I don’t know about you, but these days, my focus comes and goes in spurts. Trying to get anything done is a slog, uphill both ways, with a short stopover in the kitchen for a snack.
Right now, we’ve got the whole ‘social isolation’ thing happening, with worries about how fast COVID-19 already spread, and what the job market is gonna look like when this whole thing ends. Cause it has to end, right?
If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you should know that I’m the very definition of a Type-A lady. I need to feel some control over my life.
However, we all know the best type of productivity for this Type-A lady? Involves check-lists!
Remember a couple months ago when I started spouting the glories of using project management tools from the office for my writing? (For me, I picked Trello. They are not sponsoring me. I have no sponsors. But hey, Trello, feel free to sponsor me!)
Turns out? Offices use project management tools cause they kinda work.
I’ve almost kept up with all my self-imposed tasking. Seriously, for an unpaid vanity gig, I give myself a lot of work! Sometimes I think maybe I should focus more on my actual writing [my mom AND my dad both agree]. (But, hey, if you do find this blog helpful, leave a comment!*)
During the first 3 months of 2020, I only dropped the ball once. (Turns out, if you send Author Spotlight interviews less than 24 hours before they should go up, the replies might be done in voice-to-text. I deserved it).
To keep from making my mistake?
3 “Tricks” for Making Checklists Work
- Put the things you want to accomplish on them
- Add due dates
- Actually check the thing regularly
Now, I tried, really hard. It was just a bunch of small things that added up to the big miss. I added a spotlight but didn’t add it to the trello, I was sick and didn’t do my weekly task of ‘checking my trello board’, and I waited until bedtime, the day the author spotlight should have been prepped, before triple-checking my gmail draft that actually has the master list of author spotlights.
Before you go thinking I was born a Type-A, I must confess the reality of the situation. I’m a recovering messy-girl. That’s why organization is a thing I do in binges, and then coast until something goes wrong. I was the one who missed recess to clean up her desk. The one who was once hoarding seven library books in her desk and/or locker.
I am the girl who SOMEHOW managed to lose a spelling test DURING the test, before turning it in.
You think I’m joking? It started off with a messy scrawl and a spare sheet of paper where I was copying over the words in neater handwriting and ended up… I still don’t know.
Where was I going with this?
Humble-brag time. Since I’ve been home, I’ve managed to:
- read 14 books (10 physical ones)
- slush read for The Oddville Press
- beta read one short
- attend 2 virtual Balticon meetings
- 1 virtual Anansi Storytime meeting
- revise 30 pages and send them to my mentor
- did my first pass at prepping the next 30 pages
- my weekly, unattended Twitter chat: #ChatWriteNow (10pm Thursdays)
- Plus, of course, my 3 author spotlights, and as soon as I finish this, 3 blogposts and vlogposts
Plus, a not-a-rejection from an editor on a short story. (She’s no longer the editor on that project, I need to resubmit).
When I look at my Trello board for the entire 1st quarter (I organized it like that to keep from getting too cluttered), the only things I missed were:
- Monthly #authortube video that wasn’t my blog — although, if joining a livestream counts, I’m okay.
- Updating the trello board one week (obv)
- Still waiting on feedback from a few readers of my middle-grade novel, so I haven’t started its revision
And that’s not counting the hours and hours I spent mindlessly browsing facebook or ‘playing’ the fb not-a-puzzle-game Hero Wars.
Isolation update:
I am doing my dayjob from home — but it’s a new project with a lot of moving parts where I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.
I’ve done a fair amount of cooking lately — pasta, stew, boxes with directions on the back. I’m surprised I haven’t resorted to stress-cleaning yet. But, I did find a pressure washer because my sidewalk needs it. Maybe this weekend?
Minor confession. Remember last week’s post where I said a lovely walk between dayjob and writing helped break everything up? Well… I sprained my ankle on Saturday, so I’ve unfortunately been forced to slack on the couch this week. But, hey, it’s been cold and rainy, so I don’t think I’m missing too much, besides the step-count.
I’ve been sleeping better, although I’m pretty sure it’s getting used to the stress, not decreasing my stress. But, hey, I’m great at binge reading when I’m stressed.
As all the experts are saying, be patient with yourself if productivity or creativity is on hold from the stress. Figure out what you can do, and make sure to leave some time to bring yourself joy — or at least distract yourself from the stress for a bit.
How are you holding up?
* Or, if you want, I did actually add a donation button over on the side. If you actually find this blog helpful and worthwhile, plus have the spare cash, I’ll give a shout out to my first sponsor.
I’m torn between, “other people are more deserving” and “I should value my own time and work”. Hence why it’s been up for months and I’m just now mentioning it. In a tiny aside. At the end.
WRITING TIPS & WRITERLY MUSINGS 