On blocks, fortnights and cakes

Writer's block..anyone else suffering from it? If time is any proof, I've had it for the past 8 months at least. I would start writing and then scratch it out promptly ...I'm 'virtually' surrounded by crumpled scraps of blogposts, stories and poems...ok OK not poems (at least..not yet.. But just wanted to see how that looked like on paper ;) ) 

So here I am twiddling my thumbs wondering what would interest and benefit you the most..voila! Why not write about just that? Writer's block? Not everyone's a writer but I bet everyone's got a hurdle, a barrier, a block to get past..right? You'd be lying if you answered No (or you'd be in the wee minority atleast.)

That being said, we just zipped past the hardest part ..believe it or not..getting past that first line, first paragraph, first step is the toughest. The rest (as they..whoever 'they' are..say) is a piece of cake ..I'll have mine double chocolate with chocolate ganache topping please. Thankyou..umm where were we? Ah yes..the rest should be easy. 

Here's how I propose we get over (writer's) block - plug in your 'favorite' word between the parenthesis: I'm calling this my 'fortnight challenge' (apparently I have a thing for caption writing :) I won something in school along those lines ...oh well)

Rule 1: Make it a habit: I've heard & successfully experimented with the advice (in other areas of my life that don't include writing, obviously) '14 days of doing something makes a habit out of it'. Whatever it is that you are trying to make a routine out of: try doing it consistently, religiously for atleast a fortnight. Hopefully on the 15th day, you won't have to consciously force yourself to do it. There are a few ways to help yourself cultivate a habit. Here they are:

• Set a time of day to attack this activity: Pick a time when you are guaranteed to have some peace and quiet to focus on the task at hand. Set an alarm or reminder to make sure you wake up (if you're a morning person). Rain or shine, let that reminder alert you everyday at the same time of what you need to get done. 

• Set a duration in which to accomplish it: As a beginner, one would need all the help available with getting a bit organized. Never hurts to give some structure to chores. So, allocate a duration to the activity. Wind up the task when that allocated time runs out. You'll probably be left with the urge to finish that sentence/thought at your earliest convenience (which is a good thing if you're trying to bring back the passion into a chore).

• Choose a location: Where do you work best? Maybe it's that office space outside your bedroom or that walk-in closet that doubles up as your writing nook. Or, like one of my favorite pastors & writer called it - the 'holy of holies' where he prepares his sermon notes (Panera!)...think 'my favorite coffee shop' (the ones I know of open up pretty early in the AM).

• Stage the ambience that best suits you: If you are planning to work within the confines of your home, you can better control the environment. Stream your favorite playlist, choose proper lighting, set the temperature that works for you, have the supplies you need handy - printer paper, battery charger, memory card etc so you don't waste precious minutes of the allotted time running around looking for something. Ideally, you'd have all this laid out the previous night so you're ready to go first thing on challenge day 1.

Rule 2: Get that circle on board: So you think you can do it on your own..maybe. Maybe not. I suggest you get your immediate circle - family &/ friends on board. Afterall, getting Rule 1 done pivots on Rule 2. For instance, how does one work effectively with a baby crying in the background? CUE: Hire a babysitter (family is great isn't it?). Another reason you need your close circle of family and friends in on this is to harness the power of moral support. Say this whole thing was about 'Exerciser's block' - support and motivation from people who care about you can be critical when you're ready to give up on that trip to the gym or when you're about to binge on that chocolate cake I mentioned earlier!

Rule 3: Set a goal to meet at the end of the challenge: A chef with a 'recipe block' would probably set a goal of say 50 recipes in a fortnight (more or less?) or someone wanting to lose weight would set to lose maybe 4lbs in a fortnight (Disclaimer: Losing too much too soon is unhealthy and unrealistic..unless you're Heidi Klum). You get the idea I'm sure.

Rule 4: Reward yourself reasonably: Any tough act benefits from reward. When you've consistently accomplished daily goals, treat yourself to something special but still reasonable. Small treats in addition to making you feel good would help keep the motivation flowing. Like most women, I wouldn't let a mani/pedi by in the name of 'small' rewards (wink! wink). You could of course do something totally different too - like buy an outfit, go out for dinner, play a round of tennis (yea I didn't say CRICKET - enough already!) or just read a book (if you're one of the lucky few that has time for such things these days). But the idea is to reward minor accomplishments along the way.

Rule 5: Fix your eyes on a 'BIG' reward: Ok so in addition to having successfully converted a procrastinated chore into a habit, we still need something more. Why? Because I said so? well that and because bigger the reward the stronger the motivation..agree? I won't spell out what should float your boat but choose something and let that be a constant motivation when you get to the finish line. If you're like me (and several other fellow humans) when you do actually get there, you'd forget all about this 'big' reward and gloat in your victory of just having achieving that goal you set out to accomplish in the first place!