Blessed are the flexible

I have a routine for writing.

The first thing I do is light a candle. This is a hack that I picked up by combining some tips I found in 2 places. One was from an author who has a candle burning the whole time he’s writing. It’s a visible sign to himself that it’s a sacred space just for doing the work of putting thoughts to paper (or screen). The other was from a post about the difference between managers and makers. It helped me understand the way my Maker brain processes and ideas and why interruptions can feel like a massive step backward. The candle is also a visible sign to The B99 that I’m in “Maker mode” so she doesn’t unintentionally interrupt the flow. That candle does so much more than just smell good!

After the candle is lit, I get a fresh cup of coffee because the smell and taste of that first (or second) cup stimulates my brain.

Then, I launch Ulysses, the app I use for writing, and once I’m done writing, grammar checking, and spell checking, I do the last step and post it to the blog.

I’m not telling you all that because I have the greatest process ever, but rather because this morning I got stuck between steps 2 and 3. The candle was lit, the coffee was hot, and … my computer was processing an update. Are you kidding????

So, I did what any dedicated writer would do: I got out my phone and started playing games until the update finished.

It. Was. Taking. Forever.

So I adapted. I got out my iPad and opened the same writing app and here we are. I’m almost at the end and getting ready to post it to the blog from a different device than I usually do. In the end, I’ll have the same result (another day of writing and posting), but it felt so different from a normal day of writing.

It’s good to have a routine, but it’s better to have a reason for the routine because that reason will help you find other ways to finish the routine. Nothing will ever go as planned, and the truth of the matter is that often it’s the disruptions that take out the ones who aren’t committed enough to work through it.

Develop flexibility, because the proof isn’t in the pudding. The proof is in the pivot.

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