I’ve nearly finished the first draft of my next book. It’s taken a ridiculously long time – I had the idea in July 2019, but I‘ve been struggling with getting it written – there was never time, or I lost the thread, or other things took precedence.
But then a writing expert colleague set up online regular group writing sessions, where we meet for one hour every weekday and just write. We tell each other what we’ll be working on, then, when the buzzer goes off an hour later, we celebrate together by sharing what we’ve achieved. I usually manage around 1000 words, which is 5,000 a week. I’ve been joining in most days each week – and now I’ve nearly finished the first draft.
I would not have got this far without these set writing Power Hours.
It seems daft, doesn’t it? I could simply set aside that time myself and write – but I don’t. There’s always something more urgent to do and the writing gets put aside – again.
I have around eight courses I’ve bought on Udemy about various things that I’ve never even got around starting.
Does this sound familiar? How often have you started something then life got in the way of you continuing? Did you drop out of evening classes, or, like me, never even get started on a course you wanted to do?
Last New Year I made a resolution to price my musical instruments more – instead they are still getting covered in dust and languishing accusingly, glaring at me when I walk past. I’ve probably only played my piano no more than a dozen or so times. No wonder I find some pieces difficult now. And it’s not just my fingers getting stiffer with age…
It’s hard to find the time (and the enthusiasm at times) to train regularly. Despite my best intentions, I find days can go by without me doing the practice or the dog training I’d planned to do.
I need to create a new training habit to go alongside my new writing habit.
It’s hard to push yourself to learn or practice regularly on your own. But I have some ideas…
Keep safe and keep training
Carol