I’m plugging away at my Lisbon novel. Like most of us, I always want to do more than I actually do. Sigh.
As a coach, I know how to get things across the finish line. But that doesn’t mean that wrangling focus is easy.
My deadline for a completed draft (that I can send to an editor) is October 14. That’s when I go to Europe to lead Paris Sketchbook and do a reconnaissance trip for Capture the Lisbon Wow. A trip makes for a strong deadline/motivator to keep working.
But that’s months away. I need a shorter deadline for real focus. My commitment for this summer is to make the novel my #1 priority. ‘Summer’ seems endless and long. But when reality check the calendar, I have only nine weeks. This excludes the weeks when I am leading my Vermont and Montana retreats. (We have a few spots in those if you need a break from your routine to uplevel your joy.)
Some weeks have more client meetings than others. Like you, I have to squeeze my passion project into the spaces around paid work. Here’s how I have shifted things to honor my #1 priority:
No new work projects. This is harder than it might seem; I love to tinker with the systems that make my work work. My focus is my clients, my retreats, and my novel. That’s it.
I’ve set aside my non-fiction book for now. It was okay to work on two projects earlier this year. But I am highly motivated to get this novel done and into the world. Hopefully by 2025!
Reduce my subscriptions. I love reading others’ newsletters. The trouble is, I am easily distracted and think I need to know about/do/take on the thing they are talking about. This week I unsubscribed from a lot of newsletters that I don’t really read. It was hard to let go of hearing from people I love, but I can go back when I don’t need such focus.
Put the novel first. On non-client days, I usually write my newsletter and work on my creativity retreats. Now, I start the workday with the novel.
Join a writing challenge. Jami Attenberg has her free #1000wordsofsummer challenge. Can I write 1,000 words a day for two weeks? Indeed I can, and this will add an extra layer of focus. Check it out and join us.
I’m fortunate to have a flexible schedule. These measures help, and I still have to deal with the insecurities and cluelessness about writing a novel. It helps me a ton to write about this in my author notebook.
I’m sharing more about how to stay focused in my newsletter, Impulses. Get your subscription here.
What are you working on this summer and how is it helping you focus? Share in a comment below.
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