IT ACTUALLY WORKED....
Wish I could say cleaning my desk, or even my bookshelves...or even having the most clean and neat and tidy as a pin house....unfortunately fail.
So what worked? Having a deadline.
Easy you say...you have a deadline, you meet it. Nothing to sing and dance, or write a blog post about. However I am the Queen of Procrastination (would wear my crown if I could find it amongst all this other much needed stuff)...therefore I have seen so many deadlines sail by into the sunset with a tender wave of farewell.
This time, however, it worked!
I gave myself all of August to read, rewrite, edit and tweak my India piece. I finished it...not only reworking but adding another 8000 words to it. Now I'm not saying it is totally finished, ready to send off in all its glory. I don't like the ending and the beginning needs work...so two pieces to polish, especially the beginning as that will set the pace and will be all the editor / publisher sees to make an opinion on.
But I feel so much better about it this time.
So how did I actually make this deadline when so many others have failed?
I think because I said I would- I spoke out loud, wrote it down, put it out into the ether---I WOULD FINISH IN AUGUST. And I did.
There was that feeling of I have to do this---- no more excuses. What would I say if someone asked.
So Vicki how did August go? Did you finish Shillong?
Well, no, because---because I didn't want to, it was boring, there was so much other stuff to do, I just couldn't be bothered, I didn't feel well, I've been too tired, I wrote some poems instead, all sorts of other things have been happening, my dog ate my manuscript.
All excuses I could have used, and probably would have (would have to say neighbour's dog ate my manuscript but heh). But something clicked.
I'm not saying it was easy---there were days when I pushed myself, told myself to SIT DOWN AND WRITE. Having it set out in chronological order helped, knowing I had to start at the beginning and somehow end up on day 15.
Now I'm wondering will it work again....for something else?
Let's face it, September is just sitting there. Waiting.
I mean I do have three family birthdays, father's day, work, school holidays and therefore children's programs, a writing workshop and....
Yep back to excuses. Yes there are those above commitments, but surely I can find some time?
Can I do it again? Make a deadline and meet it? Do I have to tell everyone, shout it from the rooftops for it to work?
Let's see...I will give myself a goal of finishing A in September. I have whispered it to myself, wrote it on my whiteboard, noted it in my diary. Let's see if I can make this work for me, or whether I need the sense of noticeable failure and guilt to force myself to write.
Perhaps there will be a happy surprise at the end of September....a bit of relief and 'what can I tackle next?' like when I finished Shillong.
We can only hope.
Vicki
So what worked? Having a deadline.
Easy you say...you have a deadline, you meet it. Nothing to sing and dance, or write a blog post about. However I am the Queen of Procrastination (would wear my crown if I could find it amongst all this other much needed stuff)...therefore I have seen so many deadlines sail by into the sunset with a tender wave of farewell.
This time, however, it worked!
I gave myself all of August to read, rewrite, edit and tweak my India piece. I finished it...not only reworking but adding another 8000 words to it. Now I'm not saying it is totally finished, ready to send off in all its glory. I don't like the ending and the beginning needs work...so two pieces to polish, especially the beginning as that will set the pace and will be all the editor / publisher sees to make an opinion on.
But I feel so much better about it this time.
So how did I actually make this deadline when so many others have failed?
I think because I said I would- I spoke out loud, wrote it down, put it out into the ether---I WOULD FINISH IN AUGUST. And I did.
There was that feeling of I have to do this---- no more excuses. What would I say if someone asked.
So Vicki how did August go? Did you finish Shillong?
Well, no, because---because I didn't want to, it was boring, there was so much other stuff to do, I just couldn't be bothered, I didn't feel well, I've been too tired, I wrote some poems instead, all sorts of other things have been happening, my dog ate my manuscript.
All excuses I could have used, and probably would have (would have to say neighbour's dog ate my manuscript but heh). But something clicked.
I'm not saying it was easy---there were days when I pushed myself, told myself to SIT DOWN AND WRITE. Having it set out in chronological order helped, knowing I had to start at the beginning and somehow end up on day 15.
Now I'm wondering will it work again....for something else?
Let's face it, September is just sitting there. Waiting.
I mean I do have three family birthdays, father's day, work, school holidays and therefore children's programs, a writing workshop and....
Yep back to excuses. Yes there are those above commitments, but surely I can find some time?
Can I do it again? Make a deadline and meet it? Do I have to tell everyone, shout it from the rooftops for it to work?
Let's see...I will give myself a goal of finishing A in September. I have whispered it to myself, wrote it on my whiteboard, noted it in my diary. Let's see if I can make this work for me, or whether I need the sense of noticeable failure and guilt to force myself to write.
Perhaps there will be a happy surprise at the end of September....a bit of relief and 'what can I tackle next?' like when I finished Shillong.
Vicki
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