I recently read Gary Keller and Jay Papasan's The One Thing which, as you might guess from the title, is all about finding the one thing (sometimes also called
the "lead domino") that makes a big difference to your results.
Keller and Papasan apply this to all kinds of areas of life ... and I think it can absolutely apply to writing.
My "one thing" with Aliventures is always to help you make the most of your writing time. (If you scroll up,
you'll see that's reflected in the tagline at the top of every newsletter.)
What's the one thing that would help you to get more from your writing time?
It might be:
- Switching to a new project that you're exciting about, instead of plodding away on one you've lost interest in.
- Getting out of the house so you can write without any interruptions.
- Switching off your phone while you're writing (or putting it out of reach!)
- Just
focusing on getting your draft down, even if it's scrappy in places.
- Getting up 10-15 minutes earlier so you can write at the very start of the day.
- Asking for feedback on your story so you can incorporate that during your next writing session.
You don't need to have the perfect writing session, where you achieve 100% of everything you could possibly achieve.
Instead, what you're aiming for is to finish your writing session feeling that you managed to achieve a little more than you did during your previous session.
That could mean that you simply wrote more words, but it could also mean:
- You stayed focused for longer and didn't get repeatedly distracted.
- You felt more engaged with your writing and even had more fun with it.
- You tried out a new idea or
technique.
Your "one thing" won't necessarily be the same each time you write. But ask yourself what you could do this week, or over the next few weeks, to get more from your writing time ... then give it a try.
Happy
writing,
Ali
P.S. If you missed last week's Aliventures blog post, here it is:
Understanding the "Show Don't Tell" Rule (With Examples ... and Exceptions)
P.P.S. Don't forget the self-study seminar pack closing down sale, which ends tomorrow. After that, all the seminar packs will be gone for good. Find out more:
aliventures.com/self-study-packs