When I first started running several years ago, going just a a few feet was a monumental effort. I had made a promise to myself. A promise to lose weight. Running would consist of the exercise portion of my plan.
Based on my previous life failures with running and my absolute hatred of it. I decided I would run, but if I felt any pain whatsoever I would walk. The pace at which I ran would be slow and plodding. My entire session would be thirty minutes long. I would run 5 minutes. Walk for ten and repeat this cycle a second time.
The first day was very tough. By the time 2 minutes passed, I was already staring at my watch willing the next 3 to be over. I found even the slowest plodding horribly difficult. Then the 10 minutes of walking seemed to fly by.
But through sheer will and determination I persevered. I ran three days a week a week for the first 3 weeks. Each day I worked to lengthen the time I ran and decrease the time I walked. My progress came fast and by the end of the first month I was filling the entire thirty minute session with all running.
I eventually worked my way up to a marathon over the next couple of years. But as I run now, I notice that my progress is slower. My goals today involve shaving a few seconds off a pace or a personal record.
As I commit now to writing daily, or at least six days a week, I see many similarities. The first time or three I tried to write it was hard. The words came in fits and starts and the words were slow to pile up.
With writing, like running, I've made goals and I've kept them or at least put forth the very best effort I could to keep them. I decided to start with 250 words and pushed hard to meet that the first few times. When I wrote, I wanted my best effort. My fullest commitment of time and effort. I didn't want to just write random junk to fill a page. When I reached my goal, I wanted the work to have value.
After a week of doing that, I found it a lot easier. I moved to 500 words, 750, and then a thousand a day. Its getting easier but just like running it involves me setting a goal and maintaining discipline.
I raise four kids and I work a full time job. Finding the time to write is very tough which means I set my alarm for 4:45 AM Monday through Friday. I get up and I try. There are morning when it just doesn't happen. I'll end up writing 250 words by 7:00 AM as I struggle with a scene. This means I find time later in the evening to get as many words in as I can. I'm finding the 1000 easier and have been pushing for 1250.
I am so grateful for my time spent the last several years working towards both weight loss and running goals. It's set me up for what's in front of me now. Learning the skills necessary to commit myself has been crucial for me so far. Setting goals is the key.
I'm about a third of the way through my first draft. My current word count is 34,370. Looking back to last Sunday's post that means I've written 6,658 words this week.
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