What I Learned from R2D2

I realized this morning that it's about time I take my own advice :D No matter what the situation, I find that taking things little by little, one piece at a time, baby stepping it, makes this so much more manageable. I tell people that all the time. Whenever my friends are feeling overwhelmed I tell them to just take things one step, or more often, one word at a time.


Yet I've been sitting here staring at my computer for 2 weeks now.....my files are open, but I haven't managed to get anything done. Well, okay, I wrote 162 words the other day. Progress? I guess...technically. Good progress? Not really.


I always have the hardest time starting new projects (well, I started this one a while ago. I'm 20k into it, so this should be easier, but it hasn't been). I think it's because I tend to be a "big picture" person and the thought of all the work ahead, all the obstacles, is daunting. 


I actually realized I wasn't following my own advice as I was looking at birthday cakes for my son. He's a Star Wars nuts. Wants a Star Wars cake. I found this one online:







How COOL is that cake? And I thought "yeah, it's awesome, but there is no WAY I can make that thing!" And then I looked at the steps. Broken down one simple step at a time, it doesn't look that hard. I mean if you look at each piece individually, it really doesn't seem so bad. I think I could probably do it. Granted, it probably won't look that good LOL But still, I think I could pull off a decent looking cake.


So...I think I need to apply that logic (that I am so fond of telling other people) to my writing and quit be overwhelmed. I just need to take things one little piece at a time. One word, one sentence, one paragraph at a time. And maybe I can get writing again :)


How do you tackle overwhelming tasks?

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What I Learned from R2D2

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Welcome to my madness - part 2

Ready for issue #2? Here we go:

I get a little overwhelmed at the thought of all the work ahead. Sure, I get a new idea and I am all gung ho and totally excited to work on it. And then I sit down. And think about what happens after I finish draft one. And after I finish draft 100. And what happens if I can't get even that far because finishing draft 1 is so hard. And (get ready for some more capped one word sentences) it. FREAKS. ME. OUT. I freeze up, I get up, I do something else (see #1 from yesterday) :D

Solution? Awesomeness from Richard Rhodes


If you're afraid you can't write, the answer is to write. Every sentence you construct adds weight to the balance pan...If writing a book is impossible, write a chapter. If writing a chapter is impossible, write a page. If writing a page is impossible, write a paragraph. If writing a paragraph is impossible, write a sentence. If writing even a sentence is impossible, write a word and teach yourself everything there is to know about that word and then write another, connected word and see where their connection leads. A page a day is a book a year.


Anyone ever see What About Bob? (hilarious movie, btw) - Baby Steps. I just need to take baby steps when I get overwhelmed as I tend to do. I need to stop thinking about what's in front of me and focus on what is right in my face, right now. Why worry about the end of a project I haven't yet started? I need to focus on that chapter, that page, that paragraph, that word. 


The rest will come.



And speaking of doing a page a day, there is a Page a Day Challenge going on (I saw it HERE on Christine Fonseca's blog, but there are a ton of people signing up - check it out!)


Does anyone else find themselves overwhelmed by all that lies ahead of a new project? How do you handle it?

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Welcome to my madness - part 2

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