Setting Your Schedule – Motivation & Accountability for 2022
This week I started something new. I wanted more accountability for my writing time, since by the end of last year it seemed that whatever time I set aside for writing got taken up by something else. Another task or project always crept in, and it was easier to do that than sit down to write.
So this week, I decided to make myself publicly accountable. I invited people to write with me on Zoom, every Monday-Friday from 8:00-9:00 am. I might say hello to the first people, but then we get down to business. Cameras and mics are off. People can stay as long as the like, and just leave when they need to.
This means that, no matter what, at 8:00 am every morning, I am at my computer, writing. No excuses. Maybe nobody shows up. But the fact that someone might be there means that I have to be there too. And once I’m there, it’s easy to actually focus on writing. I pledged to do it throughout January; I may continue, depending on interest and whether this continues to work for me as a writing time (I was trying to make it possible for people for a variety of time zones to join).
What about you? Have you set your writing schedule yet? Are you following through on your commitment? Do you have accountability, in the form of a partner, a group, or some other method?
How do you make sure you spend your writing time writing, and not scrolling social media or randomly web-surfing? You could try an app like Self Control (for Mac) or Freedom (Mac or PC), or StayFocused (PC).
Do you have a system for keeping track of your writing time? This can be simple: just a calendar you mark off with an X for every day you write. You can keep a running tally of the number of words written.
The point of all this is, we’re much more likely to achieve our goals and keep our commitments if we have some external accountability, and some sort of community (even if it’s a community of two). I’m going to be focused on this aspect much more this year at Set Your Muse on Fire! So stay tuned for details.
Feel free to join me throughout January on my Zoom writing hour! Monday-Friday, 8:00-9:00 am Eastern time. Contact me through the Contact Page for the invite!
