Monday, October 17, 2005

Working on my procrastination tendency

I have developed a few bad habits -- habits that have eaten into my time management skills.
One thing I am generally good at is time management and completing things on a deadline. I like goals. I perform much better when I have goals.
Goals must be measurable and dependent on me.
One bad habit I have developed is checking the internet in the morning BEFORE I write. This is a fatal mistake. If someone has used the internet, it means it can wait.
I also notice that I have started setting my daily target of words lower and lower. Again, this is not good. My mind says -- ah but this is easy to accomplish, piece of cake. You can afford to goof off as there is no problem with getting one or two pages done. 500 words. Done in a jiffy, and then suddenly it is no words. Today so far = 395 words, pathetic. I need to get radical and start setting challenging goals. Instead of a comfortable 2 pages, I want to write 8 pages. You see even here I hesitate. I should put 10 pages because it is a nice round figure and barely achievable. But I am giving myself wriggle room. And yet I perform better if I have high expectations. I get more done, the more I have to do. Effiiciency is the name of the game.
In other news, I receive ed my pink first sale ribbon in the post today.For the RWA to count it as a first sale, it actually has to be a first sale to recognized RWA publisher. Neither DC Thomson nor Hale were RWA recognized. It pays to read the small print (something one can do to procrastinate!) When I get my cover for Gladiator's Honour, I will put it up under that. For the moment, It is stuck on the cover of The Lady Soldier. I do think it is a lovely idea though. I intend to enjoy the being new part for as long as possible.
Back to getting my (takes a deep breath) 10 pages done. There. That's my challenge for today. Equally getting the house cleaned before my dh comes home.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the pink sale ribbon! And good luck with the pages. Sometimes when I have days like that, I break it up with a timer. I'll write for ten minutes, wait an hour, then write another ten minutes. It helps.

Nell Dixon said...

Give yourself small rewards for little goals - two hundred words you can make a drink. five hundred - you can check email etc.

Julie Cohen said...

Go go go!