We all hate time limits. We don't like being told that we have a certain amount of time to do something, and that if we run out, then that's it. We wish we had an unlimited amount of time, and we tell ourselves that if we did, then we would use it to do all sorts of things.
The thing that no ones wants to acknowledge is that, yeah, we'd do everything - after we slept for a while, and watched some tv, and played some games, and got some more sleep...
Time limits suck. It's true, and it's undeniable. But they are also incredibly useful. Yesterday was my 90th one of these blog posts. I wouldn't have gotten out 90 of these in such short time if I didn't have a time limit. It's a simple one - I have to get this out by the end of the day. And damn if that's not hard sometimes. But that time limit keeps me in check. It makes sure that I keep thinking about it throughout the day, and that I get something out at some point. It may hold back the quality at times, but you can always add polish to something later on down the road. The hardest part is getting it out in the first place.
The reason this time limit works for me is because it's small and simple. I have to get something out by the end of the day - no ifs ands or buts about it. It also means that I end up writing most of my stuff at the end of the day. And there's nothing inherently wrong with that. Would it work better if I had an earlier end time? Maybe. But I'd have a lot harder time sticking to that time. It's just part of how I think.
Obviously a daily, midnight goal is not going to work for everyone. Some people need a week. Some need a month. It depends on what you're doing, and how long it's going to take you. I can write fast. Like, really, really fast. Especially in short bursts. It's why part of my goal is five hundred words. I know that if I push myself, I can fairly easily get that out in ten minutes. That gives me space to make clutch, last minute posts. And I have, many times. I won't deny that. It's a thing that I do. It's how I am. Rather than change it, I'm going to make myself learn to use it to my advantage.
Finding a time limit for that is really important. I got lucky to have had this work out on my first try. Well, for the most part. I missed a day, but I've already talked about that. The fact that I'm still here writing nearly a month later goes to show that there is something to what I've been doing.
Having to work at the last minute is part of what makes time limits important, believe it or not. When you have less time to think, it forces you to be more creative. To grasp the smaller, more available straws. To take that one word instant prompt that you have no idea where it will go, rather than trying to make a whole plan out before you get going. Sometimes it doesn't work out, and you end up with something incredibly awkward. But it's not like that doesn't sometimes happen even when you have the full plan.
This is something that I know how to do. Work fast and at the last minute. I do it with all kinds of things. There are some people, though, that use their time limits differently. Some want that time limit so they can finish it early and have free time where they can relax, knowing their work is done. And that's awesome.
If there's something that you want to do, I suggest you look at how to set your time limits. Make them just as much time as you need, and try to make it something repeatable. I think you might find, like I have, that it's far more helpful than it sounds like it would be.
No comments:
Post a Comment