Yesterday, I did not post, breaking my 15 day streak and missing a day on my 28 day challenge.
Today, I am writing early.
There’s no one reason why I didn’t post yesterday. Awake for 17 hours, I had 85 possible 12 minute segments in which I could have written a blog post, but didn’t.
Instead, I answered email, read blog posts, made pancakes, washed dishes, went to Costco, went to Target, went to the library, ate lunch at Chipotle, read books with my daughter, watched a movie, cried during the movie, tried to revive a crashed computer, cooked dinner for my family, cleaned the kitchen, watched Shark Tank, tweeted, Facebooked, talked to my mom on the phone.
I didn’t run yesterday either.
What happens for me is that if I don’t do something earlier, it doesn’t get done.
When I set out my running shoes and clothes the night before and plan to run as one of the first activities of my day, I run.
If I tell myself I’ll do it later, I found a thousand reasons not to.
Writing, running — two things I love. Two things that energize and fuel me.
And yet if I don’t do them early, I (often) don’t do them.
The same applies to laundry (I have to start early to get the momentum to finish) and planning home-cooked dinners (if I have a plan early in the day, I am more likely to execute it), and finding quiet time for prayer and reflection.
Tell me something! What works for you? Is earlier better? What do you have to do early in order to get it done?
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
Hello Becky,
if we try to escape from writing then writing will try to escape from us. It’s as simple as that.
When I started my life as a writer I always have excuse for not to write and because of that I started to lose my touch in writing and that taught me this lesson. Do it now, because the word later never comes.
This is so me Becky. If it doesn’t happen early, it doesn’t happen at all. Great post.
See how amazing you are? Extraordinary is more like it.
Early! I have committed to blogging as well, and my practice has been to have my quiet time with The Lord first then write. This means I have gotten away from morning exercise. I am trying to form the blogging habit in the evening. ~sigh~ I need so badly to learn new ways to fit everything in.
Hi Becky,
Congratulations on figuring out what works for you. It takes discipline and observation to figure out what works best. Then it is a matter of setting up our lives up so that what works best for us happens naturally.
Cheers,
David
Gee, Becky, I can’t begin to describe how disappointed I am that with all that time, you couldn’t write one measly little blog post and you scratched your record.
I can’t begin to do this because … I ain’t.
I used to approach every day full of energy and a real “Do it” philosophy. Your comments about running particularly remind me of myself “a few years ago”.
However, look at that laundry list of connections, accomplishments, and relationship building that you did squeeze in … many people do not do one-tenth of this in a week, let along in one day.
Tomorrow is a new day … lay out the clothes, jot down some ideas for a blog, make a to-do list … but tonight, you sleep that deep well-deserved sleep, lady.
You’ve earned it:)
John
I’m right there with you Becky. I am by nature an early riser. I have my highest energy levels and most acute mindset early in the day. It helps if I can attack my most difficult and potentially draining issues early on, like meetings, OR time, etc. I also write best and most when I start the process early in the day.
Hi Becky, by nature I don’t like lists or plans, and I certainly don’t like plans being changed. But plans and strategies do change, and I know that if I start my day with a quiet time and the home ‘sorted’, my work day will be more productive and effective.
But as a carer for my wife, I also need to be relaxed about flexibility and not give myself a hard time. I know where I’m going and that my heart is all important. So if the kitchen remains a mess for a few hours, or the dogs miss a days walk, or the laundry waits until later in the week, or I don’t get to twitter – so what? It’s more important I’m there when my wife needs me or my son needs me or I need me.
All the best, Ian