For the last three weeks I’ve been prepping and preparing for my move to Texas. Cleaning things out. Clearing out stuff for donation. Selling things. Whatever needed to get done.
Which has meant that a lot of what I’d usually be doing in my days and weeks wasn’t getting done or was being pushed off for the time being. This is a sacrifice that sometimes has to get made when you have bigger things going on.
But that doesn’t mean you should allow yourself to completely fall off on everything.
That would be a huge mistake. And it’s the mistake that a lot of writers make that derails them. Because it’s hard to get back on track once you fall off.
So many fall off and don’t get back on.
Yes, sometimes life gets in the way and interrupts your best-laid plans. It’s gonna happen. Unless you’re committed enough to keep going no matter what.
And I am.
The thing that helps me keep moving forward and making progress is to have a daily bare minimum. My daily bare minimum are the tasks that–even on my most insane and busy of days–still must get done.
For me, that list includes:
> Walking my dog
> Journaling and mindset practice
> Writing a blog post (or at the very least, posting something thought-provoking and engaging on my Facebook page)
> Checking in with clients/students
> Promotion and sales activities (at least one activity)
My daily list of things I do is a lot longer than this, but on days when life gets in the way, I’m totally happy if I’ve done at least my bare minimum stuff.
That bare minimum stuff will still help me make progress on my writing goals. Which is why I’m writing this post right now when I should be finishing up what needs to be done before we get on the road to Texas Wednesday morning.
I could’ve made the move an excuse and not written this post–it would have been totally relevant and legit. Most writers would have and no one would give them a hard time about it either. Making a cross-country move is stressful! It’s a lot of work! It requires a lot of energy and focus! So it’s totally fine not to do your writing.
But I’m not most writers and I’m committed to doing what needs to be done. Even when it’s not convenient.
So, what’s your daily bare minimum? What can you commit to doing every day, bare minimum, that will still move you forward and make you progress on your writing goals?
You probably don’t want to do the bare minumum EVERY DAY. The bare minimum is for days when life gets in the way or when you really are legit way too busy to do everything you need to do or you’re intentionally choosing to take it easy that day.
You want to be committed to doing whatever you need to do every day, which usually means a whole lot more than the bare minimum. But if all you can do is the bare minimum, you will still make progress and move forward.
That’s what matters.
And if you’re just starting out or need to build some habit and consistency into your writing life, then committing to doing your bare minimum every day will get you on track to eventually being able to take on more.
This week, I’ll definitely be doing my bare minimum stuff, but once I get to Texas and get a bit settled in, watch out! There’s a whole lot of awesomeness coming in June.
Dream life or bust,
#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent
