Over the holidays, I lost my momentum. I had to force myself to open my manuscript. It took me an hour to revise one page. Exercising was the same way--a painful chore. Sure, for ten days I enjoyed all that delicious food and fun times with the family, but getting back into a routine stunk.
It's easy to overlook the power of momentum. I exercise 3-4 times a week. I write or revise every weekday. If I cut back to exercising once a week, I lose that hard earned muscle. If I skip writing or revising for more than two days, it takes twice as long for my brain to make sense of the work.
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell analyzes a study of elementary school children's test scores in June and the following September. While some children, mainly the upper income kids, improve their scores over the summer, other children's scores, more of the lower income kids, actually decline. His hypothesis is that the children who improve over the summer likely have access to more learning opportunities. They aren't losing momentum. Who do you think will have an easier time adjusting to the more difficult subjects in September--the kids who expanded their learning or the kids who regressed?
Momentum is vital to success. I could say my goal isn't competitive, but I'd be deluding myself. There are thousands, possibly millions, of other people just like me who want to see their books in an actual store. With only so many publishing slots available, not everyone's publishing dreams will come true. I believe the people who are disciplined, who constantly study and analyze what could make their writing better, they are the ones who will be published. They don't write one day a week and watch Dr. Phil the other four days. They build momentum by writing on a regular basis.
Everything worthwhile involves hard work and discipline, but a big part of the battle is getting started and making it a habit. Momentum will take over and make our task easier. It's one of the keys to meeting our goals.
Do you dread resuming a task if you've taken time off from it? Is momentum key to reaching your goals?
Join me on Wednesday when we talk about the glam factor.
I'm a big believer in momentum. I can usually tell if I've taken one too many days away from writing. It shows up in the words, the lack of flow, etc.
ReplyDeleteI love it with working out, too. You know, before I got serious about the craft I was in excellent shape. ;)
~ Wendy
GIRL YOU HAD ME LAUGHING FROM THE GET GO!! We could be twins! I fought against anything moving forward over break. ugh.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest one for me is sleep. I don't sleep much and when I do finally get a full night's sleep, I can't sleep at all for a week or two. It's horrible!
And it affects everything else I do.
Absolutely. My edits were moving at a snail's pace. I finally decided I needed to get through some chapters as fast as I could just to build some momentum. It has helped tremendously!
ReplyDeleteWe're on the same wavelength today Jill. I posted about the same thing, getting back into the groove after time away. For me, it's lists that help. I look at the whole project and itemize by priority what needs to be done to keep me moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI've had interruptions lately, so momentum in writing and excercise has slowed, but I'd say I'm only at a yeild sign, and not the STOP sign. I'm slowly picking up speed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post, especially since I'm about to return to my routine this week after almost a month away. It's going to be hard but I'm looking forward to diving in. A a big believer in routine for getting things done!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I agree with Joanne. Making lists and itemizing by priority works for me. Now, if I could just find my list! ;)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! It's so much harder to start something over than to just keep going with it.
ReplyDeleteMomentum is everything for me in writing. Putting it off one day makes it easier to put it off again the next.
I'm glad the holidays are over so I can get back into my beloved routine. :)
Totally agree with the momentum. Did you read your agency's blog post on velocity? This post sorta reminded me of that one. Not only do we need momentum to carry through, but it's good to get our books some momentum too.
ReplyDeleteALMOST always I agree with momentum. That's how I kept myself writing in the past. But sometimes that momentum completely blocks out the possibility for change. You get so busy doing what you said you were going to do that you forget to pause and assess if you're still going in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteSo...I guess I agree with momentum as long as there are breaks in between (even short ones) to see where that momentum is taking you and if it needs to be adjusted a little.
Ugh, yes! You've reminded me that there is a project I really should be doing....
ReplyDeleteI hate to be interrupted. I can easily skip lunch when I am on a task. The only time starting something is easy is when it's something new and I want to try it out. Momentum is a very good thing. Let's get some going.
ReplyDeleteYes! I'm still trying to get my routine back after the holidays, but maybe that's my problem...momentum...who knew? :)
ReplyDeleteMomentum and routine are huge for me and for my kids. After taking the holiday off, one of my kids "forgot" how to write the number 2. Yeah, right! That's the last time we take a full two weeks off from school, LOL!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I LOVE Outliers. Especially that 10,000 hour rule. Vital.
I procrastinate. I have momentum. I'm a contradiction. I think it's a struggle to be on top of things with a family and writing goals. It's not going to change for a while so I think I should try my best to get things in order as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteSometimes. Momentum can be huge!
ReplyDeleteFor me, the task is blogging. I just don't have momentum on it so it feels like a chore. Of course, once I open up my friend's blogs, I realize why it's so fun and why it shouldn't feel that way. Anyway, I'm working on getting back into it!
ReplyDeleteOnce I get rolling, I'm good but it is so easy to put off what needs to be done. Trying hard to keep that momentum going this year!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I believe writing is an every day adventure. Of course, I fall into ruts like I've been in for over a month now. The only things I've written are: journal entries, experimental poems, lists of interesting words, examples of essay writing for my writing class, e-mails, and blog posts. But I've fallen out of my fiction writing, and revising my novel. However, today is a new day, and I'm going to re-charge my momentum with the first step today.
ReplyDeleteHi Jill,
ReplyDeleteWow. I can't believe how long it's been since I've visited your blog! It looks fantastic! And I love the blog awards slide show you have going on! What a fantastic idea! I had to get rid of all my "awards" once I switched to my blog being integrated with my website! Wish I would have thought of a slide show for them!
Anyway, I agree with your post. It's always easier to keep moving when our muscles are warmed up and already in shape. Once we stop for a little while, then it takes more effort to get them going again!
Momentum and routine are great! I really need them to keep on pace. Right now it is our first week back from vacation and I find myself feeling out of sorts and unproductive:(
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm on a roll, I can work for hours on end and not grow weary. When I take a break and lose the momentum, it can be difficult for me to get things going again.
ReplyDeleteYes! Momentum is soooooo important. I'm trying to regain mine right now.
ReplyDeleteSuch interesting comments! It seems quite a few of you feel momentum isn't always the best thing--at least if we become obsessive or it keeps us from enjoying life.
ReplyDeleteMany of you are like me, though, and hate falling off the momentum wagon!
Had a hiccup in life yesterday keeping me from responding to each of you. I'm sorry about that. Thank you all so much for stopping by!
I've taken some time off between finishing my book/prepping it for the Golden Heart contest and starting my next one. I've started plotting and researching...but know I have been putting off the actual WRITING. Now, it feels like a big hurdle. I know what I need to do -- commit to a set amount of time each day, break it down into manageable pieces, write a s#@&tty first draft, etc. But I have to DO it.
ReplyDeleteOh Jill, I SO agree with you here, and I really needed to hear this today.
ReplyDeleteDave Ramsey said it well: "Focused intensity over time, multiplied by God, creates unstoppable momentum."
Unfortunately, I'm plagued by interruptions, but I'm easing into waking up more early so I have more writing time without the interruptions. God help me! LOL
At first, I feel excited and energetic about it ... but then I realize that I've lot momentum and the dread sets in!
ReplyDeleteMomentum is huge for me too. If I get lazy, or take time off for vacation, it takes a long time to get going again. Plus, I lose confidence in that down time, which is never good.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It is hard to get back into things. But I have made myself get into the new year, albeit it a difficult new year to start.
ReplyDeleteMomentum is huge for me, too--it's so hard to return to a work-in-progress if I get sidetracked from it for a day or two. I find it helps if I keep visual reminders in my office, so that I'm prompted to spend even a few minutes every day thinking about my WIP. Thanks for posting this!
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