It’s almost here. Do you have a goal set? Are you intimidated by the whole thing?
If so, you’re definitely not alone.
Goals have this way of either putting us on edge or spurring us into action. Or both.
But there are some ways to make it easier on yourself to meet your goal.
Realistic goals
The most important thing you can do to save your sanity is to make realistic goals, otherwise you’ll just intimidate yourself and shoot yourself in the foot before you even get started.
Think back and figure up what your average is for writing. Then, total that up for the month, and add a realistic amount if you want to push yourself. If you want to push yourself to maintain your average on a daily basis, come up with the total and set that as your goal.
Find your down time
Every household has a natural lull. For some, it’s right after kids go to bed. For some, it’s early in the morning before anyone else gets up for the day.
Figure out when that lull is and use it to your advantage. Set that time aside as your writing time.
Prioritize
Treat this like a priority. This may mean giving up an hour of tv a day. It may mean spending less time on social media.
But if you make your writing a priority, it gets easier to keep up with.
Do one or two small, high impact chores first
Sometimes, getting something stereotypically considered “productive” out of the way first helps assuage the guilt and anxiety of taking the time for yourself. (Guilt and anxiety that you should probably work on tackling, because you don’t need to feel guilty about taking time to pursue your passions, but that’s a topic for another day.)
So, choose a quick, high impact chore, and do it first. Load the dishwasher, clean the counter in the bathroom. Something quick that makes a much larger difference in terms of mental state than we typically give it credit for.
Breathe
This is meant to be a fun endeavor. If you fall behind, try not to sweat it because at the end of the day, you’re still making progress with something you’re enjoying.
Join a group
There are many writing groups out there who do special chats, threads, or posts geared toward helping writers survive the NaNo process and spur people on to meet their goals.
My favorites are World Indie Warriors (Website, Facebook Members Group, Facebook Page, Instagram) and The Writer Community (Instagram, Website).
Writing doesn’t have to be a solitary process. Having writer friends to vent to or celebrate with can make all the difference.
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