Everything I forgot from college

This has been one busy week.

Between getting ready for the conference tomorrow, keeping up with my NaNoWriMo word count and my regular writing/mom/wife duties...I've done a LOT.

The other reason I've been abel to do so much is I remembered what it was I did in college to be successful.

I FOCUSED!!!

I am so thankful that I graduated in 1998, before the internet was full speed ahead! Back in the days when I could go 2-3 days [instead of 2-3 minutes] between logging on to the web.

I also took time to write out EXACTLY what I needed to do each day. I made sure it was something that could be REASONABLY accomplished. Then I did it.

I've been a big ball of stress throughout October because of edits that I needed to do on a book. It seemed that no matter how much I did on this silly book I didn't make progress. I'd move 3 pages a day but spend hours at my keyboard. So I went to the UPS store and printed the whole blasted MS out [like I did in college with term papers] and I scanned pages, deleted scenes, added thumbnails for new sections and subplots. I did in 3-4 hours what it took me a month to do on the first 1/2 of the book. Now I simply need to write in the new scenes, tighten the existing ones, and I'm done. I estimate 10-12 solid hours. That is 1/3 what it took me to do the first sections.

I have also stopped THINKING about what needs to be done. Wow, that is exhausting. When I am cooking supper-I cook supper. When I'm grocery shopping-I buy groceries. When I'm with the kids-I play.

That is so much better than doing all those things while thinking about all the other "stuff" that needs done. It was like a giant ax was over me every where I went, waiting to chop off my head.

So, now that you've read my blog [a very important thing to do-smile] turn off the internet and get to work!! When you've scratched everything off your to do list then take a well deserved break and read the next chapter of "A Face in the Shadow" that posted today.

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter