"Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be." Marsha Petrie Sue
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Until the time machine is finally invented then we have no way of going back and changing the past. What is done is done. Instead of worrying about how much time you have lost, concentrate on what you can achieve right now. Forget yesterday's goals and focus on today's.
If you have set yourself a goal of 1000 words a day and you have missed a day or two, don't try and make up all that lost word count in one day. If you struggled to write 1000, pushing yourself to write 2-3000 is just asking for trouble. Start the day afresh and write your 1000 words. If you feel like writing more afterwards then go ahead, but know that when you have reached that 1000 word goal you can stop and take pride in your accomplishment.
If you have a deadline then you will have to make up the lost word count, but again, don't try to do it all in one go. Recalculate your daily word count so that you can make it up gradually over the course of the project and you are much less likely to burn out.
Start the day with a fresh set of goals and keep moving forward, leaving the past where it belongs.
How about you? What do you do when you have fallen behind with your writing?
Starting the day with a fresh set of goals is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteThis philosophy extends beyond the realm of writing. Thank you for the great post that details the power of goal setting.
Do you feel disappointed when you do not achieve your daily goals?
Thank you for stopping by Praverb.
DeleteI think it is human nature to feel disappointed when we don't achieve our daily goals but I am learning to let the feeling go and move on, it always leads to better productivity. And I agree, it does apply to many areas of our lives, not just writing.
This is great advice. I always beat myself up about not achieving the goal, but starting each day with fresh goals and not put too much pressure on yourself sounds like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay, I find starting each day fresh a much better motivator. It can be easier said than done some days though :)
DeleteI love the vibe of this post. It's an easy trap to set goals, miss them, then double them to make up for the lapse. When I fall behind on my writing, there is always a reason. Maybe I hit a snag in my storyline or home life has me at a loss for ideas and words. The best way I combat that is to pull out my current read and dive in.
ReplyDeleteThanks Robyn. I know what you mean, life always has a habit of getting in the way and tripping us up. All we can do is keep on moving forward.
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