Why is it so hard to maintain momentum?
I go on publicity binges – posting, tracking, tweeting, creating new content, then posting, tracking, tweeting all over again.�� Then I see a jump in sales and I think “Great!�� It’s working!” and I work like a woman possessed on my next release or short story��in between posts, tweets, tracking, etc..�� All of a sudden I hit a day when it just seems like so much self-aggrandizement and frantic activity that I can’t bear to do it for another minute.
It’s in these dark hours of (mental) exhaustion that I just want to crawl onto the couch and read someone else’s work.�� The one thing being an indie has taught me is that those moments of blissful peace are necessary to fuel my creativity.�� It’s stressful to live with the little voice in my head “Did my scheduled posts work?�� Did I��put the links on that post?” and all of the other random thoughts that pop in while��I’m trying to live my life.
That’s the crux of the matter:�� I have a life.�� I have a full-time job.����I have a family.�� I have a small dog.�� I have friends.�� I also have a��part-time job (writing) that I’m building into a business and that business reqires me to be creative and consistent.
The last time I hit that wall – the one between “I��love doing this so much” and “I’m closing my Twitter account” – I decided to approach things��differently.�� Instead of working like a woman possessed on my next release while promoting, I��broke it down into two separate tasks.�� Write.�� Publicize.����When I’m not feeling particularly inspired, I build my tweets and posts and save them or schedule them to post at specific times.�� When I can’t form a sentence, I work on my art for advertising sales & promos – then I save them or schedule them.�� Trying to do it all at once just saps my energy and creativity.�� If my posts are scheduled, I can focus on my next project.�� This has made me more focused as a writer and it’s enabled me to keep my online presence consistent.
When I feel��like I’m at the end of my rope, I curl onto the couch (with the small dog) and read someone else’s work.�� Those breaks enable��me to do��recharge enough so I can build my business.�� It’s time I carve out for me, without the pressure of constantly feeling like I must do more.�� Maintaining momentum is important, but maintaining sanity is even more critical.
Filed under: #amwriting, book marketinig, business, indie writer Tagged: #amwriting, balance, business, creativity, indie, indie author, Indie Writer, organizing, writing tasks
