Ivy Keating's Blog - Posts Tagged "published"
No One has Time to Write a Book
Is it lack of time that stops us from reaching our goals? I had a reader ask me, "how do you find the time to write a book?" My first thought was, no one has time to write a book. This past month seemed busier than most. My days were full just when the line-edits and then the galley for 'Sarana and the Dark King' needed to be finalized. But, no matter how busy I was, nothing was going to stop me from working on the novel. So, if it's not time, then what does get in the way of goal attainment?
When there doesn't seem to be enough time to work on your goals, here are 3 things to think about to get you on track.
First - be honest with yourself. Do you really want to do the activity you say you have no time for? In the example of writing a book, do you want to subject your story to scrutiny, relentless editing, and adherence to industry standards?
If you thought through the details of what it will take to reach your goal, and you still want to attain it, the next step is to think about when during the day you could find 20 to 30 minutes. I use this as a rough estimate of daily time needed. I believe that no matter how busy you are, this amount of time can always be found, so it's a good place to start. I am a slow reader and editor. It takes me a lot of time to make any changes, and there's often strict deadlines. Late nights, less sleep, whatever can be shuffled may have to be. The point is, it's not finding the time but committing to it.
Finally, it's brave to take on a challenge. Any change, good or bad, has potential to be stressful. Work from a position of strength. Take care of yourself in general. When we feel strong, it's easier to embark on something new and have the stamina to complete it.
We are all capable of reaching our goals. Know the activities necessary and be certain you want to do all of them, commit to the time it takes, and check if you're up for a new challenge. Don't let time constraints stand in your way. No one has time to write a book - but many have done it, and you can too.
When there doesn't seem to be enough time to work on your goals, here are 3 things to think about to get you on track.
First - be honest with yourself. Do you really want to do the activity you say you have no time for? In the example of writing a book, do you want to subject your story to scrutiny, relentless editing, and adherence to industry standards?
If you thought through the details of what it will take to reach your goal, and you still want to attain it, the next step is to think about when during the day you could find 20 to 30 minutes. I use this as a rough estimate of daily time needed. I believe that no matter how busy you are, this amount of time can always be found, so it's a good place to start. I am a slow reader and editor. It takes me a lot of time to make any changes, and there's often strict deadlines. Late nights, less sleep, whatever can be shuffled may have to be. The point is, it's not finding the time but committing to it.
Finally, it's brave to take on a challenge. Any change, good or bad, has potential to be stressful. Work from a position of strength. Take care of yourself in general. When we feel strong, it's easier to embark on something new and have the stamina to complete it.
We are all capable of reaching our goals. Know the activities necessary and be certain you want to do all of them, commit to the time it takes, and check if you're up for a new challenge. Don't let time constraints stand in your way. No one has time to write a book - but many have done it, and you can too.
Only 3?
I believe there are only 3 ways to deal with a problem. We can either (1) do nothing or try to ignore it, (2) attempt to cope, or (3) work on a solution. Depending on the situation any one of these could work, but coping or solving are probably the best choices.
Problems can be ignored, but they often don't go away. If you tend to be lazy, it may not bother you to miss an outing with friends, but the tendency to be lazy could be a major problem when looking for a publisher for your new book. If you opt to ignore a problem, take note if it's stopping you from reaching your goals. Identifying a characteristic that's standing in your way is the first step to changing it.
Attempting to cope with a problem might be the perfect in-between step when you'd actually like to work on an issue but feel overwhelmed by it. For example, let's say you completed a novel. You send it to a bunch of publishers, and everyone rejects it. Initially, you may need to check your feelings. Rejections don't have to mean it's time to give up. Rejections can mean you haven't found the right publisher for your book, or your novel needs work but still has a lot of potential. Taking the time to "cope" can give you the level-head necessary to make the right choices going forward.
The third choice when faced with a problem is to try and solve it. You have your wits about you, and you're ready to do the behaviors necessary to work on it. In the example of not finding a publisher, you've recognized that a rewrite is needed, or maybe you have decided that there are publishers out there that could be a better fit.
Being aware of our difficulties, and thinking about the best way to manage them, can help us cope with a problem. Recognizing these 3 strategies can help us choose the right one when needed. Difficulties that are ignored could hold us back. Managing our feelings could help us choose the right path. And, solving the problem can take us closer to our goals!
Problems can be ignored, but they often don't go away. If you tend to be lazy, it may not bother you to miss an outing with friends, but the tendency to be lazy could be a major problem when looking for a publisher for your new book. If you opt to ignore a problem, take note if it's stopping you from reaching your goals. Identifying a characteristic that's standing in your way is the first step to changing it.
Attempting to cope with a problem might be the perfect in-between step when you'd actually like to work on an issue but feel overwhelmed by it. For example, let's say you completed a novel. You send it to a bunch of publishers, and everyone rejects it. Initially, you may need to check your feelings. Rejections don't have to mean it's time to give up. Rejections can mean you haven't found the right publisher for your book, or your novel needs work but still has a lot of potential. Taking the time to "cope" can give you the level-head necessary to make the right choices going forward.
The third choice when faced with a problem is to try and solve it. You have your wits about you, and you're ready to do the behaviors necessary to work on it. In the example of not finding a publisher, you've recognized that a rewrite is needed, or maybe you have decided that there are publishers out there that could be a better fit.
Being aware of our difficulties, and thinking about the best way to manage them, can help us cope with a problem. Recognizing these 3 strategies can help us choose the right one when needed. Difficulties that are ignored could hold us back. Managing our feelings could help us choose the right path. And, solving the problem can take us closer to our goals!
