There are about two weekly reports remaining for the year; and I would like to say that I’m going to get a lot accomplished in the next two weeks and few days, BUT . . . No “buts” here. I actually plan on getting a lot accomplished in the next two weeks. That’s my plan, anyway. And because I know that there’s a distinct difference between saying and doing, I suppose I need to put in enough walking to substantiate the talking.
I’m on this somewhat of a schedule obsession, trying earnestly to get myself organized in order to get the most out of my last few days of December and going forward. So, I placed most of my actual writing goals aside to conceptualize a process (called my schedule board) where I can work in the most efficient state possible. And for me, any improvement in productivity is welcomed, because I haven’t been feeling the best about the amount of tasks I’ve accomplished in the last couple of weeks.
No use in reminiscing about the days gone by. It’s time to kick things into full speed ahead. And now that my youngest child has only 4 more days left of school, my oldest child has only 5 days of work, and my husband and middle child are done with work and school for the winter break, my load around the house should be a little lighter. This very fact should lend to some creative work-from-home action. I’m hoping, anyway.
So, while I didn’t get much accomplished in the way of writing activities, didn’t hear back from the organization that I’m looking forward to volunteering for and assisting in the way of personal and professional development, and didn’t do much out loud reading to condition my voice for the audio book narration, I did work on my overall daily and weekly schedule going forward. I shared some of my organizational attempts with you in my previous post, Hourly & Block Scheduling Tips for a Productive Day.
I’ll be fine-tuning my daily/weekly schedule throughout this week; but while doing so, I’ve actually started using the portions of it that have been hammered out. It’s a work-in-progress and will be adjusted as I try it out and see what does and doesn’t work in getting me in a productive flow.
And while I’ve been making some headway with organizational stuff, I haven’t been making as much progress on the closing out of my second book. I still have so many pieces of the self-publishing process to complete on this project, and I’m really praying that the remainder of December will provide me with the momentum I need in order to get my book published in January, according to the amended goal that I recently set for my publishing deadline.
Reluctantly, I recognize that big-time goal disruption has crept in and taken over in more ways than one. But, I have to admit that goal disruption is justifiable if it helps set you up for a better success rate for the achievement of your goals overall and their completion in a timely manner. And, I think this ideology will prove true for my decision to interrupt with schedule-setting. In the long run, the slight break from book development and editing, to work out a structured and strategic plan for task management, should result in getting more done in less time. Because I have all these other competing priorities to accomplish outside of self-publishing, I found it necessary to temporarily stop work on book #2 and create a systematic scheduling system of managing everything else along with the book activities.
However, I’m hoping that this positive goal disruption plan doesn’t get cancelled out by the negative one that comes in the form of:
Chasing the Shiny New Object
When you hit a roadblock (it could be writer’s block for the writer or some other type of block) with a goal, it makes it that much easier for a new idea to creep in and look more appealing to pursue than working to achieve the goal that seemingly has you stuck. I’ve already found myself thinking about book #3 on several occasions and even doing some mental planning in my head. Of course, I don’t have book #2 finished yet. So, hold up little lady. First things first.
Here’s my work-around for this problematic situation: I’ve decided that my ideas for book #3 are worthy of entertaining, but entertaining at a date that follows the self-publishing of book #2. Whenever these new ideas creep in, I’ll make sure and get them recorded somewhere for future purposes. It’s no use in thinking that ditching my current goal to pursue a new one will lead to a more smooth road than the one I’m already travelling on. I have a feeling that any path, leading to goal completion, will eventually present some roadblocks and giving up isn’t going to be the answer in most cases. I’ve decided to disregard this method as a go-to for handling obstacles. I don’t want to find myself starting a lot of things and never managing to complete much of anything.
Quitting When the Going Gets Tough
It’s more tempting to stop in mid-course to avoid difficult tasks that must be completed in order to achieve your goal. Wouldn’t it be easier to stop working toward a tough goal and find one that’s more achievable? After all, if something is that hard to accomplish, maybe it wasn’t meant to be pursued in the first place. I know I’ve heard the following saying in a song somewhere: “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” And this is so true.
You have to have some grit and determination to keep going when you come upon tasks that are difficult to manage. I’ve found it very intimidating to take on additional self-publishing pieces — pieces that I delegated to someone else with my first book. However, this time around, I’m planning on adding formatting and a couple of other items to my list of to-dos.
I’m not the most tech savvy person, so all additional tasks of a techie nature are going to take some mental fortitude from yours truly. And new processes are going to require me to do some substantial research. Goody. Research and tech — two areas that get me to cringe at times. But guess what? If I want to be proficient in areas of discomfort, I’ve got to plug along and attack them anyway. I’ll be better off for it and will have gained new skills sets that can be used for all subsequent books. Guess I better get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Fear of the Unknown
Maybe you’re afraid of the results from actually getting your goal accomplished. I know this mindset seems a little counterproductive, wouldn’t you say? I mean I don’t think that you go into a goal-setting session with a mindset that it’s going to cause you problems down the road. But, let me explain how fear can sneak its way in toward your goal-achievement process.
I’ve thought extensively about the importance I’ve placed on book #2. My second book is more of a work book, a book that takes you step-by-step through a process of self-awareness and self-improvement. But, what if its scope and reach doesn’t do what I’ve intended for it to do, which is to help people recognize their passions and mission in life? Sounds like a pretty heavy subject matter with the potential to change lives and help give others the direction they may be looking for, right? So, it’s okay for me to take the impact of this book for granted, right? WRONG!
Therefore, I have a little self-doubt that shows up every once in a while, telling me that my book isn’t going to live up to my best intentions. And when that happens, here’s what my rightful mind tells me: “maybe it will and maybe it won’t, but you’re going to put in your best effort to make this book as meaningful to others as it has been to you. And, that’s all you can do.” If I can keep telling myself that there’s someone out there that can benefit from it, then I will press on and get my book writing goal accomplished with heartfelt purpose in mind.
Conclusion
I see that I’m a little lengthy with this post, but it’s been very therapeutic to write down my weekly progress (or lack thereof) for December 8 – 14, 2019. Honestly, I still recognize progress I’m making, even when it doesn’t translate into some form of measurable output. Sometimes, it’s the inner maturity, that you experience during the goal-achieving process, that speaks volumes.
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