Ann writes, "I've been so happy since we clarified my book project. It feels great to have clear parameters--now I know what to focus on each day.
"Thing is, last week I heard back from the writer/presenter I met at the conference and today I received the package she mailed me. The articles and resources all seem to substantiate my idea and approach. I think this thing's truly marketable!
"But then it hit me. If I'm thinking along these lines, surely others are too. And with this topic getting so much publicity...will there be room for my project when I get my proposal together?
"I've cleared time to do next week's research trip, but now I'm not so sure that now's the time. Is my topic really good enough? Am I?
"Help, please. Why all these monkeys, and how do I get them off my back?!"
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Hello monkeys...you're right on time!
Ann, the way I see it is this: you've done the work to tease out your project. You've claimed a specific goal and now you're showing up for yourself more decisively. To your amazement, you're even getting feedback that your ideas are right on track.
Who wouldn't be startled by all that goodness?
Here's where REAL relaxed writing begins.
It's time to feel your fears, then research. Feel your fears, then write.
Trust that for now there's value to flushing out this project exactly as you'd planned it: stay with your topic until you encounter a series of much more definitive facts to sway you. (Monkeys like nothing more than to numb you with dead-end doubts and enticing side roads.)
The trick is to research, write and persist...for now.
And please don't question for one moment the fact that you're feeling as crazy as you are. Nobody said dancing with monkeys was easy, but we all do it. Especially when we're right on track.
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Got questions? Email your writing productivity, motivation or time management questions to me at advice_at_coachmarla.com and I may feature your question here on the blog.
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