I admit it. Recently, I have been failing a lot. While I can meet my daily minimum word count target, I am struggling to reach my stretch goal. Since I aim to develop and constantly improve my productivity, I strive to increase the number of times I exceed my expectations. Because a daily goal needs to be, well, daily.

Time to conduct a study, collect data, crunch numbers and run them through the analysis machine. I discovered a pattern for the days I attained the stretch goal. Before going to bed, I planned. Don’t worry kids, I didn’t create outlines or other complicated drills in this process.

Instead, I set the stage. Each session was different, but they bore similar themes. I prepared the tableau for the next day’s writing period. Think about throwing a barbeque. First, you decide what you want to serve, go shopping, hang decorations, and make a few dishes in advance. The day of the party, you cook. I developed a new tactic. Each evening, I prepare for a blowout, so in the morning, I only need to sit and write. We’ll see how it goes.

What have you learned from your failures?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer