Week 3: Day 20

Week 3: Letting Go

Day 20: Set a Quantity Goal

 Summary: Sometimes we just need ideas or a first draft of something without editing. Writers know that this can be a complicated proposition. So much so that writing can sometimes be more a question of deleting the beginning of a sentence and then staring at a blank screen. Burkeman suggests that setting a quantity goal might help us quiet the inner perfectionist. It can be 800 words, ten ideas or ten people to contact etc. The idea is to get something down on paper without worrying about quality.

        I have tried to escape my inner critic for a long time, so far without any long-term success. Right now, I do most of my drafts on paper rather than trying to type it. There’s something about working with colored gel pens on a large, thick piece of paper that helps me remember that feels extra creative. When that stops working, I’ll have to come up with something better, but for now, I’m sticking with it.

Homework: Keep thinking about ways to silence the inner critic.