Monica Valentinelli: Author, Game Designer and Consultant

Posted on December 28, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Day 28: Removing the Obstacles

Well, we have just a few days left in the December 2009 Writing Marathon. Some of you are chugging along reaching those goals; some of you are simply writing a little bit very day. For me, this has been a very up-and-down sort of a month. November was extraordinarily busy for me and December proved to be even busier. Halfway through the month, I realized that there were obstacles in my path that were getting in the way of my ability to focus. Here’s just a few of the things that were driving me batty:

• Pending projects
• the filing (Boo!)
• No designated “writing” workspace
• Extra holiday craziness
• Clutter

It got to the point where the “stuff” that I hadn’t gotten done was literally pissing me off more than not getting any writing done. As I’m sure many of you realize, balance is an extremely difficult thing to achieve for many writers, because we love to write — aka “work.” What I’m finding is that it’s next-to-impossible to have that balance if I let disorganization take over for “too” long. Of course, when I’m busy I let some things around the house go. (Who doesn’t?) But those little annoyances turn into BIG distractions, especially when your free time is limited because you have a “day job.”

What’s my solution? Identify and remove the obstacles, a piece at a time. Afterward, if there’s still something that’s frustrating you or preventing you from focusing, then that’s a separate issue. At least you won’t have any more excuses! Still have a few more days to go, and I’m hoping to get through my “goal” revisions!

Related posts:

1. Day 7: Goals and Establishing a Routine
2. Let the December 2009 Writing Marathon Begin!
3. Day 20: What’s Your Mantra?
4. Who’s Up for a December Writing Marathon? Some Proposed Rules.