My goal is to work out every day. I enjoy working out, and that’s the problem. Choices. I didn’t decide last night, so this morning (while I was thinking about writing this post — or not) I had to decide: the gym, outdoors, YouTube, Beachbody, video, or free form?
Beachbody. Because I have a subscription.
Fine. Hook computer to TV or do it in the dining room?
Dining room?
Okay, but move the laundry you did yesterday, move the chairs, start computer, restart router.
I was looking forward to it, because an exercise session boosts me for the next 3-4 hours.
But I could have made it easier on myself.
On my way to the back porch to find my workout shoes, I paused in the kitchen, ended up unloading and reloading the dishwasher, totally forgetting about my shoes. I found half a dozen other things to do, too.
What should I have done? Prepped the night before! Not allowed myself to be derailed, even if it meant setting a timer.
When it comes to writing, make it easy on yourself! Preplan that shit. Here are questions to ask yourself before you sit down to write:
- When will you write?
- What will you work on?
- Where will you write?
- What do you need to successfully write?
- For how long will you write?
- When will you know you are finished for the day?
These are all important questions, y’all. Had I planned my exercise last night, down to laying out my workout clothes, I could have been finished at least half an hour earlier.
I’ve got to admit, I’m pretty good about organizing my writing. I wasn’t today. Ha, and you thought I was only slacking on the exercise prep front.
Here’s why I was hesitating: because I printed a draft of my novel last week and went through it, I had to decide whether to go back through the draft with another color ink (because I hate unnecessarily printing drafts: I’m a tree lover and it also gets expensive). I still didn’t know which to do this morning.
I also have a couple of book reviews due, and wanted to start on an essay. But I knew the book review I most needed to work on would intimidate me. It did.
So what to do?
I decided to work on the book review for an hour. Then I wrote a list of essay topics. Lastly, I had to decide whether to type in my book corrections or not. I did corrections.
While I only finished half (so far) of the pages I’d hoped to type revisions in on, I got that much finished.
Next time, though, I will be more prepared. I will make those tough decisions, and make them early. I will plan so I don’t get bogged down in indecision or fear.
Do you have a writing schedule? Let’s hear about it!
Writing all the Things,
Drema
