Know Your Moment
For some of us, this is entirely about routine. You write one thousand words -every day, without fail- right after breakfast. That’s when the mood strikes you, or when you know to tame it, and you are at your most productive. I think that’s incredibly efficient and self-aware. You must know your moment, in the […]
Know Yourself
It’s no secret that choosing to be a creative writer is going to lead you down an introspective path. There is no other way to write other than to reflect yourself in words, sometimes mirrored off the experiences of others. To know yourself means that you will write better. And that’s more than just in […]
Inching Forward
Forward progress is still progress. We don’t need to be embarrassed or compare ourselves to others in terms of where we are and where we would like to be. Success is as much about luck as it is about planning. Growth is as much about persistence as it is about being fortunate. Inching forward is […]
Reflection
There is no moving forward without looking back. Reflection is a practice that I have always embedded in my time in education, and I am finding it just as valuable in writing. It is a powerful tool and it has to be used effectively, mindfully, and not sporadically. We need to find ways to embed […]
Working through Adversity
It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. At some point, you are going to be writing for someone who doesn’t seem to want you there. They are prickly, adversarial, and constantly questioning your work. You wonder why they even hired you in the first place. But working through adversity can sometimes […]
There is Only Time
There is only time. You do not have to find it, make it, or schedule it. The time is there for you to use or ignore, however you see fit. We like to think that we can make time. That presupposes that we have some sort of influence over the day, that there won’t be […]
Floundering
There are going to be times when you feel like you are lost. None of the choices you are making seem to be making an impact. You’ve jumped into this big pool of creative voices and you haven’t made a single ripple. You are floundering in the middle of the ocean. I wish I could […]
Stepping Sideways
Unless you are the owner of the company, or the chairperson of the board, we need to do away with the overwhelmingly negative implications of ‘moving up.’ Unless you are in charge, all moves within an organization need to be seen as lateral. Hierarchical structures lead to undue stress and manipulation. Changing roles in a […]
Make Sure to Stretch
Don’t get too comfortable in you niche. It’s a sprint that will be over all too soon. A niche is cozy but unpredictable and it can disappear at a moment’s notice. So, every once and a while, make sure to stretch. Stay close to home, by all means. Just push at the boundaries a little, […]
The Myth of Multitasking
Dividing your attention is never a good thing to do. Despite the most avid believers, we are not built for the strange task of multitasking. The thought that you are going to be more productive by doing more things at once makes no mathematical or neurological sense. The myth of multitasking tries to convince us […]