Getting Back to Five

Brad Strickland repeats some terrific advice on his blog http://kenmckea.blogspot.com Do three things daily to advance your writing or your work.  If you think about it, that's about a thousand steps a year.  Quite a bit can be accomplished if those steps are well-directed.

I plan to up the ante, though, returning to a little game I played years back, called Five.  I'd had a five-year plan, in fact, and worked with daily lists of five.  The trouble was, I'd stumbled on so many different fronts that my lists were too dispersed: I needed a new job in a new city, a decent apartment, good furniture and clothes, etc.  I needed to get back in shape.  I needed a new circle of friends.  As you can imagine, five years turned into six...then seven...and then eight...and on till I stopped with the practice of five.  I never stopped struggling, I never stopped writing, I never stopped sending out queries--but I abandoned the practice of Five.

Brad's inspired me to return to it...and this time to narrow my focus.  Right down to the head of a pin.  Five things daily, without fail, related to my writing, publishing online and starting to build more momentum. The main step, taken daily--ah, these multiples of five!--will be getting  500 words down on paper.  I must also work daily at strengthening my presence on Twitter, Facebook, and various book forums, etc.

Soon I'll record a sample log for one week, either here or on Brad's blog.  Brad liked the concept of Five, but suggested 3 daily writing goals and 2 daily personal goals.  I like the idea of the two personal goals...but will hold fast to five for the writing.  At this point in my life, 1825 steps a year appeals to me more than a thousand.  And 730 personal steps may help put a still bigger smile on my mug. So, seven is heaven, though I'll call it Five.

Stay tuned for occasional updates.