Often, if we look at say a goal – climb a mountain, write that 75, 000 word novel etc – the enormity of it all can be just plain depressing.
The idea of it is exciting; the end result is looked forward to with great expectation. But when the mountain from the travel brochure becomes the actual, real life, really high and incredibly-difficult-to-climb mountain or the novel “a girl meets a robot penguin who is actually an actor in disguise andthisisgoingtobesoGREAT!” grinds to halt (“that’s it, this is killing my brain. Why can’t they speak? They’re like awkward cyborgs!”) then … then the wish to throw up your hands grows. And grows.
It’s all very well to say casually and coolly, “it’s all about perseverance.”
Easy to sum and say … but the actual perseverance? The sweating away up the path? Overcoming writer’s block? Ignoring the desire to give up and flop down on the wayside? Not so easy.
But – have no fear my friends! I have found a Way to banish all feelings of despair …
Think of it … like a big, beautiful cake:
Now, say you want to eat the whole thing – you wouldn’t attempt to swallow it down in one go … would you? (Unless you are a hippo … if you are, please go ahead). No, you would cut a slice, and eat it. And then you would cut another, and eat that. And then another and another (and another!) and so on until (feeling more than a little bit sick) you’d accomplished your goal. Huzzah!
It’s the same with writing (or climbing that there mountain) – cut it down. You want to write a 75, 000 word novel in a year? Cool – just write around 205 words per day.
Take one step up the mountain path – because a step taken is a step nearer to the peak. A paragraph written is a paragraph closer to end of the chapter; the end of the book.
Break it up; turn your goal into nice edible chunks, and then, it won’t seem so big; so daunting.
of words & books 