Motivating Focus

Being a writer is tough but not impossible. For most of us, me included, finding a place to start helps tremendously. After all, if we don’t have a starting point, how can we find the finish? If we don’t have an ending goal, it is difficult to gather the motivation or the focus to start any project.

How does one find the best starting place?

Make a To-Do list.

Whether you are just beginning as a writer or have been at it for years, a To-Do list will help get your day in perspective. In addition, it creates a visual goal, which is a must to encourage the daily struggle of a writer who balances home/work life with writing life.

• How do I choose what to put on the list? Prioritizing is a must-have skill for a writer, and something we all struggle with. Making a list is a good exercise to help strengthen that muscle.
• 1) Write down every item.  If you are like me, there are a million and one items clashing together in your brain like a party of five-year-old children demanding your attention. The best way to create your to-do list is to get that list into a manageable form. Whether you work best in digital form or paper, get your list down in some form that you can see.
• 2) Decide your project priorities.
• If you have multiple projects clamoring for your time, jot down the ‘percent (%) complete’ of each one. Accomplishments are the best medicine for boosting confidence and forward momentum. Seeing how far you have come will put things into perspective and encourage you to move forward.
• If you have one project, write down the steps remaining for that project. For example, if it is simply an idea, your steps might be 1) Write general story summary, 2) Complete character bios and goals, 3) Write general story outline, etc. When the steps are trapped in your brain they always seem overwhelming. When you see them on paper, they are put into a more manageable perspective. Like objects in the side-view mirror. =)
• I find it works wonders to mix housework chores in as a ‘movement break’. Some of my projects can take quite a few hours, and sitting is the worst punishment for your back and shoulders. GET UP AND MOVE AROUND! Do some laundry. Refill your coffee, tea, cocoa or water cup. Put some clothes away. Wipe down the counter. While you are completing your housework, take the time to think about your project(s) and brainstorm about where you are, where you have been, and what could be next. It will surprise you how fast the laundry gets folded when you are not paying attention to the task.
• 3) Rewrite your list. Without deleting or erasing your ‘Everything‘ list, re-write your To-Do list by % complete or numbered step. If you think of more items, go ahead and add them to your ‘Everything‘ list. Repeat this step as necessary.
• 4) Insert a check box/line beside each item. If we see progress, we motivate ourselves to take the next step forward. Whether your have 5 items or 50, if you check items off your list you will be more likely to advance to the next one.

Depending on how many projects you have, and how in-depth those little darlings are, you may want to create a To-Do list for each. If the general To-Do list helps you feel more under control of your life, then add ‘Create to-do list for [insert project name here]‘ to the list! I can guarantee that being able to check it off as complete will boost your ego and your confidence, two important items to cultivate.

What helps you keep your projects under control?