Any long project-writing a novel or memoir, say, or perhaps a book to promote your business-takes perseverance. Even engaging in relaxing activities like hobbies we enjoy takes a bit of stick-to-it-iveness. I love knitting, for instance, but it takes me forever to finish a shawl or sweater. And sometimes sticking with it is difficult because I get bored. Or I get an idea for another project and that one seems more exciting. Because, let's face it, for creative types, there is nothing so engaging as beginning a new project.
But we miss out on a lot if we don't finish projects. We miss out on the satisfaction that moving all the way through a process from start to finish gives us. We miss out on the chance to share our creations with the world. And in the case of writing, we miss out on a crucial aspect-that of another person reading our work. Communication, after all, implies a sending and a receiving. And if the receiving, or reading, is not present we feel we're missing a key element. This is why so many writers are so keen on publishing, sometimes to the point of obsessing about finding an agent long before the book is done.
Clearly, then, it behooves us to develop some strategies for staying with your creative work for the long haul. Here are some I've used successfully:
1. Recognize that Rome wasn't built in a day. In this era of instant everything, we sometimes forget that things take time. If you accept this simple truth, it is much easier to make slow, steady progress on a project.
2. Give yourself credit for what you've already accomplished. Too often, we bemoan how much more we have to do instead of celebrating what has already happened. Written 30 pages of a novel? Awesome! If you did it once, you can do it again!
3. Chunk it down. The single best way to approach a long project is to chunk it down into manageable steps. Perhaps you started by dividing your project into small chunks, but got caught up in the process and forgot about that as you went. Go back and chunk it down.
4. Keep the Fires Burning. Do you still have the spark that got you going on the project burning within? Sometimes as you are slogging through the middle section of a long project, it is hard to remember why on earth you wanted to do it. Reconnect with the fire. Go back to your early notes. Meditate. Write about it in your journal.
5. Remember that the hard part is over. You never, ever, have to begin this project again, because you are already in the middle of it. Yes, the beginning of a project can be the most fun, but also recall how hard it is to face that very, very blank screen. Once you've thrown some words at the computer, the project takes on a life of its own.
So there you have it-five ways to stay with your creative projects for the long haul. Apply them whenever you feel yourself lagging or lamenting your progress. Repeat as often as necessary!
Charlotte Rains Dixon is a ghost-writer, novelist, and writing coach living in Portland, Oregon, with frequent trips to LA and Nashville. She mentors heart-centered creators and entrepreneurs to fall in love with their writing, their lives, and themselves. Visit her site, http://charlotterainsdixon.com/ for articles on creative writing and the writer's life.
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