July 2019
A quick update on Blake Jordan #6… I’m making good progress on the second draft. Right now I’m about a third of the way in and trying to work through one chapter a day. That’s not my usual pace. In the past, I’ve been able to do about two chapters a day. But it’s been a really busy summer this year with a lot going on and I keep reminding myself about the importance of consistency and how it has a compounding effect.
There’s a lot to keep track of as a writer if you want to be a success. Gone are the days where you could just grow a writer’s beard and sit in your study and daydream and write. There’s advertising you have to constantly be monitoring and adjusting. There’s email from readers (which I love!) you need to reply promptly to (which I am bad at!). And when you find time, there’s that new novel you’re trying to put out into the world.
I have to remind myself that the most important thing is the novel. That should be #1.
And I have to remember it’s not about what we do-it’s about what we consistently do.
Excellence isn’t a one time event. I don’t want to just write a good book. I want to write a book that you will love… a story that will mean something to you. One you’ll remember for a long time. The only way to do that is to be intentional every single day.
A few weeks back, I joined a gym. I’ve tried to go at least three times a week. There’s a trainer I work with named Gil and he says if I want to see results, I really can’t go less than that. I thought differently after the first day and my body was sore for seven days.
But consistency is key, he says. Along with eating better, which I’m trying to work on.
Because our overall health is the accumulation of all of the decisions we’ve made, good or bad, over time. And I think the trick is making better choices and letting them compound as the days pass. It’s hard to make the gym a priority. Just like sometimes it’s hard to focus on my new book with so many other things I really need to work on.
The truth is, if we have a goal and we’re persistent, we will get it.
But if we’re consistent, we will keep it.
My goal is to release Blake Jordan #6 by the end of September and by now, you know how I am with goals. So here’s to eight weeks of being persistent and consistent so I can deliver a story I hope you will love.