It doesn’t matter how much I get done; all that matters is that I start!

 

An old To Do list. As you can see, I didn't get everything done in that day. Some things got moved around. But I DID get the ball rolling, by having a plan and/or getting materials needed for when I could do those things.

“Newsletter Stuff.” It’s something I write down in my planner after I have done something for the newsletter – whether it’s adding new books just published, new articles or interviewing someone. Getting it down into my planner is a reminder that I have started working on something – and that, no matter what else happens in my day, I got something for THAT particular task done!

 

It also serves as a reminder that I can come back later to work on it some more, if I didn't finish everything I had to do for it in that time I had available for it. Usually, I am not able to finish an entire task in one sitting, but, hey, at least I got started on it! At least I made some time for it in my day, and it's there for me to go back to in the event I have the time to do so. (It also helps me to keep track of everything that I NEED to do for that day! I can count it as something I worked on and can move on to the next thing.)

Here is an example of my doing this in the past:

 

I didn't finish revising the short story (otherwise, I would have written that I had revised a short story), but I got started on it and left it as something I could go back to later before moving on to my other tasks.  

 

Other tasks commonly showing up in my planner are:

 

Book Review

 

Wrote (whatever it was I wrote)

 

Posted on blog. Shared.

 

Book Research

 

Article Research

 

Submitted (a thing) to (a publication)

(Note: I don’t include titles here, but I do keep records on what goes where. That’s for my eyes only.)

 

Pitched (a thing) to (a publication)

 

Revised (whatever I revised)

 

Followed up with (publication name) about (item) submission

 

Sent out the Substack! Shared.

 

Sent out the SPARREW Newsletter

 

BOOKWORK: (title in initials)

 

Self-Publishing: (what got done for this)

 

Website updates (which site)

 

TDP Stuff (I am Executive Editor at Twisted Dreams Press, so, from Monday through Friday, I do “TDP Stuff” which includes reading submissions; promoting the press, our books, our authors and current calls for submissions; communicating with authors and various writers about anything that has to do with their books and the press; supporting our authors in their various advertising campaigns; coming up with new ways for the press to get more promo as well as more promo opps for our authors, etc. Actually, the list of responsibilities is too long to put here!)

 

And, finally, in the event I received an acceptance or rejection on a submission or pitch, I note this in my planner too. I also note if I have signed a contract (adding with who and what it’s for) or reviewing proofs that are pending publication.

 

But just because I wrote something down in my planner, it doesn’t mean that I finished doing everything involved with THAT particular task. It just means that I got started on what I must do for THAT particular task.

 

For the freelance writing, I normally use Post-Its on what I need to do for the freelance writing for that particular day. (If it doesn’t get done on that day, I move the Post-It to another day in which that task – pitching, revising, writing or submitting – needs to be done.)

 

But for everything else, I automatically know all the things I have to do for them!

 

Even so, when I start doing a particular task – whether it’s working on my newsletter or something to do with the press, I get started on that task knowing full well that there is a chance that I won’t see it to completion in one sitting. I won’t be able to do ALL of the work I need to do for that particular thing I am doing today – and that’s all right! That is completely okay!

 

The important thing is that I started working on it.

 

If I have to stop working on it, I put it down in my planner. At least then I know that I did SOMETHING for it today! And that is reward enough.

 

If I have a chance to get back to work on it later, then I will definitely grab that chance to do so later. But right now, for some reason or another, my time with this task has come to a temporary end.

 

I try to keep my schedule flexible because, of course, things are bound to come up. If I can’t do something one day, I’ll do it another day! (Unless I am on deadline; then I won’t make that kind of compromise!) Life happens, so it’s not realistic to have an expectation to complete an entire task in one day. (As it is, I will be “done” with my newsletter when it goes out, so I give myself nearly the entire month to put it together!)

 

I think it’s important to understand the reality of this situation. I know of many people who have put off on doing things because they can’t get it done in one full swoop or it takes too long and they just don’t have the time for that.

 

Well, if you have some extra days to work on it, then you DO have time for it!

 

Just do what you can now. Start now. Just start. Get the ball rolling.

 

Who knows? Maybe your excitement for even having this task to give some time to will help you figure out a way to make more time for it later.