Weekly Writing Plans

I sat at my desk for 15 minutes, sipping my coffee, staring at the green folder labeled (boldly, in pen!) "Weekly Writing Plans". The folder is slightly crinkled from a voyage in a gray bin through security at Logan Airport in Boston two weeks ago. The folder contains my enemy- Weekly Writing Plans from October 15th through January 28th.

The Weekly Writing Plan is a form I designed in Word to help me be efficient and effective in the time I have to write. Every day has a goal which is specifically outlined with chapter numbers and non-fiction topics clearly identified. There's a neatly penciled-in key at the bottom with the initials I'm using to represent my variety of active writing projects. There's even a dedicated column for check marks when each task is completed. The form is well-crafted, easy to use, and easy to read (if I may be immodest for a moment).

The problem lies in me. I have over-ambitiously projected my capabilities. I seriously overestimated the amount of writing I would be able to complete on vacation with my sons in Massachusetts. I seriously overestimated the amount of writing I would be able to complete during the week my sons were home from school for Thanksgiving. I am now faced with beautifully executed Weekly Writing Plans that are stupidly out of date, overwhelming and unhelpful.

I know what needs to happen. It's do-over time. This time, I am going to do things slightly differently. Christmas is coming. There's a winter break. My son has an IEP meeting in December, which generally leaves me too angry/sad to do anything more mentally taxing than physical labor. Someone will get the flu, croup, or a mysterious fever and rash. It's not possible to predict the inevitable daily living chaos around here. I've been trying to do so for years. Chaos wins.

I can, however, plan for the existence of the chaos and not set myself up for failure. I am going to use my Weekly Writing Plans as a weekly tool, to be completed either Friday afternoons or Monday mornings. I can set monthly goals. I probably will, since I am a planner, by nature. The monthly goals can help inform my weekly plans, but they won't derail me, since I will be able to quickly adapt to changing conditions. The Weekly Writing Plans were working before the trip and the holiday break. When I change my process, I am confident that they will work even more effectively.

Happy New Year!

I feel guilty, like I've been cheating on this blog.

It's probably because I have. I have started a new blog, a very focused one, on my quest to improve my life, one week at a time, by means of reading good books, watching movies I've missed, cooking new recipes and mixing new cocktails, having new adventures and life experiences, and studying poets and composers. Nothing too large or unmanageable.

Right.

It's called These 52 Weeks. I hope you check it out.

I have plans and dreams and goals for Chapters & Coffee. Let's see how it works out.

Happy 2012! It feels like a year of possibilities.