Inch by inch

I've had a few people ask me how I'm getting on with the writing.

I shared with you recently how I tried to go from a standing start to 2,000 words a day – maybe not so smart! I took some advice from some friends and have decided to calm down with the word count quota.

Inspired by my nephew's toilet training sticker chart, I have created something similar for myself, but for words!!

I have set myself a target of 500 words a day, but every time I pass 1,000 words, I get to add a new sticker to my chart. It's really fun to have a good excuse to treat yourself to stickers.

More often than not, I find that I can actually hit 1,000 words, but I don't beat myself if I don't manage it.

I heard about how comedian Jerry Seinfeld did something similar to help him keep up with his writing. Every day that he completed his writing task, he marked a red 'X' on his calendar.

"After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it, and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain," he said. 'Don't break that chain!”

People always tell you to break things down into smaller steps – and as a visual person, I've found that visual cues like this can really go a long way in helping me to get things done.

Inch by inch, anything's a cinch.

Pearl