Dark and Early Update

Since I updated you on how the exercise goals for January (and beyond) are going, I thought I should update on the writing front too.

I’m still getting up “Dark & Early” at 5 AM.  By the time I get downstairs and start the laptop up, I have about 35 minutes before I get Princess up for school.  I can sometimes get another 15 minutes or so in before starting the Evil Day Job.  I’ve lost my lunches to working out.  So if I don’t manage to find time in the evening (in between cooking dinner, monster homework, and basketball practices), then my morning words are the ONLY words I get.

I admit, it’s been pretty meager.  I want my 2K days back!  Waaaaah! 

Sorry, that’s my inner two-year-old child writer who doesn’t get what I’m trying to do.  I’ve GOT to make exercise a priority until I get in the habit without thinking about it.  It’s something I’ve always struggled with.  In the past, I couldn’t diet and exercise at the same time.  I couldn’t write and exercise at the same time.  I used the excuse of my obsessive brain that would latch on to a story idea so I “couldn’t” exercise.  Well, that’s a load of hooey.

I’m building the daily discipline of exercise and a morning writing session WHILE I diet.  No matter how tired I am, physically or otherwise.  No late night writing fueled by a diet Coke and chips.  No skipping my workout because I want to write instead.

I’m not getting to bed early enough to even think about getting up any earlier at this point.  I’m physically more tired because I *am* working out and I need the rest.  6-7 hours of sleep is all I’m getting already.  If I can get to bed earlier, then I’ll consider moving that clock back, but Mom and Dad need at least a little time to unwind after Princess (the oldest) goes to bed, so I don’t see how I’m going to get to bed much earlier unless I go to bed when she does!

Since 1/1/2012, my daily word count average is 552.  Yep.  That’s it.  However, that’s all coming from that first 1/2 hour or so in the morning.  There have been a few days that I’ve managed to get a little more done in the evenings but only 100-200 words.  I haven’t made a 1K day all month.

However, I’ve managed to total 8200 words despite these little bitty mornings.  It’s all on one story, not cobbled together from other things because my brain isn’t wanting to cooperate.  I’ve had a few 0 days – mostly Saturdays because of basketball and errands, plus it’s my “rest” day for Power 90 – but overall, I’ve managed to do SOMETHING every single day.

So the same way I’m making my core stronger with Power 90, doing all these pushups and planks and squats…  I’m also making my story muscle stronger by working it out every day, on the same story, pushing forward no matter how much I don’t wanna.  It’s a solid story.  It fits my brand.  It has all the elements that thrill my writer.  I just have to stick with it and give my brain and body time to adjust.

Those 1K days aren’t far away.  I feel that muscle getting stronger every day.  Pretty soon this story’s going to bust open like a flood, and then I’m really going to be challenged to keep my promises to myself on the workout front.

Especially since this story has a deadline.  Sigh.  And it’s not very far away…