You know that feeling when you sit down in front of the computer (or paper, or typewriter…). “I have this block of time to write. I’m gonna have some fun today and make tons of progress,” you’re thinking.  You’ve had that feeling, right?

Then you look at the outline or the table of contents to see what to work on next. And you freeze. That sabotage-y voice starts up, “How are you possibly going to write that whole thing? What are you thinking?”

That voice is our old friend, Overwhelm.

Overwhelm makes you lose focus, zaps your confidence, and makes you forget that you’re changing the world. You are writing a book to make an impact, but Overwhelm can leach the excitement right out of you.

So – how do you convince Overwhelm to calm down, get quiet, and let you create?

If you take good care of yourself as a writer, Overwhelm never darkens your door.

Part of being a good writer is being a good planner. As boring as that sounds, planning really is your friend and will help you complete your book and realize your dream. And- it helps to have a sense of humor about it.

Think of it as “nuggetizing,” chunking sections or chapters into bite-size pieces that you can tackle in one or two writing sessions.

The secret to really make this work is to plan out a specific nugget to focus on for the next day, and the next day, and the next day. That way, you don’t open your outline, trying to find a place to start again. You know what to focus on: just one nugget at a time so you can make measurable progress.

When you’re done with that nugget – celebrate! Treat yourself to a walk, a slice of pizza, or a decadent piece of chocolate.

Goodbye Overwhelm. Hello, Success!

What tricks do you use as a writer? Please post your comments so we can learn from each other –

Thanks!