Yesterday I wrote about the need to move big rocks first if you want to stop feeling so overwhelmed. Big rocks equal your priorities—the things you need to get done first to achieve your writing goals. I have a confession to make. No, not the one I already made…that I tend to move the small rocks first. Next to moving small rocks first, the biggest problem I’ve had over the last year or two comes down to setting priorities. All of the things I have to do feel important.
I mean really. How can I decide whether to focus on promotion first or writing first? (I know, a lot of you simply say writing, but this is not necessarily the right answer—at least not for me or those writers who want to become authors.) Without a platform built from promotion, my writing will not sell—not to readers or to publishers. But without writing, I have nothing to sell. Of course, there is blogging; that’s writing and promotion. When I focus on my blog and all the social networking that kind of goes with it, the book proposals and the books don’t get written. Oh, yeah…and then there is the client work. I can’t forget about that. I do need some income. But I’d also like to spend time on improving my website. And, I almost forgot, there are those information and coaching products I want to create that would support my business and my promotional efforts. Plus, I really need to do more speaking…And the list goes on.
I’ve probably made you feel move overwhelmed. And my list of to-do items may seem crazy, but it’s really not—not if you want to be a published author and an author that makes money. And many authors feel this same pressure, this same sense that they need to do a good bit, if not all of what’s on my list. Indeed, it is an overwhelming list, and one I live with all the time. That said, you don’t have to do all of these things. And, I had to figure out that I don’t have to do all of the things I feel I need to do all in one day or even in one week. Maybe not even in one month.
Your list may look much different. Whatever is on your list, however, may cause you to feel overwhelmed. To overcome that feeling, learn to prioritize. My husband likes to say, “Put out fires.” Which fires are burning hottest at the moment that you need to extinguish? In other words, which projects simply must get finished now? Maybe you have a deadline to meet or you will miss out on an opportunity if you simply don’t get something done now.
Or look at your fires the opposite way: What fires need some tending—some wood and some air to get them burning hotter? What projects have you left lying around too long? What needs some attention so you finish it? What were you passionate about when you started but possibly got sidetracked from doing?
Personally, I like the rock analogy better because the more rocks you lift, the stronger you get. It’s like psychological weight lifting. It’s a response to what you need to do rather than a reaction to it. So, let’s go back to moving rocks…
To help you overcome your overwhelm, make a list of your big rocks: the writing, publishing and platform building projects—or anything related to your writing career—most important to you. These are the things you really want or need to accomplish in the next 1-3 months. These can be full-length books or articles or proposals. Maybe you want to start a blog or enhance one you’ve already begun. Maybe you want to begin pursuing radio appearances, join a new social network, spend more time on social networking, or learn how to record and upload YouTube videos. Choose no more than three, and list them in order of importance. You will move the one on the top of the list first. Once you have accomplished that goal, you can move on to the next rock. List them below.
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To make those big rocks seem more doable, you now need to chip them into small rocks. Each day you will sit down at your desk and move your big rock. However, you will do this by moving small rocks that make up parts of that big rock. In other words, you will chip that big rock—your priority project—into smaller parts. Each day you will then take on one or more of those smaller rocks. In this way, you will quickly achieve your goal. Below, take your first big rock and chip it into at least five small rocks.
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You can chip these smaller rocks into even smaller rocks. Create another list below of smaller tasks.
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Every day, check them off the small rocks you have moved until you have actually moved the large rock. Notice if your sense of overwhelm doesn’t decrease as you get closer and closer to getting something accomplished. Your feeling of overwhelm also should decrease simply by having prioritized and chunked your projects down into more “moveable” pieces.
More next week. In the meantime, why not leave me a comment to tell me about your progress or how this process is working for you?
Good advice–even for fiction writers, increasingly. Good luck moving rocks!