2024W48: The Weeks Are Racing By

(I tried so hard to upload a photo and Squarespace is not having it. No photo this week.)

I’m not joking even a little bit when I say the final weeks of this year are racing by. I started a post last Monday and every day was so full that the tab stayed open but I didn’t get back to it for 9 more days.

So, here are a few things keeping me busy…

• Writing my book manuscript. My goal was 1,000 words a day. So far this month, I have only skipped / missed two days of writing, but because many of the days went at least a little bit over my word count goal, I am still on track to finish the month with 30,000 words. No idea what will happen after it makes it through the editing process! That’s a December me problem.

• Booking work. I have big goals in 2025 and so I’m doing big prospecting right now. And that’s already created some immediate opportunities so check out my Events page for a sneak peek at things to come.

• Reconfiguring my business systems to handle the big work that will come from the big prospecting to hit big goals. I love running my business lean and mean, and a system that integrates more elements that are currently all not connected (CRM, email marketing, events, calendaring, web site, etc. etc.) — IF IT EXISTS for me — would be so valuable.

So what is keeping you busy?

2024W44: Getting Prepared to Write a Book

I enjoy documenting things so I can look back and see the change, the learning, the growth. And I’m about to jump into something SO BIG (to me) that even before I’ve started the task, I’m documenting: in November, I’m co-hosting a nonfiction writing challenge. The point is to write toward one nonfiction project for at least one hour a day, for 30 days.

Without knowing it sooner, it turns out that I may end up with a completed manuscript at the end of this. I’m aiming for a mini-book of 100 pages or less, which equates to 25,000 words. If I write 1,000 words a day, I will end the month with 30,000 words.

The next mystery to be revealed starting Nov 1 is how many words I can write in an hour. I may need more than an hour a day to write 1,000 words.

I’ve also constructed a few guidelines for myself, so that I can make the most of this dedicated writing time…

1. Fill the entire outline before overthinking the outline.
   It would be just like me to keep changing the outline before I start writing. Definitely can’t do that this time.

2. Write in November. Don’t edit till December.
   I must resist the urge to “review” what I have written until it’s all out of my brain. This has led to me second guessing, changing direction, and occasionally not finishing a project in the past. Can’t do it this time!

3. Write as early in the day as possible.
   My brain hits a total wall at like 9pm, and occasionally earlier. If I don’t make time to write during the work day, I might not have the mental energy to write for an entire hour.

These are mainly based on personal tendencies that keep me from finishing things, so I hope these will keep me focused and directional! For those of you who have finished manuscripts: Am I missing anything?

If you have a nonfiction thing you want to write in November, join us/forms.gle/8nq6vZJsi8JmD85q6! There are only two days left before we close registration and start writing!