Yeah, I’m strutting:
I met my goal for today! It didn’t come about exactly the way I’d planned, but I’m still feeling good about it.
Here’s an update – let me know what you think of this as a template:
I met my goal for today! It didn’t come about exactly the way I’d planned, but I’m still feeling good about it.
Here’s an update – let me know what you think of this as a template:
TODAY’S GOAL: make progress on revising the 50 pages I’m submitting to Agent A
RESULTS: revised all 50 pages! I marked up my changes on paper, and put about half of them into the computer. I’ve been making additional adjustments as I type in the edits, and I’m liking the results.
HICCUPS: my stated writing time was “morning,” but I didn’t begin until after noon
DEMONS: the evil twins - email and Facebook
LESSONS: it’s easy to get caught up in my “to do” list and let time get away from me
RESULTS: revised all 50 pages! I marked up my changes on paper, and put about half of them into the computer. I’ve been making additional adjustments as I type in the edits, and I’m liking the results.
HICCUPS: my stated writing time was “morning,” but I didn’t begin until after noon
DEMONS: the evil twins - email and Facebook
LESSONS: it’s easy to get caught up in my “to do” list and let time get away from me
GOING FORWARD: try Deb Courtney’s “triage” strategy of sorting email (along with other “to do” items) into categories:
• urgent: must be handled NOW
• pressing: handle by “close of business” today
• timely: deal with in the next couple days
Everything else goes in the trash or a “tickle” file for later.
• urgent: must be handled NOW
• pressing: handle by “close of business” today
• timely: deal with in the next couple days
Everything else goes in the trash or a “tickle” file for later.
TOMORROW’S GOAL: finish entering edits into computer; review all 50 pages for formatting, typos and final tweaks
EXTRAS: name my writing demons and blog about it (with an update, of course)
EXTRAS: name my writing demons and blog about it (with an update, of course)
What do you think? Do you like these categories? Am I missing any?
What about you—are you setting goals? Naming demons? Strutting?
What about you—are you setting goals? Naming demons? Strutting?
DISCLAIMER: I reserve the right at all times to revise the above categories. Because I love revisions. And categories. And naming categories. And revising the names of categories. Since I’m doing so well on my goals, I may have some extra time for playing with names.
WARNING: If this were fiction I’d have some serious concerns that the above strutting and self-assured comments are foreshadowing a fall. But since this isn’t fiction, I shall strut off-screen, completely unworried about it.
READER THOUGHT BUBBLE: She really shouldn’t do that. It’s tempting fate. She’s definitely headed for a fall. It’s inevitable. I wonder if she’s doing this to illustrate what NOT to do. Maybe this is staged….
MY REPLY: No, this is not staged, and I’m not intending to fail tomorrow as a demo. Au contraire, my reader. I will hit my goal again tomorrow. Mark my words. (What, you didn’t think I could read your thought bubble?)
MY REPLY: No, this is not staged, and I’m not intending to fail tomorrow as a demo. Au contraire, my reader. I will hit my goal again tomorrow. Mark my words. (What, you didn’t think I could read your thought bubble?)