How to Start the Habit

[Story_Teller]

Who has time to create art?  (Better question:  Who has time to daydream...  Har Har) 

 

I want to do a lot of stuff with  my writing, but I never seem to have the time.  I sometimes feel like I need a whole day to myself just to get started.  But I don't need that.  I'm procrastinating, and I'm just not in the habit of writing

 

If I really want to do it, I have to make time.  I was listening to some motivational speaker the other day who said something about how his old church always asked church members to donate to the church first before they paid their bills.  They wanted members to give a certain percentage to the church right away because the idea is if you wait and give to the church last, you won't have much, if anything, to give.  You'll have spent it all on groceries and other necessities. 

 

However, if you give a percentage of your paycheck to the church first, then you'll have to find a way to meet all your financial needs in the end, and you will find a way because you have to eat and drive and do all the other necessary things to live.  Maybe you'll find an extra way to make money (garage sale, cut grass, what have you) or you'll cut costs somewhere else, but you'll find a way.  Whereas if you waited to give to the church last, you probably wouldn't put any extra effort into trying to find a way to give to the church. You would just give them the dollar you had left over and say, "Hey, that's all I have.  That's all I can give."  Giving to the church just isn't high on anyone's list of priorities unless you force it to be by giving to them first. 

 

Anyway, this isn't about religion; it's about finding a way to do what you really want to do.  Writing isn't on my priority list.  I put it on just about every "to do" list I make, but it's the one thing that never gets "to done".  Laundry is important.  Work is important.  There are lots of importants, but writing is something extra that I pay into last.  Then when I'm only able to write one sentence, I say, "Hey, that's all the time I have.  That's all I can give." 

 

I'm trying to find a way to make it a top priority. Any ideas on how to do this are very welcome. 

 

Exercise wasn't a priority of mine at one time either.  It just seemed like something extra to do if I had time. 

 

Now I exercise every morning, six days a week, for at least an hour.  How you ask?  That's a good question.  Perhaps if I can answer that question, I can  figure out my writing conundrum as well.

 

1.  For one thing, I started a 90 day program.  (P90X baby!)  So I have a goal in mind.  Maybe if I gave my writing some sort of goal, I could stay more motivated with it.  Anyone heard of Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month)?  It's in November and a terrific idea.  I tried it last year.  It got me going on my last novel idea, but I didn't finish the month because I started a new job.  I just didn't have the time...  So writing a novel in a month didn't work for me, but maybe some other type of time goal might... 

 

2.  I start my day off exercising.  I wake up earlier just to exercise every day.  Maybe if I planned writing into my morning schedule, as something I had to do before anything else, I'd find the time.  This sort of goes along with the whole church thing I was going into earlier.  I have to make the time up front, and then find a way to do all my other necessary life stuff (work, self care, etc.) toward the end. 

 

3.  I'm seeing progress.  Actually being able to see the outline of muscles that I've never seen before is pretty motivating.  I didn't really believe my abs existed.  I had always guessed there was just pudding under that layer of fat.  Surprise!  So how can I see my progress when writing?  Print out every chapter, so I can watch the pages pile up?  I guess that's one idea.  I'm not sure how motivating that'll be though as I have piles of paper all over the place as it is.  Um... get one of those ticker signatures for every forum I visit?  (I sort of hate those things.)  I don't really know how to visually track my writing progress in a way that really motivates.

 

4.  Talk to people about it.  P90X forums help keep me motivated.  Hopefully this forum will help keep me motivated with writing.

 

5.  Rewards?  P90X doesn't actually give you any rewards for completing the program; however, I was watching the infomercial for the exercise program Insanity (okay, no comments about me watching infomercials..), and they give you a free t-shirt if you complete their program.  I thought, "Wow, I want to do Insanity next just so I can get the stupid t-shirt."  Seriously, I thought that.  So if I could find some way to reward myself for a completed novel, that would be helpful.  I have no idea what I could possibly give myself though.  I sort of think that rewards have to come from outside sources for them to really be valuable.  Anyone want to give me a free t-shirt for finishing my novel?  Yeah, I didn't think so. 

 

6.  Probably the most important thing at this point is that I'm locked in.  I'm locked into my exercise program.  I've been doing it for almost two months now.  I refuse to fall off the wagon.  The closer I get, the less likely I am to quit, and it's become a strong habit at this point.  I don't want to ever quit.  If I could just lock myself into some sort of writing... program.. then I'd be set. 

 

Do you have any thoughts on the subject?  Please post!

[Story_Teller]

Yeah, I'm not alone.  :) 

 

You can follow something through, though.  Just because you haven't yet, doesn't mean you can't in the future. 

[Em]

I think that you could do the same thing with your writing that you did with your exercise regimen. It would become like taking a shower or brushing your teeth: just another thing in your routine. It's important to create good habits that will bring you real results in life.

It's been a while since I read this book but I think it would be right up your alley. "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp. She's a little opinionated but I think it's a great read, and she gives tangible advice to help creative people be more prolific and stick to their goals.

[Paige]

Hey Story Teller, thanks so much for posting this.  I feel very much the same way.  I've been trying to find an accountablity person to keep me motivated to write.  Someone who will ask me Monday-Friday----Did you write for an least 30 minutes today?  I think that would help me alot, but so far I can't find anyone.   I once read something by a well established successful writer that said that you should write for 20 minutes everyday.  I'm like yea I could carve out twenty minutes a day, right?  I think your on the right track of making it a priority.  Like you if my exercise doesn't get done in the morning, it doesn't get done.  So maybe try that with writting.  Wake up 20 minutes early and write after you exercise.  Just a suggestion.