I skipped one day of Crossfit this week, and it was enough to put me on shaky ground. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to return the next day. In my defense, I skipped so that I could sleep in, having stayed up the night before working on a flier.
Other than that day and another day when I had an early morning meeting, I haven’t skipped. Every morning, I get up, (sometimes) drag myself from bed, get dressed in workout clothes, and gather round with the family for prayer. It has now become such a consistent habit that even my dogs know now to wait to be fed until I get home from Crossfit.
* * *
I unearthed an old manuscript, one that I wrote like crazy in my critique group days. One that I wish I could continue, except there is one small problem.
I have no idea how the story ends.
So I will feel my way around, write my protagonists into a few corners, and try to pick up where I have left off. Had I been consistent with my word count, continued on until “The End,” how much farther would I be with that story!
* * *
So today’s Crossfit writing takeaway is, be consistent. Take a break now and then, if you must, but don’t stop! And don’t take too long away from a story. I have an author friend who both amazes and scares me. She is a writing machine. She goes away on retreats and writes her story practically non-stop. To her, that is the key to getting the story down. Thing is, we don’t have to aspire for something so extreme. If we chip away at our story consistently, we will get ‘er done.
You do something often enough, consistently enough, and you will do it much faster, much better, than you have in the past. In today’s Crossfit, we did Tabata which is where you do a workout for 20 seconds at a time and count how many times you can do it. It doesn’t matter what others are doing, you do it your pace, consistently. Soon, the movement (if it doesn’t wipe you out meanwhile), becomes muscle memory.
Oh, yeah, it wiped me out. But. And the big but – I pulled my belt tight this morning and went down one notch. One notch. That’s huge. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
* * *
- Cultivate the habit of writing at about the same time every day.
- Clear your desk of clutter and focus on the task at hand.
- If you miss a day, pick it up again as soon as you can.
- Schedule your writing.
- Write first, then do other less important things (Facebook, chores).
- Print out your output so you have a visual reminder of how far you have come.
* * *
Humor me dear reader, and tell me if my posts are inspiring you to exercise more, or overwhelming you with the thought of doing more activity. I hope it is the first, because I can guarantee that you will feel better not only about your body, your health, and life, but also your writing.
If I can do it, you can, too! Start small (walk outside, climb the stairs, park your car at the end of the lot) and consistently challenge yourself with more physical activity!
Follow