Blog 20: Are you a creature of habit?

Hi there, you creative bunch! You may be interested to know that I have just passed my two-year anniversary of when I began changing my lifestyle to lose some weight. It was that time during COVID, when we were all stuck in our houses and went through a few changes as a result. Do you remember? Ladies’ hair went back to its original colour, and everybody’s hair grew and grew. We saw blokes with crazy long beards. We stood outside clapping to appreciate the NHS, and we had something called Key Workers, which included shop staff, because they were required to work to ensure we had everything we needed during lockdown. And we also had a lot of people putting on extra pounds.

Covid wasn’t all bad, of course, do you recall the gorgeous weather we had? Those skies were so blue, there wasn’t as much traffic, there was more wildlife about, and I, personally, had much more time to spend with my children. And we finally got those jobs done that we never managed to do when working. Because what else could we do? There we were with so much time on our hands.

I begrudgingly joined the rest of the weight-gaining number of people, with my clothes getting tighter, my tummy getting rounder, and looking in the mirror with great dissatisfaction. I had attempted to lose weight a few years prior to that, but it never stayed off, or just didn’t work. Did anyone else tune into Joe Wicks for his exercises? I did a couple, but when he started doing the kangaroo hops across the room, I decided that perhaps it wasn’t for me. Luckily, my husband didn’t video me doing that one. In the end, I did some research and found an app that instructed me on how to lose it healthily. I began eating a more balanced diet while keeping score of my calories, so I wouldn’t overeat, and built a workout routine into my week. Well, four months later, and the extra two stone I had put on was gone. I felt so much better! My clothes that I had kept for the last few years, just in case, finally fit, and I was feeling more positive.

Two years down the line, I am still doing the same thing, and I continue to be fit and healthy. The difference was having a set time to do the workouts and being consistent. If you build time into your day to do something, then you are more likely to stick to it and be successful.

Here’s where I compare this to writing. Are you ready? Of course you are. I have read on social media, many an author who says they just cannot find the time to write, or their motivation is low, and they end up in a slump. The eager beaver that was all set to write their story with so many ideas has fizzled out, and after so much time off, they have become disconnected from it and aren’t even sure where they are up to in the whole process. Trust me, I’ve been there too.

As with my exercise routine, the best thing to do to rectify this is to make a writing schedule. What days and times do you have available to sit down and write? Could it be an hour in the evening or the morning, maybe a slot over the weekend? Whatever time it is, try to map it out and stick to those particular times. Get into the flow of doing it on a regular basis, and before you know it, days, weeks, and months have gone by, and you will be able to see how much you have achieved.

Now, I’m not saying it is easy. There are so many times when I know I have a scheduled workout, but I am tired and just not feeling it. But once I get going, I get into the mindset and I’m off. Much like when I have a lot of editing or writing to do, my mind shifts into a different gear and enables me to get on with it. But what about those days when you just feel you have nothing in you, I hear you ask? My online coach, Betty Rocker, whom I follow for my workout sessions, has a great saying: “All or something.” She reminds us that we aren’t always able to go at it hard, and sometimes we just have to be gentle with ourselves and do what we can. So, even if you only dip into it and write one paragraph, a character profile, or just some ideas on the plot or a particular scene, that is something! And something is better than nothing. You have still moved it forward and kept to your schedule.

She also says “Flawsome,” which I love too, because I do tend to mix things up. I’m not very coordinated and have lost count of the times I have nearly landed on my face during my workouts. To be honest, though, that makes it all the more fun. You need to have fun with your writing too. So, if it’s a tough day and you are on a tricky part of your story, perhaps skip to another part and write that. It doesn’t have to be written in a particular order, as long as it all comes together at the end, then you’re laughing.

So, if you don’t have a writing schedule, get working on one and be strict with yourself. You can do it if you’re determined enough. And there is nothing like looking back and seeing just how much you have accomplished. Come on, I believe in you!

Until next week, keep writing ‘all or something’ and let me know how you get on.