Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion
Jim Rohn
The quote above really resonates with me: Until I basque in the glow of WIP completion (and publication), I shall remain paranoid that my dreams, nay, my life's ambition, is all just a fancy notion in my head.
Thus, today I shall write about Discipline as part of today's A-Z Blog Challenge.
Recently, I've been making an effort to implement proper discipline into my writing. I don't profess to be an expert in the art of discipline, but I thought I'd share a new method I'm trying out with you, in the form of a spreadsheet. Observe:
As you can see, I've included a wee paraphrase from Jim Rohn again: Suffer the pain of discipline, or suffer the pain of regret!
I've grouped my spreadsheet into 14 days, with the intention of clocking up 30 hours dedicated to writing. I chose a 14-day window, personally, as 7 days didn't show enough progress, but 1 month would've been too overwhelming.
The time slots are dictated by various factors: Working hours (you'll see the weekends have more hours allocated), family commitments, dentist/doc appointments, etc. Anything that prevents me from sitting at my writing desk is taken into consideration.
I can see the flaws in the spreadsheet already, but this is good. This gives me scope to improve on it. I like flaws: the recognition of them, to me, indicates growth.
The biggest issue I have is definition: What do I consider "Writing"? A lot of those hours have consisted of WIP research and writing for this blog (and my food blog). Whilst they're all loosely connected, I would prefer those 30 hours to be more concentrated on the actual writing of fiction.
So, by the time the next 14-day block comes along, I'd like to have more specific instructions for my "work on" section. Does anyone have any tips? They'd be much appreciated!
Today's music video is dedicated to a genre of music I've really gotten into over the last year or so. It is D for Dubstep.
If you're planning on doing some housework, or excersize, crank this up to full volume and enjoy.
Posts
8 comments:
I am the last person who can give advice on discipline, but I like the look of your spreadsheet. At least you have a starting point to work from! :D
Your spreadsheet is great! It has to feel good to see your progress in black and white. I think it's a great idea - one I may have to borrow. :)
Michelle
www.michelle-pickett.com/blog
Excellent spreadsheet. I have "to do" lists for myself, but I might set something like this up too, to manage my time more effectively.
Wow - that's some impressive planning! Keep me posted as to whether you stick to it or not. Jamaican dub from the 70s is some of my favourite music - do you like that too?
Excellent planning. what I've found works best for me is to plan for the long term like that, but then every night before I go to bed, I plan for the next day based on what I need to accomplish. Things go smoothly when I do it. Emphasis on the when . . .
Now that's a slogan I can understand! Works for me. I gave up on spreadsheet organization. At the end of the day I add up what I did and usually accomplish something.
Stephen Tremp Co-host A to Z Challenge
I've tried the spreadsheet as a method for writing discipline too. I got as far as one month: I think you pegged it just right, doing it in 2 week increments. You've inspired me to start it again. Mine was specifically for my WIP, not any other writing.
@Kyra Lennon: Thanks! It does make me feel more focused :)
@Michelle Pickett: Yay :D Feel free to borrow, I hope it works for you!
@Clare: I adore "To Do" lists, I think I have a bit of an obsession with organisation, or at least the idea of it (since I'm a bit of a scatter-brain)!
@Jessica L. Foster: That is a tremendous tip! I have done that a few times before, and it's always worked out great. I should take that back up actually, thanks! :D
@Stephen Tremp: It must feel great to see all your work at the end of the day :)
@Margo Berendsen: I'm so glad I inspired you to start it again; let me know how you get on with it! You have the right way of thinking, making it WIP exclusive. I'll need to incorporate that into my next printout!
Thank you all for your feedback, everyone, it's given me much food for thought! x
Post a Comment