#IWSG: On Not Winning

I participated in my third NaNoWriMo this year…and I didn't make it. It's my third NaNoWriMo, and I made it the other two times, so it's not that the goal is out of my reach just on principle. And I made a respectable chunk of words. A little over 31,000 of them. Some of them are even good, but I didn't make 50K in November.

I'm not good at not finishing things. I'm not a person with a trail of unfinished projects left in the closets of my life. I'm not a quitter. Generally, if I say I'm doing something, I am. I've got a combination of German immigrant work ethic (thanks Grandma Lena) and Jewish guilt (thanks Grandma Alice). That makes me a workhorse of a woman who gets things done. Maybe that's why it feels so strange that I didn't finish this…and I'm oddly kind of okay with that.

Generally, I'm not okay with it when I don't finish things. Does this mean I'm growing up? Or something more sinister? Am I knowing my limits and being reasonable or selling myself short?

http://media.salon.com/2010/11/better... I wanted out of NaNoWriMo was a jump start for this novel, the third in my Menopausal Superhero series (working title: Face the Change). A healthy start so that I can get it finished by early in the year, through my critique group and ready for the publisher by June. And though I didn't get 50,000 words, I did get what I wanted in that sense.
On an average month, during the school year, when I'm balancing the day job and the family and my annoying need for sleep, I write 250-800 words a day. So, for a thirty day month, that's 7,500-24,000 words. It's probably closer to 7,500 than to 24,000 most months. A lot of times those aren't all on one project, but might include blog posts, articles, short stories, and novel progress. So 30K all on one project? That's a damn fine chunk of words, and definitely moves me a giant step nearer finishing in a timely manner.  http://cdn2.asthebirdfliesblog.com/co... the other hand, I might be setting a dangerous precedent for myself by not meeting a deadline and being okay with that. What if this becomes an attitude I have to fight in myself? Meeting deadlines is one of the most important things a writer needs to learn to do. If you miss deadlines, and people can't rely on you for what you promised, then you stop get invited to do things. Things like submit to anthologies, or participate in author events. 
I'm overthinking it, probably. So, what do you think IWSGers? What's the line? How do you tell when it's healthy to let go of something and when it's a cop out? _________________________________________
This posting is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. To check out other posts by writers in a variety of places in their careers, check out the participant list. This group is one of the most open and supportive groups of people I have ever been associated with. If you write, you should check them out!