that could do all this (they merely got me from here to there...mostly). And while I still enjoy all of his extras, I decided it would be ideal if we, as writers, could have a SERVICE DUE NOW message.
For myself I would like a variety of notifications.
WEEKLY- just a quick note to look over the past week, and to see what progress has been achieved. If none, to look and see why not. Perhaps life, as it does, got in the way, perhaps work and stress and family and just plain living meant that writing was put on the back burner. But I think looking back over each week would make me realise, Ahh I've decided today was a pyjama day and didn't want to do anything. And I had the same day last week- and the one before - and the one before that. Hmmm a pattern is emerging. Not a good one either. Time to do something about it.
THREE MONTHLY- For me I want this reminder to come and hit me hard. SEND SOMETHING OUT. I do have the best of intentions (the old cliche about the road to hell being paved with good intentions is there for a reason), I note down a deadline or a place to send out work. Then something happens. Usually nothing. And before I know it, the deadline is gone. I've missed it, yet again. Sending something out once every three months is do-able. I just have to be reminded- and do it. My friend Miss Kim, a personal trainer has the mantra 'get.it.done.' Time for me to listen.
ONCE A YEAR- Going away to write, or in my case, The Writing Retreat. My writing group is great at doing this, and no matter how stressed with work or family or life in general, we always find a time and place to get away for a few days. We write, we talk writing (and as we all know by now, I go for lots of walks and take lots of photographs). But it is time away from the usual, from my writing desk at home. And this is how new ideas are formed, how some ideas are concreted down. I think we all need this, to get away, put a new perspective not only on our work but how we work. And sometimes merely talking about an idea with like minded and respected peers can really focus goals...and offer inspiration.
I will try and put some of these 'warnings' into practice. As I write this, my desk top is calling to be culled, cleaned and de-cluttered. I will see if I can oblige.
Till next time
Bye
Vicki
Comments
Post a Comment