Friday Comes Quicker Than You Think

By Susan Goodsell - Oct 12 , 2009

It’s generally accepted we are driven by the avoidance of pain or the reward of pleasure.I want to lose weight, but I’m not nearly as driven by the potential health benefits of losing 10 pounds as I am to the immediate pleasure of sinking my teeth into the peanut butter cup brownies which are tantalizingly calling my name from the office break room.

I’ve thought about this issue as it pertains to us as writers dealing with deadlines.

Here’s a rundown of my week (can you relate?)—–

I have an article due by Friday evening. After a hard day at my BNI office, Monday night football is on, the Vikings are playing (still a Minnesota girl at heart), and I’m settled in, relaxed, watching it from my comfy couch instead of being in front of my laptop, but it’s not really a problem because tomorrow is Tuesday and I still basically have a whole week to meet my submission deadline.

It slipped my mind that Tuesday my daughter and I have dental appointments and the evening turns into an impromptu date night with my boyfriend, Mark, because he has been “working like a dog” (he told me to put that last part in).

Here comes Wednesday…2:30pm, new Word doc open, I start a rough draft, but before I even strike a key, my daughter calls – she missed the school bus and needs a ride. I haven’t spent a lot of time with her lately because she’s a busy teen with tons of friends, and she talks me into a “quick trip” to the local mall. We end up at the Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters and I pull into the driveway 3 ½ hours later and $137 lighter in the wallet.

Now it’s Thursday and I have a knot in my tummy. I’m coming up with an idea when Ring! Ring! Here comes a business call. Short story: there goes Thursday and I go to bed with a bit of anxiety wondering why this is happening.

It’s Friday and I come up with a new, improved story idea and scrap the original. I get only 200 words completed. I really want to be done by 5pm, yet everyone seems to need a piece of me today. I send a quick email to my very understanding editor explaining I’ll have my article to him on Saturday, but he’s going to LOVE it!

Saturday morning—coffee and leisurely reading the L.A. Times cover to cover is a weekend-only indulgence. It’s pushing noon, I have houseguests who are looking at me noting that it’s a beautiful sunny day and we may not have many more like this, so suddenly a barbecue in on.

By the time the dishes are done the sky is already streaked with the oranges and pinks of dusk. I beg off conversation and try to finish my article. It’s taking longer than it should. Why? Not sure. It’s just not flowing.

Life happens…there will be distractions and ever-changing circumstances to derail your writing. Here are some suggestions to stay on track:

1. Write ahead. This could be buckling down and completing a few articles in one week so you don’t have to worry about a deadline if you are time crunched. Work ahead of deadlines to take the pressure off.

2. Keep writing in the forefront of your awareness. You are standing in the middle of great articles every day. Keep a notebook and jot down a quote or something that anyone says that you think will make a good article.

3. When inspiration strikes, work at that moment, even if it’s not your “writing time.”

4. Pick up the phone: As authors, you most likely have other friends who are authors. Call and ask them how they’re doing. Chat about your current projects. Say hi to a friend and get a boost of motivation!

5. Schedule and treat your writing time as non-negotiable. Writing is just like going to the gym: Lace up those sneakers and pull on workout clothes even if you don’t feel like going. Once you’re there, you’ll get into the groove and will probably work out longer than you thought you would. Same with writing. Plan for an easy writing “workout” and you’ll realize that you stuck with it and worked up a sweat!

The siren call of immediate pleasure can force our writing to the back burner. If we allow ourselves to be sidetracked consistently, if we continually choose those peanut butter cup brownies instead of committing to our long-term health goals, then we’ll forever be working from a place of failing to reach our goals.

The bottom line is—it all comes down to priorities.

And writing happens to be one of ours . . . .