Writerly Progress

The hubby commented this morning that it has been a very long 4-day work week. He was hoping I'd remind him it was Friday, I think, but I could only be honest and say that it was Thursday.

It has been a long week, but in a good, long way from my perspective. I finished my holiday Monday with a nice long chat with my writer-friend, Cheryl. Sometimes when we get together we just briefly review our progress and efforts and then move on to other topics. Sometimes we spend more time digging in and talking about goals and tactics and the art and craft and realities of writing. (Could I use more ands in one sentence?) This was one of those weeks were we talked most about writing, and I left feeling a bit supercharged. She'd given me the little extra inspiration I needed under my belt, I think.

For the past couple of years I've been very time-obsessed in my writing efforts. Because I'm building a work-at-home career and it's felt very necessary to make sure I'm making progress financially as well as personal satisfaction, I've been very careful to log in and out of "work time" and track my dollar per hour earnings. I figure if I slip below what I could be earning at the local copy shop, I might as well give it up and go back to sniffing fresh reams of paper and ink (actually a somewhat-attractive prospect to the likes of someone like me).

Anyway, after all this time of working hard at it, I've come to the place (again?) where I am resenting the clock. I'm tired of feeling guilt for taking a moment to read a thoughtful blog entry or putting off some personal correspondence or writing in my very own journal just because I've got myself "clocked in" and working. I've felt myself struggling a bit with this, and it finally occurred to me to just stop!

I can be a little slow, I guess. But a bonus of working this way is making my own rules, right? So why not change the rules?!?!?

No clock this week. I'm still sticking to general guidelines for hours since I do have my kids at home and when I turn myself over to mom-time I like them to know I am doing so completely. But instead of logging minutes this week, I've simply been keeping a list of projects completed (or stages of projects completed). It's been amazingly productive. Instead of just getting my current work assignments completed, I've managed to do them plus a little bit more. I've been tackling that list of avenues to try, queries to get out there, and bigger projects I'd like to get rolling.

Feels good. Feels like a very long, very good four day work week. And the fourth day isn't even here yet!

Today is a very good Thursday. I hope you all are feeling the same.