I finally found a way to discipline myself to write for at least an hour every day.
You
know that brushing teeth is not something we long to do each morning
or evening. But we don't think about it, or ask whether we feel like
it, or are inspired to do. We just do it. It's a habit that doesn't
allow input from the mind.
Since
I love early mornings and prefer to write then, I decided to treat
writing the same way I treat brushing my teeth: I wake up, get
dressed, put the coffee on and open my laptop. And then, I write for
an hour before doing anything else such as checking my email, reading
the news or making breakfast.
So
far, it's been easy and I have been very productive, often working
much longer than the one hour with pleasure.
The
rest of the day, I allow myself to do anything else I want: nap,
read, surf the Internet, knit, go for a walk, talk to friends and
family on Skype or reluctantly, write or edit. I also need time to
contemplate, let my mind wander and absorb my surroundings for the
creative part of me to have something to use in my work, so I try not
to write any more in the afternoon unless it's quick notes for future
reference.
And
guess what? The book I have been trying to write for years is finally
complete!
