Last week I finished the rough draft of novel #2. Woo-hoo! I also lost 2 pounds. Double woo-hoo! And I couldn't have done either one without the support of my friends. Thank you, thank you.
One weight loss article I read last week claimed that people who logged in daily to their weight loss site - reading the articles, participating in the message boards and tracking their food or exercise - were the ones most likely to succeed with their diets.
Why? Because it kept their goals close to the front of their minds. It helped them verbalize their goals publicly instead of just thinking about them, making them more real - something to be tasted, touched and attained. Doing it within a group setting also helped alleviate the feelings of isolation; that "I don't have to do this alone" feeling.
That makes sense. It worked for me.
Having friends who were willing to put up with the grammar faux pas of the rough draft and pass along comments or suggestions kept me on track with my writing too in order to finish this second novel project.
For a long time novel #2 sat on the shelf half completed because the job felt overwhelming. The story burned in my heart, but my confidence was lacking and it felt too overwhelming to tackle. When I broke it down into chapters and promised to send one chapter per week to my friends for critiquing, I was able to get it done. Knowing they were waiting with anticipation for the next installment boosted my confidence and motivation to crank it out.
It's the accountability factor. While it's one thing to set goals and draft a plan for achieving them, it's quite another to actually do the work required to get the job done. So thanks to my friends who motivate and encourage me. Thanks for holding me accountable in love. Together we can do the work God gives us to do.
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