So, back in August when I quit my dayjob and dedicated myself to The Writer Life ™, I set up this anal little program to try and keep myself on track, because I feared my ability to do so without official work hours and a commute, etc., to frame my day. I’m a Virgo; I need structure. The plan basically went like this:
- Rise by 9 a.m. every day. Breakfast.
- Bike to gym, work out at least 45 minutes.
- Bike to coffee shop; write for several hours. Daily wordcount should be at least 1500, but will aim for 2000. Aim to spend less than $10 on coffee, lunch, and nibblies while I work. Will aim for not-so-sugary nibblies.
- Go home and shower. Cook healthy meal. Go do errands or whatever daily stuff I need to do.
- Come home, eat. Track calories on SparkPeople.
- I will permit myself either one glass of wine or one dessert in the evenings.
- Go to bed by 2 a.m.
Did this, more or less, for all of 2 months before moving to a new apartment destroyed the routine. In the past few days I’ve realized just how far off-track I’ve drifted (I routinely stay up ’til 4 a.m., frex), so time to recalibrate now that I’ve broken ground on Book 3. My new proposed plan is as follows:
- Get up by 9 a.m. every day. Breakfast.
- Bike/train to gym (at least 4 days/week; aim for 5) for workout of at least 1 hour (aim for 75 mins). On Saturdays, additionally bike to Farmer’s Market and library.
- Bike/train to coffee shop or home; write for several hours. Daily wordcount should be at least 1000. Aim to spend less than $25/week on coffee and nibblies, which should be easy since I now have an office at home and no longer have to go to the coffee shop to get anything done.
- Come home, shower, cook healthy meal. Eat if staying in. Eat lightly if going out, so I don’t eat so much while I’m out.
- Aim to spend less than $50/week on eating out — tough in NYC, but I’ve got to rein that in; it’s my worst vice, and does me damage both financially and healthwise.
- Permit myself 1 glass of wine, 1 hot chocolate (with a dash of Baileys and marshmallows if I so desire), 1 mulled apple cider, or dessert in the evenings. The hot chocolate and cider are seasonal things; my craving for them should fade as the weather warms again.
- If I have to eat more, popcorn.
- Go to bed by 2 am.
Have joined a small online group with friends also working on a novel for additional motivation. Hopefully that will help. So, wish me luck!