Day 533: Getting work done early
I both like and hate streaks
I managed to keep up my writing and blocking streaks for the past few days with at least 100 words added to each. The problem was that I almost didn’t do my writing and blocking yesterday. It was mostly my own fault—I had more energy in the morning, but I wasn’t feeling all that great and I thought I might get more done if I waited until I felt better. The problem was that later I was really tired and had almost no energy. I pretty much had to force myself to get those 100 words done—I did them on my phone rather than going to my computer—and I almost decided just to break the streaks because I wasn’t feeling well.
I fully realize how streaks can help with keeping up the writing. I think that keeping up my writing and blocking streaks for the past few days helped me get into the writing today more seamlessly. I had done a little bit of work in the book every day, so I didn’t need to reread what I’d written before to refresh my memory. It was almost like I hadn’t taken a few days off from work.
But I did feel really tempted to just let the streaks break when I was sick. I don’t think streaks are meant to force you to work when you’re not feel well, health-wise, but that’s what they end up doing if you don’t want to break the streak. It’s one thing to force myself to write 100 words if I’m sick with a cold once every few months, but not when my IBS flares up about half the days of the month, which is how my health is at the moment.
However, I kept up the streaks partly because I’m stubborn, but also because I’m hopeful my IBS will get better soon and I won’t have so many sick days a month. It does help that my minimum for my sick days is only 100 words each on my writing and blocking. It’s a really easy target and only takes a few minutes, so it’s not a huge amount of energy.
I learned that if I’m going to keep up my streaks, I have to do my work in the morning, because right now, I just don’t have enough energy in the afternoon and evening to get stuff done. I’m sad and disappointed at that fact, but I’m also hopeful that won’t always be the case once I get a better handle on my IBS. I’ve already figured out what supplements and medicine I need to take to keep my allergies under control so that I have fewer sinus headaches, so I’m hopeful that if I can manage my diet, I’ll be able to keep my IBS from flaring, especially if I stop making mistakes about what I eat.
***
I managed to finish writing the scene I was working on. I put off lunch and continued work, doing some blocking, because I worried that if I ate, I’d be too tired afterward to want to get work done. But I only got about half an hour of blocking done before I started feeling some IBS discomfort, so I decided to call it a day.
***
Writing: Time spent: 1 hour, 6 minutes
Writing: Total number of words: 1244 words
Writing: Overall writing speed: 1126 words/hour
Editing: Time spent: 0
Writing streak: 12 days
Blocking: time spent: 36 minutes
Blocking streak: 6 days
Time spent doing other writing-related business: 0
My takeaway for today: If I’m going to keep up my streaks, I have to do my work in the morning, because right now, I just don’t have enough energy in the afternoon and evening to get stuff done.
I managed to keep up my writing and blocking streaks for the past few days with at least 100 words added to each. The problem was that I almost didn’t do my writing and blocking yesterday. It was mostly my own fault—I had more energy in the morning, but I wasn’t feeling all that great and I thought I might get more done if I waited until I felt better. The problem was that later I was really tired and had almost no energy. I pretty much had to force myself to get those 100 words done—I did them on my phone rather than going to my computer—and I almost decided just to break the streaks because I wasn’t feeling well.
I fully realize how streaks can help with keeping up the writing. I think that keeping up my writing and blocking streaks for the past few days helped me get into the writing today more seamlessly. I had done a little bit of work in the book every day, so I didn’t need to reread what I’d written before to refresh my memory. It was almost like I hadn’t taken a few days off from work.
But I did feel really tempted to just let the streaks break when I was sick. I don’t think streaks are meant to force you to work when you’re not feel well, health-wise, but that’s what they end up doing if you don’t want to break the streak. It’s one thing to force myself to write 100 words if I’m sick with a cold once every few months, but not when my IBS flares up about half the days of the month, which is how my health is at the moment.
However, I kept up the streaks partly because I’m stubborn, but also because I’m hopeful my IBS will get better soon and I won’t have so many sick days a month. It does help that my minimum for my sick days is only 100 words each on my writing and blocking. It’s a really easy target and only takes a few minutes, so it’s not a huge amount of energy.
I learned that if I’m going to keep up my streaks, I have to do my work in the morning, because right now, I just don’t have enough energy in the afternoon and evening to get stuff done. I’m sad and disappointed at that fact, but I’m also hopeful that won’t always be the case once I get a better handle on my IBS. I’ve already figured out what supplements and medicine I need to take to keep my allergies under control so that I have fewer sinus headaches, so I’m hopeful that if I can manage my diet, I’ll be able to keep my IBS from flaring, especially if I stop making mistakes about what I eat.
***
I managed to finish writing the scene I was working on. I put off lunch and continued work, doing some blocking, because I worried that if I ate, I’d be too tired afterward to want to get work done. But I only got about half an hour of blocking done before I started feeling some IBS discomfort, so I decided to call it a day.
***
Writing: Time spent: 1 hour, 6 minutes
Writing: Total number of words: 1244 words
Writing: Overall writing speed: 1126 words/hour
Editing: Time spent: 0
Writing streak: 12 days
Blocking: time spent: 36 minutes
Blocking streak: 6 days
Time spent doing other writing-related business: 0
My takeaway for today: If I’m going to keep up my streaks, I have to do my work in the morning, because right now, I just don’t have enough energy in the afternoon and evening to get stuff done.
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