Saying No - so you can say YES to NaNo!
"Saying no can be the ultimate self-care." Claudia Black
We've discussed this before - the fact that we often fill our calendars with should-do's instead of want-to-do's. A phrase that is often quoted is what is our yes worth if we always say yes. Or something like that. I challenge you to look at your schedule and really see how much of it is designed to help you reach your goal of being a successful writer (and however you define successful is completely up to you). I'm busy, too. I know what you're up against. I work full-time, and have a family. I have hobbies. I have obligations. But next month I am going to set aside everything else and make time to write. It's time for National Novel Writing Month! Woo-hoo! I'm more excited about it this year than I've ever been before - and this will be my third year. The thing I love the most is that this is permission to ignore the housework, let the family fend for themselves, and slurp down massive amounts of caffeinated beverages. I get to focus on my writing, and nothing else for 30 days. I do this on a mini-level every month for BIW, which I absolutely love, but there's something different about NaNo. It's like writing on a cosmic level. It's like I can feel the energy flowing in the air from the other 75,000 writers throughout the world who are going through the same thing I am, striving for the same thing I am. The only novels I've finished have been the other two NaNo's I've participated in. I like the competition. It keeps me writing. It forces me to push through and keep writing. I have always written better under pressure, and NaNo is pressure on a level I've never experienced before. There's no other feeling like finishing a novel - and doing it with NaNo is . . . I don't know . . . special. You get an instant reward - that certificate goes on my wall and I know that I've done it. I know I've accomplished something that only a small percentage of other writers ever accomplish. I'm starting to think about my 2006 novel. I've decided to write the sequel to Denim & Diamonds. So many people have asked me about it, so I decided to just write it. No plotting. Just me and the laptop. :o)
So, what is my challenge for you? I challenge you to make time next month to make your dream come true. What do you want to do? Put everything else aside (well, except for your paying job) and make it happen. Allow yourself a full month to reach your goal. Set mini-goals for each day, and work towards achieving the final goal by the end of the month. If it's writing, join NaNo. If it's something else, set your own timeframe, and - here's the important part - tell someone. Make someone your goal buddy - someone that you will check in with on a daily basis to let them know what you have accomplished. You need a cheerleader. If you don't have a good friend that you trust with this, email me. I'll be your cheerleader.
Now, say no to everyone but you and go set some goals!
Elle
We've discussed this before - the fact that we often fill our calendars with should-do's instead of want-to-do's. A phrase that is often quoted is what is our yes worth if we always say yes. Or something like that. I challenge you to look at your schedule and really see how much of it is designed to help you reach your goal of being a successful writer (and however you define successful is completely up to you). I'm busy, too. I know what you're up against. I work full-time, and have a family. I have hobbies. I have obligations. But next month I am going to set aside everything else and make time to write. It's time for National Novel Writing Month! Woo-hoo! I'm more excited about it this year than I've ever been before - and this will be my third year. The thing I love the most is that this is permission to ignore the housework, let the family fend for themselves, and slurp down massive amounts of caffeinated beverages. I get to focus on my writing, and nothing else for 30 days. I do this on a mini-level every month for BIW, which I absolutely love, but there's something different about NaNo. It's like writing on a cosmic level. It's like I can feel the energy flowing in the air from the other 75,000 writers throughout the world who are going through the same thing I am, striving for the same thing I am. The only novels I've finished have been the other two NaNo's I've participated in. I like the competition. It keeps me writing. It forces me to push through and keep writing. I have always written better under pressure, and NaNo is pressure on a level I've never experienced before. There's no other feeling like finishing a novel - and doing it with NaNo is . . . I don't know . . . special. You get an instant reward - that certificate goes on my wall and I know that I've done it. I know I've accomplished something that only a small percentage of other writers ever accomplish. I'm starting to think about my 2006 novel. I've decided to write the sequel to Denim & Diamonds. So many people have asked me about it, so I decided to just write it. No plotting. Just me and the laptop. :o)
So, what is my challenge for you? I challenge you to make time next month to make your dream come true. What do you want to do? Put everything else aside (well, except for your paying job) and make it happen. Allow yourself a full month to reach your goal. Set mini-goals for each day, and work towards achieving the final goal by the end of the month. If it's writing, join NaNo. If it's something else, set your own timeframe, and - here's the important part - tell someone. Make someone your goal buddy - someone that you will check in with on a daily basis to let them know what you have accomplished. You need a cheerleader. If you don't have a good friend that you trust with this, email me. I'll be your cheerleader.
Now, say no to everyone but you and go set some goals!
Elle
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