Sweet 16: IT'S A PROCESS

PLANNING (Task, Schedule, WT = DT): This week I wanted to buy, download, and learn about Scrivener. I scheduled to do this during my wife and sons' morning nap time on Wednesday. Also, have learned to download an article or video onto my mobile device inorder to turn Waiting Time = Development Time. This week I uploaded the site Learn Scrivener Fast by Joseph Michaels.

IMPLEMENTATION (Strategies): This week I implemented the strategy of high traffic areas by placing the task in my gTasks Pro App ( a great To Do List Manger) so that I would se it every time I checked what I needed to complete for the day. In addition, I properly used the 3-buckets of writing strategy. I learned this from Jeff Goins and thought I had been implementing it properly, but had a breakthrough this week. Jeff recommends you always use three different buckets to write during a set period of time. The buckets are gathering ideas, drafting, and editing. I used it properly this week and have a full understanding of how beneficial it is. From now on I will create the format for blog post on Sunday, which is my planning day, so that I can reference it anytime in the week to gather ideas. Next, I will draft, which means not to judge it while writing it, the post on Saturday. Lastly, I will let the draft sit for a while and then edit it later on Saturday or early Sunday morning.

REFLECTION (Learnings and Actions): I was able to complete the tasks on the scheduled day and like I mentioned above, had a breakthrough using the 3-bucket system strategy for writing. At the beginning of my 52 in 52, I decided that I wanted to write a book and although I had a lot of inspiration to do it, I also felt a little overwhelmed in how I could possible WRITE enough for a whole book. Especially since I do not think of myself as a natural writer to start out with. What I learned this week is that writing can be a complex process as in the past I always would sit there and write a sentence five or six times before it sounded perfect, and this process would continue for the rest of the project. The break through this week was that the process of writing is not just sitting down and writing continusoulsy, it involves the gathering of ideas, writing an initial draft (without judging and making tons of changes), and then going back and editing. Trying to do all three at the same time is overwhelming, at least for me and others who find writing challenging. The process get much easier if you collect ideas for yoru writing separate from the actual drafting, and then the eventual editing of the draft. The process actually became more efficient as I collected what I wanted to talk about during the week at random times, then writing the first draft (without continuous typing and deleting), and finally editing after I took some time away. I now will implement the 3-bucket system weekly and hopefully this will help me and any of you undertaking a large writing project to become better writers.

Thanks for tuning in and see you in week 17.