They would write. That’s what they do. (Well, that’s what Maya DID) SARK still writes.
Is it luck that SARK is a best-selling author & artist, with over 17 titles in print and well over 2 million books sold?
Is it luck that Maya Angelou wrote several works that equaled millions of books being sold?
I think not. What I know to be true is this; accomplishing anything takes time, commitment, effort and discipline.
What Choice are You Making?
When you make a choice to do one thing, conversely you make a choice not to do something else.
When I’m writing a book, I am willing to give up a couple hours a night sleep in order to complete a book. Often, my natural sleep patterns shift with me waking up at one or two in the morning.
When I do wake, I can choose to stay in bed or I can choose to get up, turn on my laptop and download whatever information is trying to come through me.
What I know to be true for me is this; I am very happy when I’m writing. Especially if I’m writing something that will eventually become a book.
For years, I’ve talked about writing a memoir. And for years, talk was about all I did. Periodically, I would make a feeble attempt at starting my memoir.
A Light Bulb Moment
When I finally got serious about the book, there was no room for excuses. It happened at a recent conference I attended.
It was for Platinum members of EWomenNetwork. Founder, Sandra Yancey, shared her personal insights regarding strategies she implements to accomplish more in one day than most people do in a month.
A light-bulb went on. My memoir wasn’t going to write itself. It was up to me to get off my backside and make it happen.
I made a commitment right there and then to get my first draft done within 66 days. That would put the first draft completion at May 1, 2017. A couple weeks shy of my 63rd birthday.
It didn’t take but one calculation to know that if I write 500 – 1,000 words per day, seven days a week I can easily have 35,000 – 70,000 words in the first draft. Not bad!
What Motivates You?
I’m driven by a few main motivators. One is that my word to myself is important. Equally important is my word to others. Thus, the reason I announced my writing goal to a Facebook group I manage.
I invited members to make their own writing commitment. Whether it be a manuscript, 30 days of blog postings, an information product that requires writing, or writing letters to loved ones for 30 days, each person could choose for themselves.
Since starting, I’ve not missed a single day. I’ve written a minimum of 500 words and I’ve had a few occasions to write more than 1,000 words in one sitting.
Mind you, this is not the only writing I do in my day. I still write on my blog, I post on social media as well as other things I write in the course of running my business.
In a perfect world, I would have hours and hours to write each day, but the fact is, I don’t have hours at a stretch. I have snippets of time. 30, 45, 60 minutes.
The temptation for many people is to say 30 minutes isn’t enough to get much writing done.
“Shoot, it takes me 30 minutes to get in mindset to write,” can be heard from many would-be writers as they procrastinate from fulfilling their dream.
Truth be told, you can accomplish more in 30 minutes of extremely focused effort than most people do with hours of unfocused effort.
Try the following four steps to allow your writing flowing.
1. Get out in nature. Take a walk, hike, go to a body of water. This tends to open up the creative channels.
2. Whatever your writing preference, keyboard or pen and paper, set the intention to write your 500 words. The mere act of “intention” tends to open up the creative channels.
3. Avoid affirming, “I just can’t think of what to write.” This WILL block you. Rather, affirm, “Ideas, words and thoughts flow through me.”
4. Make a commitment that no matter what, you will write a minimum of 500 words per day for a minimum of 30 days.
When we think too much about the task of writing, we get writer’s block. When we simply do it, we do it.
Author's Bio: Kathleen Gage, known as the “no-nonsense, common sense” marketing and promotions strategist, has owned and operated her business for 25 years. She has spoken around the globe to various size groups, authored several books and information products, been interviewed hundreds of times and worked with thousands of entrepreneurs and companies.
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