Who knows how many writers fail because the light that shines through them is refracted in a thousand directions and not concentrated in a single beam? Pick projects and complete them! It is not really possible to work on a thousand things at once.
This is one of my favorite tips from Dr. Eric Maisel and one that I come back to again and again in my business and my personal life, as well as in my writing life.
How is it that some of us find ourselves working on too many projects at once?
- We sometimes overcommit to ourselves and others, often spreading ourselves “thin” in hopes of getting “a lot” done. Even if we finish some, this has consequences in how well we do them.
- We may give up on the challenging projects. A once-exciting one can lose its initial luster when it starts to feel difficult. It is much easier to let it go than to complete it (even though we know that the mining of the hard stuff brings forth the gems).
- We often start a project with enthusiasm and then the shininess of a second (or third or fourth) one distracts us from finishing. It can be difficult for a smart, curious mind to ignore the tug of another enticing idea.
This creativity tip is inspired by and based on The 97 Best Creativity Tips Ever! by Dr. Eric Maisel (2011), and is used with his permission.
Gina Edwards is a retreat leader, a certified creativity coach, and a book editor. She is also a writer, so she’s intimately familiar with the challenges and elation that come with being one.
She supports all writers—published and aspiring—who want to write as an act of courageous and necessary self-expression.
Walking the writer’s path hand-in-hand with her clients and students, she helps them establish a writing practice and define a creative life on their own terms.
So true…. good advice!
An excellent reminder while I’m torn between working on my WIP and packing my household.
Thank you for the reminder that I need to curb my commitments to others and do more for me! This could not have been more timely!!