In some cases it's necessary to put plans on hold and deal with a disaster or emergency. We all have times when everything comes to a halt. However, when the situation is less dramatic but long-term, you may be selling yourself short if you give up entirely.
During some of my own hard times, writing was the single activity that kept me from going crazy. During a particularly dismal period in the mid-80s following college graduation, when it seemed to me and my friends that none of us would ever find a full-time job at all, let alone work in our various fields, a couple of us formed a writers' group. No matter how unproductive the week had been or how little money was left, I could always count on getting together with my friends not just to write together but to be together. It gave each of us a reason to keep up our efforts even when it seemed they'd never pay off.
Here are some ways to keep your dream active. Some of these are strategies friends shared with me and others are things I've picked up as I've moved along. I'm using novel-writing as the activity example but it could be anything:
- Make a commitment to yourself and write it down. A brief note such as "I intend to write 500 words every day" works. This sends a signal to your subconscious mind that you mean business.
- If your current hard times involve serious financial hardship, don't get trapped into thinking you can't start until you have state-of-the-art equipment & gear (for a writer, that might be a new computer & scriptwriting software) or a closet full of expensive supplies. Start with what you have.
- Start your waking day by writing, even if for only 5 minutes. If you're really strapped for time and privacy, keep a notebook (or your Netbook/tablet) in a space where you won't be disturbed - I once used a closet - and do creative work until you hear the kids bumping around the house. Having done one small thing towards your goal will put a positive spin on your entire morning.
- Think in terms of small snatches of time, not huge blocks. Write 200 words during your 15-minute break or while waiting for band practice to finish. Those 200 words will add up.
- Be prepared to grab unexpected opportunities when they come up. Have your project and any necessary supplies gathered in one place. That way, if your meeting is canceled or the parent of your child's friend offers to take her to the library with them, you'll be able to dive right in.
- Before you put the project aside, take a minute to plan what you'll do the next time you work on it. This will eliminate the dithering that might use up half of your next block of free time.
- If you're especially tired, scattered or discouraged by the day's events, write anyway. Don't expect it to be good; in fact, don't hold your work to any standards at all. Don't feel compelled to work on it for longer than 10 minutes. You might, however, find that once you start, your mood picks up and you want to continue.
