Tackling the To-Do list

It’s the middle of September and my three page to-do list for the month sits forlonly, abandoned. I love making lists because they help you stay on track. But three pages? Just for writing? Even I’m daunted. Perhaps I’m being too ambitious, I tell myself. And as a result, I see the sheets of paper lying just at the periphery of my vision, untouched. There’s not a single job done from there.

All that changes today (where have I heard that before?!) The latest Funds for Writers newsletter brought me back to earth with Hope’s usual kick-in-the-butt editorial.

Hope talks about tackling procrastination by breaking things into smaller goals. Now, this is an old tip, but it needs an occasional reminder (and a forceful one such as this editorial really works) to put it into action.

From Hope’s editorial, here’s the challenge :

List what you expect to write by the end of the week.
List what you expect to submit by the end of the month.
List your goal for the end of the year.

That’s what I’m going to do right now. Disconnect the Internet, work out the first drafts of two articles due soon and tackle point 1, 2 and 3 on the To-do list.

As Hope, in her straightforward way says “Put your finger on what you want to do as a writer. If you don’t, nobody else will.”

Okay. Message received. Time to go to work.

That’s me. What’s stopping you?