100 days. That’s what it takes to create a life long habit. 100 days to achieve the incredible goals you set for yourself. Become your best self in 100 days.
Hell yeah.
In 100 days you could:
Write, edit and publish a book.
Become a better writer by working on your weaknesses
Build a blog to teach readers a skill or to learn about a topic of your choice
Start a business that brings in a side income
Learn the basics of a foreign language
Train to run a half marathon
Lose 10kg+ of fat and gain a kilo or two of muscle
Travel to multiple places
Learn to become a better communicator
Spend more quality time with friends
Increase your savings
Improve your daily eating habits
Learn a new skill
Train for a sprint triathlon
Be grateful for the little things and transform your perception of life
and so, so much more.
The first 100 days of any goal whether it starts on January 1 or August 11. The date is not what matters, just starting is the key.
Write a book in 100 days
If you want to write a book in 2020 and become a published author earning a living from your writing in this decade, you can start today. Write 700 words every day and you’ll have a 70,000 word book in 100 days.
Train for a marathon in 100 days
Do you want to run a marathon this year? The next 100 days are your foundation. Get your running shoes on and start today. Even if it means you’re walking for half the time. That’s okay. Each day you’ll run more, walk less, and before you know it you’ll be running 5km then 10km, then 20km and before you know it you’ll be ready for that marathon.
Learn a foreign language in 100 days
Maybe you want to learn a foreign language. Start today. Choose your language of choice. Spanish, Chinese, German or French. Learn a phrase every day. Repeat it. Write it. Say it. Listen to it. Practice it. Learn another tomorrow. And so forth. In 100 days you can be speaking the basics of a foreign language. How cool is that!?!
Transform your eating habits in 100 days
You can change your eating habits, your lifestyle, just by making small shifts in your daily habits. Wake up twenty minutes earlier. Start the day with some yoga or a run. Write in your journal. Do 1 thing that is important to you. Choose to start your day with a healthy breakfast. Finish it with a nutritious dinner.
It’s the little things that make big things grow.
You can do it. You are smart enough, strong enough, talented enough, to achieve your wildest dreams.
Feel the fear and do it anyway, is what Susan Jeffers said.
We all feel fear especially when we’re faced with the unknown. It’s good to feel fear. When we go for the things we want even when we fear the progress, that is when we grow.
What are you going to do over the next 100 days that will improve your life, help you grow as a writer, and allow you to feel successful?
I’ve always had the problem of trying to do too much at once. Then rushing through it. In 2020, I’m not rushing. I’m taking my time.
Sometimes slowing down means getting more done.
Over the next 100 days my aim is to become a better writer. I want to challenge my writing muscles. Focus on my weaknesses and ensure that I grow as a writer in 2020.
It’s about going back to basics and securing a strong foundation. Get the foundation right and the rest becomes a much easier process. Get it wrong and a lot of time and energy might be wasted.
I’m ready for a productive, fun and successful 2020. How about you?
What do you want out of your writing and life? Have you ever taken the time to ponder the possibilities? It’s your life, it’s your dreams on the line, and you’re the master of your destiny. What do you really want?
A new decade. Technically, it’s still another year away. Since when do we start at 0? So, really it’s 2021 that will be the start of a new decade. Does it really matter though? In the grand scheme of things probably not. For the detail-obsessed it will drive you crazy. Whichever view you take, it’s still the start of something new.
2020. How the hell did that happen?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been thinking about the New Year for a good month. What can you achieve? How can you improve on the year (or decade) that was? What are you going to different? How are you going to grow?
My 2020 plans are in flux. Do I want to set audacious goals and not reach them, again? Noooo, my brain is screaming. It’s not going to happen. This year will be different. But why? What makes this year so special?
The biggest difference is my change in thinking.
Something has clicked. The realisation dawned on me sometime in early December and became clearer as the month went on. If I don’t change, the world around me doesn’t stand a chance of changing.
We are the masters of our universe.
The tools we need are within our reach. We get given opportunities every day and it’s our responsibility to grasp them or let them go in writing and life.
The last few years I’ve been blinded by my own preconceptions, misconceptions, prejudices. I’ve missed so many opportunities by focusing on what I don’t have rather than what I do have. Often we try to look forward so much that we forget to smell the roses. We forget to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Life gets away from us and then we wake up one day ten years older stuck in the same spot we were in a decade ago.
That is exactly how I feel today. I do not want to feel that way at the end of 2020.
Change is coming.
In 2020, I’m focusing on two main things that will, hopefully, transform every facet of my writing and life, and ultimately making me feel more successful, happier, healthier, wealthier and wiser.
Create better habits.
Become a better writer
Let me explain.
Create Better Habits in Writing and Life
It’s easy to lie to ourselves and believe that we’re healthy, we’re looking after ourselves and there’s nothing to work on. While we shouldn’t become a pet project of our own, it’s important to continuously work on personal growth. Growth prevents stagnation. That’s the truth for every aspect of our lives whether it’s writing, fitness, finances, work, self-care, family or relationships. There’s always room for improvement.
Excuses are easy. But they make us feel like shit.
If one area of our lives is in conflict, the spillover effect to other areas can be enormous. Our health and fitness impacts our work and relationships. Finances impact our daily lives and the choices we make. Unfulfilled goals and dreams can lead to depression and issues in our personal and professional life.
Good habits are key.
Whilst it’s impossible to work on every single habit at the one time, it’s possible to develop 3-4 sustainable habits per year by focusing on one habit every three to four months. It’s fallacy that it takes only 21 days to form a habit. Twenty-one days is just the start, the foundation. The next twenty to thirty days form the habit. The final few weeks enforce it.
What are 3-4 habits that you’d like to form in 2020?
Take a moment to reflect on your current habits. Consider these areas:
Writing/Business
Health and fitness
Finances
Relationships
Work
Are you happy with your habits? What something that you could change?
For example, maybe you put writing or exercise as the last thing to do in the day, which more often than not means that you don’t do it. You could work on developing the habit of writing or exercising as the first thing you do when you get out of bed. Start with 10-15 minutes. At the start it’s not about the length of time, it’s about developing a habit.
Maybe you avoid talking to people and want to change that. We live in a world of over 7 billion people. Relationships are important. Social connection is vital to our health and wellbeing. Why not create a habit of talking to new people by smiling at someone, starting a conversation, inviting a colleague out for coffee?
Start small. Do one little thing each week, then each day. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make to the quality of your life.
These are just some examples. Create habits that will work for you and your lifestyle. Figure out the habits that will evolve your writing and life.
3 Habits I’m Focusing On in 2020
I’d like to return to daily exercise. I feel better when I exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. That means running, cycling, swimming, weight training. It’s a habit that I need to return to. Regular training makes me a happier, healthier and saner person and it allows me to participate in triathlons and fun runs.
Writing. I want to write daily and focus on my writing business. Yes, I’d like to write full-time one day. The key word is one day. I actually do enjoy my day-job, I like the challenges. I like the people I work with. The social aspect is pretty good too when I actually participate. At this stage of my life I need it and want it. My job makes me feel successful and there are many opportunities that I want to take advantage of. Writing full time is a 10-year plan. Ten years to create a portfolio of quality work that I’m proud of. (That’s one of the ways my thinking has changed. It’s a big one.)
In 2020, I need to be more conscious about spending. My writing business, my work life, my spending. It all needs to go under the microscope. No more excuses. It’s about being responsible and creating a life of your dreams that doesn’t have to be supported by the day job.
Each of these areas will have spillover effects to other areas of my life. They will improve my relationships, my sanity, my life.
Assumptions are the mother of all fuck ups. Our brains are very good at making false assumptions.
10 Tips to Creating Better Habits in Writing and Life
Focus on 3-4 habits per year
Break down the habits to quarterly tasks
Focus on one habit at a time
Give yourself 90 days to enforce the habit
Go easy on yourself, just because you stuff up today, doesn’t mean you can’t restart tomorrow.
Quit comparing yourself to others.
The FOMO effect is real. Get over it.
Focus on what’s important to you. Who do you want to be? How do you want to live?
You are awesome, but there’s always room for improvement.
Remember to live your life and stop to smell the roses.
What habits are you planning to develop in writing and life for 2020?
The second thing I want to do in 2020 is become a better writer. I want each book to be better than its predecessor. Each blog post to be stronger than the one before it.
I’ve been writing for over 20 years. On and off. Mostly on. You’d think I’d have this writing thing down pat. I don’t. There’s so much to learn, so much practice to put in. There is still so much room for growth in writing and in life.
Writing is a habit. It’s a talent. It also requires practice. Lots of it, otherwise like muscles in your body, the writing muscles will grow stagnant and lazy.
I believe that writing is something that can be taught. Talent is not enough. Practice and perseverance are more important.
I’ve become a lazy writer, especially when it comes to my fiction. It’s taken a lot to actually admit this to myself.
It hurts. But sometimes we have to be real with ourselves and forget the fairytales.
The number one thing for me is to become a better writer. Whether that means I produce one book or four in 2020. The number is irrelevant. The key is to produce a body of work that I’m proud to market and hand out to family, friends, colleagues, and strangers to read.
How do you become a better writer?
Read a lot. Write a lot.
That’s the old age advice. But that’s not enough. I read fifty plus books per year. I write around 500,000 words per year between fiction, blogging and personal journaling.
It’s not enough.
The more important thing is to put in practice what we learn. Instead of doing the same thing over and over again, we need to find ways that work.
I’ve stumbled on a fantastic book about writing fantasy novels that can be used to write any other genre also. Step by step. I’m going to not just read it but follow the steps. I’m going to work on creating a book that I’ll happily broadcast to the world. I will also use it to edit/rewrite my current books.
Tricks to Becoming a Better Writer
Read lots of books. Good, bad, fiction and non-fiction. You can learn from them all.
Write a lot. Try out new genres, different techniques.
Analyse your own writing. Focus on dialogue, description, setting, showing vs telling.
Get someone to read your work and give you feedback. Singing praises isn’t going to improve your weaknesses.
Take time to work on your weaknesses. Put in 10-15 each day to practice showing vs telling or dialogue or blurb writing. Practice will make perfect, eventually.
These are just some of the things that will help improve your writing. They are some things that I will focus on this year.
It’s going to be a good year. A productive year.
2020 is setting the foundation for the next decade.
What are your goals for 2020 in writing and life? What steps are you going to take to achieve them?
Do you look back the books you read? Do you remember everything you read? 2019 in Books saw me read a variety of fiction and non-fiction, most of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I’ve always been a voracious reader. I remember days when I would read a book a day. I was young. Romantic. I didn’t yet realise that all the reading was setting me up to be a writer.
I’m not sure when I decided that my dream job would be to write for a living. It must have been when I was a teenager.
My first attempt at a book was in grade 4, I think I was 9 or 10. It was titled The Magic Tree. I remember illustrating it too. I wish I had it but it disappeared somewhere over the years and only remains alive in my memory.
I wrote some short stories for kids when I was twelve or thirteen. I recall typing them up on an electric typewriter at a friend’s house – this was before computers went mainstream.
In my teens it was writing romances and poetry about lost loves.
I wanted to work for secret organisation and be trained to save the world. I mean WTF? Does anyone else do this? LOL!
All these things and more led to me wanting to write books.
I enjoy writing as much as I enjoy reading.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget the books that you read over time. Last year, I got through 70+ books.
If you’re interested in what I thought of all those books, you can connect with me on Goodreads. I rate most of the books I read. I don’t, however, rate a book if I thought it was less than three stars, or a genre I wouldn’t normally read in.
Reviews are subjective and I don’t want to be an asshole.
I’d love to hear about the books you’re reading. Leave a comment below with any recommendations or join me on Goodreads!
2019 in Books
This year I read a lot of non fiction books. Some self help ones, some general ones, a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. The top three that stood out and I highly recommended are:
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates Before reading this book I knew nothing about Melinda Gates besides the fact that she was the wife of one of the richest guys on the planet, you know the one that created Microsoft. Wink, wink. I did not expect to be blown away by her book. Was it going to be another rich lady pretending to save the world? Yeah, terrible thought I know. The book delves into her philanthropy and the small steps we can all take to empower women and how that empowerment can change the world. Wowsers.
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton This has to be the most amazing fiction book I have read in a long time. It grabbed you right from the start. Great characters and engaging story told from a perspective of a young boy in the 1980s. There’s love, magic and crime. A beautiful book I highly recommend.
In Extremis: The Life & Death of War Correspondent Marie Colvin by Lindsey Hilsum Using a combination of stories from friends, colleagues and emails, In Extremis tells the incredible story of Marie Colvin and how she sacrificed her life so she could be the voice of voiceless people. Brave, crazy, courageous, sad and inspiring.
My 2019 in Books
I have over 500 books in my ‘want to read’ pile on Goodreads. That’s a lot of books. It’s unlikely that I’ll get through all of them in a lifetime as I keep adding to the list quite regularly. But I’m going to give it my best shot.
Without further ado, here are the books I enjoyed in 2019.
What books did you read in 2019? Which were your favourite?
The year in review. 2019. Wow. I’d like to say I’ve achieved every goal I set for myself but that would be a lie. I didn’t. In fact, most of the big goals were not reached. Disappointed? You bet I am. Discouraged to try again, most certainly not.
We need to be honest with ourselves.
I like goals and objectives. I love ticking off items from a never-ending to-do list. Yep, crazy. I could be spending that time watching Netflix or sitting at the pub guzzling a cheap Shiraz.
https://gph.is/2RITZqj
Nope. I’ll keep going because the only failure there is, is giving up on the life you want, it’s giving up on your dreams, giving up on yourself.
Not an option.
Emotionally it’s been a tough year. Many things didn’t go according to plan.
Do I blame the universe? Do I blame someone else? I want to, I really really want to.
But it’s the decisions we make every day that lead us to where we are today. Sure we might be influenced by others to a degree along with our misconceptions about the world we live in, but ultimately the decisions we make are our own. We need to own them. Only then, can we learn to grow.
2019: The Year in Review
Whilst my goals were not completed, it was a good year. A fun year. An adventurous year.
My son started prep at his first big year of school and graduated to grade 1. Super proud mum here. He learn to read and write and do all sorts of other things – and he speaks two languages. No choice there given we speak two languages at home.
We got comfortable in the house we built – although there’s still a lot more work and sacrifice ahead.
There was lot’s of socialising and having fun. Probably way too much food and wine too.
We travelled to Poland, and my son was a rock star on the trip, loves flying, loves travelling and did all the crazy things with us like spend 18km trekking through the city in one day, obviously there were at least three ice cream stops along the way. I’d really like to include Warsaw or Poland in general in one of my future books. I’ll keep you posted how that idea is panning out.
I published a book. Just one. I drafted many. Half will end up in the trash. That’s okay. It was a year of figuring out where I want to go with my writing.
There were tough times throughout the year. Days when I didn’t want to get out of bed. But I don’t really have a choice when there’s a five-year-old to take to school and work waiting for you to show up. Okay, there’s always a choice, I always chose the option of getting up.
We often forget how good we have it. It’s so easy to take things for granted instead. None of what we have is a right, it’s a privilage. We’re lucky to be living where we are living and have access to clean streets, parks, good healthcare, and welfare, and sunshine for at least 300 days of the year.
Be grateful & prosper
Life is busy. It’s easy to take the little things for granted and let the moments that truly matter pass us by. It could be an evening game of Chess with your son, a stroll along the beach on a perfect sunny day, a productive afternoon of writing, a night out with friends, a delicious meal at the end of the day.
It’s the little things that matter most.
What are you grateful for this year?
I was going to make an extensive list. The who, the what, the why. But what purpose will that serve? How does that help you? How does it help me?
It’s a reminder. Nothing else. One day a year is not enough to be grateful. We need to practice it everyday until it becomes ingrained in us.
Bad shit will always happen. So will the good stuff. The problem is we focus too much on the bad and ignore the good. Did you know that one bad thing can negate ten good things? You need ten good ones to negate a bad one.
Crazy.
Why do we find it so difficult to appreciate the awesomeness in our lives, no matter how small?
Being grateful doesn’t mean not wanting more. We need to want more. We need to have goals and ambitions.
Millions of people will be setting goals right now. They’ll be thinking about all the amazing things that 2020 will bring. Some will write them out on paper, stick them on the fridge, and feel proud about all they hope to accomplish.
But there’s a more important step to take first.
Reflection.
How to set better goals for 2020?
Look back over the past 365 days of 2019. What went right? What went wrong? Are you happy with your progress? In this moment are you in the place you envisioned you’d be a year ago?
Only about 5% of New Year’s Resolutions are actually stuck to, and that’s being generous. It’s probably closer to 1%.
Do you want to be part of that 1%?
YEEESSSSSS!
Good. Start reflecting and discover what it is that you need to do to change.
What habits are interfering with your success? How can you do things differently in 2020? What’s one thing you can do each day that will bring you closer to keeping your New Year’s Resolutions and achieving your goals?
Progress doesn’t have to come in leaps. It can be baby steps that are as simple as going for a twenty minute walk each morning, writing 100 words before bed, reading a book a month, stashing $20 a week in an envelope for a rainy day, calling your grandma on a Sunday night, drinking more water, talking to one new person each week.
Think about the little things that can make your year and your life bright, happier, healthier and more successful.
Maybe you’re already happy and successful and have everything that you want. That’s awesome. Well done to you. You can still reflect, remember, and remind yourself of all the amazing things you do every day and the wonderful people that are in your life. Show appreciation.
We can all show a little bit more appreciation from time to time, for others, and for ourselves.
Writing is an important part of my life. I want to write, create content, author books. In 2019, I didn’t follow through. I made goals but didn’t stick to the action plan. I feel as if my writing has suffered as a result.
There are millions of writers who are better than me.
That’s okay.
It doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t write.
There are many doctors. Some are better than others. Should those one that aren’t as good just quit? Of course not.
The same goes for writing. It goes for anything at all.
If you love something enough, don’t give up no matter what anyone tells you. Just go for it, sooner or later, if you constantly work to improve, you are going to get what you want or at least a version of it.
Enjoy the journey. Stop and smell the roses. Smelling the roses is really important.
Cheers to 2019 – hope it treated you well!
Do you reflect at the end of December and do a year in review? How was your 2019? Did you achieve your goals?
When the words won’t flow and you’re battling writer’s block during NaNoWriMo, it’s easy to throw in the towel and quit. Stop. Don’t. It happens to us all at some point or another.
The words are the writers tools. Without them the stories don’t get written. They are the weapons that can destroy. They are the gifts that can give hope. But what do you do when the words stop coming?
Battling writer’s block during NaNoWriMo is a common connundrum for writers. It happens when you least expect it, and when you really really don’t need it.
You’re writing away on a project and suddenly the words just stop flowing. It’s like you forget that you’re a writer. The writing muscles spasm and protest, the page stays blank. Maybe it’s before you start, maybe halfway through a paragraph, maybe when you reach chapter three, or work to the climax of your story.
Wherever it hits, writers’ block sucks.
I’m on day 5 of NaNoWriMo and writers block lingers. The story seems stagnated and slowed. The words feel more like cycling up a mountain when they should flow as easily as a down slope, or at least a flat terrain. I have no idea why I’m referring to cycling, maybe cause Tuesday is the day I get on the bike- and that’s not always an easy feat either.
Anyway, writers’ block. It’s a lot of things to different writers. Something I have noticed is that writers block is preventable. You can reduce your risk and get that novel written.
Prolific writers might say writing block is a myth. Just sit down and start writing.
Good advice.
Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way, not always.
4 Tips for Battling Writer’s Block During NaNoWriMo
Be prepared
Plan your story. Know your key points that you have to hit. Jot down ideas for chapters for the beginning (set up of the story), middle (the action), and the end (your resolution and return to a satisfying equilibrium). Plotting a little will help. Even if you have to stop and do a little preparation each day before you sit down to write.
Understand what your story is about.
Often we sit down and don’t really understand the core of our story. What is that we are trying to write? This can happen to bother plotters and pantsters. No one is immune. Sometimes the core or theme comes out naturally as you write, sometimes you have to fight for it. Either way, knowing it will help your writing and eliminate writers block.
Don’t give up
NaNoWriMo is 30 days long but just because you didn’t meet your quota doesn’t mean that you’re failing and should give up. Instead find a method that works for you. Maybe take a day off writing to plot out your story, figure out what you need to say and how you can say it. Focus on dialogue and you can fill out the exposition later on. I find writing dialogue just makes my writing flow better sometimes.
Take the pressure off
Consider small wins. Put the timer on for 10 minutes and aim for 100 words. Repeat. Reward yourself for writing 500 words. You’d be surprised how quickly those words add up when you stop looking at the big goal. Remember stories are written one word at a time.
I actually got a bout of writers block and wrote this piece. My brain still not awake needed to get into the flow or writing. It’s 5:30am, I’ve gone as far as the bathroom to brush my teeth, then pour a glass of water in the kitchen, before I sat down to write. I’ve got an hour before I have to wake my son up for school. The daily quota needs to be met.
It feels good to have the writing done before the house wakes up and the day’s responsibilities take over. It’s the eat the frog method or do the most important task first. Whichever works best.
Writing and yoga done. Now I can get on with my day.
Is your NaNoWriMo project progressing as planned? What do you do when writer’s block hits?
