RSS Feed

How Will You Spend Your Time This Year?

January 29, 2017 by Diane

Two coffee cups

So, Diane. Here we are. A brand new year.

2018.

Well, 2017 for me.

You’re absolutely right.

Tell me something good. Tell me I get more than one copywriting client.

You get more than one copywriting client.

YES! I knew I could do it! It’s the one-task-a-day routine. It’s working!

It’s working.

Did I give up the blog once and for all?

What do you think?

I think I’m having too much fun blogging. Jumping in mud puddles. When the puddles dry up or it’s no longer fun, I’ll stop. Do I have more than sixty-eight subscribers?

You have more than sixty-eight subscribers.

And I stopped watching The Bachelor. Tell me I stopped watching The Bachelor.

Can you look me in the eye and honestly say you’ve stopped watching The Bachelor?

Well, no. But I don’t turn it on until I’ve completed my copywriting task for the day.

This is true. You even missed episodes, for that very reason.

Thank GOD! And the short story? Did I send it out?

You sent it out.

Did it get published? Tell me it got published.

We’re not here to talk about the short story.

The novel? Did I rewrite the novel?

About the novel—

It was the logline. That’s what held everything up, back in 2016. You should talk to Holcomb about that. She blabbed on the blog about how to rewrite a novel. She got as far as step four: the logline. And that was it. Oh, she tried to convince herself that she’d chosen an acceptable logline, that she was ready to move on, but did she? Was there ever a step five? NO.

2016 is over. We don’t need to revisit it.

Oh, yeah. You’re right. Phfft! It’s gone. So, what about the novel?

Overwhelmed. Sound familiar?

I’ll say. It was Holcomb’s most-used word in 2016. I’m still overwhelmed.

Watch out for that.

What are you saying?

You need to respect boundaries. The ones you decided to set. Like not blogging at midnight.

Oh. Is that what time it is?

Yes. The key is to focus on one thing at a time. One thing.

And what is that one thing?

You’ll know.

Copywriting! That’s why I have more than one client. Or is it something else? Oh, I’ve got it. I finally pitch that reality show concept, the one the networks will be fighting over.

Well—

Or I dig out that radio script and send it to NPR. You remember—The Family Nude Show.

I do.

The game show where families play…in the nude.

I remember.

Because who’s going to know if the contestants are nude? It’s radio, fer cryin’ out loud!

Diane, Diane! National Public Radio is not going to air The Family Nude Show.

Oh. Well. You really know how to burst a girl’s bubble.

I’m sorry.

So what is the one thing? Do I publish The Best of Squirrels in the Doohickey? No, wait. I’ll bet I submit all those writing tips to magazines. Or I finally rewrite the ding-dang-darn novel once and for all. Is that it? Is it the novel?

You’ll know.

Oh, please, please, please tell me.

See you in 2018.


10 Comments »

  1. Sarah says:

    Hey, coolio. “Overwhelmed.” That was my most-used word last year, too.

    One thing. At a time. And boundaries. Huh. I like it. I do. I like this way of spending your time this year. I’m going to go ahead and use my focus word (“accept”) to accept that I won’t do this. But, hey, I’ll try. It’s a novel idea. (I know, I’m stinkin’ hilarious.)

    Focus. On. One. Thing. At. A. Time. Any tips?

    • Diane says:

      Har-dee-har-har. You are stinking’ hilarious. Hey, if I knew how to focus on one thing at a time, I’d be doing it.
      Actually, what works for me is to two-fold:

      One: practice meditation, which is all about focus.
      Two: Schedule blocks of time where all I do is focus on one task. For instance, Monday nights I’ll focus on copywriting. Or is that The Bachelor? Tuesdays I’ll post on GoodReads. Wednesdays I’ll watch a fiction writing webinar. Thursdays I’ll write a blog post. Fridays it’s all day copywriting. Saturdays I’ll work on my short story. Sundays I’ll do as many tasks cluttering up my in-box that I can power through until noon, and then it’s kick back and relax time. At least that’s what I attempt to do. I don’t always succeed.

  2. Joan says:

    To be continued…..oh the suspense!!!!!

  3. Bun Karyudo says:

    I don’t know, in the wake of Trump and Brexit, NPR taking up The Family Nude Show doesn’t seem such a stretch.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *