I spent a lifetime
Waiting for the right time
Now that you're near
The time is here, at last
From “Now or Never” by Elvis Presley
I started a thing, and I’m still doing a thing! For those who may have forgotten, you can read about my month-long writing project here.
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is almost complete. As I write this, I've reached a word count of 48,041, and I have three days left (counting today!)
I've learned so much about myself this past month. Here’s what I discovered:
Deadlines are my frenemy. If you had asked me a month ago if I liked deadlines, the answer would have been a resounding no. After working in corporate America for 40 years, I know all about drop-dead dates, milestones, completion dates, etc. I don’t like the pressure, but I found out that their presence makes me more productive. It sounds counter-intuitive, but they work for me.
I can do hard things. The goal of 50,000 words seemed daunting, but dividing it into daily chunks made it manageable. It's a lesson I learned a while ago, but it bears repeating: Small measures taken daily add up over time.
Nothing is forever. Doing a project that has a beginning and end date is comforting. Knowing this project would not go on endlessly gave me comfort and motivation. I wouldn't be writing and writing endlessly. I experienced this feeling when I started my memoir a couple of years ago. I ran out of gas quickly and never refilled the tank. This time I know I will have the first draft.
Who cares what it looks like? The first draft will look nothing like the final product, and that's ok. Perfectionism has had its time with me. It's just another form of fear. If I listen to it, I will stay complacent, and bitch, I've got a legacy to leave.
The effort to overcome fear is always worthwhile. I was worried a life event might derail my daily word count, but that never happened. And so what if it did? I'd still have accomplished more than if I'd sat there and done nothing. I managed this fear by writing more than my daily goal for the first 20 days of the month, allowing me to work ahead so that if life did happen, I'd be ready.
The hardest part of writing is starting. Getting myself to sit down and focus is an obstacle every day. But once I’m there, a first draft is easy to write. I started with an outline that I would permit to change as I progressed. In the first draft, there's no editing, quality control, or judgment. It's a vomitorium that I will clean up later.
It’s one day at a time. More work is needed, but I'm staying anchored in the present moment. The thought of revising 50,000+ words is overwhelming. I can't worry about the next step, or it may derail me now.
Writing is yoga. I find out more about myself with each word I type. Yoga extends beyond the mat and seeps into my every waking moment.
How have you been living your yoga off the mat?
I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend. I am so grateful for each one of you.
We are reading a non-fiction book in January. The book is called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. We will meet in January to discuss this on Zoom. Please choose a date and time that works for you in the poll below.
My time is so limited Ilona! I have had deaths in my family and my youngest son is staying with me - he is seriously ill. But I do not want to forget to take care of myself. I am feeling very forlorn and I think this project could help pick me up. I want to ask you frankly - is this book worth my limited time? Please let me know. Thank you, Wanda H
There's an old saying in England, "How do you eat an elephant? With a teaspoon." Small steps taken consistently yield big results! PS I can't wait to read my advance copy of the memoir to provide my deletions... :)