zendochterman

When trying to achieve this goal, I find it is helpful for me to:

Refrain from coffee, sugar, Red Bulls, booze, and cigarettes. Leave the curtain open so light can come in. Set my alarm clock for a REALISTIC time (don’t starve yourself of sleep). Occassionally force yourself to get up a little earlier. Think about what you’re stoked about doing that day upon wakin up. Write or do your favorite activity just out of bed.

I had this idea about how to wake up earlier. For me, I know that if someone is ever kind enough to make me coffee or Yerba Mate earlier in the morning I will always GET UP.

So why not get a mini-coffee maker and put it in your room, with your favorite mug. Set the alarm to go off ten minutes after you set the coffee machine to start brewing. (You can use loose leaf tea, too). If that’s still not enough incentive, keep creamers and sugar packets next to the coffeemaker.

Also, it helps to tell yourself what you’re planning on doing in the day. I tend to sleep in not out of depression, but out of being a freelancer. Getting stoked about my writing or reading or whatever it is I’m doing that day, from the first thought also gets me out of bed. I’m getting a lot better these days.

I still sleep only 8 hours a night, it’s just that I miss the productivity of the morning. If you are missing out on sleep then buying a coffee maker plus tea, would probably be $40 at most. Even if you woke up one hour earlier, and you valued your hour at $5, let’s just say, since that’s about how much some folks actually get paid for an hour, then if it works for 8 days, you’ve paid off the initial investement.

If you’re familiar with the 50,000 word novel in a month thing that they do in November, I’d totally suggest it. Whether you’re stuck or have never written a novel, it’s a great idea. It works for people whose minds drive them crazy with criticism, because you allow yourself to write and worry about editing later. The arbitrary goal helps you stay focused. I did it in like 20 days cause I was so stoked. And you learn to solve problems IN WRITING, that you can’t solve by sitting back and thinking about them. Breaking through those walls can be a great help. In the end, you may get nothing, or maybe only a short story comes of it, or maybe you do have an editable novel. But the qualitative experience is always worth it, and more often than you’d think, so is the quality.

Get a sponsor who will keep you to your goal! 1700 words a day!
Go go go.