Slow down to go faster.
We all know the fable of the tortoise and the hare:
The moral of the story: Slow and steady wins the race.
Unfortunately we live in a society that values busyness and productivity.
We boast when we have busy schedules.
We celebrate multitasking.
We go and go and go and are rewarded by valuing long to do lists.
But, when we’re slammed and busy and running on the hamster wheel, what is the real result?
- Mistakes
- More work
- Burnout
Slow down to go faster.
The publishing business is ridiculously slow. It can put added pressure on writers to write that book faster to maybe see results sooner.
But when we rush, we may:
🐰 Skip planning to start writing leading to rough drafts that meander meaning more time spent in revision trying to figure out the story basics.
🐰 Speed through the revising process to start pitching agents before the story is actually ready.
🐰 Jump to self-publishing before analyzing what our querying response can tell us about our stories. (Note: I have nothing against self-publishing, it’s an amazing route for many writers BUT if writers who rush to it without first analyzing query feedback to see if the manuscript needs another pass (yes, another pass you probably don’t want to make because you know it will take a while) is not putting your best foot forward in the marketplace and may hurt your reviews or sales).
Slow down to go faster.
Slowing down in your writing life may look like:
🐢 Holding out for an hour of writing time in the early morning or on the weekend instead of always relying on five minutes in the carpool line so you have a better chance of achieving a flow state
🐢 Taking a third (or fourth or fourteenth) revision pass
🐢 Taking a break from the manuscript entirely to let it simmer in your subconscious
🐢 Going on a retreat where you allow yourself a day, a weekend, or a week to focus only on your writing
🐢 Putting your phone on do not disturb during your writing session
🐢 Reading a good book before bed instead of doom scrolling
🐢 An afternoon researching in the library stacks instead of on your computer filled with endless distractions
🐢 Skipping an errand or chore (order take out instead of the trip to the grocery store and cooking after; putting off the laundry; letting the dishes sit in the sink; etc…)
🐢 Begin a writing session with morning pages or journaling
Slowing down allows us to find focus, to center creativity, and to engage with our work in a more intentional way.
This can mean fewer big mistakes later and a more efficient work process.
Which will make the realization of your writing dreams happen much faster.
Slow down to go faster.
It’s the advice I wish I had sooner and the advice I wish I didn’t need to hear all the time.
But I do.
How do I try to slow down?
- Time blocking: Writing in the morning, coaching/business tasks in the afternoon.
- Using my Do Not Disturb feature on my phone when I’m writing so I won’t be tempted by phone calls or text chains. I can always catch up later in the day or during a break.
- Avoiding email/social media when I first wake up to focus on getting the kids out the door and exercising.
Slow down to go faster.
What’s a piece of writing mindset advice you wish you had known sooner? Tell me in the comments!
PS: I still have two open spots for Manuscript Evaluations in October.
Know something isn’t right in your manuscript but aren’t sure what and are tired of spinning your wheels? It might be time for a manuscript evaluation. Take a look at my services page to read more details about what is included in an evaluation and reply to this email to claim your spot!