I hope you're enjoying the "Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series where each day for four days, I give you a Quick Tip and a Quick Action you can implement right away to write all the things that are going to help you create movement and momentum in your business!
"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip #3 - Set yourself up for easy. If you have to spend time finding the document you started two weeks ago, gathering the research, looking for that email with the guidelines for the proposal, you're less likely to (and certainly less enthusiastic about) plunking yourself down to write.
Instead, set yourself up for easy. Do what you need to do the night before, the morning before your afternoon writing appointment, whatever... to get everything ready so all you need to do is to start working on your project.
A few rules about setting yourself up for easy:
- Gather all the materials, data, documents, emails, EVERYTHING for your project. Then, it's all in one place, and you don't have to spend time (or excuses) looking for it.
- Have inspirational reminders about what you're working on around you. If it's in your everyday consciousness, you'll be more likely to want to write. Use pictures, images, mindmaps, index cards on a bulletin board, quotations about writing... whatever is going to inspire you and make writing the want-to-do activity instead of the have-to-do activity.
- Make shameless use of external motivators. If you're proud of your blog traffic, print out a graph of recent traffic to motivate you to keep writing. If people have written to tell you how much they love your articles and how helpful they are, post those around you. Ice cream works, too.
- Set up accountability check-ins. Tell a friend or loved one that you'll be writing tomorrow at 2:00pm and set up a time that you'll call her with a progress report. Better yet, join a writer's group or writer's workshop. When other people are involved, you're much more likely to do the activity. (More about this in tomorrow's Quick Tip.)
Before you're done with today's writing appointment, set yourself up for easy for your next writing appointment:
- Stop writing in the middle of a sentence. Just leave it undone, and you have an easy place to come back to.
- Write questions about the next stage in your writing. That way, when you come back, the first thing you're doing is answering those questions. You don't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out where to go next.
- If you're using an outline or a mindmap, mark where on that outline or mindmap you'll be starting up. So, like with the questions in #2, you have a handy reference for where to start.
- Leave your writing out. If it's a notepad, leave it on the kitchen table. If it's on a computer, leave the document up on the screen. Not only is it out as a reminder (and you might actually stop by a few times during the day and add a bit here and there), but there's no prep work. You're ready to go at a moment's notice.
|
Quick Action: How will you set yourself up for easy for your next writing appointment? For even greater accountability, post your comments below and tell me what those easy steps are! |
Really want to boost your writing?
Four hours of writing allows you to make HUGE progress on what you're working on. Because, honestly, you're not going to get as much done with 15 minutes here, 5 minutes there.
Write with us on Friday and be amazed at how much you can get done!
WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday, June 29, 2012
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching.
I've been gathering everything I need for Friday, and I'm making it as easy as I can to WRITE on Friday!
Comments