Just because a project feels stalled and is not ready on the schedule you thought it would be is no reason to quit. Keep working on the project in little bits and pieces whenever you can.
Big important work takes time. Stop rushing yourself, unless it’s client sponsored work you are being paid for, that’s different. You need to maintain a sense of urgency but not the “it has to be done tomorrow” type of urgency. Forward progress is what matters.
An Example. I’m working on an eBook for ColorMetrix. The eBook gets worked on in little bits and pieces. Just yesterday I had a spare hour on a flight, after completing a few blog posts. I was about to open a book and start reading when I remembered the eBook. I spent an hour working on the introduction and cleaning up a few of the chapters. The eBook is that much closer to being done.
Your Projects. Which of your projects could get moved along just a little bit with twenty minutes or a half hour of work? It does not need to be a writing project. Maybe it’s the surprise party you are planning for your spouse. It’s only going to happen by putting the time in.
Time Shifting. Maybe DVR your favorite TV show this week and put an hour in on that project. Then, on Saturday morning watch the show in 40 minutes by skipping the commercials. Just like that you have another 20 minutes.
Your time is precious. The older I get the more I realize the value of 15 or 20 minutes spent doing something productive. This post was completed in about 15 minutes on a flight home. You and only you are going to find the time for your projects. Only your self motivation to keep working on it will find the project finished and shipped.
What kind of time shifting techniques do you use to get the work done? Please share your thoughts in the comments if you have a few moments.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vpickering
Great point Jim that movement is what is important. I often have to talk myself out of procrastination because somethings isn't as far along as I wanted it to be, which is oddly an incentive for me to push it off even more. It's an odd cycle to fall into. It really is a retraining, and just plain practice to see 15 minutes worth of progress as valuable progress. Thanks for the reminder!
Cindi, *nods* We've got the fifteen minutes – right? What are we going to do with it? Move towards the goal or away (and in my way of thinking standing still is moving away because most goals are a moving target). Thanks for jumping in the conversation Cindi!
Great advice. Tough to do. I tend to look for 1-2 hours to really get my head fully into writing, which so often never comes. Especially with kids. I think if I can start working in 15-minute increments instead of the all-or-nothing approach it will go a long way. Do you write posts this way, too, in 15-20 minute chunks? I think that would frustrate me but I can see it working for larger projects…thanks Jim.
Sue, Some of my posts actually get written in 15 minutes (like this one). One of the advantages I'm just starting to find about working a week ahead is I can start 2 or 3 posts in 15 minutes and come back when time allows to finish the one that I feel I have the rest of the content for (again spending maybe 15 or 20 minutes to do so). I've learned that for me it works best to write whenever I can. Also, on the weeks that I do a theme of posts I actually end up working on 2 or 3 of the posts at one time and moving paragraphs around between them. I'd love to have an hour or two at a time and when I do it feels like such a luxury.