Week #4
We’re already in the fourth week since I shared my intention and goal of writing a novel with you. Time flies. Let’s see the steps I’ve done so far.
- Choose a theme for the book (done)
- Come up with an idea based on the theme chosen (done)
- Decide on which language I want to adapt to write the book (done)
- Define the main characters of the story (done)
- Spend some time studying the personalities of the main characters (done)
- Choose the era during which the story happens (done)
- Choose the location of the story (done)
- Draw an initial structure for the story events (done)
- Write the first paragraph of the story (done)
And now what? What’s the next step?
Climb The Ladder Step By Step
In my last post, I shared my opinion on enjoying the process and slowing down. This opinion became a conviction that I built out of my personal experience.
They say: “climb the ladder step by step.” It took me a while to understand what that meant, especially since I was born in this era where you can quickly gain everything.
How can we enjoy the process?
I- First, let’s start by defining the word “process.”
Based on the dictionary, “process” is a noun that means a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end.
No matter how simple or complex your goal is, you must follow specific steps to achieve it.
Now I want you to stop reading for a while and take some time to do the following exercise.
Please consider any simple goal, such as buying a gift from a store.
The right gift for person X is in your hand. It is wrapped and ready to be offered. I want you now to think backwards. What was the step you took before you had the gift ready in your hands and all the other steps before? Come back in time and write the list.
You’ll probably get something like that.
Goal: Buy a gift for person X
- Pay the price for the present.
- choose the gift and pick it up from the shelf.
- enter the store.
- park the car.
- take the road toward the store.
- choose the store where I can find what I need.
- decide on what gifts I might offer person X
- decide on the budget I want to set for buying a gift.
A simple act of buying a gift comprises a step that leads to another. That was the process.
II- Second, Let’s understand what “enjoying“ the process is about.
In this word, we find “joy,” a “pleasure” in doing something. Yet tapping into the joy of doing something isn’t always that easy. I cannot force myself to enjoy a process. Forcing myself is the antidote to pleasure.
So what can I do? How can I solve this problem?
You can start by taking the time and asking yourself the following questions
- Do I really want to achieve this goal for myself, or am I trying to please someone else and/or prove something?
- What is stopping me from enjoying my time while doing the task? What am I telling myself? (write down your thoughts).
- Am I being compassionate with myself? Am I taking care of myself? Am I taking the breaks I need? Feeding and watering myself?
- Am I giving myself the credits and encouragement I deserve for doing what I’m doing?
The steps toward accomplishing a goal aren’t all equally satisfying, and we cannot expect ourselves to be joyful all the time, but we can try our bests by eliminating anything that won’t serve the purpose.
Take Action But First Have A Plan.
While working on this project, “writing a novel, ” I prefer some steps over others. I like to take a pen and start writing without that planning phase. But the experience taught me that planning is equally and even more critical than putting your words on paper. Because Even though it feels good to write, if I have a zero idea of where I’m heading with my story, it will come a time when I’ll have to stop and maybe not continue.
That’s why it is crucial to keep your goal in mind, yet knowing that with each step you take toward it, you are getting a little closer, and that’s enough reason for you to celebrate.
I hope you now understand better what I meant by enjoying the process and would like to finish my post with this famous saying:
If you hit a rock with a hammer 1000 times, it wasn’t the 1000th blow that broke the rock; it was the 999 that came before it.
– Unknown