How NaNoWriMo Got Me Back to the Gym

In #productivity #writing #productivity

So National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is here, and it has its usual ups and downs as expected. For this event, you commit to writing 50,000 words of a new novel during the month of November. I first did it in 2019 - "won" it, achieving the 50,000 words of an admittedly terrible novel. 2020 was, well, 2020 as we all know. 2021 I rewrote the original one, by hand, which improved it quite a bit, and then over the course of a year transcribed it. I found that handwriting it had some definite benefits. I felt that I could turn off my internal editor more effectively, I was less likely to get distracted because I was away from the technology, I could squeeze in writing during times that would be awkward or impossible to use a computer (e.g. watching a concert on TV with the family, waiting in the car to pick someone up, etc...), and I think there is some non-tangible benefit to the physical process of handwriting that I can't put my finger on. The next year, 2022, I decided I didn't have the time and then this year I roped a few others into doing it to help me stay motivated.

So far this month I have been doing well, keeping to 1700 words a day (9 handwritten pages of 190 words). Saturday I had a demotivation point where I was frustrated with the way the story was going, wondering if I was wasting my time doing this at all when I have other work I should be doing. Perhaps this was just a procrastination technique of mine to work on something other than the things that were pressing. Also, I felt that while I enjoy a good story, I find it very difficult to come up with good ones myself. I can't visualize things as clearly as I've heard others can, I find that my resolutions tent to be simplistic yet I don't know the best way to handle this.

Yet, I do like imagining other worlds, other characters. I like the exploration of these new places and people, but I know I can't do everything I'd like to do in life -- I have to choose, so what to choose? The good thing about NaNoWriMo is the commitment to write, to look to produce volume rather than focus on quality. It is this permission to write something bad that is motivating -- and gives the raw material to improve afterward. It is the experimenting, and playing with words, that might get one to be better. It is the act of showing up each day to do something challenging, but not overwhelming, where the cumulative effect across a month is something substantial that has value.

So, when I was demotivated, I wrote about writing itself, about the frustrations. I wrote about how parts of the story weren't working and what might fix them or at least make them a little less bad. It was my internal editor, but I felt I needed to voice it because the problems in the story were building and making it worse. I then outlined the entire plot, so perhaps I could work on parts of it out of order. I gave myself permission to write about other things, to be what is called a NaNoWriMo Rebel -- someone who writes 50,000 words in a month, but not all on the novel, or even at all on the novel, but progresses their writing farther. I gave myself the permission to write short stories -- perhaps poking at different ideas would help give me the confidence again. Perhaps exploring a small, focused story would help me work on specific things like description or dialog without getting bogged down in world building or long plot lines.

When I started NaNoWriMo, I started getting the virtual badges from the site -- first post, first 5k words, 3 day streak, etc... I had won all these badges before, except one -- to post 1667 words every day, so i had my sights set on that. I wasn't focused on the total, I was focused on the habit. When I look at building a habit like this, I recall books on productivity that have been of help to me in the past. Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll are two such books, so I reread both of those over the past couple of weeks. I'm a slow reader, but I accomplished this by listening to audiobooks while working in the yard, or driving here and there. These books get me thinking about systems as opposed to goals. NaNoWriMo forces one to face both. The goal of 50,000 words is there, but because it is so daunting, requiring a sustained regular effort across the month one has to examine ones systems for accomplishing it.

Despite my previous NaNoWriMo accomplishments, I feel that it hasn't been an entire success for me. Sure, I finished a draft of a novel that I am reasonably proud of (which took 3 years) but my writing habit didn't sustain past November each time. I could buckle down, get something that has value pretty much only to me (a novel that is pretty basic at best) but there isn't lasting value I think to others, and perhaps not even to me. Or at least not as much value as I'd like to see. In a way, I think it probably worth more to post 1700 words daily on this blog for a month, exploring various random topics. That would be something of value I think. Perhaps I should write a new paper to submit to a journal (or maybe get a couple papers out the door that have been languishing due to me not having a good system in place). I like fiction, but find it hard to get into a new fiction series or book. I read much more nonfiction, listen to many more podcasts and seminars, and re-read or listen to fiction I'm comfortable with (e.g. Lord of the Rings, Dune, Babylon 5, Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, etc...) rather than starting something new.

However, I do appreciate the fact that there is a common motivation this month to accomplish something big. When I was looking at my habits, I noticed that I had stopped exercising and have been gaining weight or at least gaining a more spherical shape for the same weight. In my exploration of habits, I was motivated by YouTuber James Dunne to look into how to work some strength into my routines, but keeping it simple. I was looking at various exercise routings, and came across the The Only Five Exercises You Need video, and there was a phrase in the comments to the video: "Stay fit, age is not the barrier. Attitude is. Overcome it" At about the same time, I was talking to my friend who exercises a lot (much more than I have time for) and I asked him about his routine. He said that he gets up early, around 4:45am, and goes for a run -- minimum 5 miles -- and then in the afternoon he goes to the gym for weights. The magnitude was more than I would want, or be able, to do given my other commitments but it was the other things that he said that really struck me.

He runs regardless of the weather. That way there is no question about whether he will run on a given day. He said the hardest thing is getting out of bed in the morning, and pulling on the running clothes. But he just does it. I asked what happens if he starts thinking "Oh, I just want to sleep in today." and he replied that he doesn't allow that. He also said that he runs not for the physical benefits but for the mental benefits -- to clear his head. Finally, he said, that once he has done the hardest thing in the day -- waking up, and running in 23 degree weather, that the rest of the day doesn't seem that hard. That was the final pin that got pulled for me. I was looking at habits due to NaNoWriMo, looking to accomplish something great, and it had brought me to the realization of how to revamp my exercise.

For the past three days -- and I hope for the foreseeable future -- I have gotten up early, around 5am, 20 minutes of strength (from the The Only Five Exercises You Need video, mostly, but also some from James Dunne's video 12 Minute Strength Workout for Runners (INJURY PREVENTION)), then 20 minutes of running outside. No treadmill allowed, no excuses. I'm sore, but not injured -- which I hope the strength exercises will help me keep the injuries away. NaNoWriMo teaches us that a concerted effort every day can accomplish large effects over time.

I also learned that I need to be honest with myself, and there is more value in some things than others. I wrote 0 words yesterday, so I won't be getting the "1667 words every day badge". But I am fine with that. I had a day where I ran 2 miles in 23 degree weather before anyone was awake, taught 4 classes, had 3 meetings, and gave a research talk. At the end of the day, I had a choice of either working on NaNo to get that badge or to go out with my friends to relax. I chose my friends. There are some things more important, and one can't do everything that one wants to do. There are too many interesting things in this life, and one has to choose between them. That is not a bad thing.

NaNoWriMo forces one to face priorities and systems, while it teaches us valuable lessons about the power of consistent work toward a goal. I've decided to be a NaNoWriMo Rebel this year, doing the 50,000 words for the month, but not necessarily on the novel itself. In fact, probably not mostly on the novel. This post is my 1700 words for today. Have a great day!