I'm lucky to belong to the Northwest Schmooze group that meets between Seattle SCBWI meetings every month. When I'm in town, I try not to miss it. Last week we heard from member Barbara Davis-Pyles, who shared from her own life about bringing balance to the writing life.
Barbara has written numerous books for the educational market and recently finished her first middle grade novel. She also home schools her children, and she has a doctorate in psychology. She knows a little something about balancing life!
Here are her tips for achieving your writing goals--or any goal, for that matter:
1. Identify what's most important to you. We're assuming writing is in there somewhere!
3. Go small. What can you accomplish in 15 minutes that is a step toward your goal?
4. Hunt down 15 minutes of wasted time in your day. Be honest. Be conscious! Don't give up a guilty pleasure--find time that truly is wasted. (Pleasure is never a waste!)
5. Schedule those wasted 15 minutes every day to take a small step toward your goal. Make it a committment.
6. Find a way to make yourself accountable. Find a writing buddy, or post a schedule where you won't fail to see it. (Barbara actually creates a weekly spreadsheet with her goals and tasks and highlights them when she's accomplished them.)
7. Set yourself up so you're ready to go. Have your project sitting out next to your computer, or on the bedside table, or next to the coffeemaker. Make your project portable so you can take it with you.
8. Promise yourself a reward when your 15 minutes are up. Then make sure to take it!
9. When (not even if!) you fall off the wagon, get back on immediately.
10. If you're not making it work, set a smaller goal. A balanced life is about good habits--creating and keeping them.
Barbara writes a fun and funny blog called The Mind's Elbow. Visit her there--you won't be sorry!
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