If you're like me, you can work for weeks and weeks "on task" and then suddenly, maddeningly, hit a wall. You stay up too late. You "forget" to work out. Your calendar gets riddled with obligations, stacked with far too many things to do. And day after day, you find yourself avoiding the very writing project(s) you so dearly love and want to finish.
It's never fun to experience setbacks. But let my personal experience (and that of many of my clients) assure you: if you're stuck, you can refocus and get back to your writing. What's more, with the right attitude you can use what you learn from those "blown weeks" to create a more balanced, more productive writer's life.
Ready to bounce back? Here's how.
Secret #1: Lighten Up.
Being resilient and "bounce back-able" means pursuing writing projects and goals with both serious effort and a sense of humor. As you know from your own writing practice, "flow" happens when we're both alert and loose.
It isn't always easy to create art in the midst of life, is it?
You'll save yourself a LOT of time if you accept as truth this simple fact: you're a human being, not a machine. Obstacles will happen and you will have "off" weeks. This doesn't make you any less of a writer.
Secret #2: Study the Setback.
The best way to avoid future derailments is to study the one you've just experienced. As Mary Pickford puts it: "It isn't what happens to us, it's what we do with it that counts." Make a conscious choice to learn from your time off-track.
To study your setback, look carefully and non-judgmentally (important) at the way you chose to spend your "could've-been-writing" time.
Did you stay up late watching too many DVD reruns of The West Wing? (Guess where I got that one?)
Did you spend too much time shopping, either online or at the mall?
Did you sit around and space out on the couch or run yourself ragged by attending school performances or hosting out-of-town guests?
Did you log in a few too many hours on Facebook?
Each apparent diversion gives you clues to what you need to feel more balanced and productive. For example:
If you're watching too much late-night TV, you may be craving more intellectual downtime or time to "just be" with your partner.
If you're canvassing the stores too much, you may need to acknowledge your need for sensory input (and, depending on your style, solitude). You may need to schedule a regular time each week to browse boutiques, galleries or bookstores.
If you're using your time socially rather than writing, you may need to factor in "more time with friends" into your schedule.
If you're socializing to the point of feeling burdened by obligations, though, it's important to answer this question honestly: "Do I need to learn to say 'no'?" (Most all of us can use a tune-up in this department.)
Or, "Is this just an exceptionally busy time of year, one that will subside soon?" If yes, ask yourself: "Is there a way to make this work better for me next year?"
Secret #3: Create an "Unschedule."
I've learned in my coaching practice that there's a part of us that's quite bratty, one that acts out (and keeps us from working on our writing) when we ignore our basic needs for a well-rounded life.
Everyone's different, but setbacks are often rooted in attempts to work unsustainably for a time, ignoring real and valid needs to hang out, decompress, socialize, spend time with friends and family, or entertain ourselves.
The way through this isn't to "force the brat to behave." Instead, I suggest you learn to honor the 'brat' and give it what it needs. Doing so banishes feelings of deprivation and frees you to work at your writing.
Dr. Neil Fiore, author of The Now Habit, suggests creating an "unschedule" to balancing these needs for work and play.
To create an "unschedule," he suggests you calendar all of your non-project commitments first. This includes logging time for meals, working out, work and commute hours, appointments, and, most importantly, leisure and social time.
With the time you have left, your goal is simply to log in "30 quality minutes" on your writing project each day. Fiore suggests you take a mandatory day off from writing each week, and he suggests you limit your writing time to a total of 20 hours a week.
The "unschedule" works because we tend to focus when we know time is limited. (Oh, the power of a good deadline!) By working at your project in 30-minute chunks, you condense your efforts and refocus on simply: (a) just getting started; and (b) sticking it out at the writing desk, at least for a short while.
Secret #4: Determine your "Absolute Bottom Line."
Writing is a process-oriented activity, one that doesn't often yield the kind of comfort and reward that comes from punching a time clock or filling in a spreadsheet. For writers, "a good day's work" can be difficult to define.
To bounce back from setbacks, take a moment before each writing session to define what I call your "Absolute Bottom Line." Ask yourself, "What's the very least I need to do today to feel I've used my time well and am progressing?" Examples include:
* Flesh out my character's motivations in this scene
* Sketch a preliminary argument for my essay
* Revise a scene or chapter
* Work continuously, without distraction, for 30 minutes
As you can see, your Absolute Bottom Line can deal with process ("write for 30 minutes") or product ("sketch a narrative structure").
This technique helps you to focus on one small aspect of your project, and eliminates the frustration that happens when we unconsciously jump between small-scale and large-scale goals within the same writing session.
Secret #5: Sit still before you begin.
Bouncing back from setbacks is infinitely easier with a calm, steady mind. Before you begin your writing sessions, take a few moments to shirk the outside world and still your mind, using whatever technique works for you:
* write a few pages of stream-of-consciousness writing
* listen to your own breathing
* gaze at an inspiring view or listen to a piece of music that calms you
* rev up your heart rate with a round of calisthenics or quick aerobic workout
"Sitting still" doesn't have to be elaborate or take a long time. Just put a little more space between you and the outside world before you go to your desk. If you can, strive to do this most every day.
You Know the Secrets...Now Use Them!
If you adopt even one of these suggestions, I predict you'll bounce back from your next setback--and get back to your writing project--with more ease and grace than you've experienced before.
Marla Beck, a Productivity and Life Balance Coach for Writers, blogs at http://www.TheRelaxedWriter.com. Her free ezine, "The Relaxed Writer," offers inspiration, tips and strategies to help you focus, write and balance your life. Sign up for her free e-zine and register for a free teleclass at http://www.CoachMarla.com.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
