Having two lists probably doesn't make any sense if you don't know I stay up all night for writing-related stuff. That's one of the reasons why I have so much time to work/write on my books.
During my normal day, I don't have a long to-do list. I do my daily chores (clean our room, wash dishes, and clean up after hubby lol) plus I clean rooms for the hotel. No list for that. For writing, I keep a mental list for what I want to do during the day after work. Sometimes, I finish the unlist and sometimes I don't. I do not kick myself in the butt on those times when I don't finish what I go out to do. The way I see it, I'm way ahead of schedule and I'll get to it tomorrow. I am a professional procrastinator. Really, I am. I've been doing that far longer than I've been writing lol. Occasionally, I do write something down in my planner for me to do on that day like make a phone call, but that's so I don't forget to get it done.
When I stay up all night, I write down what I want to achieve for the night. Here's the list.
Write
Edit
Work on Newsletter(s). I have two
Update Website(s). I have two, but I put my writing site first.
Posts (I schedule a week's worth of posts on IG once a week, plus I have my FB Group that I schedule at the same time)
Play with cover design
Learn
That's what I do every week. Sometimes, I don't get to finish the list because I get so involved with the covers that I lose sight of time lol. I'm having too much fun! I try to make that the last thing I do for the night, for that reason. And if I learn something new, I will practice it for a little while. I'm always trying to learn so my covers will do their job and that's get sales, or at least attention. It's a lot of hard work, but I'm getting there.
To
As you can see from the two covers above, I did way better in the second cover. And that's because I've spent a lot of my nightly time devoted to learning while working on other writing-related things. I think this is one of the things that makes me different. I don't lose sleep over my work, I gain time by not sleeping. I am so proud of what I've accomplished. I don't think I'm finished. I keep searching for more ways to learn. Of course, on that cover, I still need to add one more detail before the book is released in 2025. The tagline.
Why do I stay up at night? I've always been a night owl. For as long as I can remember, anyway. It's the one time during the 24-hour day when I can sit down and really get some work done--no distractions. Believe me, I love my husband, but he can be a pain sometimes lol. So, while he and the rest of the world are sleeping, I can be at my laptop writing, editing, work on marketing, and cover design. Nothing stopping me from getting it done. I drink a lot of coffee or I will drink a couple energy drinks to keep me awake lol. Without those, I don't think I would be able to pull off staying up all night plus be awake during the next day. Back in high school, I was able to stay up two straight nights without going to bed during to bed, but I'm 48 years old now so I'm not pushing myself to try that these days lol. And I didn't drink coffee back then at all! That's what happens when you get older--the drive grows, but physically you can't do it unless you cheat. So, I cheat a little (drink caffeine).
Do you keep a list? Does it help keep you on track? Do you reward yourself when you complete all the tasks on the list? Getting it done is reward for me because I achieved something important to me. That's all the reward I need. What's on your to-do list?
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