I like to turn over the new page of a calendar. Maybe that\u2019s why I enjoy my page-a-day calendar so much. Today, I got to turn the monthly calendar and the daily calendar.<\/p>\n
What is it about the process of turning that page? I guess it has something to do with new beginnings\u2014a fresh start. It\u2019s another opportunity to turn over a new leaf. It comes with a sort of permission to make changes, try something new, flush the bad jujus from your mind and body\u2014 refresh and renew. <\/p>\n
Of course when the month you are now facing is December, there\u2019s also a bit of panic involved\u2014Christmas is coming and there\u2019s so much to do. I won\u2019t even go into the terror some of us feel at the thought of another year ending without us, perhaps, having fulfilled all of our goals. But maybe now is the time to bring that offensive thought.<\/p>\n
Surely you\u2019re thinking about what you can do during these next 31 days in order to end the year closer to your desired goal. Have you been slacking when it comes to sending out query letters to magazines? Are book sales lagging? Have you burned out when it comes to promoting your book? Are you behind schedule in completing your book proposal? Have you neglected to keep up your push to get freelance work within your community? It\u2019s not too late to play a little catch up.<\/p>\n
All you have to do is revise your schedule. How?
\n\u2022\tLog the number of hours left in each day this month during the time you are not working at your job.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tList your planned holiday activities: shopping, entertaining, food preparation, decorating, etc. Which ones can you streamline? Consider doing more shopping online and close to home, let the family help you prepare your favorite holiday food and freeze it, turn holiday traditions into family activities. Not only will you have much needed help, you\u2019re creating important family time.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tHow much time do you have left? My calculations show nearly seven hours per day (after work, sleep and holiday activities factored in), of which maybe four or five could be used toward your writing\/publishing project. That\u2019s a total of around 130 hours during the month of December that you could spend writing, promoting or soliciting writing work.<\/p>\n
Think about what you could accomplish if you carved out just four hours per day every day of December. (Some of us have even more time to devote as we are retired or we work at home or only part-time.) <\/p>\n
I once wrote a whole book in eight months while working full-time by carving out two extra hours each morning during which to write.<\/p>\n
I established my freelance writing career by using those two early-morning hours each day for an
\nadditional six or seven months. That\u2019s when I quit the day job. <\/p>\n
Keep in mind that what I am suggesting may require some sacrifices. It\u2019s up to you to decide what is important in your life and make decisions accordingly. I would not slack on family time. And I would do what is necessary for my health. But I would urge you to look at your sleeping habits\u2014sleeping until 9 or 10 is not necessary (unless you work until late into the night). Watching TV, clubbing and hanging out excessively are high on my list of things that could be sacrificed in order to make more time for what really matters\u2014your writing.<\/p>\n
What can you accomplish in an average of four hours per day for 31 days?
\n\u2022\tYou could complete that book proposal, have it edited and be sending it out to agents or publishers. By the end of January, you might have a contract.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tYou could write twenty or thirty different article query letters and send them out to a couple of hundred publications.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tYou could contact and interview with dozens of potential freelance clients and complete some work for several of them by the end of the month.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tYou could promote your book through hundreds of channels\u2014get it reviewed numerous times, arrange to have it featured on numbers of websites, sign up for book festivals and catalog entries, get press, build a website, start blogging, set up a book trailer\u2026the list is endless.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tIf you\u2019re just starting out in publishing, you could spend some of your writing time studying the publishing industry\u2014reading recommended books, attending online courses, researching websites and resources lists, subscribing to appropriate newsletters, etc. By January first, you will be much more well-prepared to enter into the highly competitive publishing world.<\/p>\n
How do you feel after reading this blog post today? Are you fired up about increasing your productivity or are you more depressed than ever that your writing\/publishing plan seems to be stalled? If you need additional, specific encouragement and ideas, contact me: PLFry620@yahool.com.<\/p>\n
Visit my websites\u2014sign up for a free book here:
\n http:\/\/www.patriciafry.com<\/a><\/p>\n