School has started and I am back to work as well. I took a bit of a break there at the end to snatch some time with my son. It was a long summer of working in odd hours around my son’s schedule because I am one of those stay-at-home-working-moms who writes around my family. It’s the best of both worlds. Yes, it’s easier on camp days or when he’s in school, but I would never give up my time with him. It is what makes working late at night (after bedtime) or sneaking in a bit of writing time while he’s distracted by Minecraft (thank you, Notch!).
That is all done now though. Labor Day has passed and I find myself back behind the desk during normal hours. It is heaven. Pure heaven.
I have found through the years that routine helps when writing. Somehow facing the blank page when you expect to do so makes it more palatable. The ideas flow because I am ready for them. I have a detailed plan each day, along with weekly and monthly goals. They are necessary because I have to make my limited time count by being productive and checking tasks off my list. I am running a business, after all.
Writer’s block cannot happen. I can’t afford it. So I plan.
I plan my day. My week. My month. My projects. My novel. Everything.
I admit I am not always good about accomplishing my plan, especially my daily plans, because I always overestimate what I can finish in a day. Still I keep putting more tasks down. It keeps me moving forward and productive.
My advice? Don’t be afraid to push yourself. Add a few extra items to your list. If you don’t accomplish them, you can always push them to the next day. The trick is to prioritize your list so you aren’t pushing something vital.
The point is to keep moving forward—to keep writing no matter what. To edit. To revise. To produce.
For me, that means planning.
How do you push yourself?