DEADLINES ARE KILLERS






 

I promised myself I’d have the second book in my Three Wise Men trilogy finished, first draft by end of November. This didn’t happen, but for reasons I had to live with – in other words outside my control. Alright then, I reassured myself, you can finish by end of December. Guess what day it is? I have 6,000 words to go!

A promise to oneself is like putting money in the bank, as Stephen Covey would say. If you keep breaking promises, you keep taking money out of the bank, and eventually go broke. I can relate this to my concept of energy. I am pure energy, part of the Great Whole. If I make a promise, with the pure intension of keeping it, I put positive energy into the world. If I fail to keep the promise I feel guilt, self blame. In other words I put negative energy into the world.

When I fail to meet a deadline, I have the capability of making, it’s like stabbing a knife into your sense of self. Integrity is everything. We must not toy with it. I know all my readers who loved Climbing High are waiting for Josh’s story. I posted on Face Book I would complete High Ground by December 31. “It will happen,” I proclaimed. I had five days to write 30,000 words, but first I had to go back in, reconfigure the plot, immerse myself in the story, and insert scenes I’d written in bits and starts over the holidays.

I’m down to the last day, and squared up with my promise. It’s looking pretty determined to take me out, hands already squeezing my throat. This promise won’t get a victim today. Writing 6,000 words, while packing for a trip and closing down one’s house and business is doable. So I will get off my shiny, new website and get to it.  It will happen.

2 Comments

  1. Barbara Thrasher
    Jan 21, 2014

    ‘Stabbin a knife’ and ‘loss of integrity’ sound so harsh. Surely there is room for ‘recovery’ which is exactly what you did. Flexibility and still coming through. The initial deadline was set without your prior knowing that you would have to do some extensive rewrites, anti up for family and friends over Christmas and writing blogs and facebook notes. You did the time and the words and it feels like you didn’t give yourself credit because it wasn’t on the book. In reality you did the job plus. I am cheering you and your outcomes!

    • Madelon
      Jan 21, 2014

      Thank you. It is always good to see things from another’s perspective. Humans seemed hardwired to measure the negatives first. Far too often I lose sight of what I’ve achieved, while focused on my short comings. Pats on back for both of us.

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