November is historically NaNoWriMo month. Now that the official official NaNo isn't around any more, I haven't heard as many people talking about it, but it seems as if some writers still reserve November for a major push to get massive word count in.
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If you started on November 1st, that means you're on day 9 or, as I like to call it: the week 2 wall.

Anyone who's ever run (or participated in) a challenge knows how this goes...

Week 1: everyone starts out strong, full of enthusiasm and showing up for themselves. It's a few days of riding highs, having good intentions, and figuring out what the "new normal" looks like for the next month.

And then as the days pass, the slog hits. Life happens. And reality sets in: showing up for this writing challenge is causing you to ignore the rest of your life and the newness has worn off. How are you going to do this for the rest of the month (which is looking really far away, btw)?

I've watched authors hit this spot year after year, challenge after challenge (and it's not unique to NaNo or to November. Or to writing and authors). Some people judge themselves harshly and think this means they've failed or are failing. Some people think it means they don't want it bad enough and that this stall is proof that they should just give up.

But none of those things have to be true. What may be happening is that it's really not the right time for you to be participating in a challenge. Or that you set a goal that was always going to be unattainable because it was built on the perfect day, with the ideal "I SHOULD be able to do this" life you're not actually living.

Remember, participating in any challenge doesn't need to be all or nothing. And the goals you set should account for your family wanting to spend time with you, and for work deadlines, and for maybe getting sick or something else happening (like the elections).

Instead of declaring it a write off, or yourself a failure, look at this as an opportunity to learn about setting your goals around your reality, rather than the Barbie Dream House version of your life that doesn't exist.

Take the opportunity now to have a second look at what your goals are for your challenge (or the rest of the year) and how you can help yourself be successful. Maybe it means cutting your daily word count goal in half. Or switching from tracking words to tracking time writing. Maybe it means writing for 10 minutes while you're waiting for the pasta to cook or your child to come out of volleyball practice.

All of these are forward momentum and all of them get you a book in a way that fits into your life, rather than having you feel as if it's impossible.

If you're feeling you've hit that week 2 wall this week and things are feeling behind or difficult, stop telling yourself you can't do it and instead ask yourself:
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What should my goal look like in order to actually fit into my life in a practical, achievable way? Ask not what SHOULD I be able to do, but what CAN I do based on current circumstances, life and spoons.

Then do that.

Happy writing!
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~AJ

Clickety click click click, if you can spare a minute and the push of a button, please! (and don't tell my best friend, the insurance agent, that I accepted a sponsorship placement for insurance, lolol)