Do the Write Thing

Article Title: Do The Write Thing
Author Name: Dr. Donald Schnell
Contact Email Address: Donald@spiritualjava.com
Word Count: 560
Category: Personal Development, Motivation, Self Help
Copyright Date: 2003

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Do The Write Thing ©2003 Dr. Donald Schnell

Dear Colleague,

Here is one of the real, hidden secrets of those who
consistently produce product: make inviolate
appointments with yourself to write. You most likely do a fairly
good job at keeping the appointments you make with others.
You have mastered this skill, so why not use it to get
things done?

For example, I have to write the Spiritual Java course,
the Dream Achievers course, the daily Winning Edge,
my coaching practice, there's another
novel I'm working on, a newsletter in a different field, seminar
planning etc.

I block out several hours days in advance of
the due date. If I didn't block out that time in advance,
I'd wind up desperately scribbling out copy minutes before
the due date.

Some years back, I was counseling a hypnotherapist new to his
practice. I shocked him when I told him to close his
practice for a day if he wanted to see more business
success. I suggested that instead of seeing clients that
he devote an entire day to “marketing”. This was a day that
he was to call patients, visit health foods stores, give
speeches, and his charity work.

Most of these important tasks weren't getting done
because his time was eaten by talking to patients.
his little extra time to promote his business
paid him back in huge dividends. He had to block
out time for himself, so that he could accomplish this.

I'm often asked about how I manage to do as much writing as
I do, along with everything else I juggle. There are two
answers. First, I write for at least two hours every
morning, no matter what. The first hour of my morning, I
write. At home, on the road, weekdays, or weekends, it
doesn't matter. Tired or not, inspired or not, it doesn't
matter. Second, I block time, often weeks, occasionally
months in advance, as appointments with myself-just as I
would keep an appointment with a client.

Here is another power technique is to minimize any
unplanned activity. By reducing unscheduled time and
unplanned activity, you automatically reduce waste. If you
look carefully, you'll see that most people just sort of
show up.

They arrive at the office, at work, and react to situations.
If you press them for their day's plan, you'll find they
may have only one or two scheduled activities-one of which
is usually lunch-and maybe a few things on a vague
things-to-do-list. All the unscheduled time somehow gets
used up, but if you again press them at the end of the day,
or better yet, at the end of the week, they cannot tell you
where it went. The person who cannot tell you where his or
her time goes is forever destined to be unpubished.

Ideally, have your day scheduled out by the half hour, from
start to finish. I recommend blocking out each hour into
four, 15 minute segments. At the top of each hour make it
a point to see how many of your most important items you
can clear. Start your planning with 15 minutes.

Why not try to plan for just one week?

It is a cliché, that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Cliché
or not, it is worth remembering and worth taking the time
to plan. When you plan, you free up mental energy that is
pulling on you because you don't have a clear direction.
When this happens, practically no writing gets done.

Do the write thing,

Donald Schnell