Hillary Rettig's Blog, page 9
October 24, 2016
On Trying to Write While Sitting in the Midst of the Battle of Hogwarts
An author friend of mine recently wrote on Facebook (and gave me kind permission to post):
“Almost impossible to work these days. It feels like I’m sitting in the entrance hall of Hogwarts trying to write…while the final battle with Voldemort and the Death Eaters is raging around me.”
She’s not alone. Recently YouTube celebrity (and prolific vlogger) Hank Green tweeted:
“This election has been consuming. It’s been a source of constant anxiety and is reinforcing unhealthy behaviors for me.” (He followed up with one that said: “But that’s mostly because, it matters so goddamn much.”)
To which, prolific, bestselling, science fiction author John Scalzi replied:
“The damn election is partly why I am behind on this book I’m writing. I hate I’m distracted, but it’s my country.”
Okay, so if you’re finding the election distracting—and my apologies to my non-US readers for another U.S.-centric newsletter, but the principles do apply generally—you’re in good company. And I’m with you, by the way: as I reported in a prior newsletter, I’ve also been distracted.
You see, the first thing I aspire to do, nearly every morning, is grab a coffee and then head immediately over to my book-writing computer (which has no Internet, email, games, or other distractions), and start working on my current book project. (It’s a productivity guide for undergraduates, by the way.)
These days, however, I often find myself making a post-coffee detour to my non-writing computer to check out the latest news and social media.
And when, finally, I do sit down to write my book, my work intervals are shorter. Pre-election season, I usually wrote 60-90 minutes before taking a break. Now, it’s more like 30 to 60 minutes. And, when break time comes, I often again get sucked into the news and social media. (I’ve started timing my breaks, which is a good way to guard against that.)
It’s pretty clear that the combination of contentious politics and ubiquitous social media has created a “distraction bomb” many are struggling to cope with. Here are some suggestions for coping:
First, don’t beat yourself up over it. Not just because many prolific, experienced writers (and others) are also distracted, but because harsh self-judgment and punishments are perfectionist, and perfectionism is always a dead end. Try, in fact, to view the situation more positively, as a great opportunity to practice and grow your focus.
In fact, at times when you’re disappointing yourself, you need to go the opposite route and double down on your self-kindness and compassion and understanding. See Solution #2 on this page and #3 on this one.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking there’s one “right answer.” I can’t tell you how much time to devote to your work versus your politics. I can’t even tell myself! There’s no one right answer that fits every person and situation; also, no good way of judging your choices except in hindsight. (And, really, don’t bother. Analyze your choices, if you want, and make a plan to choose better in the future, if needed, but don’t bother judging.)
Work in timed intervals, as described here (#4). Intervals help keep you accountable, and they also help you avoid perfectionism. As noted above, my intervals are shorter than they usually are, but I’m still making daily progress.
Also, as noted above, time your breaks so they don’t get out of control. (By the way, I love Datexx Cube Timers, which are fun and easy to use.)
Do your important work first thing in the morning, before the day’s news starts to flood in. If you have a job that interferes with that, see if you can shift your work hours to later.
Finally, realize that there’s a huge upside to this situation. In her celebrated history Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin quotes Alexis de Toqueville on the crazy political ferment of the early 19th century U.S.:
“Scarcely have you descended on the soil of America,” wrote Alexis de Toqueville in the year Lincoln was serving his first term in the state legislature, “when you find yourself in the midst of a sort of tumult; a confused clamor is raised on all sides; a thousand voices come to your ear at the same time, each of them expressing some social needs. Around you everything moves…”
Sound familiar? And in the midst of all that tumult, the character of one of our country’s foremost statespersons, Abraham Lincoln, was formed, as well as the characters of many other great persons.
So take heart! There’s plenty of evidence that a new generation of great leaders is on the rise, catalyzed by the very same social media and other forces that are making it (temporarily) hard to work. That’s a GREAT upside.
In the meantime, though, let’s you and me both get back to work…
PS – Check out my exclusive interview with Scalzi about his work habits and time management.
PPS – Don’t forget to vote! Not just for the president, but the downticket candidates.
October 11, 2016
Why You Don’t Want to be Donald Trump
One thing I teach, in my writing and business classes, is how to effectively promote yourself. I have a handout (see below) summarizing the three “Promotional Personalities”:
Arrogant Idiot
Properly Proud
Shy And Self-Effacing
I came up with these because so many students were reluctant to promote their work because they were afraid of being (or being perceived as) arrogant, obnoxious, and/or pushy. And so they would err on the side of caution and become too shy and self-effacing. I wanted to show them the productive “middle way.”
The first time I ever taught all this in class, I asked who would be a good example of an Arrogant Idiot. Several students immediately shouted out, “Donald Trump!” And so, ever since then, I’ve used the adjective “Trumpish” to describe the Arrogant Idiot.
And, in fifteen+ years of teaching, no one has ever pushed back.
Of course, arrogant idiocy* isn’t the worst thing about Trump—his racism, misogyny, and fundamental dishonesty and lack of integrity are. So please vote for Hillary Clinton! I’m talking especially to any Sanders supporters who might be reading this. I was, and am, strongly pro-Sanders, and am not particularly happy that Clinton’s my candidate. But I also know that the time to address racism, etc., is when it is still speech, and before it turns into physical and institutional violence. So, seriously, let’s crush Trump and all the toxic things he stands for at the polls.
Also, with the legions of angry and/or alienated Republicans out there, the Democrats have a huge historical opportunity to take over the House and Senate. And that could truly be a game changer and boon to all things progressive.
So please vote for Hillary Clinton. (Today is the last day to register to vote in FL, OH, PA, MI, GA, TX, NM, IN, LA, TN, AR, KY, SC. Do it on this site—it only takes a few minutes. And share that URL with your friends and family.)
The productivity lesson, by the way, is that only two of the above types has a shot at success: the Arrogant Idiot and Properly Proud. Hopefully, you don’t want to be the former, so focus on developing, and learning how to express, proper pride in yourself and your achievements. Mentors and classes (entrepreneurship, public speaking, assertiveness training, etc.), can be a great help with this.
And to any Republicans reading this: you probably know me through either writing or animal rescue, and I truly value and love you for those activities as well as your ongoing support of my work. I urge you to do the right thing, and either vote for Clinton or stay home on Election Day. And I also look forward to our continued productivity work together!
Your thoughts, as usual, welcome in the comments.
*In case anyone wants to push back by telling me that, despite his faults, Trump is a smart person, here’s a short list of things he’s ignorant about (or else deliberately lying about, which is worse): world affairs, domestic affairs, social justice, relationships, business ethics, and personal ethics. If you can think of any others, please leave them in the comments.
The Three Promotional Personalities
“Arrogant Idiot”
“Proper Pride”
“Shy and Self-Effacing”
Obnoxious
Gracious
Shy
Arrogant
Grounded
Silent
Pompous
Secure
Isolated
Rude
Helpful / Sharing
Invisible
Grandiose
Modest (not too modest)
Insecure
Delusional
Authority
Unsure
Shallow
Participatory
Delusional
Condescending
Listener
Perfectionist
Naive
Learner
Hoarder (of work and ideas)
Unhelpful / Grasping
Relationship
Ashamed
Insecure
Guilty
Boastful
False Modesty
Rude
Humble
Big Talker
Manipulative
User
“Trumpish”
Prolificness and success happen in left and middle columns, usually not in the right column.
October 4, 2016
An Insanely Simple Tip That Will Make Your Writing Sessions Fly
Ditch your clock!
I mean at your workspace.
I got this idea this summer, when I was doing a lot of tabling (at the farmers market, PRIDE festival, etc.) for our group Vegan Kalamazoo.
Each gig was between three and six hours. On days I wore my watch or kept my cell phone on, it was hard not to check the time every few minutes—and so, just as it does for schoolchildren or office-workers who watch the clock all day, the day draggggged. (Note: tabling isn’t boring! I love meeting new people and talking about veganism. But there’s no doubt it’s work.)
But on days when I left my watch home and shut off my phone, I entered a kind of time-free zone, and the day was much pleasanter and seemed to go much faster!
Eventually, it occurred to me that if I got rid of the clock on my computer my writing sessions would seem faster, too.
And I did, and they did!
This isn’t a new idea, by the way. It’s why, for example, you’ll only rarely see a clock in a supermarket, store, casino, arcade, or any other place where they want you to linger (and spend money).
A few notes:
Outside your workspace, you want LOTS of clocks. Clocks are a great time management tool. (People tend to keep phone calls and meetings short when there’s a clock.)
I time my writing sessions, and you should time your writing and other important work, too. (See Solution #4 here.) But position the timer where you can’t see it.
Schools should probably get rid of clocks in most classrooms.
That’s the insanely simple tip! Try it and then leave a comment on how well it works for you.
September 26, 2016
Beware Post-Summer Situational Perfectionism!
Note – this one’s a bit late, partly because in Michigan things don’t really get swingin’ till after Labor Day. But hopefully it will still be in time to help a few people. In any case, the principles apply after any break, so if necessary consider it a piece of early advice for the upcoming holiday season. – Hill
A few people have told me they’re having trouble getting back into the swing of things after summer vacation.
They’re telling themselves (and others, unfortunately, are also telling them) stuff like: “Okay, summer’s over. I’ve had my break. Now, I’d better get back to work. In fact, I need to work extra hard to make up for lost time.”
That’s an example of situational perfectionism, which is any condition that causes your perfectionism to spike. And, like all perfectionism, it’s a dead end. Putting pressure on yourself only causes your creative, productive self to rebel and shut down. (The stronger the pressure, the stronger the rebellion.)
Also, let’s not forget that many vacations are not actually that relaxing. One person I spoke with did a “service vacation” where she nobly but stressfully helped out a charitable cause. Another had to unexpectedly renovate an apartment that a tenant trashed. Still another spent part of her vacation in close quarters with difficult relatives.
They all needed a vacation from their vacation!
I myself had a terrific summer with none of the stressors mentioned above. We took a couple of trips, including one to Japan. But even a great vacation can be wearying. So it took me a while to recover and recover my productivity, too. (I knew not to push it.)
So, lessons:
1) Set reasonable daily productivity goals, and don’t jack them up for arbitrary reasons.
2) Don’t put pressure on yourself, or let others put pressure you. The minute you put even a bit of pressure on yourself you’re being perfectionist.
3) Taking a vacation means you will inevitably get less work done that month. Accept that and enjoy your break. Don’t try to “recover” the lost productivity.
4) “Re-entries” are tough. Be patient with yourself when returning to your normal work capacity.
5) Perfectionism is always a dead end.
6) The most reliable way to increase productivity—and, for many people, the only way—is to get more nonperfectionist.
So many great lessons from such seemingly small incidents! Productivity work is always like that: rich with depth and meaning.
As always, look forward to your thoughts…
September 21, 2016
Fall Coaching, Classes, and the State of the Books!
Hi Everyone,
Please see last week’s newsletter in which I described my new newsletter approach. Thanks to the many good people who wrote in with comments and/or in support of my new plan. I always welcome, and thrive on, your input.
Below are my coaching, teaching, and writing plans for the fall. Some good opportunities to jumpstart your productivity!
Best,
Hillary
Coaching
Current clients – Remember: coaching hours are usable for one year after purchase. If you’ve got ’em, use ’em! If you don’t know what to use ‘em for, email me: we’ll figure it out.
Former clients – I would love to hear from you. Please send an update and if you have a concise question or two that I can answer quickly for free, I will be happy to do so.
Prospective clients – From my coaching page :
Every season I take on a limited number of new coaching clients. They’re typically ambitious, focused individuals who want to make the fastest possible progress on one or more of these goals: get more work done each day; finish writing and other projects; work more effectively; have more to show for their efforts; reclaim the joy and attachment they previously felt toward their work; and/or achieve a happier, healthier, more joyful life balance.
I also help people: find new jobs; transition to new careers; and start or grow businesses (esp. writing, arts, wellness, coaching, consulting).
I coach only via telephone or Skype-audio, on a flexible schedule that allows me to work with people from around the world. I offer discounted rates for qualifying full-time students, and those doing at least half-time pro bono activist work.
For more info, check the page, and email me if you have questions or wish to set up an appointment.
Teaching
My next online SavvyAuthors writing productivity class will start October 31 and last four weeks:
Online classes are cheap, convenient, and fun, and you never have to worry about parking. 
Plus, you get loads of individual attention from me and loads of support from the other students. I teach these classes specifically so those who can’t take an in-person class or do coaching can have an opportunity to work with me. All lessons and discussion posted online: I post two classes and one or two homework assignments per week, and we spend the rest of the week discussing them. Everything stays posted so there are no time constraints and you can be located anywhere in the world.
This is a great “refresher” class for current and prior coaching clients, and plenty of people take it more than once.
Everything we discuss is relevant to all writers including fiction, nonfiction, academic, and those who write for business, activist, or nonprofit work. Come join the fun and get more productive!
Cost: $40 (Savvy members) / $50. To register.
Books
The 7 Secrets of the Prolific continues to sell well and get great reviews in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian! A few months back, I got a great thank you note from a fan in Novosibirsk, Russia, and he also wrote me again last week to tell me that, with the book’s help, he had finished the first draft of his novel. Congratulations, Alexander!
The full text of The Lifelong Activist remains available online at www.lifelongactivist.com , where you’ll also find partial translations in Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish. (Translations done by volunteers; if you’d like to help please email me.)
My main writing project right now is a productivity guide for undergrads. It’s going to be short (< 45K words if I can manage it), sweet, and filled with examples relevant to undergraduates of all kinds. I’m really digging this project! At first, I thought it would be a simple rewrite of 7 Secrets—change the nouns, change the verbs, get it out there—but I’ve really taken the ideas to a new level. For instance, I’ve integrated many of the ideas and practices of nonperfectionist productivity into something called The Joyful Dance. I’ll send a description of that in a future newsletter.
On the back burner for right now but definitely will be done:
*The weight loss / fitness book. I’ve already written some on this topic.
*Entrepreneurship for Artists and Other Creative Types. Based on my ten+ years coaching startup businesses, and creative businesses in particular.
Future possibilities:
*Activist workbook.
*Book on perfectionism as an obstacle to social justice.
*Fiction!
That’s it! Thank you for your interest in my work!
September 14, 2016
Update! And Why Self-Censorship Doesn’t Work
I’ve been busy working on my next book, a version of The 7 Secrets of the Prolific just for undergraduate students. (More on this in future newsletters.)
The local vegan group I cofounded two years ago, Vegan Kalamazoo, has really taken off. We’ve now got hundreds of members and do several activities each month. Running it is now at least a quarter-time job.
I’ve also been doing more blogging on effective vegan activism. For those who are interested, here are some of my articles: Compromise Isn’t Complicity, The Myth of the Overnight Vegan Conversion, and (an oldie, just fyi) The Rise of Nonperfectionist Veganism.
I was given the opportunity to blog on Balloon Juice, one of my favorite blogs. It gets between 15-50K visitors a day (more during times of political excitement—like now!), and is also read by influential bloggers, members of the press, and others. So it’s a huge opportunity. I blog on veganism and animal rights (of course!), but also mushrooms, dogs, and other topics.
I’ve also been distracted by current events—the U.S. election, especially. I sometimes feel I should be less distractible, but there’s actually no one right answer to the question of how much attention one should give to politics versus the rest of one’s priorities. So, on this as on all other occasions, I work to make ever-better decisions while refraining from perfectionistically second-guessing or bashing myself. (Reminder: perfectionism is ALWAYS a dead end.)
Finally, I also felt I had reached a wall with my newsletters. I’ve been sending them since 2006, when I published my first book, The Lifelong Activist. (That’s a decade!) Sometimes I sent them weekly, sometimes monthly, and sometimes less frequently. But it still adds up to a lot of newsletters—all, overwhelmingly, on productivity-related issues.
I stalled not so much because I was running out of things to say about productivity—it’s a topic that continues to fascinate me, and there’s always some news or insight to share. It was that I had too much to say about everything else. But I was censoring myself because I thought that if I wrote about things other than productivity, I might alienate you, my Loyal Reader. And the self-censorship turned out to be, as it always is, highly demotivating.
So, effective immediately: No More Self-Censorship. I’m going to be emailing at least twice a week, on a range of topics. I promise that at least a third of all newsletters will still be about productivity, perfectionism, time management, creativity, and all my other traditional topics. But there will also be some politics, veganism, activism, personal stuff, and other stuff mixed in. I hope you find the mix fun.
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you for your time, attention, and support.
In the next newsletter, I’ll give you a brief update on my book projects, plus fall coaching and classes.
