Do you want to accomplish your writing goals? According to one of the websites I frequent, it won\u2019t happen unless you maintain some BIC time (Butt In Chair).<\/p>\n
It may sound simple but many writers fail at this because work, family, friends and adult responsibilities keep pulling them away.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how I keep my BIC time, and how you can, too.<\/p>\n
Some people are energized, motivated, and invigorated by deadlines. Even though they can produce a little stress (oh no, I\u2019ve only got a week left!), deadlines are a good thing. They stop people from procrastinating. If you went to college you most likely had a ton of research papers to turn in. There was always a deadline you had to meet. And if you work in the business world, you\u2019re probably used to deadlines, too.<\/p>\n
Writers can also benefit from deadlines.<\/p>\n
Sometimes you will have a definitive writing deadline, such as a contest\u2019s last call for entries. There\u2019s no way you\u2019re going to miss that.<\/p>\n
But what if you don\u2019t have a concrete deadline, and you still want to get that novel finished? \u00a0Simple. Make up your own deadlines.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to make them achievable. To stay on track, one thing you could try is choosing someone to be your accountability buddy to help you respect these deadlines.<\/p>\n
After coming home from the day job you probably want to shed those work clothes and throw on something loose and comfy, maybe even your pajamas. Resist that temptation for a moment. There\u2019s something about business-style clothes that makes a person feel sharp and ready for work. It\u2019s worth a try to see if it makes you feel more productive. As an added bonus, it signals to people that you\u2019re in work mode and should not be disturbed.<\/p>\n
Everybody likes rewards. When a child cooperates at the dentist, you might take him to the park or the zoo to celebrate his good behavior. Why shouldn\u2019t grownups enjoy the same?<\/p>\n
In the writer\u2019s case, you promise yourself a little reward for finishing a specific number of manuscript pages or for working a specific number of hours, or for editing a long scene.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to be specific about your reward. Don\u2019t leave it at \u201cI\u2019ll do something nice when I finish the chapter. \u201c Plan it to the last detail. Treat yourself to a latte, a nice snack, a long bath, a walk around the neighborhood\u2014whatever tickles your fancy. By fantasizing about it in detail, your brain will be all fired up to achieve it.<\/p>\n
Also, as soon as you achieve one goal, set another one, and a new prize. \u00a0Don\u2019t lose momentum.<\/p>\n
If you share your home with others, you may need to establish a private writing space. Unfortunately, family members don\u2019t seem to comprehend that writing is actually a form of working, and that you shouldn\u2019t be disturbed.<\/p>\n
Spell it out for them.<\/p>\n
You can go as far as putting a sign on your door that says, WRITER AT WORK, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Or maybe just the standard DO NOT DISTURB!<\/p>\n
Popular television psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw says people have power over their reactions. He is known for saying, \u201cYou need to teach people how to treat you.\u201d This piece of advice is especially good for writers. Always saying yes to people means you\u2019re sacrificing precious writing time. Don\u2019t be afraid to draw your limits and make others respect them.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not easy keeping your Butt in the Chair when there are constant distractions. But by following some of these tips you might just be able to keep it there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","categories":[36,24],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/550"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}