Jeremy C Kester

Yesterday marked a full week that I’ve written over 1,000 words per day in fiction. My first writing streak this year. I knew that I could get back into the habit of writing. It was something I’ve been bemoaning about my inability to kick-start what I had proven capable of back in 2018. But now since I’ve done it… now what?

There’s this concept of aim that is associated with goal setting or with self-improvement. Given that we all have goals of one kind or another, the idea that we can achieve them is dependent on our aim. If we are not looking at the target, we are not going to hit it.

But aim in this case doesn’t refer only to looking. It refers to action. Looking down a range at a target is great, but until you bring your body into the action of raising the bow and drawing back the arrow and the arrow and the long list of other things that an archer would do to still themselves for the shot. Within that larger pool of actions is where the aim takes a larger role.

For me, with my writing, it was my aim that was off. Sure, I was thinking about writing every day, but rather than take the actions to write, even just putting an open notebook in front of me, I would find the right excuse to allow me not to work at it. But now, I’ve been working on the habits, the actions, the routines, that better allow me to reach the goal. Aim by looking wasn’t enough.

Through these routines, I’ve now rebuilt the ability to write over 1,000 words a day again, even with life being there, tempting me into all the other distractions that are not important. More is needed, but the first steps have been made. I’ve started to take aim once again.

Featured image by Jeremy C Kester