Discipline

Isn’t it interesting how we writers can always find something to do whether it be checking email, feeding our Pinterest addiction, sweeping cobwebs out of corners. You name it. Anything but writing.

Why do we do that thing which doesn’t have to be done right this minute rather than doing that thing which we can’t live without if we don’t do it? As I listened to a Charles Stanley sermon yesterday, the reason was drilled into me in a single word. Discipline.

Writing is like any other area of our life. It requires intentional discipline, especially if the writer has another full time job that pays the bills. It is easy to think, “Oh well, I’m tired this evening, or I’m soooo sleepy this morning. I’ll just lay this little novel thing aside and work on it later when I feel like it.” Unfortunately, one too many times and we’ve created a habit. A bad one.

So, what does a beginning writer do to establish good writing habits and unmovable discipline when there is no time clock to punch, no boss to fire you, and no threat of loss of paycheck since there is no steady stream of payment anyway because the project lies dormant in your computer? And, if you are like me, that writer in you is a free spirit that just wants to daydream and make up new interesting people in your head. You certainly don’t want to dampen their spirits by slowing down the motion and confining their conversations to the conventions of writing guidelines. Ugh.

But, it must be done. Eventually, if you are to become a writer who is taken seriously by others in the industry, you must settle down into your seat, and begin to arrange words on the page. So how do you tame your free spirit and develop discipline? Discipline requires a plan. The following steps are essential in developing that plan.

 

1.     Write down your goals or objectives for your writing project.

 

2.     Add a timeline to meet the goal. 

3.   Create a schedule. What days of the week will you dedicate to write, what time of the day, and for how long?

 

4.    Share your schedule with friends and family. If they are made aware of your schedule, then they should respect that time and your interruptions will be minimized.

 

5.  Post your schedule in an area that is visible to you on a regular basis. It should taunt you when you are doing something else during writing time.

 

6.  Finally, keep track of your progress. Take note of when you comply with the schedule and when you don't. This process will make you feel guilty, if nothing else, and spur you to action.

 

7.    Reward yourself. Each day that you discipline yourself to follow your schedule, make sure you do something fun after the writing session. Eventually, you will begin to crave the reward enough to put in the work required to get it.

  

Like exercise, with writing, the end result is desired, but the activity involved is sometimes dreaded. We must push through the tough stuff to get to the other side. And that requires discipline!