Know Your Limits

​Some people are lazy and some are go-getters. Where do you find yourself falling on the spectrum? Some days, I lean towards lazy and others I gravitate towards overachiever. Here is what I have found to be the problem.
On the lazy days, I tend to look back and criticize myself. Why did I waste that time? Why didn’t I apply myself? On the busy days, I also criticize myself. What did I forget to do outside of writing?
It is equally easy to get both distracted and hyper focused. How do we find a happy balance? I’m going to be honest, it’s something I am still tweaking in my own life. If it was just me, I would most likely have a calendar that laid out my entire day. Wake up at this time, workout at that time, write here, run errands over there, etc. Not because I am uber disciplined but because I am the exact opposite. I like to check boxes. If I have no ‘to-do’ boxes to check then I have no reason ‘to-do’ anything and suddenly time slips through my hands. But if I set a strict schedule, I know my mind will want to stay on track with the schedule.
However, I also know it’s not just me in my life. I am a wife and mother of three young boys. I can’t set a strict schedule because there are variables I cannot factor in. If I set-up a call with an author I am working with, I know it is best to ensure the call is scheduled while my boys are at school. Having to walk through details on a manuscript and answering questions from an interrupting six-year-old at the same time will only lead to frustration.
I also know there are times when I have deadlines I need to meet. I have tried waking up early in the morning to work through these deadlines and I have tried staying up late to work through these deadlines. Most of the time staying up late works better for me than waking up early because I’m not a morning person. I can wake up early to engage in physical activities like working out or kayaking but when it comes to writing my mind often works best after 9AM. Not always but the majority of the time.

Challenge for You: For the next week, set a duration of time
​that you will commit to write each day.
Thirty minutes? One hour? Try to stay within whatever duration you have chosen.

​I believe it was Einstein who said, “Time is irrelevant.” This holds so many truths. One of the biggest excuses I have always made with writing is that I did not have time. Yet, when I took a moment to evaluate where my time was spent, I found three hours sitting on the couch binge watching a TV Show each night which turned into twenty-one hours if done for a whole week. That was almost a whole day of time I spent sitting. I love watching a good story unfold but I also love creating a good story for someone else to unfold.
I could probably write a week-long series on this topic alone. But, for the moment I will simply state this, Know your limits with your writing. Set goals for what you want to accomplish and listen to your body. If you are exhausted then step away, if you are making excuses then kick yourself in the butt and sit down to write.

Tip of the Day: Know when it is time to step away and know when it is time to push yourself.

#NaNoWriMo #writerscommunity #authorlife #storytelling #noexcuses #maketime

Nicole Donoho, owner of Teddyfly LLC, enjoys writing stories for all ages. She currently lives in Northwest Arkansas where she takes in the beauty of the Natural State with her husband, Jacob, and their three sons-Elijah, Josiah, and Solomon.