Having recently come back from holiday, it has allowed me to reset and rethink a few things. One of those being the idea that, when I am on holiday, I can read my book for hours — and yet the minute I'm home I can't seem to get off my phone (the Pina Colada and change of scene may have something to do with it). Whilst, on the surface, it may seem as though I just need to put the phone down, and get on with my day (which, to be honest, is what I do), I've come to the realisation that there is something much more deep-routed to this.
A lot of what is discussed here is related back to writing, but can be applied in pretty much any way you see fit.
I feel the idea of not being able to get off my phone stems from the idea that — when I'm on my phone — I am either writing my next book, or marketing my books. And if I'm not doing either of those things, then I am not being productive; if I am not being productive then I am not doing my best to work towards my goals (which isn't true). Essentially, I think I am consciously tricking my mind into being productive — when actually I'm in a state of freeze: not really understanding what I want to do, and where I want to go.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, it is part of being a writer to doubt and question ourselves. I am very hard on myself. Questioning your comfort zone, and what we have become used to, is part of what helps us develop as a person.
It's when we become too hard on ourselves that it becomes a problem. I'm doing my best — as I always do — but I am still hard on myself. When I acknowledge that I am being too hard on myself, it makes me sigh out loud — it does my head in.
That's when I remind myself that productivity comes in many shapes and sizes, many forms. Most, if not all, of the overwhelm and feeling of being paralysed by fear, is created by pressure that I put on myself.
The good news is that — because I have put the pressure on myself — it is my responsibility and within my control to relieve that pressure, and channel that pressure so that it becomes a source of motivation rather than debilitation
What does consistency mean for you?
Note that I said ‘for you’, and not ‘to you’. It is about looking past what you think you know. Challenging that.
I don't write every day (though I want to), out of a need to maintain a sustainable routine, and be careful of my energy levels and time. Though I don't write every day, I make sure that the times I am writing are very productive and worthwhile.
If I find, for whatever reason, that I am losing focus on my writing and maintaining that routine, then I bring my focus back. That in itself is consistency because — despite life's distractions — I'm able to maintain what is important to me. Whilst doing so, realising that times of hardship and difficulty are not permanent. During these times, my priorities might change. What I mean to say is — writing is a constant for me, though how that looks changes, depending on what is going on in my life, and whether my priorities and schedule need reshuffling. Any writer will tell you that.
I will tell myself that.
How we are productive will look different
I write a lot through voice to text dictation, which is good for increasing my speed of writing, but it also means that there is a lot more editing that needs to be done. With that in mind, I have been thinking about spending a week dictating my work, and then spending the next week editing all that I have written in the previous week.
You can see that I will not be writing every day through this process, but once I get into the routine, it will be consistent. More importantly, I will be routinely working towards a much larger goal, than that of ensuring that I write every day. Writing every day is all well and good if you can keep it up — that is, of course, unless you are writing the same word over and over for ten pages. I like to get a balance between quality and quantity, with quality coming out above all else in the final edit.
As I mentioned above, consistency is also sticking with something that is going to take a lot of time and energy, and not letting that push you away from the project entirely.
Every writer goes through this cycle
What cycle am I talking about?
The cycle of how a writer's mindset shifts during the writing process:
This is going well
This could be better
This is terrible
It is around the second stage my consistency seems to wane, and it can take me any length of time to get back on track. This is where point three is reinforced: I have slowed down, or lost my way to some degree, and therefore I cannot do it. My brain tells me I cannot do it, therefore it is pointless carrying on.
Here’s the catch: it is important to keep going.
Brains mustn't be listened to (at least, not all the time).
Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture
In every aspect of my life — not just my writing — there are highs, lows, and times when we feel that we are plateauing. That does not mean to say we are not progressing.
If I have not progressed with my writing, then I have not [I would have not] written hundreds of blog posts, as well as essays, short stories — and several books over the last few years. That is progress.
In a way, that is also consistency: recognising when the flow of life has changed, adapting, and picking up where I left off. Realising what is important when life starts to send you in the wrong direction. On the same train of thought, it is almost like it takes going in the wrong direction to realise what the right direction is.
Social media, priorities, and reflection
Let's talk about the fact that I never take flattering pictures for Instagram...or not.
I talk about the idea of being a bit random, and just generally being ourselves quite often — and Instagram is no different.
I don't like the idea that everything we see on social media is crafted to look a certain way. So I like to be as candid as possible (not the same as being open, or less private).
I have things to say (as I am doing now), and I'm a writer. So, while I can romanticise my life as being full of coffee and books, the day-to-day reality can be very different: some days I write, some days I don't. My energy levels — and somewhat lack of time to do everything — gets in the way of what I actually want to be doing. Which is — more often than not — writing. There are, however, only so many hours in the day. Some of that has to be spent on looking after myself.
Another point is, I struggle with social media, because — unless we are a so-called celebrity — then we have to post regularly for anybody to see what's going on. As a writer, this makes social media pretty important, in order to get my work seen. It feels like a lot on top of everything else, and I'm not very good at giving energy to myself in the first place.
I have been thinking about distancing myself from social media, and focusing on writing; using social media when I have something to say, or something to offer you...that makes me feel more at ease. But then there is the matter of my work being seen. There is this perpetual guilt, that if I am not consistently posting on social media, then people won't support my work and I won't be able to grow and build my writing career. There here is some truth to that, but then it's never as black and white as it first seems.
Writing is not just about the writing
The process of writing is also a process of self-discovery. We are learning, in-depth, how we interact with the world, and how the world interacts with us. I would go as far to say that writing is the most honest reflection of this.
Not everything we write will be perfect, or fantastic, or make us feel like the next Stephen King — but that does not mean to say that what we have written is rubbish. Without writing words that we consider less than our best, we wouldn't know what our best is. We would have nothing to aim for.
It's important to remember that writing is a very long term process. Think of it in terms of archery: it can take the firing of many arrows (many missing) to eventually, perhaps, hit bullseye. Even when we do hit bullseye, we might not understand how it happened, but all the same, we learned that we could do it. The path of developing as a writer is not linear.
It is vital to remember that writing is meant to be fun. Writing a book can be a long and tiring process. Try not to let that take away from the passion that can be injected into the act of writing. Don't let it take away your shine. As a relevant example, take studying English literature — it is not all about reading, and it is not all about writing about books. It is also being able to develop analytical and critical-thinking skills that can be applied to the world around us. There are so many transferable skills and insights that come with writing regularly.
If you have made it this far, please take a breath.
I have written similar posts in the past, as the cycles mentioned above can happen again and again, and crop up at any time. Though we may be at one stage for longer or less time than the others. It is important to write about this, as there is always something new to learn; all while reassuring others writers out there.
My writing is all linked on my website. You can read all my past blog posts there as well.
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