Think Bigger

Whatever you're thinking, think bigger.
Tony Hsieh

It is so easy to settle into a routine. A routine where we do the same thing until we settle into "the same old, same old." It is also known as the same old boring routine.

The key to developing a habit is doing the little things. Or in most cases, THE little thing. I get up early each morning and give myself an hour before I need to get ready for work. During that hour, I eat a bowl of cereal or oatmeal, drink 2 cups of coffee, and play three word games on my phone. This takes about 20-30 minutes depending on how much petting, Numa, the cat, requires.

I'm left with another 30 minutes in which I open Google Keep Notes or Google Docs on my phone. In Notes, I work on Monday Motivationals, Southern Words and Sayin's, Poetry, or story ideas. What's the hardest little thing I have to do? It's opening the App and getting started. Once I open that App I force myself to write or edit something.

In Docs, I work on my novels. My goal is to write. Sometimes, it's just a paragraph or two in my WIP (Work In Progress). I don't have to make huge strides to keep pushing forward, I just need to keep pushing forward.

I found myself burnt out on my first novel because that was all I worked on. Now, by working on different minor projects, writing is more fun. If I felt stuck or unsure of which direction I wanted a project to take, I set it aside and worked on something else. That something else may inspire an idea or give me the motivation to push through a tough writing wall. I make these other projects small 500 to 2500 words.

I try not to set a big project aside for over a week. It becomes stagnant and I have to reread several chapters to get my mind flowing with the characters and their thoughts to continue. To keep the flow going, I want to read the last paragraph and pick up the story from where I left it.

So think bigger, longer, and better. Don't rush to complete a project. Take the time to do it right. Whatever you do, don't give up. To me, bigger doesn't mean more, it means better than I thought I could do. It means pushing the limits of my comfort zone. It means making improvements even after it's finished.

Happy Writing,
Tony

#Monday Motivational, #Think Bigger